HoteLux is a hotel booking app that lets users book luxury travel advisor rates such as Hyatt Prive, Marriott STARS, Rosewood Elite, Shangri-La Luxury Circle and Virtuoso at more than 4,000 luxury hotels worldwide.
These rates price the same as the hotel’s best flexible rate, and typically include extra perks such as free breakfast, room upgrades, late check-out and up to a US$100 hotel credit. Unlike bookings made through regular OTAs like Agoda or Hotels.com, they’re also eligible to earn hotel points and elite night credit, where applicable.
What sets HoteLux apart from the hundreds of other luxury travel advisors is that bookings can be completed directly through its app, without the need to call or email someone.
In September 2023, HoteLux launched a partnership with Singapore Airlines that offered KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS Club members an instant 12-month Elite and Elite Plus membership respectively. The status match lapsed at the end of 2023, but has now been brought back till 31 December 2024.
In addition to this, there’s also an opportunity to earn 1,000 KrisFlyer miles per completed HoteLux booking.
HoteLux status match
| Singapore Airlines Tier | HoteLux Status |
 KrisFlyer Elite Gold |
 HoteLux Elite |
 Solitaire PPS & PPS Club |
 HoteLux Elite Plus |
From now till 31 December 2024, KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Solitaire PPS/PPS Club members can apply for an instant match to HoteLux Elite and HoteLux Elite Plus respectively.
This usually retails for US$349 and US$499 respectively, but with HoteLux practically giving away status to every credit card and loyalty programme out there, I have yet to hear of anyone actually paying cash for a membership.
This status is valid for 12 months, during which members must meet the minimum qualifying nights to retain their status for a further 12-month period:
- HoteLux Elite: 15 nights via HoteLux
- HoteLux Elite Plus: 30 nights via HoteLux
To get a status match, you’ll need a copy of your current KrisFlyer membership card, which can be obtained from your profile on singaporeair.com (Login > Profile > membership card). The digital membership card on the SingaporeAir mobile app will not be accepted.
Once done, follow these steps to get your status match processed:
Your account will be upgraded in 5-7 business days.
Status matches are not available to members who have participated in a previous status match, or received an elite status exception in the past. The T&Cs for this status match can be found here.
Do note that the match is only in one direction; Singapore Airlines is not offering any status matches for HoteLux customers!
Earn 1,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles per booking
HoteLux Elite, Elite Plus and 1A members can earn 1,000 bonus KrisFlyer miles per completed stay that meets the following criteria:
- Booking period: 22 June 2024 to 28 September 2024
- Stay period: 22 June 2024 to 1 January 2025
Registration is required, and can be done via the campaign landing page on the HoteLux app. You’ll receive the bonus within 15 working days of completing each qualifying stay, directly credited to your KrisFlyer account.
Do note the following:
- Only stays which include HoteLux Member Benefits will be eligible for the bonus
- Advance online payment is required
- Bookings made with vouchers are not eligible
- Consecutive stays at the same hotel will only be counted at one stay
- Multiple bookings at the same hotel on the same date will each be eligible for 1,000 bonus miles each based on the number of rooms. For example, 2x bookings for the same hotel on the same date would earn 2,000 bonus miles in total
The main catch here is that you must make advance online payment, though it should be said that luxury agent rates are almost always fully refundable within the hotel’s flexible cancellation policy. Also, you won’t be able to use any HoteLux vouchers if you want to enjoy the bonus, so keep that in mind too.
The T&Cs of the 1,000 bonus miles can be found here.
Transfer HoteLux points to KrisFlyer miles
As part of the KrisFlyer partnership, HoteLux members can also convert their HoteLux points to KrisFlyer miles in blocks of 4,000, 5,000 and 6,000 HoteLux points.
The number of KrisFlyer miles you receive depends on your HoteLux tier.
| HoteLux Tier | Conversion Rate |
| HoteLux Elite |
1 point = 3 KrisFlyer miles |
| HoteLux Elite Plus |
1 point = 4 KrisFlyer miles |
 1A Club |
1 point = 5 KrisFlyer miles |
To convert HoteLux points to KrisFlyer miles, tap on your name at the top left hand corner, and then Redeem KrisFlyer Miles.
You’ll be prompted to provide your membership number, as well as the first and last name as they appear on your account. No conversion fees are applicable.
But you probably shouldn’t be redeeming HoteLux points for KrisFlyer miles in the first place.
HoteLux points are worth around US$0.09 (~S$0.12) when redeemed for hotel vouchers. Should you choose to convert them to KrisFlyer miles, the implicit opportunity cost is:
- Elite: S$0.04 per mile
- Elite Plus: S$0.03 per mile
- 1A Club: S$0.024 per mile
That is way too much to be paying for miles.
Moreover, it’s not like KrisFlyer miles conversions offer a way of cashing out orphan points. The minimum conversion block is 4,000 points, and if you managed to reach that threshold, you’d be better off redeeming something else from the HoteLux rewards catalogue instead (for just 399 points more, you could get a US$400 voucher)
| HoteLux Points | Voucher |
| 3,499 | Raffles Afternoon Tea for 2 (Raffles Hotel SG) |
| 3,999 | Colony Seafood Dinner for 2 (Ritz-Carlton Millenia SG) |
| 4,399 | US$400 |
| 5,499 | US$500 |
| 6,599 | US$600 |
| 7,699 | US$700 |
| 8,799 | US$800 |
HoteLux vouchers are now much more useful now that they can be mixed with other forms of payment (it used to be that a US$X voucher could only be used for a booking of US$X or less!).
HoteLux earn rates
As a reminder, here’s how many HoteLux points you earn by tier.
| HoteLux Tier | Conversion Rate |
 Guest |
1 point per US$10 |
| HoteLux Elite |
2 points per US$10 |
| HoteLux Elite Plus |
3 points per US$10 |
| 1A Club |
4 points per US$10 |
Mastercard offers free status too
Even if you’re not a Singapore Airlines elite customer, you can still enjoy a HoteLux membership courtesy of Mastercard.
- World Mastercard cardholders enjoy complimentary 12 months HoteLux Elite Membership + 1,000 HoteLux points
- World Elite Mastercard cardholders enjoy complimentary 12 months HoteLux Elite Plus Membership + 2,000 HoteLux points
I’m willing to bet you have at least one World Mastercard in your wallet right now, so like I said: no one should be paying out of pocket for a HoteLux membership.
Free HoteLux membership for World and World Elite Mastercard cardholders
Conclusion
 |
| Download HoteLux app |
HoteLux has brought back its status match offer for Singapore Airlines elite passengers, with a 12-month free membership on offer for applications till the end of 2024. You can also earn an extra 1,000 KrisFlyer miles per completed booking, which I’d value at around S$15.
I consider HoteLux a very useful app to have because the vast majority of travel advisors still rely on emails or phone calls for bookings. It seems a bit ridiculous in this day and age, but HoteLux spares you from all that.
Simple question: cheaper to book with hotel lux app or cheaper with the hotel app (bonvoy, hyatt)?
Tks
Simple answer.
Pls compare
Will booking via Hotelux still earn you say, Marriott Bonvoy Elite Night Credits or does this also fall under the same category as Agoda, etc?
STARS, Virtuoso, etc. rates are generally eligible.
STARS and Luminous rates are always qualifying rates. Virtuoso should also be qualifying rates. Otherwise I wouldn’t think so although haven’t tried myself as not much point booking non travel agent rates via Hotelux.