How boutique hotels and bagel-making classes can help you earn rewards with Booking.com

06.08.2024 - 18:07 / thepointsguy.com / David Beckham

Social media icon Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, a photographer and chef who also happens to be the son of a Spice Girl and one of the world's most famous soccer players (you know, Victoria and David Beckham), wants you to take a trip to New York City.

"I think New York's one of the most gorgeous places," Beckham, who once called NYC home, told TPG, adding that he's also a big fan of the city's most famous foods. "I'm a big pizza lover. I'm a big bagel lover."

On a recent trip to NYC, Beckham teamed up with Booking.com to record a tongue-in-cheek commercial about the company's loyalty program, Genius. In the commercial, the star pokes fun at himself and his various "professional" careers, starting the video by hyping himself up — "You're a great chef. A great photographer." — before being asked, "So, you're a professional traveler now?"

"I'm quite a genius," he says in the commercial before comically delving into the benefits of booking a trip through Booking.com and the perks that come with the Genius program and its three loyalty levels.

"Once you've completed the required number of bookings and unlocked a new level, it's basically yours to keep for life," Beckham explained to TPG. "I'm obviously Level 3 Genius. So, you know, I got a free breakfast, I got a free room upgrade and 20% off The Dominick Hotel [in New York City.]"

Like most loyalty programs, Genius is a free program with multiple tiers, called levels, that members work their way up through to unlock rewards and perks. You can earn Level 1 perks, like a 10% discount on select stays and rental cars, simply by signing up. After completing five bookings within two years, you'll earn free breakfast and room upgrades on select stays, plus bigger discounts. After completing 15 bookings, Level 3 members earn 10% to 20% discounts at participating hotels, priority support, free breakfast and room upgrades on select stays and 10% discounts on select car rentals.

Related: Getting started with points, miles and credit cards to travel

"While many loyalty programs can be confusing and limiting, simplicity is key to Booking.com's Genius loyalty program," Ben Harrell, managing director, U.S., at Booking.com, told TPG. "Genius members don't have to track and redeem points with unclear value or worry about being downgraded each year. And unlike many other loyalty programs, where status has to be maintained annually, members of the Genius program enjoy lifetime access to exclusive travel rewards across the world."

And while TPG recommends booking a hotel stay directly through a brand's loyalty program (i.e., booking a Marriott property through Marriott Bonvoy), there are certainly times when programs like Genius make sense, such as booking boutique hotels