New Hyatt Hotel Openings in Canada for 2021 - Now 6 hotels confirmed including the reopening of the Park Hyatt Toronto

 
Continuing on with our new hotel openings in Canada series we now take a look at what Hyatt has planned for 2021.

Out of the major hotel chains, Hyatt Hotels are one of the smallest globally and their presence in Canada reflects that with less than a dozen hotels operating here.  This number has been changing relatively fast, it was only a couple of years ago when they only had four hotels across our country and over the next few year they are looking to expand that number.

February 18 Update: CIBC Aventura NEXUS credit upped to $100?, WestJet cuts four more Canadian cities and an update to the Marriott buy points bonus

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. This update is brought to you by the HSBC +Rewards Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 bonus points, no annual fee in the first year and a low 11.9% interest rate! 

 
I'm not entirely sure when this happened but I noticed yesterday that CIBC may have bumped up their NEXUS benefit on their Aventura cards to C$100 from the previous $50. Even our last update direct from CIBC at the start of February had it listed as $50 so if this is really the case it is nice welcome change to the Aventura cards. I will check with CIBC however as there is some confusing wording on CIBC's website as some pages state a $50 credit in their messaging while others don't and then the terms and conditions state $50 and/or $100.  If it has been bumped up I'm guessing it was done in response to TD offering a $100 NEXUS credit on their Aeroplan cards as those are the only other cards in our market that offer this benefit.

TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card Review

 
One of the most popular travel rewards credit cards in Canada, the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card was first reviewed by Rewards Canada in 2014 when it was introduced. For the better part of six years the card didn't change very much but then we saw the entire Air Canada Aeroplan saga transpire for numerous years which culminated in Air Canada buying Aeroplan back from Aimia and launching a whole new Aeroplan in November of 2020 along with refreshed credit card offerings. This mainstay Aeroplan card from TD underwent many changes for the new program and thus the need for this updated review.

If you want to see what the old card was like you can read our TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Review (Old 2014 version)

The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card hit the market on January 1st, 2014 when TD took over as the primary issuer of Aeroplan co-brand cards in Canada from CIBC. The current version of the card was revealed on November 8, 2020 to coincide with the launch of the new Aeroplan program. The new card saw quite a few changes take place that ultimately made the card even better than version 1.0. Also with the launch of the new Aeroplan program we decided to re-classify its co-brand cards as airline cards once again in our Top Travel Rewards Credit Card rankings as we dissolved the coalition program category. Hence this card returned to top spot in the Airline category, a position it held from 2014 to 2017 and yes it continues to be the best airline credit card in Canada.

Continue reading the entire review here.

Receive a 40% bonus when you buy Marriott Bonvoy Points until March 22

 

A buy points  bonus for Marriott Bonvoy has returned and it is noticeably lower than the past few offers. We saw a 60% bonus in November, a 50% bonus in December and now for the next month and a bit they have brought in a 40% bonus. The 40% bonus is awarded on purchases from 2,000 to 100,000 points and that 100,000 is a doubling of the typical 50,000 point annual limit for buying points. This is also lower than the 150K we saw with the 60% bonus in November. Ultimately knowing that Marriott has offered 50 and 60% bonuses I most likely wouldn’t purchase with this 40% bonus unless I knew I needed to top off my account for an upcoming stay.

February 17 Update: Double Points for stays at the Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel Toronto, new Centurion Lounge to open at Washington's DCA airport & this week's PC Optimum offer is 50,000 points

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. This update is brought to you by the HSBC +Rewards Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 bonus points, no annual fee in the first year and a low 11.9% interest rate! 

 
Late last year the InterContinental Hotel Yorkville Toronto converted over to Sonesta Hotels and was rebranded the Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel Toronto. The celebrate they had a bonus points offer that ran until the end of January and now once again the hotel chain's loyalty program called Travel Pass is offering bonus points for stays at this location. The offer this time is for Double Travel Pass Points on all stays. The end date of the promotion has not been published but in my experience of covering Sonesta's promotions for years on end the offer should be available for quite some time. Learn more here.

Earn double Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles for stays at Coast Hotels in March & April

 
Here is a nice little offer if you are looking at getting away from home for a little staycation in Western Canada and at the same time want to boost your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan balance. For the months of March and April you will be able to earn double Mileage Plan Miles for stays at any Coast Hotel in Canada or the U.S.. In Canada they have locations in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon with many being in ski towns like Canmore, Sun Peaks Resort and Revelstoke, so it is a prime offer for some spring skiing! 

Three days only - Earn 10x AIR MILES Reward Miles for online purchases with Apple

 

For three days only you can earn 10x AIR MILES Reward Miles when you shop online with Apple via AIR MILES Shops. The offer runs from today to February 18 and with the standard earn rate being 1 mile for every $20 spent you'll end up earning 10 miles for every $20. 

Summary of global hotel systemwide bonus points promotions – February Edition

Here is your monthly update of all the global hotel bonus points promotions that are available. One of the easiest ways to rack up lots of hotel points is to take advantage of these systemwide bonuses that come from many of the big chain programs and also from the lesser known programs. In fact, right now it should be rare for you NOT to earn a bonus. Unless you are staying at a boutique hotel or perhaps an independent hotel most other hotels out there have a bonus. So take advantage of it! These systemwide bonuses simply require you to register beforehand and they do not affect hotel pricing as long as you book a point eligible rate which are most rates out there. Of course booking through a third party site like Expedia or Rocketmiles does not count as most chains only award points on bookings that are made directly with them.  Here are all the current promotions that are available to everyone this month:

Best Western is offering a $25 Gift Card for every night you stay + double points if you stay 5 or more nights

 

Best Western Rewards' Spring promotion kicked off yesterday and it's a two parter this time. After you register for this offer you will receive a $25 Best Western Gift Card for each night you stay up to four nights. That's right, you are getting $25 back not per stay but per night. The nights do not have to be consecutive either, they can be spread out across multiple stays. 

February 12 Update: Canada's new entry requirements to start on February 22 and the Government of Canada approves Air Canada's takeover of Air Transat

Here's your Rewards Canada Daily update! Your daily dose (or near daily dose) of loyalty program, credit card and travel news, bonuses, deals and more. This update is brought to you by the HSBC +Rewards Mastercard which is currently offering a welcome bonus of up to 30,000 bonus points, no annual fee in the first year and a low 11.9% interest rate! 

Canada's new travel restrictions that require a mandatory hotel stay and quarantine upon returning to Canada will take effect February 22. This is the requirement where you may have to spend $2,000 to stay at specified hotel and to get your COVID-19 tests done. (Source Global News)