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
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.