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Sonesta Hotels got the points community’s attention when it acquired hundreds of Marriott and IHG properties last year.
I have been wanting to look into Sonesta rewards program which is called Sonesta Travel Pass, but never got a chance to write up my review on it up to this point as I am considering staying at the InterContinental resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico that is now reflagged as Royal Sonesta San Juan.
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| Photo Credit: Royal Sonesta San Juan. |
The rewards program under Sonesta Hotels is called Sonesta Travel Pass. It is free to join the program and you earn 10 points for every dollar spent on a qualified room rate. Sonesta also has a co-brand credit card that allows you to earn points through spend in which I’ll talk about that credit card more below.
Sonesta Travel Pass Tiers Level
There are three (3) membership tiers in Sonesta Travel Pass program and the requirements to reach each tier level is actually pretty straight forward and easy compared to other hotel’s reward programs.
- Member: 0 to 5 qualifying nights per calendar year
- Preferred: 6 to 11 qualifying nights per calendar year
- Elite: 12 or more qualifying nights per calendar year or simply holding the Sonesta Travel Pass Credit Card (more below).
Sonesta Brands Portfolio
Complimentary Club Lounge Access or Breakfast at Select Sonesta Brands
Sonesta’s Elite level members get complimentary access to the club lounge or daily continental breakfast at Royal Sonesta or Sonesta Hotels & Resorts. This is huge considering that Sonesta acquired a few InterContinental and Kimpton hotels & resorts that were under IHG program which does not offer lounge access or free breakfast to their top tier elite members.
The way this benefit works with Sonesta program is that, if the hotel/resort does not have a club lounge, you will get complimentary continental breakfast daily instead.
On the other hand, if you are staying at other Sonesta brand hotels, you won’t get complimentary breakfast at those hotels. Instead, you get a Sip ‘n snack credit that is based on your membership tier status:
- Member receives $5 credit per stay
- Preferred receives $10 credit per stay
- Elite receives $15 credit per stay.
You can receive automatic upgrade to Sonesta Travel Pass Elite member status upon Sonesta Travel Pass Credit Card approval and as long as you remain a cardmember.
Discount On Dining & Resort Amenities
Sonesta Travel Pass members with Preferred or Elite level will receive 10% and 15% discount on dining and resort amenities respectively.
Complimentary Room Upgrade
Sonesta Travel Pass members with Preferred or Elite level will receive complimentary room upgrade to the next higher available room category at check-in.
It is also possible to request an upgrade to a Suite Room; however, Sonesta Travel program does not offer free suite upgrade. Instead, you’ll get a 50% discount if an upgrade to a suite room is available.
Sonesta Points Redemption
Free night awards with Sonesta Travel program starts at 10,000 points per night and goes up to 50,000 points per night based on the property.
Sonesta divides those properties into 11 Tiers:
- Tier 1 – 10,000 points per night
- Tier 2 – 12,500 points per night
- Tier 3 – 15,000 points per night
- Tier 4 – 17,500 points per night
- Tier 5 – 20,000 points per night
- Tier 6 – 22,500 points per night
- Tier 7 – 25,000 points per night
- Tier 8 – 27,500 points pre night
- Tier 9 – 30,000 points per night
- Tier 10 – 40,000 points per night
- Tier 11 – 50,000 points per night
For the high-end redemption of Tier 10 and Tier 11, Sonesta only has two properties and both are all-inclusive resorts in St. Maarten.
For a full list of Sonesta properties based on tier category, you can go to Sonesta’s website directly here.
Earning Sonesta Points
Currently, the only ways to earn Sonesta Travel Pass points are through stays and spending on the Sonesta Travel Pass Credit Card.
There’s no way to buy points to boost your points balance and no transfer partners of any flexible and transferable credit cards.
How to Redeem Sonesta Points
Currently, it is not possible to redeem Sonesta points for an award stay online. You can:
- Call Sonesta Travel Pass department at 1-855-622-2160 to redeem or,
- Fill out an online redemption request form.
Hi there, my name is Phly (pronounced as Fly). I am a dedicated travel enthusiast with a deep passion for miles and points. Always willing to share my expertise, I possess a wealth of knowledge on miles and points, extensively researching and staying up-to-date with the latest strategies for maximizing travel rewards through credit cards and loyalty program promotions.
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