• USA Today, Wednesday, September 15, 2010 11 AM

Free nights and up to triple bonus points are being offered to loyal guests of major hotel chains to fill rooms this fall and win repeat customers, reports Rebecca Heslin. They come at a time when travel is slow and business travel is still down compared to pre-Recession days.

"Demand is better this year than last, but it still isn't terribly strong," says Henry Harteveldt at Forrester Research. "There are a lot of enticing offers out there. They just aren't quite as rich or extravagant as a year ago, because they don't have to be."

Hotels also are offering more incentives, such as free Wi-Fi and breakfasts, which may outweigh offers of bonus points. "There's very little blind loyalty among both business and leisure travelers right now," Harteveldt says. "They are willing to trade off inconvenience for savings, which is why hotels have to be more thoughtful, on top of being strategic, when it comes to rewarding loyal customers."

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