Great Value With Points or Cash

Just because a hotel is cheap doesn’t mean it’s a bad hotel.  At the same time, expensive hotels aren’t always great either.  There has to be an equal balance between cost and value.  For the Element Denver Park Meadows hotel, it provided free breakfast, free happy hour Monday-Friday, free parking, free internet to all hotel guests, and every room is a suite.  I was on a paid corporate rate, but rates aren’t that expensive and it is only a SPG Category 2 (4,000 SPG points).

Incredible Value

Great Free Amenities

As stated above there was free breakfast, free parking, free happy hour, free internet to all hotel guests, and every room was a suite.  The breakfast was continental with usually one or two hot items, and the happy hour actually included food that could make a full meal.  For example, the first night there were chicken wings, vegetables with dip, and free premium beer (Newcastle, Heineken, and Corona).  The second night there was a full out BBQ with bratwursts and burgers.

Excellent Customer Service

The hotel staff was very friendly and recommended some places to visit.  They all recommended visiting Red Rock Amphitheatre, and it was definitely worth it.

Sunset and Red Rock Amphitheatre

Pictures of the standard King room at the hotel.

Conclusion

The Element Denver Park Meadows hotel has to be the best “budget” hotel that I ever stayed at. I say “budget” because the rates are cheap, but the hotel is still very classy and has excellent bang for your buck. Also, this hotel definitely did not nickel and dime me at all. Hopefully more hotels will follow this type of hotel style and provide great value and free amenities regardless of hotel status. I’m looking forward to seeing more Element hotels in the future. I know that giving everybody free amenities and perks dilutes the value of elite status. Would you rather have hotels treat everyone the same, or should free amenities and perks be earned by being a repeat customer?

The post Best Budget Hotel Ever – Element Denver Park Meadows appeared first on RomsDeals.

Using Amazon Payments to transfer funds from person A to person B to person A is generally not a good idea and could risk shut down.

Also, creating multiple accounts for yourself is also not a good idea because you are required to enter your SSN and will most likely be shut down as well.

What other options can you take to transfer more than $1,000 per month?  Amazon Payments 3 Person Method, see below. 

A general rule to Amazon Payments is not to cross streams, meaning do not transfer from A to B and back to A or A to B to C to A.  Therefore, the only option forseeable is transfering from person A to person B to person C.

One person can accomplish all this by the following:

• Person B buys gift cards for person A.  You can buy $500 Visa gift cards or $3,000 AMEX gift cards through BigCrumbs (1.4% cash back).
• Person A sends $1,000 of gift cards to Person B.
• Person B sends $1,000 of any credit card to Person C.
• Person C withdraws.
• Result: Person B transfers $2,000 per month.

In this scenario, person B transfers $1,000 to himself indirectly throught person A and $1,000 to person C.  In the end, person B is meeting $2,000 of spend at no cost per month.   Hence, the Amazon Payments 3 Person Method.

This could be a great way to meet large minimum spends on credit cards such as Chase Ink Bold ($5,000) or AMEX SPG ($5,000).  Of course there are other methods, but Amazon Payments is probably the best no fee method there is out there.  I know that many people say that bringing exposures to Amazon Payments will shut it down, but major bloggers that are 10X bigger than me have posted about it and it is still alive.  Why keep any secrets?

Here is my previous article on Amazon Payments.

If you would like to apply for the Chase Ink Bold or American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card, you can apply through my banner link on the right column of my site.

Caution: I’ve verified that this has worked for about 3 months, but use at your discretion.  I don’t believe it is against the terms and conditions of Amazon Payments. 

The post Amazon Payments 3 Person Method – $2,000 Per Month appeared first on RomsDeals.

TopCashback’s ‘purchase of gift cards’ cashback rate (http://www.topcashback.com/raise/) has increased today from 2% to 3.5% until 23:59 PT on Thursday, May 23.  This may be a great opportunity to take advantage of Raise discounted gift cards.

I’ve been told that this is the highest cashback rate that’s ever been available for it. New customers can use a $5 off a $75 purchase coupon simultaneously as well – so a new customer’s $75 transaction will cost $67.55 after the coupon and cashback savings.  Use code TCB75.

Some good gift card deals I spotted (may change):

• Starbucks – 16.8% off
• JC Penney – 19% off
• Macy’s – 10% off
• Target – 7% off

I would use either an AMEX SPG (no AMEX allowed) or Barclaycard Arrival card to purchase gift cards on Raise.com because it is a non-category bonus expense.

