Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) selling gift cards with 20% bonus

From now til 30 June 2020, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is offering a 20% bonus on gift card purchases. These gift cards can be redeemed at any of SLH’s 530 properties across 90 countries. 

Gift cards are sold in denominations of AUD, EUR, GBP and USD. To receive the 20% bonus, you need to purchase a gift card of at least 100 in any of these four denominations. That’s to say- you could buy a A$100 gift card and get A$120, or a €100 gift card and get €120, and so on. 

There is no limit to the number of gift cards you can buy under this promotion. 

SLH gift cards normally expire after 12 months, but for gift cards issued between 20 March and 30 June 2020, the expiry is extended to 18 months. Do note that they are not transferable, i.e only the specific recipient of the gift card can redeem it.

Gift cards cannot be used for prepaid rates. They’re only valid for payment at the hotels themselves, and can be used for room rates, F&B or any other expenses charged to the room. You don’t need to use the full value of the gift card at once; any leftover value will remain on the card. 

If your gift card is denominated in a currency other than the hotel’s, the amount will be converted at check-out based on the hotel’s daily rate. 

What are SLH properties?

SLH isn’t a chain as such; it’s more of a marketing alliance for independent hotels. In Singapore, the Naumi Hotel, Barracks Hotel and Outpost Hotel are all part of SLH. Other notable properties include the Sukhothai Bangkok, Viceroy Ubud Bali, and the Velassaru Maldives.

SLH has a partnership with Hyatt, which allows World of Hyatt members to enjoy elite benefits and points at participating SLH properties.

• 5 Base Points per eligible $1 USD spent
• Complimentary continental breakfast for two
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in 12:00pm (based on availability at check-in)
• Late check-out 2:00pm (based on availability at check-in)
• One category room upgrade (based on availability at check-in)
• Nights count toward elite tier status
• Elite members receive their standard tier Bonus Points on eligible room rates (10% Discoverist, 20% Explorist, 30% Globalist)

This requires you to book through the Hyatt website, but you can always pay with your SLH gift card at check-out. 

What card should I use to purchase SLH gift cards?

These purchases will code as foreign currency hotel spending, so you can use the following cards to maximise the miles you earn.

	Earn Rate	Remarks
DBS Woman’s World Card Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$2K per c. month
UOB Visa Signature Apply here	4 mpd	Min S$1K Max S$2K FCY per s. month
UOB Lady’s Card Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$1K per c. month. Declare travel as 10X category
UOB Lady’s Solitaire Apply here	4 mpd	Cap S$3K per c. month. Declare travel as 10X category
SCB X Card Apply here	3 mpd	Until 30 Jun 20. Min S$2K per c. month
SCB Visa Infinite	3 mpd	Min S$2K per s. month
BOC Elite Miles	3 mpd	Until 15 June 20
DBS Altitude Apply here	3 mpd	Cap S$5K per c. month
S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month

Do note that during the recent Marriott gift card sale, some readers were having issues using their Singapore-issued credit cards to pay. I’m not sure if SLH uses the same gift card issuer as Marriott, but one workaround is to try an American Express card. 

Conclusion

The main restriction I see here is that gift card value expires after 18 months. Although I find it hard to believe we won’t be able to travel by then (famous last words), it’s not as reassuring as say, Marriott gift cards, where the value doesn’t expire. 

Otherwise, it’s a good opportunity to secure a discount on future travel. 

(HT: OMAAT)