Getting away on a two night short break recently to Kiama, just south of Sydney, was a chance for us as a family to wind down and lay low.
As busy parents with two very active kiddies who usually pack a whole lot into our travels, our stay in Kiama was a welcome change.
It could basically be summed up like this: beach, nature walks, cafes. Who doesn’t need a little of that once in a while?
Savannah and kalyra at Surf Beach
Relaxation
nature walks
Kiama was the relaxing destination we were after with it’s small town vibe, ample cafe and restaurant choices, a pleasant beach and a playground for the kids. It’s easily accessible as a road trip getaway from Sydney.
Kiama Harbour
coastal walk
Cafes and jacaranda trees
As well as enjoying our little getaway, our stay in Kiama also gave us a chance to test drive the Hotels.com Welcome Rewards loyalty program.
But first, a confession.
Caz and I have been pretty slack over the years in taking advantage of loyalty and rewards programs. And that goes for all niches within travel whether it be hotel stays, credit card points towards flights, frequent flyer programs, you name it.
As long term frequent travellers, who knows how many great benefits and discounts we have missed out on due to being lazy and unorganised.
I’ve personally been using Hotels.com as a booking site for many years, but never bothered to join the rewards program.
But we are making an effort to change that.
If you are unfamiliar with Hotels.com, they are a leading provider of hotel accommodation worldwide and include both independent and major chain hotels as well as self-catering in over 140,000 properties.
They also have a nice price match guarantee where if you find a lower rate for your hotel on another site they’ll refund the difference to you, or help you cancel your booking.
What is Welcome Rewards?
Welcome Rewards is a loyalty program for Hotels.com guests. For every ten nights you book and stay at any of their partner hotels, you get one free night at any partner hotel.
It’s not specific to any one particular hotel chain or brand. It allows customers to accumulate their ten qualifying nights across a range of 65,000 independent and chain hotels as well as B&Bs and self-catering.
It’s that simple. Stay for ten nights and get the eleventh night free!
Who doesn’t like a free night stay? I know we will definitely appreciate it as a travelling family who could put those funds towards another part of our travels.
we stayed at the Sebel Harbourside in Kiama
Highlights of the Program
- No blackout dates
- No points to collect
- The free night is valued up to the average daily rate of the 10 night stays.
- Customers can redeem their free night at any eligible hotel from Hotels.com’s global network.
- Eligible hotels are clearly marked on the website.
- Customers can choose to use their free* night’s credit for a higher rate room by paying the difference
- Available on over 65,000 hotels worldwide
- Ten nights can be booked at once or separately
Who Can Benefit
This program seems very well suited to travellers with no preferred hotel chain, for travel in places where your preferred hotel chain may not be available or is too expensive, or for someone who really doesn’t care about attaining hotel statuses.
If attaining elite status and room upgrades is important to you, then book through the corporate-branded hotel websites. However, if at times you just want a room or a better deal than you see on the major corporate brands sites then there is value with Welcome Rewards.
Personally, I like the flexibility of choosing any accommodation type from either a hotel, resort, condo or B&B ranging from a 2 star to a 5 star depending on our travel circumstances and the location, without having to stay at a specific hotel chain’s brand.
Things to Know:
- A free night does not include taxes and fees.
- Only properties marked with Welcome Rewards™ qualify.
Further Details
To learn more about the Welcome Rewards program click here.
To keep up to date with exclusive offers from Hotels.com via social media follow on twitter, Facebook, or sign up via email.
Are you a Hotels.com Welcome Rewards member?
Disclaimer: Our stay in Kiama was courtesy of Hotels.com