Living Social $5 off $15 Code

You can get $5 off any $15 or more Living Social coupon by just adding the code SHARE5 at checkout.  The offer ends May 31, 2013.  I love being able to triple and quadruple dip in savings!  Using the $5 coupon, earning 10% back via ShopDiscover or 4X Ultimate rewards points, and using my Barclaycard Arrival 2.2% travel cash back.  If you count the coupon itself, then its a quadruple dip!

Use SHARE5 Code for $5 off $15

Take advantage of Raise Discounted Gift Cards TopCashback 3.5% and Living Social $5 off $15 and save money today on daily spending and food/activities!

The post Raise Discounted Gift Cards TopCashback 3.5% and $5 off $15 Living Social appeared first on RomsDeals.

Simple Steps to Apply for Best Credit Card Offers from Credit Karma:

Click Banner Link on Website

Find Desired CC and Click Apply Now

Fill Out Application

It’s pretty easy and straight forward navigating Credit Karma’s Best Travel Credit Card website.  I say these offers are “new” because they are new to my site.  Although the arrangement is vague, I may or may not receive a commission if you are approved through the banner link.  My job is to always recommend the best credit card sign up offer, which will give you the most points and miles.  I will do my best to keep on top of the latest and best offers.

If you are hestitant on applying for credit cards or want to know the best strategy for your travel goals, feel free to leave a comment, tweet me, or email me (I will respond fastest in that order).  The advantage of being a smaller blog site is that I can provide personalized advice to my readers

Using the banner link on my site is the best way to find some of the best credit card sign up offers.  The majority of the travel credit cards through the banner link are the best offer.  However, there are a few credit cards listed on the Credit Karma link that are not the best offer.   I have made a list of which credit card offers through the banner link are the best offer and which links are not the best offer.

Best Credit Card Offers from Credit Karma Banner

• Chase Sapphire Preferred – 40,000 Ultimate Rewards Points after $3,000 spend in 3 months.
• Chase Ink Bold – 50,000 Ultimate Rewards Points after $5,000 spend in 3 months.
• American Express SPG Card – 25,000 SPG points after $5,000 spend in 6 months.
• Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard – 40,000 points after $1,000 spend in 3 months.
• Hilton Reserve Citi Card – 2 Free weekend nights after $2,500 spend in 4 months.

Credit Cards You Should Apply Elsewhere

• Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express – Better 45K Delta Miles offer through Cardmatch, follow instructions in this post.
  
• Citi® Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® Visa Signature® Card – Better 50K after $2,500 spend on Flyertalk.
• United MileagePlus Explorer Card – Might be better 55K miles offer on Flyertalk.
• AMEX Blue Preferred or Everyday Cash – Better offer through Cardmatch from this post.

All other credit card offers not mentioned, I don’t really recommend because they are either not great offers or don’t give great value.  If you are new, be sure to know your credit score first.  If your credit score is good and you can pay in full and on time, then I would recommend applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card because Ultimate Rewards are the most flexible transferable points program.  I’ve been able to go to Hawaii twice and Europe with Ultimate Rewards points.  If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask below.  Thank you everyone for your support.

The post New Credit Card Offers from Credit Karma appeared first on RomsDeals.

I am not an expert web designer, so I figured I’d let you guys be part of this site. I’ve been focusing on content for 5-6 months mostly and not really how the site looks. I recently picked a new theme that is more logo friendly. The old theme was having problems with the previous theme with the menu options.

To participate do the following:

• Submit a logo to me via email at romsdeals.com@gmail.com by next Friday, May 24, 2013.
• The logo should fit the top portion of my site.

New Logo Design Contest (and maybe slogan?)

• Readers will select new logo.
• Winner of the New Logo Design Contest will receive a $50 AA Gift Card.

The post New Logo Design Contest $50 AA Gift Card appeared first on RomsDeals.

Hyatt determines how long your Hyatt Diamond status will last depending on when you start your challenge.  If you start and complete your Hyatt Diamond challenge after June 1, 2013, your Diamond status will last until February 2015.  However, if you start before June 1, 2013, it will only last until February 2014.

Hyatt Diamond Status

According to Hyatt, and confirmed via email on Flyertalk,

“Per your request, this specific Diamond Trial Offer that lasts until February 2014 will end on May 31, 2013.

The new Diamond Trial Offer which lasts until 2015 will begin in June 1,
2013. If you wish to utilize the later offer, please contact us on June
1, 2013 or later.

