Choosing which UK hotel loyalty scheme to invest time with

[cmcp]

Hey HfP gang. As travel picks up I’m considering which UK hotel loyalty scheme to invest in (MB / IHG / RR / Accor)

Stay in London once a fortnight, sometimes weekly. Budget usually 100 – 150 a pop.

Sorted for Avios, sitting with 600k+ in account. Travel BA between Scotland and London. Avios loyal, done countless redemptions with 241, mostly LHR – JFK in First / BA001 LCY (rest in power)

Rather than dilute myself over the year, I’m thinking is it worth focussing on 1, and even channel my spend through a co-branded card. (Currently on BAAE Prem + AE Gold business)

Avios has worked out well, 1 or 2 luxury redemptions a year. Would like to see the same from hotels… Maybe the odd luxury night stay at a flagship resort. Leaning towards MB for the Ritz / JW Venice targets, though the collection seems more difficult on my budget.

Open to thoughts, what would you do in my situation?

[Lady London]

Which area(s) do you prefer to stay in London?

Are you interested more in status benefits during your regular stays, or accruing nights and status for leisure travel? In what kind of hotels and locations do you want to use the points you will accrue?

Last year quite a few on here would have said Marriott esp paired with a Marriott Amex… but part of that program has just been Bonvoy’d 🙁

[memesweeper]

I think a scheme that pays back during *leisure* travel is the one for me to focus on — your priorities may be different.

Hotels.com. The no brainer — sign up and enjoy the free/discounted nights when on holiday.

IHG. Used to be fun and interesting earning extra points through various challenges, but with that gone we’re left with earning points at the going rate, plus bonuses. (status is worthless). No UK credit card left to top up with. I’m considering switching paid stays to hotels.com, it’s all a bit marginal at the moment.

Marriott. Decent return on stays through points. Great status recognition. Good spread of hotels internationally for holidays abroad (but patchy coverage of the UK). If you find a regular hotel in London in your budget this could be a winner. You need a *lot* of nights for status though. The Amex really helps.

Hilton. Decent return on stays through points. Good status recognition. Good spread of hotels internationally for holidays abroad and the UK. Some cheaper London options than Marriott. Amex transfer partner.

Hyatt. Too niche for me — not enough hotels and no way to turn general spending into points or status. I book through hotels.com.

Accor. Not enough return via points, hotels.com is how I book these stays now.

Raddisson. Not enough hotels globally or in the UK to be of great interest, thus not chasing status, but the earning rate is OK and it can be topped up with Amex so I book direct when I stay with them.

I’ve never researched Nectar hotels. If you have a lot of Avios , given the two way exchange, that might be of interest to you.

[Rob]

We’ve done overviews of the major schemes – Hilton is here https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/05/22/hilton-honors-review-2/ and links to the others are in the 2nd paragraph.

[Peter K]

Staying in London once a fortnight or so is only maybe 30 nights a year, plus holidays on top.

You need to look at a program that will get you something worthwhile for max 40 nights per year/£6000 spend.

I’m sure Rob has articles looking at the schemes that will be a good starting point.

[John]

For the reasons given by memesweeper and Peter K, it sounds like Hilton + hotels.com (or whichever aggregator is best for random stays once hotels.com devalues) would be best for your situation, but you appear to have discounted these two.

If your weekly-to-fortnightly London stays are 2-3 nights each, Marriott would work.

[BuildBackBetter]

I would go for Amex platinum card that gives you Hilton gold. Assuming you can find Hilton within your budget, you save on breakfast cost every time you stay (assuming it’s not paid by employer). Multiply that with 30-40 stays and that pays back your platinum card cost by itself. I have received very good benefits and upgrades from Hilton gold. Plus promotions almost every quarter. Top up with points buying discounts to redeem at luxury hotels abroad.
The other option is to combine Amex Marriott card with stays at Marriott Bonvoy. 15 nights every year, helps you in achieving platinum status.

[PJJ]

Has anyone ever considered Rocketmiles ?
Receiving Heathrow Rewards appear a decent amount of miles and then holding them for possible Avios, Emirates, Virgin, Singapore, Lufthansa plus a few other to convert to ?
Another choice from hotels.com

[Matt]

Peter K wrote:

Staying in London once a fortnight or so is only maybe 30 nights a year, plus holidays on top.

You need to look at a program that will get you something worthwhile for max 40 nights per year/£6000 spend.

I’m sure Rob has articles looking at the schemes that will be a good starting point.

But you only need to get 35 nights plus the credit card to hit Bonvoy Platinum, which would be easily done with that travel pattern and at least one holiday per year. That gets you lounge access, free breakfasts and some decent upgrades, plus a reasonable earning rate (for now at least) for redemption, which also count as status nights.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 4 months ago by .

[dougzz99]

If the London stays are business they may not like the way hotels.com issues receipts/invoices.

[memesweeper]

dougzz99 wrote:

If the London stays are business they may not like the way hotels.com issues receipts/invoices.

I choose pay on checkout, which means a proper VAT receipt. You only need to pay through hotels.com for most London hotels if you are *redeeming*, and I only do that for leisure, so the lack of VAT receipt is no issue.

[cmcp]

Thank you for the considered responses. This is exactly what I was after… your perspectives, being a bit closer to it than me. I’ve got access to the articles, but hearing a ‘what you’d do’ voiceover really helps me crystallise my requirements.

The reward I’m after is definitely pay back during leisure travel. Not particularly bothered about status while travelling on business, but if it comes as part of the journey and helps me earn bonus, cool.

Hotels.com I’m already on (I’ve split into a high spend and low spend account… high spend is my 500+ rooms, so when I accrue the free night it is not tainted by the cheap business spend)

Hilton I had kinda discounted as I didn’t realise they had some decent redemptions. If it works with hotels.com that might be a goer.

Otherwise, I think Marriot Bonvoy is in the lead.

(That said, i CHOSE Premier Inn last week for an urgent stay at Kings Cross… thought about travelling across town to Residence Inns, but CBA and all I needed was a comfy bed… If it’s good enough for Lenny Henry!)

[memesweeper]

cmcp wrote:

Hotels.com I’m already on (I’ve split into a high spend and low spend account… high spend is my 500+ rooms, so when I accrue the free night it is not tainted by the cheap business spend)

Genius idea — thanks for sharing!