Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen numerous hotels offering 20% discounts or bonuses on gift cards and stay certificates- Marriott, SLH and Belmond just to name a few. Now we have another one on our hands from Club 1 Hotels.
Club 1 Hotels selling gift cards at 20% off
From now till 12.59 p.m on 1 June 2020 (Singapore time), Club 1 Hotels is selling gift cards with a 20% discount.
The following denominations are available:
- US$500 (Pay US$400)
- US$1,000 (Pay US$800)
- US$2,000 (Pay US$1,600)
- US$3,000 (Pay US$2,400)
- US$4,000 (Pay US$3,200)
- US$5,000 (Pay US$4,000)
There is no limit to the number of gift cards you can purchase, and gift card value does not expire. Do note however that reservations booked using gift cards will not earn ClubONE points and cannot be combined with any other offers like the Price Match Guarantee. This means you’ll definitely want to comparison shop on a meta search site like Kayak to make sure you’re getting a good price.
What is Club 1 Hotels?
Club 1 Hotels is a membership program which provides access to wholesale rates on hotel rooms and cruises. Membership normally costs US$149, but their business model is to give the first year free for people to try it out.
I’ve used Club 1 before to book a pretty fantastic rate at the Park Hyatt Saigon, which was 40% off the official site. I was skeptical about the deal at first, but after booking I called up the hotel and confirmed they saw the booking in their system. Eventually the stay went off without a hitch. You can some other people’s experiences here on Flyertalk.
| ๐ก Even though the first year of Club 1 membership is free, it’s nominally considered a “member’s only club” and hence the rates you find here cannot be used to file a BRG claim |
Bookings made through Club 1 will not qualify for any elite points or status credit, so factor that into your equation as well. If you don’t participate in hotel loyalty programs, or are looking at a hotel that isn’t part of a chain, there are some deals to be found here.
What card should I use to purchase Club 1 gift cards?
Based on my past bookings, Club 1 transactions show up as foreign currency hotel transactions. Therefore, I’d recommend the following cards:
| Earn Rate | Remarks | |
 UOB Visa SignatureApply here |
4 mpd | S$1-2K FCY spend per s. month |
 DBS Woman’s World CardApply here |
4 mpd | Cap S$2K per c. month |
 UOB Lady’s CardApply here |
4 mpd* | Cap S$1K per c. month. |
 UOB Lady’s SolitaireApply here |
4 mpd* | Cap S$3K per c. month. |
 DBS AltitudeApply here |
3 mpd | Cap S$5K per c. month |
 SCB X CardApply 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 Jun 20 |
| S. Month= Statement Month | C. Month= Calendar Month *Must declare travel as quarterly 10X category |
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Conclusion
Buying Club 1 gift cards allows you to lock in a future 20% discount on travel, but be sure to check that the rates you’re getting on the site are competitive with elsewhere (since the price match guarantee doesn’t apply here).
I’m sure we’ll be seeing more hotel deals in the weeks to come, so stay tuned as we cover those as and when they pop up.
