Just to avoid any doubt, the “hurry” part has nothing to do with us earning a commission. This card doesn’t pay us a dime. It also goes without saying that if you can, you should focus on other cards that offer flexible points or cash equivalents.
I’ve mentioned Capital One Venture Rewards (our affiliate link) a few days ago, as it’s a very good deal IMO. See related post for more details. That offer will be ending September 9th. Just keep in mind that Capital One pulls all three credit agencies and can be a tough bank when it comes to approvals. But you won’t know unless you try.
Anyway, not all of us can get approved for that offer, including yours truly. Sonesta credit card to the rescue! But before you laugh, check out some of the deals you can currently take advantage of. I’ve highlighted the word “currently” because I had a scare last week when all Sonesta hotels all of a sudden started pricing at 60k points per night, including roach motels. Fortunately, it was a glitch that was corrected the next day.
The description of the offer is a bit misleading, as in reality you will get 125k points after spending $2k in 3 months and adding an authorized user. The annual fee is waved, making the deal even more compelling. This card is issued by Bank of America, so you may want to look at their other offers first, like Premium Rewards or Alaska cards. My husband and I had applied for both products within the last few years, so Sonesta offer it is. Non-affiliate application link
Here are some award deals that stand out to me personally:
This is an all-inclusive resort in St. Maarten that Nancy has mentioned. Is it possible that you can really get an all-inclusive rate for four people for only 40k points per night with no extra fees? If so, this is the deal of a century. Even if it’s not fancy, it’s still quite a bargain, especially in high season.
This hotel in Miami Beach is the main reason I applied for the card in the first place.
We will be overnighting in Miami next year, and I like the idea of staying in an oceanfront room for only 22,500 points per night. I actually redeemed points on two rooms, as sharing a double bed is a deal breaker. And at this price, why not?
Fancy a trip to Kauai? Here is a place for you:
I’m not a fan of sharing a room with kids for more than one night, but it’s a decent option, especially for the price. The resort is centrally located and has a very nice pool complex.
If you are planning a trip to NYC, you have a few options to consider, though your CPP value will not be as good as my previous examples. But who cares, right?
The beds in this hotel are queen-size, by the way
If you have five people in the family, there is a Sonesta option in NYC, but it will be pricey:
If you have access to Hyatt points, I would recommend Hyatt Place Midtown Manhattan instead, that costs 20k points per night. See my review here
There are many other examples, but you get the point. In order to search the locations you are interested in, you’ll need to sign up for a free Sonesta account first. I currently have 77k points leftover and may end up burning them on Sonesta property located 3 miles from the Epic Universe park that is currently being built in Orlando. I promised the kids we would take them there in the fall of next year.
It wasn’t on my radar when I applied for the card, but it seems like a good deal at 25k points per night. I hope it remains that way for a few more months.
What about Gold status that comes with the credit card?
Here are the marketing bullet points from the credit card application page:
UPGRADE
TO GOLD TIER STATUS
Sonesta Travel Pass members enjoy all kinds of benefits, and with an automatic upgrade to Gold tier status upon credit approval you get even more.
- Complimentary club lounge access or daily continental breakfast1
- Complimentary room upgrade (when available)2
- Early check-in and late check-out3
- 15% discount on dining & resort amenities4
- Complimentary upgraded WiFi5
- Exclusive member-only offers
- Choice of welcome amenity
- and more
A lot of these perks are based on availability, which makes them far less interesting to me. I couldn’t find a whole lot of info on complimentary breakfast, but I believe that only status holder is entitled to it. Correct me if I’m wrong. It’s certainly better than nothing, but I definitely won’t be renewing the credit card just to keep this status.
How stable is Sonesta program?
That’s a “125k points” question. I have no idea, so apply at your own risk. The deal (the way it is now) is very lucrative as long as you are planning to go to locations covered by Sonesta program. If I’m not mistaken, the bonus on this card was half the current amount before, so there is a compelling reason to take advantage of it now. Again, if you can utilize the points in a very near future.
