Peter Greenberg: Extended Stay Hotel Discounts
By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-02-16
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I am looking to take a year-long vacation across the United States, with most of the time spent at extended-stay hotels. Does any company offer a pricing plan where you can get set prices for 100 nights per year, regardless of location? –Or possibly tiered pricing that gives 10 percent off with 10 stays in a year, 20 percent off at 50 nights, 35 percent off with 100 nights in a 12-month period? Something like that. I'm willing to commit to a hotel if there is some kind of discount other than standard rates and discounts.
–Wayne, Walnut Creek, Calif.
If you're headed to many different locations, sticking to one chain will be easiest if it's fairly large. Among the largest in terms of number of locations are Marriott's Residence Inn, InterContinental's Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, and Hilton's Homewood Suites.
While many hotel companies do offer tiered pricing (that is, bigger discounts for longer stays), none offer it unless you're staying at the same location, not at different locations within one chain. For that, your best bet is a loyalty program. Each of the chains does offer a loyalty program of some type, and most function in the way you'd expect: Collect enough points through stays, and you're eligible for discounts, free nights, and the like.
But unfortunately, for the type of your vacation you're talking about, extended-stay hotels (or regular hotels, for that matter) just don't have programs like that.
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