Earn Rewards 10 Times Quicker at B&Bs Than Top Hotel Chains
Jane Leisteiner
Travelers trying to stretch their dollar farther can earn free-night stays faster at a bed and breakfast. We put this to the test:
Rewarded 10 Times Faster than at Marriott
Picking up the phone, we called Marriott Rewards with a standard request to earn a free stay. We asked about booking a $209-per-night room at the Marriott Suites, which would get us a total of 627 points per night. In order to compile enough points to get a free night at their lowest level, we would need 7,500 points. That means we would have to spend $2,500, staying about 11.9 nights in order to get that free night reward.
Compare this to earning a free-night stay at bed and breakfasts across the country. And while we're at it let's look at a few other additional values. A good bed and breakfast is tough to beat when it comes down to uniqueness, the bang for your buck, and guest pampering. And if you are interested in stretching that travel dollar more, here are a couple things to consider:
Right now you can get a free night at any one of 1,560 bed and breakfast inns when you purchase the first night at the regular rate. Why do the do this? Simple. B&Bs and country inns are smaller than your average hotel and they have smaller advertising spends. By offer a free night during certain times of the year, they can incent guests and earn additional exposure for their property.
The Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free program from iLoveInns.com can save an average of $140 savings on a two-night stay. It far surpasses hotel chains that require you to stay 10 or more nights to get one night free, or properties that offer you $25 and $50 gas coupons.
The amount you save, of course, varies depending on the property and room you choose in the free night program. You can save up to $650 and it's an immediate savings, not something you have to wait for weeks or months to earn.
You can save even more when you take into consideration your meal expense. The bed and breakfast, after all, comes with breakfast. But many inns also take it a step further an offer various free business services and such items as free drinks or snacks (and not with a mini-bar price).
Get More For Your Dollar and More From Your Travel Experience With a Bed and Breakfast
Understanding that you can stretch your dollar further at a bed and breakfast, let's look at a California bed and breakfast, this Craftsman-style B&B in the heart of Monterey Peninsula -- the Inn at Seventeen Mile Drive.
Choose from rooms with views of the sea or garden in the main house of this three-building bed and breakfast. Or, enjoy the oak and redwoods in the chalet and cottage rooms. Unwind in the spa beneath the towering trees or the gardens whose guests also include the occasional deer and monarch butterfly. Maybe sip some champagne near the fountains and koi ponds. With the Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free program, guests will save anywhere from $145 to $290 at this lovely property.
A great value to go with a great experience. So, next time you are looking to compile some free-night stay rewards consider an alternative to the hotel chains. It's a tremendous value.
Jane Leisteiner is a frequent inngoer and writer. For additional info on http://iloveinns.com/california-bed-and-breakfast) California bed and breakfasts or to find thousands of http://iloveinns.com/bed-and-breakfast.htm) bed and breakfast inns in the free night program, check out the American Historic Inns website.
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