13 Mar Travel tips: Join The Guestbook Rewards Programme

I used to be one of those people who didn’t believe in the rewards of rewards programmes. I honestly thought it was all a ploy to get me to spend more. However, after paying almost 60% less for a 4 star hotel room last year in New York because of my Expedia points, and getting Cash Back from my Clicks Club card and Discovery Vitality; I have come to see the value in rewards programmes.

When it comes to travelling, I tend to find that the biggest spend prior to leaving is accommodation. And given the fact that I like to be out all day and most of the night when I am on vacation, parting with those thousands can be painful. Especially when I know that the sole function of said accommodation is to simply have somewhere to sleep. This is particularly true when it comes to city based vacations, where there is a lot to do and see. A super expensive hotel room can seem like a waste. But it doesn’t have to be super expensive.  You just need to do your research.As busy as New York is over Labor Day weekend, NYFW and the US Open, if you do your research you can get a good deal. After spotting  The Lotte New York Palace in Midtown on Project Runway, I went online and discovered that they had a Labor Day special if you booked within a certain time frame. Furthermore, I learnt about The Guestbook, one of the better loyalty programmes I have come across because of the instantaneous nature of the rewards.

What Is The Guestbook

“The Guestbook is the world’s first cash back hotel loyalty program that rewards members for booking direct at over 500 of the best independent & boutique brand hotels in major travel destinations around the globe.” – The Guestbook

How it works, is that you book a room directly through a member hotel or through The Guestbook website and you earn 5% cash back on your booking. A couple of days after you check out, The Guestbook sends you an email, giving you several options to redeem that 5% cash back. This cash back can be redeemed using PayPal, or you can request aVisa eGift Card, bitcoin, or assign the funds to gift cards to major retailers (US based).

Alternatively, you can choose to double your rewards with Trip Cash.

What is Trip Cash

“Trip Cash is a special redemption option that encourages members to explore The Guestbook’s portfolio of hotels. In most cases, a Trip Cash redemption is worth twice the amount of a non-Trip Cash redemption. Trip Cash must be redeemed on a future stay in another destination (>30 miles/50 km) from where it was originally earned and must cover at least the value of one night’s stay. Trip Cash is not subject to blackout dates or capacity restrictions.” – The Guestbook

The only catch with the Trip Cash system is that it does expire.

“Trip Cash earned each calendar year must be redeemed towards a Trip Cash Booking by March 31st of the following year.”- The Guestbook

In conclusion, as someone who loves to spend her money on vacation eating, drinking and building memories, it was really great to get back home after spending all my money on vacation to a cash back reward. A kind of… “Well done for going to see the world.”

P.S: There are some South African based hotels like The One & Only, Urban Chic Boutique Hotel on  the network.