HOTEL

How and where to use your travel points for a ski vacation

CNN Underscored reviews financial products such as credit cards and bank accounts based on their overall value. We may receive a commission through the LendingTree affiliate network if you apply and are approved for a card, but our reporting is always independent and objective. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Winter is here, and for many families, that means it’s time to break out the ski and snowboard gear and start thinking about a trip to the slopes. But it’s no hidden secret that ski vacations can be costly. Fortunately, there’s one way to truly keep the cost down: by using your travel rewards to cover the cost of your hotel

Plenty of chain hotels offer properties in the middle of ski towns, so there’s often no shortage of lodging opportunities. And even though many of these properties charge exorbitant rates during the winter vacation ski season, you’ll find that using your points can be a great deal.

Before you go ahead and book your next ski vacation, take a look to see if any travel rewards hotels are located in your desired destination. We’ve taken a look at the most popular Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and Hilton Honors properties where you can use your points to save big when hitting the slopes.

Of the three major hotel chains in the US, Marriott has the largest number of properties catered toward ski vacations. So, if you want to have access to as many mountain properties as possible, accruing Marriott Bonvoy points is the way to go. The chain has a slew of properties in Colorado, but you’ll find that you can also redeem your points in Utah, California, Canada, Switzerland and

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HOTEL

The Best Marriott Credit Cards of 2022

With over 8,300 hotels worldwide, Marriott Bonvoy is a prominent fixture in the hotel loyalty world. Since Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the program and its co-branded credit cards have undergone several revamps. With recent changes, you may wonder what the best credit card is for Marriott stays.

The answer depends on what you’re looking for from a credit card as there are options for virtually every type of Marriott guest, with varying annual fees and benefits.

Co-branded Marriott credit cards are great for Marriott stays if you want to enjoy elite status perks and elevated point earnings. Some Marriott cards even offer annual free nights you can redeem at thousands of Marriott properties worldwide. However, co-branded credit cards also have a significant downside: Many carry high annual fees and earn a single currency with limited redemption options.

Some travelers may be better off using a transferable rewards card for Marriott stays. You’ll earn bonus points on Marriott bookings and can use your rewards to book Marriott stays (or transfer them to over a dozen other partners). Plus, some of these non-Marriott branded cards still offer automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status and other perks that will make your stays more comfortable.

To help you decide which Marriott credit card is best for your needs, Select has broken them down into eight categories.

Best credit cards for Marriott stays

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Best for maximizing everyday spending

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card

On the American Express secure site

  • Rewards

    Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy; 4X Marriott Bonvoy points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases

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HOTEL

The Best Business Card for Jet-Setters

If your business has turned you into a frequent flier, you’ll want to consider The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Every time you spend a dollar purchasing flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com, you’ll earn five Amex Membership Rewards points.

Amex points are typically worth between half a penny and one cent, depending how they are redeemed. And this card’s base rewards rate of one point per dollar can be bested by other business cards. There is also a $695 annual fee, meaning the card is a big commitment.

Still, five points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels makes this the most generous travel rewards of any business card we found. It’s why Buy Side from WSJ named this card Best Business Credit Card for Travel.

American Express® The Business Platinum Card

  • Base rewards: 1x
  • Bonus rewards: 5x on flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com
  • Bonus rewards: 1.5x at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers; electronic goods retailers; software and cloud system providers; shipping providers; and purchases of $5,000 or more. Bonus rate capped at $2 million in spending per calendar year.
  • Welcome bonus: 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first three months.
  • Credits that make flying cheaper and easier, like a $200 airline credit and $189 CLEAR® credit
  • $695 annual fee.
  • No foreign transaction fee.
  • APR: 17.24% to 25.24%, variable
  • Terms Apply. See rates and fees.

Are the fees worth the rewards? 

The annual fee is $695, the highest of any of the business credit cards we looked at, and one of the highest you’ll pay for any card anywhere. But if you travel frequently for your business, there’s an excellent chance you’ll earn enough rewards points to justify your investment. 

For starters, there are a lot of perks that come

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TRAVELLING

How Much Are Amex Points Worth in 2022?

Insider’s experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

Amex Membership Rewards are among the most valuable travel rewards you can earn. These points offer a high upside thanks to Amex’s lucrative roster of 17 airline and three hotel transfer partners, as well as a respectable value floor for eligible cardholders who book travel directly through Amex.

