There are many reasons why they are independent Hotels and Vacation Rentals. Unfortunately, it’s not one of them that it’s easy to earn rewards for these stays. Over the years I have enjoyed a variety of unforgettable stays and picked up some tricks Maximize your savings and rewards To them. This is what I learned.
Related: The Best Hotel Rewards Program in the World: Is it the perfect place for you?
Why I love independent boutique hotels
I inevitably stay in independent boutique hotels and vacation rentals. There are no chain hotels in the small mountain town I visit, or a group of friends need more space, and you can save a lot of money by splitting up the Airbnb. Also, I choose an independent hotel due to the unique amenities and experience they offer.
For example, I once spent the night outside Mount Rainia National Park in a cabin with an authentic Ukrainian restaurant and a wooden fire-heated “cannibal” hot tub. Another memorable stay was Kyoto Ryokan, which featured 7 courses of Japanese food and indoor hot springs. me too I spent a week at Airbnb In Paris, we got a glimpse into “real” Parisian life than you would get from a major tourist spot point hotel.
The downside is that there are usually no elite merits or points you will earn on these properties. Thankfully, I have found many ways to maximize my trip when staying in separate hotels and vacation rentals.
Related: How to use points to book a vacation home rental
How to save money in an independent hotel
You can redeem the reward for staying in an independent hotel, such as booking via points or miles Credit Card Travel Portal. However, this does not provide much value for my reward, so I usually focus on booking these stays with cash and trying to save money.
Credit card Travel credit
I have Chase SapphirePreferred® CardProvides $50 per year hotel credit on booked properties A chased trip℠,and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cardoffer a $300 travel credit on your flight and leave it booked Capital One Travel. When I book a separate hotel, both of these are very convenient.
For example, I recently had a two night stay at Bed and Break First on Mount Wicklow (no point hotel) outside Dublin and used a car rental to get there. After the $300 credit was applied, I spent a total of $4 on a two-day hiking trip.
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Below are other cards with travel credits that allow you to stay at the Independent Hotel.
Earn cashback at the shopping portal
I love using the shopping portal to earn cashback on my daily purchases. But they’re not just retail shopping. Earn cashback on many hotel booking platforms, including Booking.com, hotels.com, Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz, and Tripadvisor.
Remuneration rates vary daily, but they are often not tattered. At the time of writing, Rakuten offered up to 10% cashback on some of these sites.
However, it is important to read Rakuten’s fine prints before deciding which site to book. In this example, Rakuten offers 6% back on hotels and vacation rentals, but only 1% back in the car and $1.25 on flights.
Travelers holding a card to earn AMEX Membership Reward Points You can get extra value from Rakuten by switching revenue preferences AMEX Points Instead of cashback.
Other shopping portals to consider include Intrabux, Mr. Includes Rebates and Topcashback. You can also find a hotel booking site Airline Shopping Portal Credit card portals like Capital One Shopping. a Shopping Portal Aggregator Just like cashback monitors, you can find which portals offer the best returns for your purchase.
Search for transactions
Before booking a stay, always check multiple sites as prices can vary widely. For example, some of my recent trips to Dublin included spending two nights in town with my husband and friends. We wanted an apartment with 3 rooms, but most Dublin Airbnbs required a minimum stay of 4 nights. I settled in an apartment style hotel with multiple bedrooms and a kitchen that sold 10% off on direct bookings.
Price isn’t the only thing that compares one site to another. I’ve also seen cancellation policies, but oftentimes I prioritize bookings through sites with flexible cancellation policies, even if they cost a little more. That way, if my plans change, or if I find a better rate later, I can cancel for free and rebook.
Related: If your plans are wrong: Refundable Travel Booking Guide
How to Maximize Rewards for an Independent Hotel Stay
The more points you can earn at a hotel you book with cash, the faster you can redeem those points for your next free flight or stay in Hyatt.
Earn transferable points with the credit card travel portal
Many popular travel cards offer a portal where you can book hotels, flights, car rentals, and more, and earn bonus points on these purchases. The number of points you earn depends on the cards you hold, but it is usually at least $1 or more points.
