The luxury hotel booking engine for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardmembers is now live.
The Edit by Chase Travel — formerly known as the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection — is now the in-house booking platform for Chase’s premium cardholders looking for added elite perks at posh hotels around the world. The offering was first previewed last December as part of the International Luxury Travel Market conference in Cannes, France. As its name might suggest, The Edit adds an editorial component to the platform by noting what a property is best known for and how it syncs up with traveler needs and preferences.
“We’re thrilled to bring The Edit by Chase Travel to life just in time for those planning spring and summer travel,” said Rena Shah, head of lodging at Chase Travel, in a prepared statement. “From helping to take the guesswork out of travel planning by spotlighting hotels that are hand selected by our in-house experts to bringing cardmembers amazing benefits like the ability to be upgraded, enjoy breakfast for 2 each day of your stay and the ability to earn rewards from Chase Travel and participating hotel rewards programs, The Edit brings a fresh approach to travel planning for today’s luxury traveler.”
The Edit behaves in a similar manner as American Express’ Fine Hotels + Resorts: Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers get elitelike benefits at participating hotels. Breakfast for two, property credits and space-available room upgrades are part of the amenity lineup.
An added bonus for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who book off The Edit is the ability to earn rewards from both the hotel loyalty program they book from as well as Chase Travel.
On the newly created editorial platform, The Edit will also flag properties under various categories, such as family-friendly resorts, spa or wellness retreats and properties perfect for art lovers, design aficionados or those looking for an elevated culinary experience.
“We are meeting the needs of our card members through new partnerships and programming, and building a brand that is reflective of their passions and lifestyle and you’ll see that come through in our shopping experience, photography, content, and more,” Shah added.
Navigating The Edit
When you go to book a hotel off Chase Travel, hotels included in The Edit will include the premium platform’s logo at the bottom of the listing along with “Hand-selected stays for Chase Sapphire Reserve” next to it.
Once you click on the hotel, you’ll find a main header page that reveals the elite benefits that come with your stay. For example, the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown comes with daily breakfast for two, a welcome gift, a room upgrade based on availability, a $100 property credit, complimentary Wi-Fi and early check-in/late checkout based on availability.
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You’ll then find the various room categories and nightly rates.
When it comes time to pay, you’ll have the option to pay with cash or points or a combination of the two.
What’s new at Chase Travel
The Edit going live on Chase Travel isn’t the only big news for the platform this week. Chase cardholders can also earn up to 8,000 points upon activating and booking multiple travel components, including hotels, flights, car rentals and cruises, by May 31. Further, you can earn an extra 2,000 bonus points as a new booker.
Voyages by Chase Travel, which will offer elite benefits on cruise bookings, is also expected to roll out for Chase Sapphire cardholders later this month.
Chase’s 2024 travel trends
Ahead of the launch, Chase provided some emerging travel trends that might fit in with the editorial features of The Edit.
Some of the most-booked hotels off Chase Travel’s booking platform for the upcoming New Year’s Eve holiday include the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, The Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu, the Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada, The Wall Street Hotel in New York City and The Charles Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel in Munich.
Trending properties for next year include The St. Regis Aspen Resort in Colorado; 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay (pictured above) in Hawaii; Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy; Nobu Hotel Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; and Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in the Cayman Islands.
The Chase report also indicated a clear need for travelers to book ahead, especially for major events, and that they might face competition on premium modes of travel.
Year over year, there is a 47% increase in future bookings for springtime travel in 2024, while fall travel is currently experiencing a 59% increase. There’s already a 115% increase in travel bookings to Melbourne, Australia, for the Australian Open, and Salt Lake City can brag about a 39% increase in bookings for dates during the Sundance Film Festival in January. Travel bookings to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl next February are also up by 12% compared to last year.
Travelers aren’t being chintzy, either. Chase Travel reports a 40% year-over-year increase in luxury hotel bookings, a 28% increase in business-class ticket bookings and a 14% increase in first-class ticket bookings.
With data like that, one can’t help but wonder: What is this recession everyone keeps worrying about?
Bottom line
The Edit, for now, appears to be more of a rebranding than a complete gutting and overhaul of Chase’s Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
The added editorial categories and descriptions will be a nice user-friendly addition, and the overall program should continue to be a major perk for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers — especially amid a swelling movement of travelers deciding to forgo pursuing elite status in favor of being a loyalty free agent.
Who needs a top-tier hotel status when you can stay across a variety of brands and still get perks like free breakfast and upgrades? Of course, it’s also nice that you don’t have to forgo earning elite nights and points from a favorite hotel loyalty program when you book off The Edit.
After all, who doesn’t like to double dip in the rewards and loyalty pond?
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