Get elite-like perks without status: Your guide to Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
Editor's Note
Elite status with a hotel chain can make travel much more comfortable. But you don't necessarily need hotel elite status to unlock extra perks on your next hotel stay. After all, select credit card holders can get elite-like perks by booking through programs such as American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts and Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
Both programs provide valuable perks. And booking through these programs often doesn't cost much, if any, more than booking directly with the hotel. I've previously written about Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts program, so now I'll take a closer look at Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program.
What is Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection?
Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is a booking method that offers select Chase cardholders elite-like benefits at more than 1,000 hotels, resorts, lodges and spas worldwide. The properties bookable through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program are a mix of branded and independent lodgings, but all of the properties are well rated, and Chase says they are among the world's finest.
In order to make a reservation through the program, you must have a participating card — more on that below.
Related: Amex vs. Citi vs. Chase: Which booking portal is best for hotels?
Main benefits and perks
Booking through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is rarely the cheapest option. However, the perks you receive when you book through the program and use your Chase card to purchase your stay may offset any price difference. With every Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection booking you receive:
- Daily breakfast for two.
- A special benefit worth up to $100 (unique to each property, but often includes a lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, golf green fee waivers, welcome gift or airport transfers).
- Complimentary Wi-Fi at properties that offer Wi-Fi.
- A room upgrade, when available at select properties.
- Early check-in and late checkout, when available at select properties.
As you might expect, the daily breakfast and special benefit vary in quality and value. Although Chase provides various examples for the special benefit, most properties offer a $50 or $100 credit for use during your stay.
You can maximize your Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection bookings by targeting hotels that offer a special benefit that will provide value to you. For example, here are a few special benefits that I found interesting:
- Sukhothai Bangkok offers a complimentary 60-minute massage for two guests per room once during their stay.
- Taj Cape Town offers a 90-minute city walking tour with a professional tour guide, a 20% discount when dining at the Bombay Brasserie and a "Cape Gin experience" once per stay for each guest.
- InterContinental Paris Le Grand offers access to the club lounge, a voucher for a 20% discount on any spa treatment and a welcome VIP amenity.
Related: Using Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program at the Aria in Las Vegas
Which cards are eligible for Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection bookings?
Not all Chase credit cards provide access to book hotels through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program. Chase determines whether you have access based on your card number's first six digits.
If you want to check whether you're able to book through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, go to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection website and begin a sample hotel search. When required, try entering the first six digits of your Chase card number(s).
To give you an idea of what cards have access, Chase advertises Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection access as a benefit on the application page for the following cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- United Explorer Card.
- United Gateway Card.
- United Club Infinite Card.
- United Quest Card.
- United Business Card.
- J.P. Morgan Reserve Card.
The information for the J.P. Morgan Reserve Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other cards previously provided access, but the new layout on the entrance page to search for hotels with the LHRC now limits access only to the cards mentioned above.
How to book Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection stays
You must reserve through a Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection travel specialist or LHRCollection.com to get perks for Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. For ease, I recommend searching for properties online so you can quickly see the benefits and pricing for each property.
To start a search, enter your destination, dates and number of guests in the search box at the top of the page.
On the next page, you'll need to enter the first six digits of an eligible Chase credit card if you haven't searched recently. Although this page refers to Chase United cardmembers, eligible Chase cardholders with non-United cards can also use this site.
Once you enter your card details, you'll see all the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection properties at your destination.
You can select a property by clicking on its name. Doing so will take you to a page to choose your room type.
You must use your Chase card to book your stay. You'll usually pay at the hotel, but the property may charge a guarantee or deposit to your credit card before your stay. If you have multiple Chase cards, it's unclear whether you must use a card that provides access to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection to pay at the property or whether you can use any Chase card.
Most Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection reservations use the property's cancellation policy, but it's best to double-check when booking. Also, note that the price you see may not show additional hotel charges, such as resort fees. Take the time to understand what types of fees the hotel might impose before you book.
Finally, be sure to carefully read the details of specific benefits at the property you book. Some complimentary breakfast perks are limited to certain restaurants or subject to a maximum dollar amount. In addition, some of these may be temporarily unavailable — like breakfast at the Sofitel in New York City.
You may even want to take a screenshot when booking so you're armed with the exact details of what you should get — just in case there are any issues during your stay.
Related: The best credit cards for luxury hotel stays
Will I earn elite status or loyalty benefits?
Chase doesn't address whether you'll earn elite credit or have your hotel loyalty recognized on Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection stays. And online travel agent bookings usually don't earn elite status or have access to loyalty benefits. But online reports indicate that some travelers have earned loyalty points and enjoyed elite benefits on Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection stays.
You can try to add your loyalty number to the reservation after booking or at check-in. However, I don't recommend booking through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection if getting loyalty benefits and earning is critical for your stay. After all, some hotel loyalty programs — and, in some cases, specific hotels within a program — won't give elite points, nights and perks if you don't book directly with the hotel.
Related: Does elite status from a credit card get you less recognition?
Is Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection worth it?
Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection most closely resembles Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts program. But when you book with American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts program, your late checkout is guaranteed and the experience credit is often more valuable.
Other card-related hotel programs include the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection and Amex's Hotel Collection. But compared with Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, the benefits from these programs aren't as extensive or valuable. On the other hand, less-expensive hotels may be bookable through these programs.
Finally, booking directly will usually provide more rate options — including AAA, AARP and corporate rates. When booking directly, you can also click through a cash-back portal and know with certainty that you'll get elite nights and benefits (if that matters to you). If you already get breakfast included as a brand amenity or elite benefit, it may make sense to book directly — especially if you can do so at a lower rate.
Booking through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection can be worth it, though. After all, the program does provide elite-like perks. But I recommend considering other booking options to ensure you're getting the best value and benefits on your stay.
Related: When to book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts vs. Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
When to use Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
Even if the rates aren't the lowest, there are times when booking through a program like Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection can be a good idea.
Short stays
One of the most significant selling points of Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is the special benefit. But most properties provide this benefit per stay, not per night. So, the shorter your stay, the better value this represents.
As such, it may be worth booking a Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection hotel for only one night at the beginning or end of your trip to squeeze the most value out of this perk. I was able to do this after taking the Amtrak Empire Builder from Portland, Oregon, to Chicago and got $160 of value out of a $153 one-night stay at the Loews Chicago using Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts program.
Related: 10 reasons the Chase Sapphire Reserve is ideal for living or traveling abroad
Boutique/non-chain hotels
You can get elite-like benefits at non-chain hotels when you book through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. Some luxury hotels aren't part of a hotel loyalty program, so booking through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection can be an excellent way to get more benefits and recognition.
Related: These are 6 of the hotel brands I wish would join or create loyalty programs
Someone else is paying
If your company or a client is paying for your stay, it may not matter how you book. So, you may be able to book through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection even if it isn't the least expensive option and benefit from the program's perks when traveling for business.
Related: Unique hotel amenities that will make your next business trip so much better
Travelers without elite status
Except for the special benefit, booking through Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection provides many of the same perks as elite status. So booking through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection provides more value when you're staying at a brand for which you don't have top-tier elite status. The included breakfast benefit alone is enough to offset any difference in rates at some properties.
Related: Rebooking through the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection got me $400 in hotel value
Bottom line
Using your hard-earned points for hotel stays can be a great way to keep money in your pocket. But using points may not be the best option — or an option at all — in some cases. And, for some trips, you might want elite-like perks even though you don't have elite status. In these cases, it may make sense to book your hotel stay through a program like Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection to get extra perks.
Additional reporting by Nick Ewen.