For example, you can earn 10 Capital 1 mile When paying with me, per dollar spent on hotels booked on a Capital 1 trip Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. And I can earn 5 Track the ultimate reward points I book a chase trip with me for every dollar spent on the hotel Chase Sapphire Priority Card.
Other cards that earn bonus rewards on each booking platform include:
I am not loyal to one hotel program, so earning transferable points is very valuable to me. For example, you could move Chase Point to Hyatt or Marriott, or choose a mile capital or move to Wyndham, depending on what makes the hotel chain most reasonable for my trip.
Related: How to earn transferable credit card points (and why)
Earn extra miles on airline booking platforms
Most airline booking platforms offer poor return rates. But I love it Southwest Hotel I always search here first, as I can earn up to 25 points per dollar spent on selected properties.
RocketMiles It works similarly, but you can choose which rewards you want to earn from the long list of airline loyalty programs. Alaska Airlines Mileage Planning, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and United MileagePlus.
Earn airline miles with vacation rentals
Vacation rentals may be a little behind the age of the points and miles world, but this does not mean you won’t be able to earn valuable rewards in your next home away from home.
I set up an airbnb account and won British Airways Avios by entering my frequent flyer number here.
It turns out that Avios can help you book international flights from Denver, as you can earn two Avios per dollar spent on booking your Airbnb. However, you can also get 1 Delta Airline Sky Meal 1 dollar or 1 Qantas Point It was spent on Airbnb bookings per Australian dollar ($0.64). Choose the currency that is most valuable to you.
If you prefer VRBO, you can earn miles per $3 spent on VRBO rentals when booking This page With Mileage Plus number.
Related: How to earn cashback or points when booking Airbnbs, VRBO rentals, hostels and more
Get a free trip with one key
Introduced in 2023 One key to Expedia A relatively new loyalty program from Expedia, Hotels.com and VRBO. Members can save 10% on stays booked through these sites, as well as earn OneKeycash to spend on hotels, flights, car rentals, etc. (OneKeycash $1 saves $1 when you buy on these sites).
OneKeycash is redeemed for a flat rate, so you won’t get the value you can get with other hotel loyalty programs. Award Chart and Sweet spots. However, the simplicity of one key can be a draw for some travelers, especially as you can choose from a wide variety of hotels on three different sites.
I usually end up booking via the credit card portal, but I am very interested in one important loyalty program. 1 key credit card In my wallet. I’m also waiting with concern for the day when Airbnb comes out with a Cobranded credit card.
Should I use it to book a separate hotel?
If you are able to book a hotel via credit card portals such as Chase Travel or Capital One Travel, you will always use the applicable card to earn bonus points. That’s easy.
However, you may need to book a hotel directly to get a contract. Alternatively, you may want to stay on Airbnb, which is not available on the platforms listed above. It’s possible but Redeem points on Airbnb gift cardredeeming my Chase ultimate reward points for 1 cent per point, this is far below the TPG in March 2025. evaluation Chase, and you can’t get me the best value for my points.
So my best bet is to book a card that earns a bonus reward for travel purchases, but that’s not the only thing I would consider.
Don’t forget that many travel cards come with Built-in trip insurance. If you cancel your non-refundable hotel reservation, these perks can be used to repay more dollars in your wallet. Also, if you are booking a hotel in another country, make sure to pay. Cards with no foreign transaction fees.
For me, this means I book the most independent hotel with me Chase sapphire is desirable. This card does not provide travel protection or foreign transaction fees. Earn 2 ultimate reward points per dollar spent on all travel purchases and 10% points to increase all account anniversary. The tracking point is a 4.5% return, as it is worth 2.05 cents based on the TPG’s March 2025 rating.
Other cards provided Travel bonus revenue include:
Conclusion
There are many ways to save money and maximize your rewards with independent hotels and vacation rentals. Sieve through these options may take a little extra effort, but it will pay off in the long run.
Plus, I love the offers of independent variety hotels. With so many options, you are bound to find something unique and perfect for a memorable trip.
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Brian Kelly, founder of TPG, is a built advisor and investor.
