Capital One's Premier Collection offers cardholders luxury hotel perks like free breakfast, room upgrades and more
The Premier Collection builds upon Capital One's push to increase travel perks for cardholders.
Capital One made waves in the premium credit card space with the introduction of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and is working hard to keep the momentum going.
One year after its launch, the Capital One Travel portal is adding a new feature, specifically for premium cardholders: the Premier Collection. Rivaling similar programs offered by American Express and Chase, the Premier Collection will offer cardholders an elevated experience and money-saving perks when staying at luxury hotels and resorts. Capital One says that its goal is ultimately to provide cardholders with a more authentic, local experience when traveling.
Below, CNBC Select details everything that you need to know about Capital One's Premier Collection and who has access to this feature.
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Capital One Travel Premier Collection
The Premier Collection provides premium Capital One cardholders a suite of exclusive, elite-like benefits when staying at hundreds of luxury hotels around the globe from brands like Small Luxury Hotels, The Leading Hotels of the World, Six Senses, 1 Hotels, Montage Hotels and Resorts and Proper Hotels.
Some participating properties include The Ned NoMad in New York City, the Montage Laguna Beach in California, the 1 Hotel South Beach in Florida, the La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa in Paris and more.
Benefits
Customers will enjoy the following benefits when booking through the Premier Collection:
- A $100 USD experience credit (or the local equivalent) to use on dining, spa, and other activities during their stay
- Daily breakfast for two
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Additional premium benefits when available, including early check-in, late checkout and a room upgrade
Eligibility
The Premier Collection is now live and accessible through the Capital One Travel portal.
It is available exclusively to those with the premium Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Capital One Spark Travel Elite, which is a business credit card currently only available through Capital One Relationship Managers. Authorized users also have access.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars, 5 Miles per dollar on flights when booked via Capital One Travel; unlimited 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$395
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% variable APR
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
None
Credit needed
Excellent
See rates and fees. Terms apply.
Pricing
Premier Collection room rates should be in line with the best publicly available rate. Capital One told CNBC Select that if a customer finds a better price for the same hotel within 24 hours of booking, it will refund the difference per its Price Match Guarantee terms and conditions. There's also no minimum stay requirement so customers can still enjoy the $100 property credit and other perks on one-night stays.
As with other Capital One Travel hotel bookings, Venture X cardholders earn a generous 10X miles on Premier Collection bookings and can choose to either redeem their miles or up to $300 annual Capital One Travel credit toward their stays. Better yet, Capital One has confirmed that Premier Collection benefits can be stacked with hotel loyalty program benefits, meaning you can still earn hotel points and get elite benefits, when applicable.
Alternatives to the Premier Collection
Capital One is going head-to-head with American Express and Chase with the launch of the Premier Collection. Both of the other issuers already offer similar programs which offer extra benefits when booking luxury hotels.
Premium American Express cardholders, such as those who carry The Platinum Card® from American Express, have access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, which offers the following benefits, based on availability:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Complimentary room upgrades and Wi-Fi
- 12 p.m. check-in and guaranteed 4 p.m. late check-out
- A $100 credit to use toward on-property activities, dining or other perks like airport transfers, depending on your hotel
The Platinum Card® from American Express
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 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit Needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Meanwhile, those with higher-end Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, receive special benefits through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, such as:
- Daily breakfast for two
- Complimentary room upgrades and Wi-Fi
- Early check-in and late check-out
- A special benefit worth up to $100
The main difference is that both of these cards carry significantly higher annual fees than the Venture X.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Rewards
Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee
$550
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
22.49% - 29.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.
Bottom line
Capital One continues to add value to its travel credit card lineup. In the past year, the issuer has launched a new travel portal, opened its first airport lounge and rolled out exclusive dining and entertainment platforms. It also recently announced Capital One Landing, a culinary-focused alternative to the traditional airport lounge.
The addition of the Premier Collection makes the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card even more compelling and its $395 annual fee (see rates and fees) easier to justify. Between the money-saving benefits available through the travel portal, airport lounge access, and now hotel perks, cardholders can expect a smoother travel experience from booking to check-out.
If you don't already have a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and want to sign up, you can currently earn a large welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
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For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.