Get a 40% rebate at Marriott hotels

Good morning and ni hao from beautiful Changsha, China – one of the coolest cities in the world.

I’ve got some cool travel tips for you today, so let’s dive in:

• 🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

• 💳 Three very good merchant offers just dropped

• 🏨 How to earn 500 bonus Hyatt points per night

• 🎥 How to maximize Marriott’s hotel program

• 🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

The answer is waiting for you a little farther down… ✈️

💳 Three very good merchant offers just dropped

Some people stay up late at night scrolling through Instagram or TikTok… I stay up late scrolling through credit card merchant offers. 🤓

And over the weekend, I noticed that this bank has dropped a bunch of really good ones.

How does it work?

Basically, if you have any card with this bank, you have access to merchant offers.

Usually, this means that you spend some amount of money at a certain store or retailer, and you’ll earn bonus points or a statement credit.

These are often targeted and could appear on any card (or not at all).

An easy Marriott win

The big one that stood out to me is an offer to earn $150 back after spending $375 at Marriott hotels.

That’s a superrrrrr easy win, and an effective 40% return on your spending (if you spend around exactly $375).

Plus, if you have the offer on a Marriott co-branded card, you’ll earn 6x points per dollar on that spending as well.

Save 50% on an AllTrails subscription

If you haven’t heard of AllTrails, it’s an awesome travel app – especially if you like spending time outdoors and hiking.

I have an offer on this card to get 50% back on a subscription, which is pretty good.

Even if you aren’t a big hiker, AllTrails is great if you enjoy walking. I often use it while traveling to discover new parks and scenic walking areas in addition to hikes.

You can also stack this with portal earnings. For example, Rakuten is offering 9% cash back (or 9x points per dollar) at AllTrails.

Earn an easy $10 by using Apple Pay

The last one is probably the easiest win. I found this offer on my Hilton co-branded card: earn $10 back after using the card for three Apple Pay purchases.

I only use Apple Pay when traveling (partly because I’ve been robbed multiple times recently and don’t have any physical cards left 😬).

Anyway, $10 isn’t life-changing, but it’s also super easy to do… so why not?

The bottom line

Merchant offers like these are underrated ways to get some cash back on your annual fees.

When good ones like these pop up, it’s worth activating them (and reading the terms and conditions) to get some extra value.

I’ve shared offers from one bank here, but most major banks also have their own offers for cardholders. So if you’re in the market for a new card, know that this is another easy way to recoup annual fees. If you need inspiration, these are our top cards right now:

🏨 How to earn 500 bonus Hyatt points per night

Hyatt fans, here’s an easy win for ya – whenever a property joins the World of Hyatt portfolio, you can earn 500 bonus points for each qualifying cash or award night during the hotel’s introductory window.

Here’s how to take advantage:

• Stay at one (or more) of Hyatt’s new properties during the eligible timeframe

• That’s literally it. No registration required 🙃

I often skim through Hyatt’s running list of new properties to see what’s available and if I can maximize any of my upcoming stays.

500 bonus points per night is insane... Seven nights spent in beautiful, new hotels would yield 3,500 points, which is enough for a free night at a Category 1 property.

So, what’s on the radar right now?

The current list includes properties in New York, Texas, Portugal, China, and even Wyoming. 👇

You’ll see each property’s eligible timeframe (usually a few months from its opening date), and right now, many on the list are eligible for stays through June. There are even a few through the end of July.

Remember, this is a running list that is constantly being updated, so it’s always worth a glance. 👀

Two fine-print reminders:

• Your checkout date must fall within the property’s bonus window.

• Only one room earns the extra points, even if you’re paying for multiple rooms.

🎥 How to maximize Marriott’s hotel program

Earlier, I told you about how you can save $150 on Marriott hotel stays…

But did you know there are ways to get even more value for your cash or points when staying at Marriott hotels?

For example, I have Marriott Titanium elite status and get perks like free breakfast, suite upgrades, late checkout, and more.

In fact, I’m writing this newsletter from my junior suite at the W Hotel in Changsha, a Marriott hotel that I booked for free and just enjoyed a nice free breakfast at.

Anyway, the Marriott Bonvoy program can be extremely valuable if you know how to use it properly.

So we made a YouTube video that gives you the lowdown on how to maximize the Marriott Bonvoy program for yourself.

Check it out. 👇

🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

A few minutes ago, we asked which U.S. airport just took the crown for most beautiful landing…

If you chose Aspen, congratulations! 🎉

According to new research from travel insurance provider AllClear, Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) in Colorado ranked as the most beautiful airport landing in the United States, and third most beautiful on the entire planet.

The study wasn't just vibes, either. Researchers used actual eye-tracking technology on 100 participants from around the world, measuring how fast people's eyes snapped to each image and how long they stayed there.

Science confirmed what skiers have known for years: descending between lush green hillsides in summer, blazing fall foliage in autumn, and a full blanket of snow in winter is jaw-dropping.

For context on just how stiff the global competition was: the top two spots went to a remote Australian island where the runway sits between mountains and turquoise sea, and Queenstown, New Zealand, where you land over a glacial lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks. Aspen held its own just fine.

Honolulu did make the global top 10, so if you were tempted by option 1, your instincts weren't wrong. Just not quite right enough. 😄

👉 See the full global ranking here.

That’s all for today, my friends. I hope you enjoyed today’s tasty travel tips, and I’ll see you again tomorrow.

Bon voyage,

28.2278° N, 112.9389° E

With contributions by Sam Anthony and April Wilson.