Bits: 3000 Clubcard points with pet insurance, Mandarin Oriental drops Venice

News in brief:

Get 3,000 Clubcard points with Tesco Pet Insurance

It’s a novelty when we feature a Tesco Clubcard deal these days, but Tesco Insurance has launched a new pet insurance offer, and it is the most generous we have seen for a long time.

Via this link, you will earn 3,000 Clubcard points when you take out a new policy with Tesco Pet Insurance.

According to the rules, you only need to keep the policy for 90 days to earn the bonus. 

3,000 Tesco Clubcard points converts into:

• 6,000 Virgin Points
• £60 of Hotels.com credit

…. or many other deals from Tesco Clubcard partners.

The offer runs to 30th September.

Thanks to Stephen for flagging.

Mandarin Oriental leaves Venice …. after three months

Well, here’s a thing.

Back in June, it was announced that Mandarin Oriental had taken over management of the San Clemente Palace hotel in Venice from Kempinski.

Readers may remember that this was originally a St Regis hotel when it first adopted an international brand, but it threw in the towel very quickly. The combination of seasonal operation – which made it difficult to retain staff – and its location on an island in the lagoon took their toll.

Mandarin Oriental had taken over with immediate effect. A renovation was due to start in November 2025 after it closed for the winter, to be completed in three phases. It would not carry the Mandarin Oriental name until it reopened in April 2026, although it was bookable on the MO website.

And now …. it has gone.

Loyalty Lobby flags an email from the hotel which told a guest that Mandarin Oriental was pulling out as of last Sunday. Go onto the Mandarin Oriental website and you will see that Venice is no longer listed.

This is, to put it mildly, bizarre. What has caused Mandarin Oriental to pull out of what was probably a 20 year deal after just three months, and before its name ever appeared above the door?

On the basis that you can’t use points for Mandarin Oriental hotels, and the resort could now rebrand with a points-redeeming chain, this is potentially positive for HfP readers.