topic Re: Amex Points /Hotels in Credit Cards

Amex Points /Hotels

AyaMai — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 05:01:56 GMT

What the best way to use my AMEX points for hotels since I do not fly, I do road trips. Your suggestions are appreciated and thank you in advance.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

Hoben02 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 09:47:00 GMT

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/redeem-amex-membership-rewards-points-for-hotels/

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

K-in-Boston — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:48:28 GMT

@AyaMai wrote:
What the best way to use my AMEX points for hotels since I do not fly, I do road trips. Your suggestions are appreciated and thank you in advance.

For hotels, you would basically just need to determine whether you get better value from moving your points to a loyalty program and booking an award stay with Marriott, Hilton, or Choice, or by using them to book a hotel with Amex Travel, Fine Hotels + Resorts, or The Hotel Collection (note that access to the last two depend on which card products you have).

There are a number of issues with the above TPG article, but unfortunately they closed comments a few years ago and no longer correct errors based on reader feedback provided. When they state "it might be worth starting your search with Amex Travel and considering redeeming your points at a fixed value. In most cases the redemption rates aren’t spectacular (0.7-0.85 cents per point)" is incorrect. Amex Travel is fixed at 1.0 cents per point, period (with exceptions where there is added value). (Redacted. See below posts.) The value of the three hotel transfer partners can also vary wildly, and it's not that difficult to find bookings where you can get far better value than what is stated there. My Marriott bookings have typically been around 2 cents per point the past few years; right now there is also a 25% bonus for transfers. For Hilton, points are always at least 2 for 1 from Membership Rewards.

So take a look and see what the properties are going for where you're going via Amex Travel, and then compare with what they are going for when using loyalty points with the three hotel partners, factor in transfer ratio (and any current bonuses) and go with whatever is lower. With The Hotel Collection and Fine Hotels + Resorts, if eligible, there are additional perks and possible free nights included that can certainly provide better value as well.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

SpaethCo — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:08:18 GMT

@K-in-Boston wrote:
When they state "it might be worth starting your search with Amex Travel and considering redeeming your points at a fixed value. In most cases the redemption rates aren’t spectacular (0.7-0.85 cents per point)" is incorrect. Amex Travel is fixed at 1.0 cents per point, period (with exceptions where there is added value).

Your comment made me go look at this again to make sure I wasn't misremembering, but the only hotel bookings I see in the portal that are 1cpp are for FHR and Hotel Collection properties. Everything else that is the standard "Lowest Rate Guarantee" options are all well below 1cpp.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

K-in-Boston — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:47:45 GMT

I stand corrected! Looks like they did change that at some point, then. I haven't booked a hotel outside of the Marriott (or Starwood) websites in about 6 years since OTAs usually prevent one from earning elite nights or points and receiving elite perks. Nice catch!

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

redpat — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 09:45:59 GMT

The only way to get greater than 1 cent per point is with a bonus transfer to either Marriott or Hilton.

When Hilton transfer bonus was 1 for 3 I had some 2 cent redemptions. I will some transfer some MR points again if that comes up.

As others have said it isn't a good use of MR points for stays if there is no transfer bonus.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

DONZI — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 10:38:54 GMT

@K-in-Boston, my recent jaunt to Vegas with Hilton and MGM bookings via Amex Travel earned points with both FHR (Conrad & MGM) and HC (MGM).

IIRC, the Hilton booking (Conrad) was unique in that I was offered the prompt for Loyalty # no matter how booked -- standard or FHR.

In the past I think the pattern with Amex Travel was that if FHR or HC Hilton and Marriott would prompt for loyalty number and earn points but outside of those programs there was no earnings typically. I've added loyalty numbers for standard amex travel bookings for Marriott and Hilton via phone calls to get them to show in the Hilton and Marriott portals, but no earnings would occur.

The recent Conrad stay, in addition to FHR perks I also got a some Honors Gold hotel credit perk(s) - free water and there was an additional $75 hotel credit for onsite food/beverage purchases.

Aside from that, the MGM earnings/stays make sense as they're not partnered with Amex in the way Hilton and Marriott are.

