Which Hotel Credit Cards are worth MSing?
Apr 3, 2015, 11:07 am
#151
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 208
Unless less you intend to spend those points on reservations made by 5/28 (they can be for later than that date) I suggest you run some numbers on the effective cash back you are getting. A number of CC properties I looked at in Europe are giving 2.2% or less effective return when compared to the cost of a refundable reservation once you remove the free nights. At that point you have to think harder about straight cash back/Arrival card (I realize their may be upgrades, etc., that are hard to calculate). Some properties are still good values.
Apr 3, 2015, 11:23 am
#152
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
I am going to keep ours but I am going to shift my spending away from these cards entirely this year. Looking at redemptions in Rome next year this card effectively is giving me less than 2% back so totally not worth it. The math still works for other locations though but they aren't on my short list next year (this year is already covered).
Apr 3, 2015, 1:17 pm
#153
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,710
My Paris stay this summer would work out to an effective 2.4% back without the free nights. Admittedly this was an upgraded room where we could fit our son in as well (the numbers on a standard room would likely be better). But that is hardly an earth shattering return as compared to the Arrival or my grandfathered 2.2% Priceline card. From what I am seeing there are still good deals but it is going to be much more hit and miss. Basically at this point for me this card is only worth spending on for a specific award where I get something north of 2.2% I will not stockpile points in the hopes I can use them at some point.
Apr 3, 2015, 1:33 pm
#154
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
My Paris stay this summer would work out to an effective 2.4% back without the free nights. Admittedly this was an upgraded room where we could fit our son in as well (the numbers on a standard room would likely be better). But that is hardly an earth shattering return as compared to the Arrival or my grandfathered 2.2% Priceline card. From what I am seeing there are still good deals but it is going to be much more hit and miss. Basically at this point for me this card is only worth spending on for a specific award where I get something north of 2.2% I will not stockpile points in the hopes I can use them at some point.
I'm reading that the free night benefit is only good on US hotels, so I might axe my personal card and just keep the biz one for its $60 fee. I can always stay in another chain hotel in US but in some parts of Europe CC still comes in handy.
Apr 3, 2015, 5:07 pm
#155
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Northwest, United
Posts: 3,257
The Rome radisson is supposedly very mediocre. I've only gotten real value out of this card in Paris, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Sydney. I'm sure in Scandinavian countries you get good value too, as they're obscenely overpriced countries. The Sydney hotel is very nice and I'd actually gladly pay even 50k pts per night there which is still only ~$80 of extra MS cost for me.
Apr 3, 2015, 5:20 pm
#156
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
Radisson Blu right in the middle of old town. It was good, I'm not too picky about hotels and was only there for 2 nights then moved to an airbnb rental. This was during august festivals so availability was rough.
Apr 3, 2015, 6:48 pm
#158
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: Dirt Status w/ All
Posts: 5,040
On the plus side, they are at least giving me a month to MS a bit more to top off my account for some Ireland reservations in the fall.
On the minus side I need to lock in my dates and book by the end of May. I was also thinking I was due for my 40K annual bonus points next month, but turns out I got the card in June of last year so I am sure those won't post until after the devaluation.
Oh well. At least it saved me a fortune in London last year.
On the minus side I need to lock in my dates and book by the end of May. I was also thinking I was due for my 40K annual bonus points next month, but turns out I got the card in June of last year so I am sure those won't post until after the devaluation.
Oh well. At least it saved me a fortune in London last year.
Apr 3, 2015, 10:50 pm
#160
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
If only there were more low-end Hyatts around the world.....
Apr 4, 2015, 9:03 am
#161
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
Since the recent CC change, I am done being a CC apologist. I see no benefit in keeping the card or MS in the card. The allure was last night free in expensive Europe. Now Hyatt and SPG are better. Does not mean I am done with CC, just that is bumped down to last option status.
In all reality this benefit was good for about 3 years, and I used it more than 30 times, so it was good.
In all reality this benefit was good for about 3 years, and I used it more than 30 times, so it was good.
Apr 4, 2015, 10:24 am
#162
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
At 1pt/$ for MS and the 'estimated' value of Marriott points being .8 cents/pt, it's not worth it.
In order to get Gold status, you would need an additional 35 nights in addition to the 15 night annual credit from the card. At $3K/night credit, it will take $105K of MSing to get you to Gold status.
Not worth it.
I currently don't recommend the Hyatt card for MSing unless you will have at least 20 stays or 40 nights at Hyatts. For $40K of MSing, you can get 5 stay and 10 night credit toward Diamond status.
It is a better card to MS than Marriott because you get the same 1 HGP/$ MSing, but each HGP is worth ~2.5 cents/pt.
If you're looking for another hotel card beyond a Hilton card for higher end hotels, the only recommendation that I have would be the SPG AmEx.
Apr 4, 2015, 12:06 pm
#163
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 1,139
Since the recent CC change, I am done being a CC apologist. I see no benefit in keeping the card or MS in the card. The allure was last night free in expensive Europe. Now Hyatt and SPG are better. Does not mean I am done with CC, just that is bumped down to last option status.
In all reality this benefit was good for about 3 years, and I used it more than 30 times, so it was good.
In all reality this benefit was good for about 3 years, and I used it more than 30 times, so it was good.
My MS costs are around $6 per $500. Before this change, when I used 50,000 points for a two night stay, that worked out to $60 a night. Now it is $120 a night. Does it anger me? Of course it does. But I will at least breakeven on my unused points, since the room rate, even using Priceline, in most of the applicable markets is at least $120 per night.
On a going forward basis, if I spend $10,000, I will incur $120 of MS costs and get 60,000 points, and a free night certificate. Once I pay my $75 annual fee, I will get another 40,000 points, correct? So I have 100,000 points and a certificate, giving me three nights for $195, or $65 per night.
In the markets I use these Carlson points in, primarily NYC and Europe, I cannot get the math to work at all for MSing on any other card. The MS costs on the other hotel credit cards are greater than the room rate I can get using Priceline or spending the meager profit I can earn MSing on my Barclay Arrival card. This devaluation is still not as bad as Hilton's or even Starwood's or Hyatt's in major areas.
I signed up for the 30,000 point Wyndham card and if hotels really offer nights at 15,000 points, those first two free nights will be great, and MSing on that card might produce free nights at $90 of MS costs (I forget if the Wyndham card has an annual fee).
My point is that Carlson just punched me in the nose, but not hard enough to break it. Don't I just wipe off the blood and continue to spend at least $10,000 on the card each year for three reasonably priced hotel nights? It isn't like all the other players haven't been punching us, too.
Apr 4, 2015, 3:39 pm
#164
Moderator: Travel Buzz
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 3,099
Just a quick comment on luggage... if you can pack ONE bag with a boarding bag on top, you will have a much easier time getting around Europe.
As for me, the recent Club Carlson devaluation is a huge blow. Maybe I'll move on to fancier hotels in spite of myself!
As for me, the recent Club Carlson devaluation is a huge blow. Maybe I'll move on to fancier hotels in spite of myself!
Apr 4, 2015, 5:18 pm
#165
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,710
I never said I did MS on them the numbers I ran were just when I was considering what cards to get and what hotel programs had some use to me. I have actually not had any of Chase's hotel cards so far.