As of March 2018, holders of Mastercard® Black Card™, Mastercard® Gold Card™, and Mastercard® Titanium Card™ should have received their annual little black book of travel: Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018. Though not so little this year—it’s a lengthy 403 pages—the book details the hotel and travel discount program available to cardholders of all three Luxury Cards when booking hotels, private jets, and travel services through Luxury Card ConciergeTM (available 24/7 by phone or email).
The savings from this program can be pretty huge. For example, based on 2017 bookings of three nights or more using Luxury Card Concierge, Cardmembers received an average of $500 in benefits and services per stay. Said benefits came in the form of room upgrades, spa credits, complimentary food and beverage packages, early check-in, late check-out, complimentary Wi-Fi, and more.
Since other premium credit cards have programs similar to the Luxury Card Hotel & Travel program (think: American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts program and The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program available to Chase cardholders), we decided to review the 2018 guides to see what the Luxury Card program offers that the others do not. Here’s what we found.
The Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program offers discounts at more hotels worldwide than most competitors
The Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program offers discounts at 3,000 properties worldwide while American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts discount applies to 975 luxury properties worldwide, the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection for U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® cardholders to 900 hotels worldwide, and the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection program for Chase cardholders to 900 hotels and resorts around the world.
Specifics are detailed by property in the actual Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program guide. (If you haven’t yet received yours via snail mail, not to worry. It can be found on the credit card’s post-login landing page.)
Though amenities vary by property, some are standard by hotel brand. For example, at all Mandarin Oriental properties, Luxury Card members will get a room upgrade upon arrival (when available), daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, a welcome amenity, VIP status, and a $50 credit for suite bookings (per stay).
The Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program has an exclusive partnership with Sentient Jet
Sentient Jet, the world’s largest provider of private jet travel and inventor of the Jet Card—a debit card of sorts with fixed-rate hours for private jet travel—offers numerous privileges for Luxury Card members looking to become new Sentient Jet Cardholders. New members can purchase a 20-hour card, by-passing the normal 25-hour requirement. They are entitled to one complimentary hour of flight time (valued at $5,000–$14,000, depending on Jet Card category), a $500 credit for either ground transportation or premium catering, and a $1,500 Mastercard gift card.
The Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program offers fabulous new wardrobe management services plus some old favorites
New for 2018 are partnerships with wardrobe management services like DUFL and Armarium.
DUFL is a cutting-edge clothing service that stores, cleans, and ships your attire to your hotel so you can travel baggage-free (and so your threads remain wrinkle-free!). Your clothes are stored in a personal DUFL closet, from which you pick your outfits (via an app) to have them waiting for you—freshly pressed—upon arrival at your hotel. Luxury Card members are eligible for two free trip deliveries via DUFL.
Armarium is a wardrobe service with access to designer runway pieces for single-use rent. It’s perfect for galas, awards ceremonies, and special occasions. Luxury Card members are entitled to a complimentary first rental, an ongoing 30% discount after the first rental, and complimentary shipping and insurance.
In addition, the discounts offered previously with wardrobe management partners remain. Cardmembers are eligible for a $750 credit toward a year’s membership with Garde Robe, America’s leading luxury wardrobe management storage and Cyber Closet valet service.
Finally, those utilizing the card’s Global Luggage Delivery service can receive a complimentary second bag on their first luggage shipment, 20% discount on all luggage delivery purchases thereafter, and complimentary $2,500 insurance on all luggage shipments.
The Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program has several exclusive hotel partnerships
While many hotel benefits overlap among the travel programs of premium credit cards, the Luxury Card Hotel & Travel 2018 program has a number of exclusive hotel partnerships.
If checking into Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City, for instance, Luxury Card members are entitled to a room upgrade (when available), complimentary breakfast via room service, early check-in and late check-out (when available), complimentary Wi-Fi, a welcome amenity, a $50 food and beverage credit, and priority for reservations at Maialino Restaurant.
At The Cove, in Eleuthera, Bahamas, Luxury Card members can receive a fourth night free when booking three nights.
Luxury Card members staying at Canyon Ranch properties in Tucson, Arizona, and Lenox, Massachusetts, are entitled to the following (with four-night and three-night minimum bookings, respectively): 25% off any package stay, upgrade to Executive Room (when available), $300 service allowance for spa, sports, or health and healing services, complimentary airport transfers, and more!
