A complete guide to Capital One's Lifestyle Collection for hotels
Editor's Note
Capital One launched its first luxury hotel program — the Premier Collection — in 2023, joining the ranks of well-established hotel programs by American Express, Chase and Citi.
Capital One Travel has since expanded this to include the Lifestyle Collection. This collection is open to a broader range of cardholders than the Premier Collection, allowing more people to book boutique hotels using their Capital One miles and enjoy benefits typically reserved for those with hotel status.
But should this program change the way you choose a hotel? Here's what you need to know.
Related: How to save 10% on all hotels and 5% on all flights with Capital One
What is the Capital One Lifestyle Collection?
The Lifestyle Collection includes boutique properties in popular locations. These properties incorporate modern design and highlight local art and culture. They also feature quality dining and access to unique entertainment.
The Lifestyle Collection includes some known brands such as Virgin Hotels, The Standard, Design Hotels and The Line, as well as smaller boutique hotels like The Ludlow in New York City and The Lyle in Washington, D.C. However, many properties from major hotel brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and IHG are missing from the collection.
Related: Best Capital One credit cards
Which credit cards include Lifestyle Collection access?
The Lifestyle Collection is available to the following cardholders:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Business Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture Business
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business (no longer available)
The information for the Spark Miles for Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
While the Lifestyle Collection offers a less impressive list of benefits than the Premier Collection, it offers hotel program access to some cardholders who may not be able to justify shelling out the higher annual fee for the Venture X or Venture X Business.
Related: Is the Capital One Venture X worth the annual fee?
What are the benefits of the Lifestyle Collection?
When you book a Lifestyle Collection hotel through a Capital One Travel portal, you'll earn bonus miles on your purchase. Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders earn 10 miles per dollar spent, while Venture, Venture Busines and Spark Miles cardholders earn 5 points per dollar spent, through their respective travel portals.
In addition to earning bonus miles, you'll get these perks with the Lifestyle Collection:
- A $50 experience credit to use toward rooftop drinks, signature hotel restaurants, room service or other activities
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Room upgrades, when available
- Early check-in and late checkout, when available
Plus, there is no minimum stay requirement to book a Lifestyle Collection hotel, a notable difference from Amex's The Hotel Collection, which requires staying at least two nights.
Free Wi-Fi and a (non-guaranteed) chance for early check-in probably won't sway your decision when selecting a hotel for your next trip. Still, the $50 experience credit and ability to earn bonus miles on a boutique hotel stay could make booking via the Lifestyle Collection a better option than booking your stay directly through the hotel website.
Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Capital One, Chase and Citi
How to book Lifestyle Collection hotel stays
To book a hotel with the Lifestyle Collection, you must book through Capital One Travel.
Once logged in, you can click on the "Premium Stays" tab at the top right or "Hotels" to see both Lifestyle Collection and non-Lifestyle Collection accommodation options.
Search for your intended destination as you normally would.
If you've chosen the "Hotels" tab, you can filter for Premium stays in your location.
Scroll through the list to see highlights of the hotels, such as available amenities and pricing. Clicking on a hotel provides details about its offerings and location.
When making a paid reservation with these cards, you will earn 5-10 Capital One miles per dollar. Per TPG's October 2024 valuations, these miles are worth 1.85 cents apiece, meaning you would earn a healthy 9.25%-18.5% return on spending.
Finally, you have the option to pay cash or redeem your miles at 1 cent apiece to pay. (We recommend paying in cash as you can get better value for your Capital One miles on other redemptions.)
Related: How to earn, redeem and transfer Capital One miles
Can I pay for the Lifestyle Collection with my Capital One miles?
Yes. Since the Lifestyle Collection is through the Capital One portal, you can redeem your miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile.
This is a lower redemption value than TPG's October 2024 valuation of 1.85 cents that you could get by transferring your miles to transfer partners, but it's a good option if you have a lot of miles or if this is a better fit for your plans than other options.
Related: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles
Is the Lifestyle Collection worth it?
Since the available hotels aren't exclusive to the Lifestyle Collection, you'll want to do some research and compare prices before booking. You might be able to find a better price directly through the hotel's site or via another third-party booking agency like Hotels.com.
Additionally, your hotel status may not be recognized, so you could sacrifice any additional earning potential and perks associated with your status.
Still, Venture X and Venture X Business cardholders can apply their $300 credit to a property in the Lifestyle Collection, so combining this credit and the Lifestyle Collection perks could make this a better option than booking anywhere else.
Related: Who should (and shouldn't) get the Capital One Venture X card?
Bottom line
The Capital One Lifestyle Collection is accessible to a wider range of cardholders than its Premier Collection but offers fewer perks. It can be a good way to enjoy some hotel benefits if you don't want to pay a higher annual fee for a premium credit card and don't have hotel status.
Related: 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.