I was tempted to book direct with the hotels but the FHR and HC perks outweighed the direct perks so I just opted to give it a whirl and confirm if I was going to be able to double dip.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

SouthJamaica — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 12:19:51 GMT

After reading the Points Guy article and the above posts, I'm thinking that it's pretty pointless to accumulate Amex MR points if one does not fly.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

DONZI — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 14:07:07 GMT

@SouthJamaica, that maximum value approach by MR xfer to Airlines seems to be the main theme on the web. However the fallback "Invest with Rewards" via Schwab Plat. is reasonable for me. I cashed out much of my points back before the Schwab MR redemption dropped to 1.1%, but also have gotten good value with various offers such as an Amazon offer for $xx or xx% off (up to $xx) where 1 MR value was sky high.

I'm pretty new to the rewards and CB stuff but it is appealing to see established currency like chase UR and amex MR that are flexible plus offer potential for substantial increased value at times.

Amex IMO has very nice operation too. Transactions are handled fast both in and out and overall much smoother than any of the other FI I use other than Schwab. Since adding more earning potential with the Gold card I'm content allowing my spend to accumulate idle MR points. It's taken relatively low active benefit use to offset the card fees, although some of the passive benefits I consider worth the fees anyhow.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

K-in-Boston — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 15:14:31 GMT

@DONZI those are excellent points about FHR and HC, as Amex is acting as a traditional travel agency for those properties. (Similar to how the trick with Citi Prestige's 4th night free used to be that if you contacted Citi to do the booking rather than doing it online, you didn't have the OTA pitfalls.)

For me, the issue is that I usually pay for mid-level (Marriott, Sheraton, Delta Hotels, etc.) and lower-tier (Courtyard, Four Points, Residence Inn, Aloft, etc.) properties and then make award bookings at the higher end of the food chain (Ritz-Carlton, JW, Design Hotels, Luxury Collection, etc.) rather than paying out of pocket. The latter are the generally the properties that show up in HC and of course FHR (it's right there in the F). But I will definitely have to give it a shot one of these days.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

DONZI — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 00:13:44 GMT

I did a variety of FHR/HC within the trip instead of 1 location.. I saw the ebb and flow shortly after digging into rooms and booked cheaper nights (weekday) at 5 star hotels and left the strip for thr, fri and sat to see the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.

Delano ($84) Wed - FHR

Hoover Dam Lodge ($101) Thr, Fri, Sat - Std

Conrad ($139) Sun - FHR

Mirrage ($89) Mon, Tues - HC

Wynn ($159) Wed - FHR

Resort fees on all but the Hoover, but having the FHR and HC experience credits and FHR b.fast credits plus some extra perks were worth more than the combined resort fees so it was potentially even larger savings in this instance. I left over a hundred FHR/HC credit on the table in the end.. The shows and exploring around distracted me from using all the property credits.

I also missed out on a better rate at some of the properties trying to decide on Thr, Fri, Sat.. Early on Fremont street would have been a better deal but I did want to venture out for the Hoover and the Canyon and my waffling allowed both downtown and Boulder City to creep up in price.

The Conrad was upgraded to a suite, and the Wynn was upgraded to a strip view room on level 50. If this was my only travel this year and despite leaving money of the table (~$200-250 with the extra Delano and Conrad $$ perks) plus the LAS Sky Club access and other Amex benefits I use, I'm content with the AF and MR accumulation still. At some point I'll look into MR use for maximum gain, but also have confidence that the points are going to remain worthwhile until then.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

NRB525 — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 11:27:18 GMT

@AyaMai wrote:
What the best way to use my AMEX points for hotels since I do not fly, I do road trips. Your suggestions are appreciated and thank you in advance.

How many MR points do you have?

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

Aim_High — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 00:54:36 GMT

@SouthJamaica wrote:
After reading the Points Guy article and the above posts, I'm thinking that it's pretty pointless to accumulate Amex MR points if one does not fly.

+1 ^ ^ ^ And that, in a nutshell, is also my experience with AMEX cards and MRs, @SouthJamaica . Platinum is a great card for airfare/airport lounges/frequent fliers, but not so much for other travel. And after studying MRs I earned on my Gold card, I see that the value is much higher when transferring MRs to airline partners and being able to redeem for premium cabin. I want to earn travel points for hotels, rental cars, or other redemption options as well as just flights. Consequently, I find better overall value in Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Sapphire Reserve. With AMEX, I found better value in just getting a hotel card (Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant) where I can earn Bonvoy points directly instead of funneling through the MR point system.

