A few months ago, I picked up the
Chase Fairmont Visa Signature Card. It's been a very long time since I stayed in a Fairmont property (~10 years) but I wanted to leverage the card for
a couple of free nights in Vancouver. I have read that the
Fairmont Pacific Rim is a phenomenal hotel and really wanted to try it out when we're there.
I completed the minimum spend requirement ($3,000 in three months a couple of weeks ago. The complimentary nights posted to my account last week and I called Fairmont (the only option - they cannot be redeemed online) this weekend to redeem them. After that experience, I wanted to post about the value this card provides as it's a card that isn't written about that often.
First, the details:
- $95 annual fee, not waived for the first year
- Spend $3,000 in there months to earn two complimentary nights with breakfast
- Complimentary upgrade to Premier status
- No foreign transaction fees
I logged in to my account to check the status of my free nights. My free night certificates had posted...with about half a dozen other surprises as part of my "upgrade" to Premier status!
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Certs on certs on certs |
I figured the card was good for the free nights with breakfast. If it stopped there - that would still make it an excellent card. The breakfast coupons are actually cash vouches - four vouchers for $25 each. The upgrade to Premier status provided even more value. $50 good for dinner/lunch to be used at a Fairmont property restaurant. And a suite upgrade. Amazing.
I wasn't sure if I could apply the suite upgrade to an award stay but when I called in to make my reservation, that wasn't a problem at all. We ended up in a suite retailing for over $600USD/night AI. For comparison purposes, the standard room would have been around $300/night. While we wouldn't pay the incremental $300/night for a suite, it's a great luxury to have the extra space while on vacation. Especially when there's zero out of pocket cost.
There are some amazing Fairmont properties around the world. This is a great card to get you a couple of nights in a suite for basically $95. If there are two of you in your household, you could end up with four nights in a suite with $200 for breakfast and $100 for lunch/dinner for just $190 in annual fees.
This wasn't a card on my radar until recently. Definitely one to have on your list especially if you're interested in Vancouver as a destination or any other
Fairmont property around the world.