20% bonus on Fairmont gift cards on May 4 from 2-5 p.m. ET

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available.

The gift of a hotel stay is a gift that keeps on giving. And Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, an Accor brand, wants your gift to go even further.

On May 4, Fairmont will be offering a 20% bonus on e-gift cards purchased during a three-hour window from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

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According to the rules and regulations of the promotion, “each brand-specific e-gift card purchase must be completed separately, up to a maximum purchase value of $5,000.” A separate e-gift card will be issued with the 20% bonus after purchase and there’s a maximum of one e-gift card per credit card, so if you want to buy multiple gift cards and receive the bonus, you’ll have to use different cards for each transaction.

Related: Guide to the Accor Live Limitless program

But there’s a catch: The maximum amount allowed on an e-gift card purchased online is $2,000. So, to get the full match up to $5,000, which would total out to $1,000 in extra e-gift cards, you’d have to purchase two $2,000 e-gift cards and one $1,000 e-gift card, each with a different credit card.

It’s worth noting that, historically, Fairmont offers a bonus e-gift card deal at least twice a year. The brand recently offered the same 20% bonus last May and November.

Fairmont gift card purchases may not code as travel on your credit card, so you may not get a bonus on travel spending for your purchase. Consider paying for gift cards with a credit card that earns bonus points on everyday purchases for the highest return, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which earns 2 points per dollar on all purchases. That's a 3.7% return by our valuations.

If you decide to go in on an e-gift card purchase, there are plenty of great Fairmont locations around the world you can book with the help of the bonus. With the spring season coming to a close, why not try Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, one of the best resorts in Arizona? Or, feel glamorous in Los Angeles at the iconic but newly redesigned Fairmont Century Plaza.

Bottom line

If you have plans to stay at a Fairmont property in the near future, this quick sale might be a great investment. If you don’t know how or when you might actually use the gift cards, we recommend not making an impulsive decision for a speculative purchase.

However, if you do have an upcoming Fairmont stay, mark your calendars and set an alarm — you’ve only got three hours on Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.