A good article I came across this morning about why third-party booking sites are losing some of their luster for regular travellers.I particularly like this quote from Starwood:
A senior representative of Starwood highlighted that Starpoints can be earned on "'eligible' rate plans" for bookings made "directly with the hotels or your preferred travel agency".

We come under their classification of "preferred travel agency" and look after bookings for several of their Platinum SPG members.

Want points for your hotel stay? Avoid third-party booking websites

By Chris Chamberlin
Want to earn your full serve of points with your favourite hotel rewards scheme? Avoid 'third party' booking sites and make your reservation directly with the hotel or its parent company.

Unlike frequent flyer programs – which let you earn points regardless of who you booked your ticket with – many hotel loyalty programs won't provide any per-night points or per-stay credits on bookings made through the likes of Expedia, Wotif and Hotels.com.

To read the rest of the article, click here. 

Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane

Last week Adam and I went and visited the new Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane which opened earlier in March.

My career in the hotel industry started at Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas and then continued at Sheraton Brisbane so I have a soft spot for the Starwood Hotels brand. Since losing the Sheraton (now the Sofitel) a number of years ago, Starwood have been working hard to get back in to the Brisbane hotel market and word on the street is that it won't be long before we have a Westin as well.

The Four Points is on Mary Street, just a couple of blocks from the Queen Street Mall (centre of the CBD) so its a very central location. Not surprisingly, the hotel rooms are very modern and look fresh (see picture below). One side overlooks the city/other buildings but the other has partial views of the Story Bridge and the river which is a nice surprise considering how central it is.

The hotel has some really good opening specials currently available so now is a great time to check it out while it still has that "new car" smell!