Week 1 Daily Getaways Deals — Choice Hotels, IHG, Best Western, Vegas Packages
Today marks the return of the US Travel Association's Daily Getaways! These are special discounts and deals from a variety of travel brands and loyalty programs— including hotel packages, points/miles purchase promos, and rental car deals — that are each available for just one day at a time.
Each offer is limited, so make sure to mark your calendar for the deals that you want to purchase. Note that all deals launch at 1:00pm Eastern Time.
Monday, April 4
(1) Stay 3 nights at Comfort Inn for $155
(2) Stay 2 nights at Comfort Suites for $132
(3) Stay 2 nights at Sleep Inn for $90
(4) Stay 2 nights at Cambria Hotels for $160
| Deal | Points | Cost | Cents per Point | Available Deals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfort Inn | 36,000 | $155 | 0.43 | 785 |
| Comfort Suites | 32,000 | $132 | 0.41 | 655 |
| Sleep Inn | 20,000 | $90 | 0.45 | 220 |
| Cambria Hotels | 40,000 | $160 | 0.40 | 380 |
While this is being sold as "Stay _ Nights at __ for $__," all four of these deals are actually a purchase of Choice Privileges points. In TPG's latest valuations, we peg Choice points as being worth 0.6 cents each. These deals offer points for purchase between 0.4 cents and 0.45 cents per point. Not bad! And, while Choice brands aren't the best hotel options here in the US, you might want to consider Choice's properties in Europe — where you can get more than 1 cent per point of value.
If you're new to Choice Privileges, it's important to note that you have a limited window to book awards. Non-elite members can only make award reservations 30 days in advance in their country of residence, or 60 days elsewhere. Also, while Choice had a rather crummy expiration policy in the past, the program has switched to a 18-months-after-last-activity policy — similar to the policy most airlines use.
Also, you can transfer Choice Privileges points to several airline programs (like United or American). Transfers to Southwest count toward Companion Pass status, and 6,000 Choice Privileges points transfers to 1,800 Rapid Rewards points. If you bought 80,000 points for $320, you could transfer 78,000 of them to get 23,400 Rapid Rewards points. Essentially you’d be buying Rapid Rewards at 1.37 cents per point (which is pretty close to the value you get by using them for Wanna Get Away fares), while also earning valuable points toward your Companion Pass.
Purchase Limit: 2 of each deal per Choice account. In addition, note that one of the terms is: "A maximum of 8 sets of points is allowed per loyalty number across all Choice Hotels offers."
Verdict: Good deal! I'll be taking advantage of this deal for upcoming travel to Europe.
Tuesday, April 5
(1) Visit Any Busch Gardens Park for $45
- One single-day admission ticket, delivered by email
- Good through May 13, 2017
- Max quantity per purchase: 6
- Not valid for after-hour special events, but no blackout dates.
- 1,091 available
The deal page mentions "$99 value," but note that you can often buy tickets less than that — including right now on Busch Garden's own website. Currently, a one-day pass is $79 and an annual pass is just $99.
(2) Visit Any SeaWorld Park for $50
- One single-day admission ticket, delivered by email
- Good through May 13, 2017
- Max quantity per purchase: 6
- Not valid for separate-ticketed events, but no blackout dates.
- 2,192 available
Again, the deal page mentions "$99 value," but you can buy one-day passes for $69 and annual passes for $129 on SeaWorld's website.
Verdict: Depends on your situation. If you're planning to visit a Busch Gardens or SeaWorld once or twice in the next 13 months, you might as well utilize this deal to save some money.
Wednesday, April 6
(1) 100,000 IHG Rewards Club Points for $565
(2) 15,000 IHG Rewards Club Points for $90
(3) 25,000 IHG Rewards Club Points for $150
(4) 50,000 IHG Rewards Club Points for $293
| Points | Cost | Cents per Point | Available Deals | Purchase Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | $90 | 0.600 | 1,000 | 5 packages |
| 25,000 | $150 | 0.600 | 1,000 | 4 packages |
| 50,000 | $293 | 0.586 | 1,500 | 4 packages |
| 100,000 | $565 | 0.565 | 3,850 | 3 packages |
The return of a TPG reader favorite! This same offer has been made in each of the last two years of Daily Getaways, and we've heard that you've taken advantage of it.
In TPG's latest valuations, we peg IHG points at 0.7 cents per point, and this offer gives you a chance to purchase for as little as at 0.565 cents per point. Another good deal! But, remember that points are a bad long-term investment, so make sure that you have a plan to utilize these points. If you need more points later, you can generate IHG points for 0.6 cents each using the Point + Cash option.
One great use of IHG points is at PointBreak hotels, where you can redeem 5,000 points for a free night. Combining this 100,000 purchase promotion with PointBreak hotels would earn you 20 free nights for just $565 — just $28 per night! While the January-April PointBreak hotels are mostly sold out now, there should be a new list announced soon.
Purchase Limit: You can buy up to three 100,000 packages. Since the per-point rate drops with bigger purchases, it doesn't make sense to buy multiples of the smaller packages.
Verdict: Good deal if you have a plan to redeem them. I'll be passing on this offer, as I have a stash of IHG points from the recent IHG Priceless Surprises promotion.
Thursday, April 7
(1) 10,000 Best Western Rewards points for $55 (835 available)
TPG doesn't have a valuation for Best Western points, but we find that you can get between 0.5 and 0.8 cents per point when redeeming for hotel rooms. This deal lets you purchase at a rate of 0.55 cents per point, which is on the better end of the value range.
Purchase Limit: 5 packages, for a total of 50,000 Best Western points
Verdict: Not a great offer, but you might be able to get some value out of it. I'm passing on this offer.
Friday, April 8
(1) Getaway for 2 to Mandalay Bay for $1,700 (8 available)
- Three nights in a Sky View Suite at Mandalay Bay
- Two tickets to Michael Jackson ONE
- Two dinners included
- Two 50-minute massages
- Round-trip limo transfer from/to airport
- Good through January 31, 2017 — except New Year's blackouts
(2) Getaway for 2 at New York-New York for $475 (8 available)
- Two nights in a Spa Suite at New York-New York (excluding resort fees)
- Two tickets to Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil
- Dinner for two at Gallagher's Steakhouse (up to $400)
- Good through December 28, 2016
(3) An Ultimate Getaway: The Mirage for $1,750 (10 available)
- Three nights in a Mirage Suite at The Mirage, including dinners, show tickets, massages, and more for 2 people.
- Good through December 29, 2016. Blackout dates apply for holidays (July 4, November 26, December 24-25, 2016).
(4) Escape to Excalibur for $475 (7 available)
- Four nights in a Contemporary Tower Room at Excalibur
- Two tickets to Criss Angel Believe or The Blue Man Group
- $400 food and beverage credit
- Good through January 31, 2017. Blackout dates of December 30 and 31.
(5) Stay, Play and Relax at ARIA for $1,700 (10 available)
- Three nights in a Sky Suite at ARIA Resort & Casino
- Prix fixe dinner for two at one ARIA restaurant (limited to $500)
- Two spa treatments
- Round-trip limo transfer from/to airport
- Good through December 31, 2016
Verdict: If you're looking to splurge on a Las Vegas experience with a special someone, you might want to give these $1,700 packages a closer look. Meanwhile, both $475 packages include up to $400 of food and two show tickets — which means you can practically get the room for free!
Stay Tuned for Next Week’s Getaways
Be on the lookout for my assessment of the Daily Getaways for April 11-15, including a Wyndham, Universal Studios, Expedia, Omni and Caesars deals.
