The FGT Staff’s Favorite Hotel Rewards Program

Intercontinental Continental Hotel Group’s Priority Club Rewards program is currently the preferred hotel rewards program of the FGT Staff. There are many excellent hotel rewards programs available to choose from, so the best program for us may fit with your travel needs. Over the last few years, Priority Club has sponsored numerous games, sweepstakes, and non-hotel stay opportunities to earn many points.

Standard reward nights start at 10,000 points. One member of the FGT Staff is also a football season ticket holder at the SEC University where his son attends. During the 2010 season, he was able to use Priority Club Rewards to cover five stays at the local Holiday Inn Express at a rate of 15,000 points per night. When the football weekend rate is usually $250 per night, with a two night minimum, Priority Club Rewards are an excellent way to save money.

If you are looking to play golf in a new location but not overly concerned with where that location may be, Priority Club offers a Points Break Program each quarter. Instead of shelling out 15,000 to 40,000 points to book a reward room you can book rooms for just 5,000 points – this is pretty darn good as you can often get good properties on this deal. The 4^th quarter Points break list included properties in California, Florida and Texas.

We also actively participate in the programs offered by Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Wyndham, Choice and Hyatt. Take the time to review each program and decide which one will best align with your current travel patterns.

Most of the major hotel programs have resort locations with golf courses on site or within close proximity. When considering future golf travel plans, always evaluate which hotel program will be most beneficial.  

Our golf travels have allowed us to play at several resort locations with the cost at least partially offset utilizing hotel rewards. Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA has a Hilton Hotel on site. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama has several Marriott properties on location and many Intercontinental Hotel Group (Priority Club) properties nearby. The Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, the La Quinta Resort & Club in California and the El Conquistador Resort in Puerto Rico are all part of Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Collection.

We suggest you join all of the major hotel reward programs so that you can take advantage of the abundance of opportunities available to earn points, even when you are not regularly travelling.