One of the benefits of dynamic pricing whether referring to dollars or points (don’t let the word benefit fool you, I can assure you dynamic pricing is generally not beneficial to the customer) is that rates can change daily. As my 3 readers know (thanks Mom!) I am about to head across the pond for a photoshoot in Nottingham, UK. However, I will be spending my first night in London getting a few selfies in front of the clock, bridge, and Queen. I have now changed my hotel reservation 3 times….let me tell you why!

Before I begin let me emphasize that these changes are not about hotel quality. We are talking about the Renaissance Pancras vs The Great Northern Hotel-A Tribute Hotel. Both properties are five-star hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy family. I would say based on reviews these are both lower end five-star hotels (five-star hotels are not created equal), but both have fantastic reputations and are in close proximity to Kings Cross station which was desired as my train to Nottingham departs early the next morning.

London hotel prices are absolutely insane. Considering the city has never really done it for me (food is bland, the weather sucks, people everywhere, etc.) I hated the idea of spending at least 400 dollars a night for a suitable hotel. Sure, in theory stay at a lower end hotel, but it’s me!

When I began searching for award redemptions the Renaissance was asking for 60,000 points for one night (nuts) while the Great Northern Hotel was asking for 55,000. I initially chose the Renaissance for a little more as it is a very famous hotel. There is a good chance some of your favorite British shows/movies have been filmed there including Harry Potter.  However, I was talking to people on one of the Marriott Facebook groups I follow, and they suggested I save the few thousand points and move to the Great Northern Hotel as it is smaller with better service. I made the change!

Then I got my annual email from Marriott notifying me my one-night annual reward from my Marriott American Express has arrived. What perfect timing! I am trying to stay away from suggesting people apply for credit cards, but you might be noticing by now through my posts that to play the luxury vacation on a budget game, a credit card strategy is crucial. My favorite card is the Marriott American Express card. It is 450 dollars a year which sounds crazy but one benefit is the free annual night that comes with it. The Renaissance Pancras is 413 dollars a night, so the card has practically just paid for itself (not counting all the other perks like Airport Lounge Access through Priority Pass and the 300 dollar Marriott credit for food, spa or booze, etc.)

The only issue with the free night award is that it’s capped at 50,000 points so you obviously cannot use it for a night at a Ritz Carlton or something like that. If you recall the Renaissance and Great Northern Hotel were both above that. However, dynamic pricing for once became my friend! As I checked this morning the Renaissance Pancras was now just at 50,000 points for the night I was looking! I immediately grabbed it by using my free night award and canceled the Great Northern Hotel which refunded my 57,000 point, which I can now use for a future luxury vacation! I win!

Moral of the Story

Just because you book hotels ahead of time doesn’t mean the cost can’t change. Sometimes that change is to your benefit. There have been many occasions where I have canceled and rebooked to save 10 dollars here or there. Prices sometimes go down quite a bit as the date of your reservation approaches likely due to the hotel needing to fill rooms. Always keep an eye on it. Sure the Great Northern Hotel might have marginally better service, but for one night I am saving 60,000 points by slumming it at the more famous Five Star hotel with a terrific reputation. By paying 450 dollars a year for the American Express Marriott Bonvoy, I now am staying for free in a historic London Five-Star hotel, traveling through the airport in style with lounge access and saved 60,000 points for a future trip. Not bad! Let me know if you have any question!

Bon voyage,

Andrew

PS Hey @GreatNorthernHotel….feel free to drop you price to and I can rebook! 😊