These features give Membership Rewards points an average redemption value of 1.8 cents per point in Personal Finance Insider’s most recent valuations. Read on to learn which redemption options you should target and avoid in order to maximize your return. Amex is an Insider partner.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Best ways to use Amex points


Regular APR


See Pay Over Time APR


Recommended Credit Score


Good to Excellent


Regular APR


See Pay Over Time APR


Recommended Credit Score


Good to Excellent

Pros
  • Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
  • Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber
Cons
  • Bonus categories leave something to be desired
  • One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cards

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  • Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6
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HOTEL

Best Credit Cards for Authorized Users in 2022

Select’s editorial team works independently to review financial products and write articles we think our readers will find useful. We earn a commission from affiliate partners on many offers, but not all offers on Select are from affiliate partners.

When you’re approved for a credit card, you have the option to add other people to your account. This allows them to piggyback off your credit and share many of your cardholder benefits, such as airport lounge access.

Along with the benefits, you will earn rewards for any purchases an authorized user makes. However, as the primary account holder, it’s your responsibility to pay the bill each month, so be sure to give an authorized user card to someone who can be trusted.

So if you’re interested in adding someone to your credit card as an authorized user, here are some of the best credit cards to do that.

Best credit cards for authorized users

FAQs

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Our best selections in your inbox. Shopping recommendations that help upgrade your life, delivered weekly. Sign-up here.

Best overall

The Platinum Card® from American Express

On the American Express secure site

  • Rewards

    Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 1X points on all other eligible purchases

  • Welcome bonus

    Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 within 6 months of card membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.

  • Annual fee

  • Intro APR

  • Regular APR

  • Balance transfer fee

  • Foreign transaction fee

  • Credit Needed

Benefits: The Platinum Card® from American Express offers primary cardholders a long list

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TRAVELLING

It’s Your Money: 9 tips to enjoying international travel without wasting money


NEWS: Lots of people were ready to travel once COVID restrictions were lifted, but rising costs are getting in the way of a lot of travelers’ plans this summer, according to Destination Analysts, a website that focuses on travel trends.

WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU: Maybe planning an international trip was all that got you through the pandemic years, and now you’re locked in, despite rising costs. Or maybe you’re taking a trip now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased, rising costs be damned. (Or maybe you’re hate-reading this because, with inflation, you can’t even afford to drive to the next state to your traditional beach rental this year).


If you’re a seasoned world traveler, then today’s column isn’t for you. This is for the occasional, or even once-in-a-lifetime, traveler. Travel has changed a lot, even in the last few years. We’re going to take a look at some simple tips to be smart about your travel expenses. 

According to Destination Analysts, the number of travelers who feel they’re better off this year than last year dropped from 33.6 percent to 31 percent between the first and second quarter of this year. Still, 43.4 percent think they’ll be better off next year, up from 42.8 percent. Travel decisions have definitely been affected by the downward trend in people’s finances. But more are still traveling internationally than a year ago. If you’re like me and my sister, who have been planning a trip for two years, you’re channeling the woman with the meat tenderizer on the Kayak commercial: “I am not canceling this vacation!”

With that in mind, here are some tips to make your money go further:

1) It’s all about the plastic

In 1995, my sister and I took a 10-day trip to the UK. Before

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HOTEL

Earn 125,000 Points with Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card’s New Bonus

Select’s editorial team works independently to review financial products and write articles we think our readers will find useful. We earn a commission from affiliate partners on many offers, but not all offers on Select are from affiliate partners.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

American Express is relaunching the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card with an increased welcome bonus and new perks to give business owners more rewards during their travels.

Select analyzes the new welcome bonus offer, and how travelers can maximize their rewards to get the most out of the points earned from the card.

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Our best selections in your inbox. Shopping recommendations that help upgrade your life, delivered weekly. Sign-up here.

Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card’s welcome offer and features

The new welcome bonus is simple, yet valuable for all travelers. When you’re approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex card, you can earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. The offer is available through August 31, 2022.

And as you spend on the card, you’ll earn:

  • 6X points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program
  • 4X points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases for shipping, and wireless phone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers
  • 2X points per dollar spent on all other purchases with the card

If you meet the spending criteria for the welcome bonus you’ll earn at least 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. And with an average value of 0.7 cents per point, you’ll have $945 worth of points within the first three months.

To add to the savings, a

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