There’s no doubt about it: Hotel elite status has its perks … but it (almost always) comes at a steep cost.
Spending 50 nights (or more) a year with the same hotel chain can give you some worthwhile perks like free breakfast, lounge access, late checkout and the occasional room upgrade. But that means you’re passing up more affordable (and often more convenient) lodging options in pursuit of status. And while the right hotel-branded credit card can give you instant elite status, those will often cost you another $500 or more in annual fees.
There are a few workarounds that can get you some elite-like perks on your next hotel stay without racking up all those nights each year.
A handful of top travel rewards credit cards from banks like American Express, Chase, and Capital One give cardholders a way to book select hotels and throw in some excellent benefits – no status required. Or you could skip your usual online booking and have a dedicated travel advisor make your reservation on your behalf to unlock some extra perks.
Take a deeper dive to see how it’s done.
Amex Travel
Fine Hotels and Resorts
Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) is an exclusive collection of luxury hotels within Amex Travel, restricted to those with the bank’s ultra-premium *amex platinum* or the business version, *biz platinum*, as well as anyone with the invitation-only Centurion Card – better known as the Amex Black Card.
Not only do Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts give you access to some of the best, most luxurious hotels around the world – but these bookings also come with added perks like room upgrades, guaranteed late checkout, free breakfast for two daily, and a $100 on-property credit to use during your stay. It’s like a souped-up version of hotel status.
Here’s a full look at the stated FHR benefits:
- Room upgrade on arrival, when available
- Early noon check-in, when available
- Daily breakfast for two people
- Experience credit, such as a spa or food and beverage credit
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
- Complimentary Wi-Fi (if Wi-Fi costs are included in a mandatory property fee, a daily credit for that amount will be applied at check-out.)
That’s a fairly impressive list of perks, makes booking through the FHR program a nice option for anyone considering a stay at one of these properties. The daily breakfast and the experience credit are my favorite perks since I never have to think about food and could just raid the mini-bar if I get hungry. Late checkout is also a super underrated perk that I wish I had with every hotel stay.
One of the other perks to booking through Amex Travel is that *amex platinum* comes with an annual hotel statement credit of up to $200 for prepaid FHR bookings. This is an easy way for cardholders to save on their stay and it’s just another one of the many benefits that help justify paying the card’s high $695 annual fee (see rates & fees).
The Amex Platinum will also earn you 5x Membership Rewards points per dollar on prepaid hotel bookings made through the Amex Travel portal.
The Hotel Collection
The Hotel Collection is another curated portfolio of hotels bookable through Amex Travel. Think of it as a less-generous version of Fine Hotels & Resorts.
In order to book and receive benefits at Hotel Collection properties, you’ll need to book a minimum stay of two nights. This applies to bookings where you plan on using the $200 hotel credit on your Amex Platinum Card as well.
Besides Amex’s Platinum (and Centurion) credit cards, those with the *amex gold* and *biz gold* have access to this collection of properties as well.
Here’s a look at the stated The Hotel Collection benefits:
- Room upgrade on arrival, when available
- Early noon check-in, when available
- Experience credit, such as a spa or food and beverage credit
- Late checkout, when available
While this is a similar set of perks to what you get booking a Fine Hotels & Resorts hotel, there are a few benefits missing – notably, free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and a guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout are not included. Your odds of an upgrade are likely lower, too.
Regardless, it’s still a great way to get some extra perks if booking one of these properties makes sense for you.
Capital One Travel
Premier Collection
Capital One’s Premier Collection of hotels is exclusively available to those with the *venture x* or the *venture x business*, providing some elite-like benefits at many luxury and boutique hotels around the world.
A near-carbon copy of Amex’s FHR, cardholders get to enjoy exclusive perks ranging from on-property dining credits, complimentary upgrades, and free daily breakfast. You’ll even find many of the same properties available through both Fine Hotels and Resorts and Capital One’s Premier Collection. If you happen to have both an Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X Card, be sure to price shop a little bit before booking.
Every Premier Collection booking unlocks a handful of additional perks that match (or exceed) the top levels of status at hotel chains, including:
- Free breakfast for two every morning
- A $100 credit for dining, the spa, or other experiences on the property
- Room upgrades based on availability
- Early check-in, and late check-out when available
Plus, you’ll earn 10x Capital One miles per dollar on every booking and you can use your Venture X Card’s $300 Capital One Travel credit even when booking a Premier Collection property.
