Stay at Hilton and get triple Virgin Flying Club miles

There is nothing quite like the invigorating energy in NYC in the spring! I treat myself to Luxury at the St. Regis or the The Waldorf. The Waldorf Astoria is the embodiment of luxury and splendor with art-deco touches that make me imagine what it looked like when the guests patronized the grand hotel in the 1920s. You can use HHhonors points to stay at this magnificent establishment or pay Sale rates for Suites from $319 (request Plan Code SPCST in order to book). It is in walking distance of Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and shopping on Fifth Avenue. If you book a stay at any one of over 3,800 participating hotels from the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands between April 1 and June 30, 2011, you can get triple Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles. All you need to do is register before your stay. If you become a Hilton HHonors member, you’ll be able to add to your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles or many other airline frequent flyer programs. All the HHonors points you earn with Hilton Worldwide can be transferred into your Virgin or other Airline account but the most cost effective use of the points is to use it for stays.
You only have 1 day left to get up to a 100% bonus when you buy USAirways Dividend miles. Though I must point out that miles purchased or earned do not count towards Dividend Miles Preferred elite status. With the Dividend Miles program, Preferred members get everything smart travelers love. They are a Star Alliance member and Chairman's Preferred elite level is the highest to aim for to get upgrades. You need a steep 100'000 Preferred-qualifying miles for Chairman's level.

Points earning Boutique hotels

If you have not been able to accumulate enough nights to make elite with your preferred hotel chain, you may want to try a different kind of loyalty program. Many hotel loyalty programs give you a second year at the same elite level even if you don’t quite make the number of nights to qualify but it is also worth trying this new program.
It is a U.S. based hotel loyalty program , called Stash Hotel Rewards, started in May last year and has about 90 affiliated hotels mainly in cities like Boston, Chicago, LA, NYC, Seattle and Washington. The hotels include spas and resorts and are all properties with ratings of three stars and above. Membership is complimentary as it is with most loyalty programs.
I’m not so keen on Boutique hotels because I like to know what to expect for a Category or Star level.
But brands are not sticking to their core offerings anymore. Previously one could count on getting standard services like ; A/C, room-service, a bath-tub, swimming pool and a health club at a 4 star and up hotel. However, now days, brands are not true to their brands so you have to waste time to research each hotel before booking. I used to like staying at Marriott hotels because I knew the layout of the room and could feel at home because every room was the same. The bathroom with a tub is always to the side of the passageway, there was a full length mirror, coffee machine, hairdryer and mini bar fridge.
Boutique hotels are so fashionable that this year you can earn & redeem Marriott Rewards points at new hotel brands around the globe, like EDITIONSM, Autograph® and, The Ritz-Carlton®.
Edition hotels are luxury boutique hotels with attitude and style. Each distinctive property in places like Waikiki, Istanbul and Mexico City. Istanbul has a debut offer for € 265 per night for a room.
The Stash program allows travelers to earn points at a variety of hotels without limiting you to one chain. You earn , five points for every dollar spent at participating hotels:

Stash have a deal till July 2011 if you stay at Affinia Hotels in New York and Chicago: Members who are first time guests of Affinia properties receive 2,000 bonus points and another promotion is to earn 2k points at Lenox Hotel At On The Ave in NYC you get an upgrade to the next best available room category till the end of April, Valid when booking any room type.
Larkspur Hotels are 23 hotels within 3 distinct brands that you can earn stash point at and get a free night at any of their 9 hotels if you pay for 2 nights.

We drove along the California coast and had a pleasurable stop at Larkspurs Casa Munras, in Monterey, CA. I love the hacienda décor and fireplace-adorned rooms

Continental Airlines United Mileathon is back

If you want to get rid of your CO miles, now that they will start to expire, you have till March 1st to bid to use your miles for a Crested Butte ski package at the OnePass Online Auction.
Remember to register for the new Continental Mileathon by the end of Feb. 2011. You'll earn credits every time you complete qualifying activities at continental.com till April 30, 2011.* Activities include booking flights, hotel stays, car rentals and more at continental.com. Plus, at the end of the promotion, the top credit-earner in each OnePass category will also receive a Grand Reward — a dream vacation for two Start accruing miles at the beginning of Feb because credit accrual begins at the date you register (it is not retroactive). They also have an offer to earn double miles flying between some Mexican Cities till May 31, 2011
If you join Presidents Club lounges to relax at the 24 airport Clubrooms, -plus hundreds of affiliated lounges worldwide, You will earn 20 Mileathon credits.
I have been a Presidents Club member for many years and I like the Complimentary high-speed wireless internet access but don’t need it anymore. I do wish that they have Computers to use like they have at many of the Delta Sky Club Crown lounges. I also like the American Admirals Club at the executive center at DFW Airport terminal c near gate 19. It has an executive centre with 21-individual work desks and computers offering internet service. I suggested it to a stranded friend traveling for Super Bowl XLV, to seek it out. Some of the United Red Carpet Lounge do have computers, so that is an advantage of the CO UA merger.

Southwest Airlines has a 3 day sale

Go to SouthWest.com and type in your city to find out if you can find a good fare but here is a sample - From Austin:

• To Albuquerque for as low as $129 one-way
• To Amarillo for as low as $94 one-way
• To Birmingham for as low as $147 one-way
• To Burbank for as low as $164 one-way
• To Chicago for as low as $141 one-way

Available only on Southwest.com or swabiz.com. 14-day advance purchase required. Purchase by January 27, 2011, and travel through May 21, 2011. Blackout Dates do apply: February 17, February 21, and February 26and travel is valid every day except Fridays & Sundays

Now that Continental has moved to Chicago, I found that it is always cheaper to fly Southwest to Chicago from Houston ($240 round trip) Bags fly free on LUV. The service is the same now that CO does not serve food anymore. Elite upgrades are more difficult to get due to CO selling extra leg-room.

Fake ice at the Westin is better than the real stuff

After suffering through the snow in Europe, I managed to escape to a warm countryside retreat.

I adore the grand manner of doing things in Texas. The Westin has a fake-ice rink where you can skate without getting a red, frozen nose, because there is no real ice involved. I was able to tan at the landscaped pool, next to the ice rink, with a serene view of the rolling hills. They really do coddle you at the Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio. Colorful Mexican blankets are draped over the patio chairs and if you still think that the 75 degree (25C) weather is cool, they have outdoor heaters and a fire pit to enjoy a peaceful cocktail at sunset. This is a splendid way to end the day after a pampering visit to the Castle Rock Health Club & Spa or 36 holes of golf. Children have fun at the Westin Kids Club or at Six Flags Park, located just down the road from the resort by complimentary shuttle bus.
There is no internet access at the Club Lounge, but I was able to use my iPad at the Starbucks and in the Grand Lobby. In-room high speed internet access is free for SPG Platinum members, though not at the business center.
You can still book a room this weekend, including two 45-minute skate sessions with skate rentals, for stays through January 8, 2011 at rates from $219. Mention rate plan FROST when making your reservation. This Rink is temporary but you can find several real, permanent ice rinks at shopping malls throughout Texas.