Originally Posted by zaphod424

I've used them a few times, it actually used to be 15 avios/£, but it was reduced to 10 at about the same time as the avios earning on flights was changed to the revenue system. Also you don't get 3 avios/£ from the amex on top, just the standard 1.5 as it's a payment to "Avios Group ltd", not British Airways so isn't counted for the double earning (BA holidays counts as BA spend, but not Avios hotels).

I would suggest you shop around and read the fine print though, sometimes avios hotels are priced the same as booking.com/hotels.com, sometimes they're a bit less, but sometimes they can be a bit, or even significantly, more expensive, and it's not worth paying significantly more just to get the avios (especially when you can get 6/£ on booking.com through the eStore). They also have a more limited selection of hotels than other sites like booking/hotels etc, so you may not find the hotel you want on there.

Also check the cancellation policy for the room you're booking, as they do vary, and there's a £35 fee to cancel even if you cancel before the refundable cut-off date.

But yes, if the price is competitive for the hotel you want to stay at and you are happy with the flexibility then it's a good way to get a healthy top up to your avios balance. It is odd how little it's advertised by BA though, it's tucked away in the 'about the Executive club' section of the website, and is barely mentioned anywhere else.