Lifestyle Collection
Similar to the limited benefits you get with Amex’s The Hotel Collection, Venture X cardholders those with the *capital one venture card* or the *CapOne Spark Miles* can book a stay through Capital One’s Lifestyle Collection, which comes with a similar set of benefits as the Premier Collection – just at a more modest portfolio of properties.
Cardholders can receive the following when they book a lifestyle collection property:
- 10x miles per dollar for Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders (5x for Venture and Spark Miles cardholders)
- A $50 experience credit to use at restaurants or on activities and amenities at the hotel
- Room upgrades when available
- Early check-in when available
- Late checkout when available
- Free Wi-Fi
While not as robust as the perks you’ll get through the Premier Collection, you’ll still get more than if you booked a hotel without elite status at all.
The Edit by Chase Travel
Similar to Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts and Capital One’s Premier Collection, The Edit by Chase Travel℠ is the bank’s curated collection of high-end hotels reserved for those with the top-tier *chase sapphire reserve* or the invitation-only JPMorgan Reserve Card.
Cardholders will get:
- Room upgrade on arrival, when available
- Early check-in, when available
- Daily breakfast for two people
- Experience credit, such as a spa or food and beverage credit
- Welcome amenity
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
If you have either of these cards and the hotel you’re looking at is a part of Chase’s curated collection, it’s a no-brainer to book your next hotel stay through The Edit.
Book With a Travel Advisor
While it may seem like a relic of the past, booking through a travel advisor can be the best way to score some additional perks without needing a specific credit card or elite status.
Most of the major chain hotels (and even some of the smaller ones) offer added benefits like early check-in and late check-out, space available room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and more when preferred travel advisors book through their VIP programs.
Generally speaking, the rate you pay when booking through a travel advisor will be the same as the standard (or flexible) rate. So while you’re not necessarily paying more for these types of bookings, you’re also not able to take advantage of any promotional rates or corporate discount codes. Even so, the benefits you get with these kind of bookings can more than outweigh any added costs.
In most cases, you’ll still earn points when booking with a travel advisor through one of these programs. And if you already have elite status, you may even be able to double-up on some benefits.
Let’s take a look at what you get with a few of these most popular programs.
Hyatt Prive
Hyatt’s Prive will get you elite-like benefits at a select list of hotels in some of Hyatt’s best brands. Depending on the hotel brand you’re staying with, the benefits will vary slightly.
Here’s what you can expect for stays at select Alila, Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Regency, Joie de Vivre, Thompson, and Unbound Collection hotels:
- A $50 or $100 property credit per room, per stay (varies by hotel)
- Daily breakfast (for two) per room
- A space-available one category room upgrade, subject to availability
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- A welcome gift and letter
For stays at Park Hyatt hotels you receive:
- A $100 property credit per room, per stay
- A space-available one category room upgrade, subject to availability
- Daily breakfast (for two) per room
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- A welcome gift and letter
Alila, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Regency, Joie de Vivre, Thompson, and The Unbound Collection properties all require a minimum two-night stay to book through Hyatt Prive. Park Hyatt and Andaz properties do not have a minimum stay requirement.
Marriott STARS & Luminous
Booking an eligible stay through Marriott STARS with select BVLGARI, EDITION, Luxury Collection, Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and St. Regis properties will get you:
- A $100 property credit per room, per stay
- Daily full breakfast in restaurant (or continental breakfast) for up to two people, per room
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- A welcome gift and letter
Booking an eligible stay through Marriott Luminous with select Autograph Collection, Le Meridien, JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Tribute Portfolio, W Hotels, and Westin properties will get you:
- A $100 property credit per room, per stay
- Daily full breakfast in restaurant (or continental breakfast) for up to two people, per room
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- A welcome gift and letter
There’s no minimum-stay requirement with either program.
Hilton Impresario
With Hilton Impresario bookings at nearly all Conrad, LXR, and Waldorf Astoria properties, you can expect the following benefits:
- A $100 property credit per room, per stay
- Daily full breakfast for up to two people, per room
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- A room upgrade, subject to availability
- Double Hilton Honors points
There’s no minimum stay requirement to qualify for these benefits.
Bottom Line
If a taste of the hotel elite high life tickles your fancy, then look no further than these bank travel portals and preferred travel advisor bookings.