Tips to Start Your Hyatt Diamond Challenge on June 1

• Obtain Hilton Gold Status via “Free Hilton Gold” trick(here is a good article) or Hilton Reserve Citicard.
• Calculate if the Hyatt Diamond status is worth chasing.
• Plan 12 paid nights in 60 days.  For a business traveler, the Hyatt Diamond Challenge is awesome.  However, if you are a leisure traveler, plan your travel around discounted hotel rates.  Another option is to use the Barclaycard Arrival card to pay for the hotel, and use Barclay points to receive a statement credit.  You will still get all the benefits and qualify for a paid rate.
• Apply for Hyatt Credit Card after activating challenge to receive two free suite nights.
• Plan for aspirational properties such as Hyatt Paris Vendome, Park Hyatt Tokyo, etc to maximize your Hyatt Diamond perks.  The Hyatt Diamond perks are far better than domestic Hyatt properties.  We enjoyed our free $75 buffet breakfast in Paris very much.
• Consider doing a mattress run or two at properties with closed Regency club for 2,500 bonus points.
• Apply for Hyatt’s latest promotions.
• Read my previous posts on Hyatt Diamond Status below:
  • Chasing Hyatt Diamond – Enrolling in Hyatt Diamond Challenge
  • Chasing Hyatt Diamond - Is it Worth it?

Good luck if you are deciding to start your Hyatt Diamond Challenge on June 1.  You don’t have to exactly start on June 1, but do what works according to your travel plans.  Note that it takes 2-3 days for the Hyatt Diamond status to process.  I would try activating it on June 1 just to be safe though.

The post Start Your Hyatt Diamond Challenge on June 1 appeared first on RomsDeals.

TopCashBack is having a Radisson Cashback promotion of 9% on all Radisson bookings.  If you have the US Bank Club Carlson credit card, you could double dip on this promotion.  The Club Carlson card also gets you Gold status, which earns 20X points per dollar spent and other perks mentioned here.  and maximize a $100 hotel stay with the following:

• $100 Hotel Stay * 10 Points per dollar spent = 1,000 points
• $100 Hotel Stay * 9% = $9 rebate
• Online Booking Bonus = 2,000 points
• $100 * 20 points per dollar spent = 2,000 points

Radisson Limited Time 9% CashBack

Not a bad deal if you are staying at a Radisson hotel.  The TopCashBack promotion ends midnight on May 25, 2013.  You must book before that date, but can travel after May 25 to receive the Radisson Cashback.

AMEX Business Gold 75K Offer (10K Spend)

Reader David contacted me to notify me that the AMEX Business Gold 75K is still available, but with a $10,000 spend in 4 months.  This is still a great offer if you can meet the $10,000 minimum spend in 4 months.  Note, this offer ends on May 17, 2013. The spending requirement is still high, but you can use several tricks to meet minimum spend.

You can also read my previous post here on tips on how to meet the $10,000 spend.

• Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
• Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business.
• 3X points on airfare purchased from airlines. 2X points at US gas stations.
• Up to $100,000 in each category per year, then 1 point.
• Terms and limitations apply.
• Reduce travel costs, show appreciation for employees and clients, and offset everyday expenses by using points to get something back and grow your business.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $175.
• †Apply online to qualify for this offer. See offer terms for details.”

 AMEX Business Gold Application Link

TopCashBack Sign Up Link 

Disclosure: I receive no commissions for recommending the AMEX Business Gold and Club Carlson Cards.  I do receive a small commission for TopCashBack if you are a new member.  I don’t run this blog for the purpose of income, but I appreciate if you do use any of my links.  Thanks!

The post Radisson CashBack (9%) and Another Limited Time AMEX Business Gold 75K Offer (10K Spend) appeared first on RomsDeals.

It seems like Plastic Jungle is pursuing to “work directly with their business partners”.  I’m not sure what that means, but I could suspect that Plastic Jungle decided its business was not that profitable or could be that its business model was not very profitable.  Deals come and go in the points and miles world, so no surprises here.

Dear Customers,

 

The team at Plastic Jungle would like to thank you for your participation in our gift card programs over the past seven years. Since 2006, Plastic Jungle has been a leader in providing you with great deals on gift cards in a secure marketplace.

As our business has grown and evolved, we have seen that the greatest potential for Plastic Jungle’s long-term success is in working directly with our business partners. As a result, we will no longer be buying and selling gift cards at www.plasticjungle.com. This change is taking place effective May 13, 2013.

With this transition, there are a few important things you should know. First, all orders currently being processed will be honored with the same guarantee of service and safety that we have upheld for seven years. Second, our website will be available to allow you to access your account and retrieve gift cards until November 1, 2013. Third, Plastic Jungle will continue to offer gift card exchange services to customers through our partners. Finally, our customer service desk will remain open during this period to answer inquiries and resolve any concerns. If you have any questions, we encourage you to visit our FAQs page or contact Plastic Jungle Customer Success at customersuccess@plasticjungle.com.