I usually suggest to someone considering a dive into points-based cards that they understand the importance of all the nuances of those cards, including the all-important question of how someone plans to redeem those points. It matters.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

SpaethCo — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 01:21:48 GMT

@Aim_High wrote:
I usually suggest to someone considering a dive into points-based cards that they understand the importance of all the nuances of those cards, including the all-important question of how someone plans to redeem those points. It matters.

I couldn't agree more. Redemption strategies are the most overlooked part of the points game.

A hard truth is just because sweet spot redemptions exist doesn't mean that you will get that kind of value out of redemptions, despite what travel bloggers present in an effort to get your clicks. Chances are that transfer bonuses won't be timed in your favor, or you have to reposition from your home airport to catch one of those "cheap" award flights, or you spend years building up an award balance only to have the redemption you dreamed about become infeasible due to award program devaluations.

There's a reason these transferrable points currency cards are marketed so heavily by banks, and it's not because it favors the average consumer.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

BijouMan — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 15:06:48 GMT

I love flying. It is the single most reliable form of transportation. It is so reliable that whenever something happens it makes the news. Just look at how many planes are flying right now versus how many you hear about. I don't know why so many people are afraid to go on planes.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

Aim_High — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 16:37:59 GMT

@BijouMan wrote:
I love flying. It is the single most reliable form of transportation. It is so reliable that whenever something happens it makes the news. Just look at how many planes are flying right now versus how many you hear about. I don't know why so many people are afraid to go on planes.

I couldn't agree more, @BijouMan, and I do fly often also. My business travel is paid directly by my employer and airfare doesn't constitute the majority of my spending for personal travel. In my case, it's just one piece of the travel puzzle and I don't prefer a travel points stategy that centers around it. I want the flexibility to use points in various ways, and that's where I believe that Chase's wider definition of "travel" (see link) and redemption options excel above AMEX MRs.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

BijouMan — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:45:07 GMT

@Aim_High wrote:
@BijouMan wrote:
I love flying. It is the single most reliable form of transportation. It is so reliable that whenever something happens it makes the news. Just look at how many planes are flying right now versus how many you hear about. I don't know why so many people are afraid to go on planes.
I couldn't agree more, @BijouMan, and I do fly often also. My business travel is paid directly by my employer and airfare doesn't constitute the majority of my spending for personal travel. In my case, it's just one piece of the travel puzzle and I don't prefer a travel points stategy that centers around it. I want the flexibility to use points in various ways, and that's where I believe that Chase's wider definition of "travel" (see link) and redemption options excel above AMEX MRs.

Amex is definitely the best system in my opinion for aviation enthusiasts. They have more transfer partners than the competitors, and through these partners you can get into the premium cabins on pretty much any plane in any country. Also, the Platinum Card gives you 5X points when booking directly through airlines as opposed to Chase which only gives you that when booking from their own site.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

Aim_High — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 17:38:21 GMT

@BijouMan wrote:
Amex is definitely the best system in my opinion for aviation enthusiasts. They have more transfer partners than the competitors, and through these partners you can get into the premium cabins on pretty much any plane in any country. Also the Platinum Card gives you 5X points when booking directly through airlines as opposed to Chase which only gives you that when booking from their own site.

Yes @BijouMan , I totally agree that for travelers who fly often and highly prioritize being able to have airport lounge access, earning more points on airfare spending, and redeeming points for more value by transfer to airline partners, the Platinum card is at its' best. For those travelers, it is possibly the best travel card choice. That's especially true if they are able to organically optimize the use of all the annual fee credits. But that's not the case with all consumers and for them, the Platinum card may be a poor investment even with the enhanced travel rewards and perks. That's why we all have to do the math to see whether this (or any card) is a good fit for our spending, valuation, and lifestyle.

For other travelers who favor flexible travel definition, earning or redeeming points outside of airfare, superior travel protections and insurances, and a more customer-friendly annual fee/credit structure, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a better choice. I compared the two cards recently in >THIS THREAD< and gave the Platinum accolades for the airfare/aiport lounge strengths. However, I also explained why I believed the Sapphire Reserve was a better card for myself.

You'll also see the references in that link to the superior value of the Sapphire Reserve for hotel spending, which was the premise of OP's first message. Unlike for airfare, for hotel redemptions the Platinum is not so exceptional IMO.

Re: Amex Points /Hotels

AyaMai — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:37:53 GMT

135,951 at the moment, will add another 150,000 in 3 months.