My guess is that due to recent entry of many Sonesta “converts” like myself (which will cause a flood of points redemptions), some sort of devaluation is inevitable. It’s a simple law of supply vs. demand. Not all properties will increase in award price, but the most popular locations will be the obvious targets. How soon will it happen? Who knows, but the longer you wait, the higher chance there is of missing out, which admittedly is not the end of the world. Your call.
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
@Pam No worries and thanks for reading! Looking forward to checking out Sonesta properties and will report back via blog posts.
Sorry for the confusion & I appreciate your thoughts. I think you’ll find if you start booking some Sonesta stays how great they are with elites (auto with the card), they really go above & beyond at their properties to accommodate.
@Pam Unfortunately I don’t know the end date for this offer. My gut feeling says it will be out for another month or two, but I really don’t know. And the terms of the offer don’t say.
I’m definitely rooting for Sonesta, and hope they expand internationally. I’m sure the increased credit card offer is meant to generate interest, which is good marketing. Even if folks apply only for points, they may like it enough to do paid stays going forward. I’m sure they hope to capture some road warriors that way.
I agree that St. Maarten resort looks nice. I doubt we will actually go there, but that’s mainly because I don’t like sharing one room on vacations. Plus, flying to St. Maarten would require driving to Miami or FLL. But it is certainly a good deal, especially considering the fact that all-inclusive rate appears to cover four people per room. Usually there are surcharges.
When you mentioned the property in Texas, you were probably referring to Nancy. We live in Florida. But thanks for the tip!
(by the way, Sonesta is rapidly expanding so whatever instability that might occur with new lp members might be offset by their addition of new props)
I am a huge Sonesta fan. I was going to apply for a new card with the improved bonus but was waiting on other spend I needed to do. I know it’s been out for a couple of months now, but do you have some indication of the final date for apps?
So the Maho Beach Resort is right next to the Ocean Point Resort – IT is fantastic and I highly recommend. I mean just check out the pictures, stunning. Both are Sonesta, but the MB is for families (but also where the casino is go figure!) but the OP not. Guests at OP can use MB’s entire property but MB cannot use all of the OP since it is adult only.
I also enjoy their oceanfront Hilton Head property and as a Texas girl your family would most definitely like their Bee Cave location, on a hill with fantastic sunsets.
@Aleks Yeah, I actually agree with you! That’s why I’ve mentioned that folks should prioritize other offers before considering Sonesta card. But if the stars align, it can offer very good value. In my case, I was looking for a way to stay in Miami Beach affordably, so it was worth applying. Plus, it’s hard (at times impossible)for me to get approved for offers like Capital One Venture Rewards. I just got denied for Hawaiian card, so you get the point. I will probably use the rest of the points on 3 nights in Orlando in a suite. So, that’s total of four nights, one of them using two rooms at a beachfront hotel. I would conservatively value this bonus at $500 for my situation, which is quite good. Plus, I’m using points for my existing plans, not adding extra trips.
On St. Maarten resort: it actually doesn’t look particularly interesting to me despite being a great deal. Sharing one room with kids for more than one night will spoil a vacation, guaranteed. But I can see the appeal for families with young kids. Pools and slides look pretty nice, though lack of beach is a bummer. Still, for someone looking to do a spring break vacation on a budget it seems like a great deal. Well, as long as you have miles to fly to St Maarten, that is. As always, it depends on one’s goals.
Looked at this card a month ago and decided not to apply due to limited hotel footprint: mostly in USA, and a lot of very low-end properties like Value Motels etc.
The Maho Beach resort actually does not have a beach! Just be aware. And it’s right next to landing part of their airport – might be very noisy at times! Not my ideal location for a beach vacation!
My valuation is average at 0.70pp for Sonesta awards – not bad nor great. If you can find a decent use for it, the card is relatively easy to get approved for.
Happy travels!