What’s a mattress run?

Even in case you’re new to the factors and miles sport, you’ve got in all probability heard the time period “mileage run.” A mileage run is when a traveler takes a flight (or collection of flights) primarily to earn rewards or airline elite standing.

Mattress runs are just like mileage runs. However as an alternative of taking a number of flights as you’d for a mileage run, mattress runs contain spending a number of nights in lodges primarily to earn rewards or lodge elite standing. So, here is what you should find out about mattress runs and while you would possibly need to go on one.

What’s a mattress run?

A mattress run is while you e book and pay for a lodge room that you simply needn’t earn rewards or qualify for lodge elite standing. This concept would possibly sound ridiculous, however the price of the keep could also be a lot decrease than the worth of the rewards and different advantages you’d acquire by the keep.

In its purest type, you may not even use the room you booked for a mattress run. As a substitute, you verify in after which depart the property. However, as we focus on on this article, there are many causes you could need to keep within the room you e book.

Associated: Final-minute suggestions for locking in lodge elite standing earlier than the top of yr

Mattress run for elite standing

For those who’re only a few stays or nights in need of a given lodge standing stage, it could actually make sense to mattress run as the top of the yr approaches and your window to qualify for elite standing closes. In spite of everything, lodge loyalty applications provide all types of useful perks for elite members.

For instance, you is perhaps near incomes Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite standing. For those who’ll have 48 elite-qualifying nights on the finish of 2024 based mostly in your presently booked stays, you’d want simply two extra nights to earn Platinum Elite standing. Platinum Elite standing provides many helpful perks, together with breakfast at many Marriott manufacturers, 4 p.m. late checkout and lounge entry. On this case, a two-night keep at a Marriott property close to your home earlier than the top of the yr is perhaps properly price the fee.

Keep in mind that many bank cards present elite standing (or the flexibility to earn towards elite standing by spending) as a perk. So, finishing a mattress run is not the one technique to attain a better tier. For instance, the Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Categorical® Card provides complimentary Platinum Elite standing, and the World of Hyatt Credit score Card allows you to earn two tier-qualifying evening credit per $5,000 in purchases every calendar yr.

Associated: When does your lodge elite standing expire?

Each day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter

Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants

You would possibly contemplate mattress operating to earn factors, particularly throughout a profitable lodge promotion. Nevertheless, ensure the worth of the factors you may earn is considerably increased than the price of your keep.

For instance, Selection Privileges periodically provides a promotion the place you may earn at the very least 8,000 Selection factors for each two stays. So, in case you’ve stayed at a Selection Inns property as soon as in the course of the promotion interval, it could possibly be price mattress operating one other keep to get the bonus factors.

Nevertheless, shopping for factors (ideally throughout a sale) or transferring factors is normally extra useful in case you want extra rewards for an upcoming reserving. The rewards you may earn on a mattress run will not often be price the fee.

Associated: How and why it’s best to maximize your lodge stays by utilizing a number of loyalty applications

Different mattress run issues

This evaluation solely captures a part of the decision-making course of concerning mattress runs. Earlier than reserving, it’s best to contemplate a number of different issues.

Further out-of-pocket prices

To finish a mattress run, you normally must pay for one thing in addition to the room charge. For those who drive to your native lodge, this is perhaps gasoline to your automotive. Or it could possibly be a further meal you would not have paid for at house. You might also need to account to your time.

Turning a mattress run right into a trip

You would possibly need to flip your mattress run into an precise trip for you, your loved ones or your mates. In spite of everything, it is simpler to justify an additional lodge keep if you will get some worth past incomes the nights or rewards you search.

You may in all probability have to verify in and keep

Lodge loyalty applications normally will not award factors or elite standing credit to confirmed visitors who do not present up, even when the keep is pay as you go. As such, you may normally have to verify in on the property.

Even visitors who’ve bodily checked in often face points on mattress runs. You may discover notes in most lodge loyalty program phrases and circumstances stating it’s essential to bodily keep at a property for a keep to be elite-qualifying. For instance, the World of Hyatt phrases and circumstances state, “Members should really check-in and full the keep for his or her reservation at a Level Property to earn factors. No factors can be awarded for any non-refundable pay as you go charges, cancellation charges, or no-show charges paid by a Member for a reservation that they didn’t really use.”

So, to keep away from points and guarantee your nights and rewards publish as anticipated, you may need to make it obvious that you simply checked in, used your reservation and accomplished your keep. This supplies much more incentive to make a staycation or trip out of your mattress run.

Associated: Breakfast, upgrades and extra: 9 TPG staffers reveal their favourite elite standing perks