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Marriott announces new brand
Marriott has announced the launch of a new brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton, designed for the midscale segment. This new brand is a response to growing demand for affordable accommodation in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Which translated means that people are fed up paying high prices for not-very-good hotels! I’ll admit with the ridiculous pricing in the US, I am often staying at brands I would not have considered prior to Covid.
Marriott previously announced other affordable midscale hotels with City Express by Marriott in the Caribbean and Latin America and its plans for StudioRes in the U.S. & Canada. Four Points Express by Sheraton will offer value-conscious consumers hotels in a convenient location, with “principles of reliability, simplicity and value in both the design and guest experience.”
Four Points Express will provide clean, comfortable rooms, breakfast and complimentary Wi-Fi at an affordable price. The company has already signed three deals across the UK and Türkiye and has signed letters of intent for future Four Points Express hotels in markets such as Poland, Belgium and the UK.
The first UK hotel is slated to open in a prime location in Central London less than 500 metres from Euston Station and one kilometre from Kings Cross and St Pancras International. Four Points Express by Sheraton London Euston is expected to open in 2024 with 201 guest rooms following a significant renovation of the current property. The hotel will offer an ideal location for tech company headquarters in Kings Cross, the British Museum and easy access to London’s shopping and theatre districts, as well as many tourist sites.
In Türkiye, two Four Points Express hotels have been signed in Antalya and Bursa. Four Points Express by Sheraton Antalya Lara plans to offer 52 guest rooms upon its anticipated conversion in late 2023. The neighbourhood of Çağlayan has fantastic connections to both the city centre and airport while benefiting from close proximity to the seaside. In Bursa, Four Points Express by Sheraton Bursa Nilüfer will offer guests a convenient location close to the highway that connects Bursa, Istanbul and Izmir.
It is interesting that in its blurb to recruit existing hotel owners, it states the properties should have:
- Food & beverage: Breakfast required, lunch and dinner optional. Retail optional.
- Guestrooms: 14-22sqm. Quality essentials: good shower, bed, and connectivity
- Fitness: Allowed if existing
I’m surprised that there is no more focus on a gym as I’d expect that in most hotels in 2023 from 3 star upwards.
New American Express Hilton and Hyatt offers
Yet again the best offers are not on the Platinum or Gold American Express cards, although there is one new Platinum and possibly Gold offer. Alongside the Marriott offer I wrote about here, two of these new offers are on the British Airways Premium Plus card.
Hyatt £100 off £250 spend – BA Premium Plus Amex
This is one of the best offers we get for hotels on the Amex cards with £100 statement credit when you spend £250 by 10 December. The offer is only valid on checkout spend on one transaction and can’t be used on Small Luxury Hotels.
The participating countries are: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
In the UK here are the participating hotels we have reviewed:
• Great Scotland Yard
• Hyatt Centric Cambridge
• Hyatt Place London City East
• Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill
• Hyatt Regency London Stratford
• Andaz London Liverpool Street
Hilton £50 statement credit – BA Premium Plus Amex
The first Hilton offer is for a £50 statement credit when you make one or more transactions up to £200+ in participating hotel(s) at Hilton by 22/12/2023. While it is a lesser amount off, at least it is cumulative, unlike the Hyatt offer. It is also only valid on checkout spend.
The participating countries are: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• The Gantry London, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Canopy by Hilton London City
• Lost Property St. Paul’s London, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian
• Hilton London Gatwick Airport
• Hilton London Bankside
• Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
• Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona
• Hilton Berlin
• Hilton Manchester Deansgate
• The Fellows House Cambridge, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Hilton Geneva Hotel & Conference Centre
• Hilton Bournemouth
• The Westminster London, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Conrad St James
• Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3
• Hilton London Heathrow Terminals 4
• The Biltmore London
• Hilton Syon Park
• London Hilton on Park Lane
Hilton 9000 Memberships Rewards points – Platinum Amex
I have not received this one yet, so I am not sure if it is targeted or not. The offer is to spend £200 or more on Hilton by 22 December 2023 to receive 9000 MR points. These can be transferred into Avios at 1:1 or 1 Membership Rewards point = 2 Hilton Honors points. There are plenty of other airline and hotel schemes to transfer into as well. The offer is onlu valid on checkout spend only at participating locations. The locations appear to be the same list as above.
There is also one to earn a set number of Avios on the BA Amex card when you spend a specific amount that seems to vary by person. Mine has a very high spend qualification at £5000 for 2500 Avios by 6 November. I will certainly not be trying to hit that target for the small number of Avios on offer!
Did you get one of these points offers? Let us know in the comments below.
BA e-shop adds eBay
You can currently collect Avios for eBay through Nectar points at a rate of 1 point per £1 spent and then convert 400 Nectar points to 250 Avios.
The BA e-store now has a better offer at 1 Avios per £1 spent. Some categories of purchase are excluded however: Motors (Cars, Boats, Motorcycles, etc), Business, Industrial, Travel, Real Estate, Music, Gift Certificates/cards, Gold (bars or coins), Charity & Non-Profit items, “Lots More” and “Other Services” (under the Services tab).
It would appear that you can also collect Nectar points as well since your eBay account is linked to your Nectar account as there is no mention of it being excluded and the eBay page actually mentions Nectar too.
5 comments
Hi. Got the 9000 HH, Hyatt, and the £200 Hilton on my Amex platinum.
When you say check-out spend only – what does that mean?
So when you check out of the hotel it can be anything on your bill
Hi, I saw and accepted the 9000 points on my Gold Rewards Amex charge card this week.
Thanks Barbara
Unfortunately I received the same offer as you Michele and like you I won’t be chasing 2,500 Avios for a £5k spend!
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