Bits: good Accor / Amex cashback deal, 20% bonus on SPG to AA conversions

News in brief:

Accor and Amex launch new cashback deal

Accor Hotels, which operates Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, M Gallery, Pullman etc, is running a new cashback deal with American Express.

There are two variants – £30 back on £250 spend and £50 back on £500 spend.

You need to log into your American Express account and look under ‘Offers’ on each of your card statement pages.  The offer may be there under one of them – if it is, save it to your card.

These offers are especially valuable if you pay for your business trips yourself and reclaim the money later …..

You need to complete a stay at a Sofitel, Pullman or M Gallery hotel by 21st October.  A list of participating hotels is on the Amex site but pretty much every hotel globally under those brands is included.  Ibis, Novotel, Mecure etc arr NOT included.  If you stay outside the UK, the converted bill must be over £250.

You might not be aware of which hotels fall under M Gallery as these are generally local hotels which kept their original branding.  In the UK, participating hotels are:

Castle Hotel, Windsor

Francis Hotel, Bath

Queens Hotel, Cheltenham

The Sofitel properties at Heathrow and Gatwick as well as the St James’s flagship pictured below are also included as are the Pullman hotels in Liverpool (brand new, see the article here) and Kings Cross.

This offer would combine with the current Accor promotion which lets you earn 9+ Avios per £1 – you can read my article on that offer here.

The Accor booking page is here.

Other Amex hotel deals launched

You should also take a look at your Amex accounts for other hotel and package deals.  I have:

£50 back on £500 easyJet holidays spend

£100 back on £400 Rocco Forte Hotels spend (Amigo Brussels pictured below)

£75 back on £200 spend at Landmark Hotel Group (London-based)

£100 back on £300 spend at One Fine Stay (apartment rentals)

I also have 10% cashback on bmi regional flights on one card.

20% bonus on Starwood Preferred Guest transfers to American Airlines

Finally, American Airlines is running another transfer bonus from Starwood Preferred Guest.

Full details are here.  The bonus applies to the total amount transferred, so if you transfer 20,000 points and get the usual 5,000 mile bonus, you actually receive 30,000 AA miles (20,000 + 5,000 + 20%).

In general hotel points are best used for hotel stays but this is a generous bonus and I think either option offers good value.  I value an SPG point at 1.5p so, if you value an AA mile at 1p, you won’t lose any value in making a transfer as you should value 20,000 SPG points equally to 30,000 American miles.

The last day to convert is 14th September.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)