Not just the title of a cheeky movie, “The Full Monty” is also British slang for “the works,” or “the whole shebang”—which TPG Travel Editor Melanie Wynne aims to provide with this comprehensive overview of hotels in London where you can redeem and earn loyalty points.
London Hotel Neighborhoods
In case you can’t picture the whole layout of London in your head, take a look at this handy map for reference.
The West End encompasses several key hotel neighborhoods, including touristy, theatrical Soho and Covent Garden, well-connected King’s Cross, village-y Marylebone and leafy Fitzrovia (both near Regent’s Park), tony Mayfair, and gracious St. James’. In West London (an area sometimes confused with the more central West End), you’ll find the cost-effective bustle of Paddington and the decidedly more expensive charm of Notting Hill.
A popular choice for first-time visitors, Southwest London is home to classic Knightsbridge (and the famous Harrod’s department store), garden-rimmed Hyde Park, Edwardian Kensington, residential/fashionable Chelsea, royal Westminster, and the transportation hub of Victoria.
Farther east, you’ll find The City—the business-and-financial center of London—and formerly scruffy, newly hip and nightlife-heavy East End neighborhoods like Shoreditch. Along The South Bank—a museum/art/theater-heavy district that stretches from Westminster Bridge to London Bridge—hotels can generally be found north of the Thames.
You can find points hotels in each of these areas, within the following hotel loyalty programs:
Club Carlson
There are 25 Club Carlson hotels in London, including several Park Plaza and Park Inn properties, as well as the Radisson Blu Edwardian Berkshire Hotel, the Radisson Blu Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel and the Radisson Blu Edwardian Sussex Hotel, and the glamorously remodeled The May Fair.
Hilton HHonors
The 42 Hilton properties in London include the Hilton London Metropole, The Trafalgar London, Hilton London Green Park, Hilton London Hyde Park, Hilton London Paddington, Hilton London Tower Bridge, The Waldorf Hilton, the Courthouse DoubleTree Regent Street, and the London Hilton on Park Lane. If you’re planning a London trip this summer, make sure to check out The Hilton Bankside in the South Bank—mentioned in our Top 15 Hotels Opening in 2015.
Hyatt Gold Passport
The two Hyatt properties in London are the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill—a West End hotel which is currently closed for repairs following a November 2014 gas explosion—and the sleek Andaz Liverpool Street, set in The City by the Liverpool Street train/Tube station.
IHG Rewards
There are a whopping 72 IHG Rewards properties in London, including the Intercontinental London Park Lane and Intercontinental Westminster, as well as the Hotel Indigo Paddington and Hotel Indigo Tower Hill, four Crowne Plazas, and several Holiday Inns and Holiday Inn Express hotels throughout the city.
Marriott Rewards
Marriott properties in London include the new London Edition in Fitzrovia (review soon to come), London Marriott Hotel Park Lane, the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square and London Marriott Hotel Marble Arch, London Marriott Hotel Regents Park and the London Marriott Hotel Kensington, as well as the elegant Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel and architecturally magnificent St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel.
Starwood Preferred Guest
The seven Starwood properties in London include The Park Lane Hotel, the Le Méridien Piccadilly, the Sheraton Park Tower, London, and the W London – Leicester Square, and for pre-flight stays or layovers, the Sheraton Heathrow.
American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts
Exclusively for American Express Platinum Card cardholders, this program provides benefits like room upgrades, free continental breakfast, early check-in and late check-out, dining and spa credits and more. Participating London hotels include Baglioni London (Kensington); the Mandarin Oriental London Hyde Park (Knightsbridge); Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane and Rocco Forte Brown’s Hotel London (Mayfair); The Langham, London (the brand’s flagship property, in Marylebone); The Savoy (Covent Garden/The Strand); The Stafford London by Kempinski (St. James); and Shangri-La Hotel, At the Shard, London (set in The City, and a Shangri-La Golden Circle member).
Visa Signature Hotels
Through the Visa Signature Hotels program, holders of Visa Signature cards (e.g., Chase Sapphire Preferred, the British Airways Visa, the Marriott Rewards Premier, the Southwest Plus card, the United MileagePlus Explorer, Citi ThankYou Preferred, and Capital One Venture) are eligible for perks like discounted room rates, room upgrades, free breakfast, early check-in and late check-out, dining and spa credits and more.
Participating London hotels include Claridge’s, The Connaught and St. James’s Hotel and Club (Mayfair); One Aldwych London and The Savoy (Covent Garden/The Strand); Dukes Hotel and The Stafford London (St. James); Belgraves and The Halkin (Belgravia/West End); The Arch London (Marble Arch/West End); Sanderson (Soho); Baglioni London and Blakes (Kensington); and The Berkeley and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (Knightsbridge).
Other Options
Don’t see what you’re looking for amongst London points hotel? Well, before you dismiss a seemingly independent property out of hand, check first to see if it’s part of the Preferred Hotel Group’s iPrefer program—which has 15 London properties—or Worldhotels Peakpoints, whose properties include The Regency Hotel and The Bentley. For more on these two loyalty programs, which offer points earning and redemptions in addition to upgrades and welcome gifts, see my previous post on Hip Hotels That Allow You to Earn and Use Points.
And if you decide that a flat (apartment) rental is more your style, be sure to see this post on maximizing points with Airbnb and VRBO and note that Airbnb has a new partnership with Amex Membership Rewards. Always remember to keep an eye out for the points angles—especially in a huge, expensive city like London!
While you’re London-planning, be sure to check out two other recent TPG posts:
The Next Great Mistake-Fare Guide to London
3 Great London Restaurants
What are your favorite hotels in London?