Thank you again for being an important part of the Plastic Jungle family over the past seven years. We appreciate all of your support as we begin this exciting new mission as a company.

All the best,

The Plastic Jungle Team

It seems like you should be able to access your account until November 1, 2013, so make sure you download all your e-gift cards before it’s too late.

Even though Plastic Jungle has shut down, it seems like it has combined with Cardcash.com.  The interface seems similar, but I have not tested its legitimacy.

Plastic Jungle has Combined with CardCash.

There is also no TopCashBack rebate or any promotion that I know of yet.  I will let you know if there is anything worthwhile.  Although Plastic Jungle Shuts Down, there will be more points and miles opportunities.  You could always go to Cardpool or Raise for discounted gift cards.

The post Plastic Jungle Shuts Down – Trees are Falling appeared first on RomsDeals.

By strategically using the best rewards credit card for every expense is an easy way to maximize your points or just save in general.  Here is what I think is the best way to maximize your spending  for each spending category:

Groceries

• American Express Premier Rewards Gold (2X Membership Rewards Points) or AMEX Blue Preferred Cash (6% Cash) – I value MR points at about 1.5 cents a piece.  Therefore, I think AMEX Blue is a better option at 6 cents per dollar spent.  However, the AMEX Blue Preferred Card is limited to $6,000 a year.  I currently do not have the AMEX PRG card, so I’ll stick with AMEX Blue Cash Preferred.  
  

Cell phone/cable/office expenses/gift cards

• Chase Ink Bold or Plus (5X UR Points) – This is an obvious choice.  By allocating your cable, cell phone, office supply expenses to Chase Ink, you can effectively get 5 points for every dollar spent.  Stock up on restaurant gift cards at Office Depot as well.  

Gas

• Chase Ink Bold or Plus (5X UR Points) – I constantly buy Shell gift cards at Office Depot to pay for gas so I get 5X UR points on gas expenses.  

Restaurants

• Chase Freedom (5X Quarterly Bonus) or Chase Sapphire Preferred or Barclaycard Arrival – I would try to maximize the 5X points on Chase Freedom.  I downgraded my CSP card, so I’m using a Barclaycard Arrival (2.2% travel cash back) as an alternative.  You can also buy restaurant gift cards at Office Depot for popular restaurants. 

Non-category Expenses

• American Express SPG (1x) or Barclaycard Arrival (2x) – I only value SPG points at about 2 cents a point.  Non-category expenses don’t get any bonus multipliers so you want to use a card with the most valuable points, which turns out to be SPG points.  However, the Barclaycard Arrival card gets 2X on all purchases.  Therefore, every dollar spent is 2.2% travel cash back.  It’s good to have both SPG points for aspirational awards and Barclaycard points to minimize cash outlay.  I swap back and forth between both cards to spread out my expenses.  These cards are also great for manufacturing spend because manufacturing spend is usually categorized as non-category.  

Drugstores

• Hilton AMEX has stoped the 6X off drugstores, but I don’t really care after I boycotted Hilton.  The Citi Foward 5X off drugstores is out of the picture as well.  Therefore, I will follow the non-category expenses strategy.  

Airfare

• I don’t have the AMEX Business Gold card for 3X airfare, therefore I use either the American Airlines or United card for 2X points.  I might start using Barclaycard Arrival to pay for fuel surcharges and fly completely free with taxes paid! (with Barclay points)

That’s my general strategy on deciding which rewards credit card for which expenses.  I know that many of you already know all this, but sometimes going back to the basics is important.  If you are a mild points collector, you can accumulate tons of points or maximize cash back by just having the right credit cards used on the right expenses.  If anybody has input, please add.  Thanks!

The post Which Rewards Credit Card for Which Expenses? appeared first on RomsDeals.

Comments Closed – Stay tuned for the next Open Discussion.  Thanks for your questions, I enjoy providing free travel consulting, but I’ll have to admit it is a little tiresome!

Hello readers, if anybody has any relevant questions or comments about travel or deals, please ask below.  I can help with planning your trip, collecting miles (credit/gift card churning, manufacturing spend), and anything else.  Would anybody be interested in designing a logo for a $50 American Airlines gift card?  I may have a contest, anybody interested?

I will be available today and most of the weekend to answer to the Friday/Weekend Open Disccusion.

The post Friday/Weekend Open Discussion appeared first on RomsDeals.