London is in its global hotel brand era: In the last year, it’s added a Raffles, a Peninsula and a second Mandarin Oriental; a Waldorf Astoria, a St. Regis and a Six Senses are on their way. This new guard is taking over historical icons and throwing up gleaming towers, and it’s upping the ante on amenities, too. A posh afternoon tea is no longer enough, it seems; now, five-stars come with signature scents, subterranean spas, museum-worthy art and long-stay residences. Rooftop bars, a rarity here a decade ago, are now seemingly obligatory (Bar 33 at the Emory wins for views, with everything from Big Ben to Battersea Power Station in its sights). But there’s still room for the occasional independent hotel, like the Broadwick, a maximalist love letter to the owner Noel Hayden’s hotelier parents and the creative Soho of the ’90s in which he came of age. “It’s a bit of a sensory overload,” Hayden says. Naturally, there’s a rooftop bar there, too.
5 ways my hotel credit cards help me travel in luxury
23.08.2024 - 12:54 / thepointsguy.com
Many people newer to points and miles initially gravitate toward airline programs. That isn't a huge surprise — the ability to get to your destination for almost free is a logical first step. But what about once you arrive?
Over the past decade of being in the points and miles world, I have tweaked my credit card strategy to not only fly in style but also stay at luxurious properties.
Here's how my hotel credit cards — which make up almost a third of my portfolio — help me get free nights, suite upgrades and statement credits for dining and travel.
Eight of the 27 credit cards — about one in three — that I currently have open are cobranded hotel cards. They cover four major hotel chains, with five from Chase and three from American Express:
*The information for these cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
^These cards are not open to new applicants.
Between these eight cards, I pay over $1,700 in annual fees, which is a substantial amount. However, as I explain below, I do get a lot of value from them, especially from the free nights and elite status.
We recommend holding between three and 10 credit cards if you are interested in travel rewards. TPG director of content Eric Rosen suggests the average traveler cover their bases with one transferable points card, one cash-back card with different bonus categories for everyday expenses, one airline card and one hotel card if they stay with a chain more than a couple of times a year.
One of the top two hotel credit card benefits I value most are the free night awards (also known as free night certificates) that come with several cobranded options.
This benefit often makes the annual fee worth paying year after year. I aim to use these free nights at properties where cash prices are high and on one-night stays at airport hotels.
For example, I used the 35,000-point certificate I got on my Marriott Premier Plus Business Card to book an award stay at an upscale Bavarian mountain town property called Caro & Selig, Tegernsee, Autograph Collection this summer. Rates were 37,000 points a night, so I topped it off with 2,000 points to complete this redemption.
Related: 7 great uses of Marriott 35,000-point free night certificates
The other benefit I value most from my hotel credit cards is the complimentary elite status I receive.
In my opinion, the best credit card for this is the Hilton Aspire card, which grants you top-tier Diamond status just for having it.
This spring, I was upgraded to a huge suite with a plunge pool at the highly rated Hilton Yala Resort on the south coast of Sri Lanka. Between safari rides through the adjoining national park, my
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