While some TOTT readers may well have grabbed a couple of weeks in the sun over July/August, there are many of you who have been holed up in the office, gazing jealously at colleagues’ Instagram feeds.
Luckily, there’s a perfect opportunity coming up for those who haven’t managed to get away. If you’ve been scratching around wondering what to do for the August Bank Holiday, you probably assumed everything is going to be super-expensive at this point. Wrong!
Here are five fantastic hotels you can still book for ‘free’ for the upcoming bank holiday.
London – Hilton on Park Lane
For those of you who simply can’t afford the travelling time to head somewhere more ‘exotic’, a staycation at the Hilton on Park Lane isn’t too shabby a place to spend a couple of nights.
As you can see, an entry-level King Guest Room is currently selling at a shade over £300 a night. Instead, you can redeem 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Points currency required: Hilton Honors
Earning methods include: Hotel stays, American Express Membership Rewards, HHonors Platinum Visa card (full review here), Car rentals, transfers from Virgin Atlantic.
You can view availability on the Hilton website here
Paris – Prince De Galles, A Luxury Collection Hotel
Time to broaden our horizons a bit. This hotel has been on my ‘visit’ list for a while now and the fact that you can redeem points for such a fantastic looking property is an added plus.
The cheapest non-refundable, non-changeable cash rate at this hotel is more than €600 per night. I was shocked to see that there was still Cash and Points availability over the bank holiday weekend. This costs just 15,000 Starpoints + $275 – far more palatable.
It gets better as well. Paying with points at this hotel means free cancellation until 24 hours before your stay. The cheapest flexible cash rate that would allow you do that is €850 per night!
Points currency required: Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
Earning methods include: Hotel stays, SPG credit card (full review here), Amex Membership Rewards transfers, Uber rides, Car rentals
You can check availability here
Algarve – The Conrad Algarve
I am a big fan of the Conrad Algarve and I certainly didn’t expect this to still be available on points over the bank holiday weekend.
Pricing is typically expensive given it is peak summer season with the cheapest (non-refundable, non-changeable) price coming via the Hilton sale at €441. However, you can choose to use 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night which would be cancellable. As there is standard room availability you could also use the free night certificate that comes with the HHonors Platinum Visa card.
Points currency required: Hilton Honors
Earning methods include: Hotel stays, American Express Membership Rewards, HHonors Platinum Visa card (full review here), Car rentals, transfers from Virgin Atlantic.
You can check availability on the Conrad website here
Geneva – InterContinental Geneve
This is also an excellent option. Perhaps something a bit different, but you surely can’t go far wrong relaxing on the banks of Lake Geneva.
Again, I think this is really decent value. The cheapest non-refundable cash rate comes in at about £270 and the cheapest flexible rate is roughly £380. Alternatively, reward nights are available at 45,000 points per night. When you consider that many InterContinental properties now require 60,000 points per night, this represents a good deal.
Points currency required: IHG Rewards Club
Earning methods include: Hotel stays, lucrative promotions such as Accelerate, IHG credit cards from Creation, free night certificate via the IHG Rewards Club Premium Visa, transfers from Virgin Flying Club miles.
You can view availability on the hotel website here
Cannes – JW Marriott Cannes
Prices for hotel rooms anywhere on the French Riviera during the summer can get quite silly. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see points availability at the JW Marriott in Cannes – jump on it before it disappears.
For this hotel, the cheapest Advanced Purchase (non-refundable) price is approximately £590 per night! As you can see from the screenshot above, there is reward availability for 135,000 points per stay. Based on the 3-night stay I selected, that works out at 45,000 points per night.
If converting SPG points (to Marriott) – this would be many (UK-based) readers main source of Marriott points – that comes out at a very reasonable 15,000 points per night!
Points currency required: Marriott Rewards
Earning methods include: Hotel stays, Marriott credit card (currently suspended for new applicants), car rentals. Converting SPG points accrued from: SPG credit card (full review here), Amex Membership Rewards transfers, Uber rides, Car rentals.
Check availability on the hotel website here
Verdict
If you’d written off your chances of getting away over the August Bank Holiday, think again. There’s no need to part with a small fortune to ensure that your August isn’t spent entirely at your desk! As I’ve outlined above, there are plenty of ‘inexpensive’ options to enjoy a short break and stay at some fabulous properties along the way.
The key here is making sure you have sufficient points in reserve for maximising last-minute opportunities like these. Even if it turns out you can’t get away this bank holiday for whatever reason, start building up those balances to make sure you’re well placed next time.