Do this now: register for Starwood Preferred Guest and Club Carlson hotel promotions

I'm pleased to see this Winter that all the major hotel chains are running promotions (with the exception so far of Hyatt Gold Passport). While they aren't particularly generous, every promotion is potentially a way to squeeze additional rebate value out of my occasional paid stays, so I'm happy to see anything rather than nothing. Here are the two latest promotions to be announced.

Starwood Preferred Guest "Double Play"

Registration is now open for Starwood Preferred Guest's "Double Play" promotion. Between January 5 and April 15, 2015, you'll earn double base Starpoints on eligible stays of 2 or more nights, and 1,000 bonus Starpoints for every 5 eligible nights you stay during the promotional period.

I don't believe there's any chance I will qualify for any bonus Starpoints under this promotion, but I registered anyway, just in case an unexpected paid stay or two comes up.

This promotion is substantially less generous than IHG Rewards Club's current Set Your Sights promotion, and even Hilton HHonors' current Double Up promotion awards double points on stays of any length and Marriott's Spring MegaBonus promotion awards 2,500 Marriott Rewards points on stays of any length (in both cases starting with your second stay). Club Carlson's promotion is even more generous (see below). So if you're considering targeting your stays in order to maximize promotions, any of those promotions is worth looking at first before directing stays to Starwood properties.

Of course, if you're staying at Starwood properties anyway, the bonus Starpoints will be a nice additional rebate against the cost of your stays.

In any case, register now, before you forget, and find the list of non-participating properties here.

Club Carlson "Extend Your Stay, Earn 30K"

Registration is also now open for Club Carlson's "Extend Your Stay, Earn 30K promotion. Between January 12 and March 29, 2015, you'll earn 15,000 bonus Gold Points for each eligible 2-night stay, and 30,000 bonus Gold Points for each eligible stay of 3 or more nights.

Since Club Carlson Gold Points can be worth up to 1 cent each under certain circumstances, this is a potentially huge rebate against paid stays for folks who carry one of the US Bank Club Carlson credit cards that gives a free night on award stays of 2 or more nights.

Stays paid for by redeeming Gold Points or by using Points + Cash are not eligible for the promotion, although if you support this blog with a paid subscription, see my Subscriber Newsletter #2 for a possible workaround.

In any case, register now, before you forget.