The Best Ways to Book Fairmont Hotels & Resorts With Points and Miles

Fairmont Hotels is one of the more overlooked global hotel brands. It has over 70 properties in 24 countries worldwide and recently beefed up its loyalty program after it was acquired by Accor, a global hotel and hospitality company.

This acquisition brought Fairmont properties underneath Accor’s new ALL – Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, making it easier to redeem for free nights at Fairmont properties worldwide. In turn, this shut down Fairmont’s legacy loyalty program and matched existing points balances and elite status to Accor.

However, Accor Live Limitless points are still hard to earn in the U.S.

There are no U.S. co-branded credit cards, nor are there any partnerships with any U.S. airlines, so you’ll have to get creative if you want to stay at a Fairmont property (like the 5-star Fairmont Banff Springs) for free.

And that’s where we come in.

We’ll show you all the best ways you can redeem points and miles for free nights at Fairmont properties worldwide. We’ll start by looking at redeeming Accor Live Limitless points at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and then we’ll move into redeeming credit card points for Fairmont stays.

Redeem Accor Live Limitless Points for Fairmont Stays

Earning Accor Live Limitless Points

As discussed earlier, Accor purchased Fairmont in 2016 and merged the brand’s loyalty programs in 2018. This shut down Fairmont’s legacy loyalty program and converted Fairmont points to Accor Live Limitless points.

These points aren’t particularly easy to earn if you’re based in the United States. In fact, the easiest way to earn these points is by staying at Accor or Fairmont properties worldwide.

You’ll earn points based on the type of Accor property you stay in and on how much your hotel stay costs. Those with higher Accor Live Limitless status will earn more points, too – here’s how many points you can expect to earn based on your Accor property of choice and status tier:

There are other ways to earn Accor Live Limitless points, too. Some of these include transferring points, hotel incidental purchases (minibar, spa, etc.), dining at Accor hotel restaurants, shopping through the Accor shopping portal, and by taking advantage of Accor’s Air France-KLM partnership.

This partnership lets you earn Accor Live Limitless points when you fly on Air France and KLM and earn Air France-KLM Flying Blue points when you stay at Accor properties worldwide. You can also transfer Flying Blue miles to Accor Live Limitless at a rate of 4,000 Flying Blue miles to 1,000 Accor Live Limitless points.

Finally, you can earn Accor Live Limitless points to book stays at Fairmont hotels by transferring from Capital One or Citi. Unfortunately, both of these partners transfer points at a 2:1 ratio.

• 1,000 Capital One Miles = 500 ALL Accor Live Limitless Points
• 1,000 Citi ThankYou Points = 500 ALL Accor Live Limitless Points

Redeeming Accor Live Limitless Points For Fairmont Stays

Redeeming Accor Live Limitless points for Fairmont stays is simple. You can use 2,000 Accor Live Limitless points to cover €40 (~$44.30) of a hotel stay up to the entire cost of your hotel stay. This redemption rate stays the same for all Fairmont and AccorHotels properties — just note that you have to redeem in increments of 2,000 points.

This means that a $450 Fairmont hotel stay would cost roughly 20,000 points and you’d be responsible for just under $10 in fees.

To book an award night, simply log into your Accor Live Limitless account and search for the Fairmont hotel of your choice. Then, select the Pay with Points option on checkout — note that you’ll need at least 2,000 points in your account in order to redeem points.

This is a solid option if you already stay at Accor properties or have another way of earning Accor Live Limitless. However, with limited points earning options for U.S. members, it’s not the most practical option.

Book Fairmont Stays Through the Chase Travel Portal

You may already know that cards under the umbrellas of Chase Sapphire, Ink, and Freedom allow cardholders to redeem their Chase Ultimate Rewards points towards paid hotel stays through Chase’s Travel Portal. As you’d expect, this includes Fairmont and other Accor properties worldwide.

Your cent per point value depends on the type of Chase credit card you have — here’s how much points are worth towards paid hotel stays for each Chase card:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited^®: 1.0 cents per point
• Chase Freedom Flex℠: 1.0 cents per point
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card: 1.25 cents per point
• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®: 1.50 cents per point
• Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card: 1.0 cents per point
• Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card: 1.25 cents per point
• Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card: 1.0 cents per point

So if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can redeem 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a $450 Fairmont hotel stay with no out of pocket expenses. Alternatively, you can pay for part of a hotel stay with your points and use cash to cover the rest, giving you an easy way to discount your Fairmont hotel stays.

How to Book

Booking a hotel stay through the Chase Travel Portal is simple. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log into your Chase account and head over to the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal.

2. Look at the top-right corner of the screen and click the Travel button.

3. Select the Hotels button at the center of the screen and enter the name of your hotel (or destination), check-in and check-out date, and all other requested info. Then, click the green Search button at the bottom-right corner of the window.

4. You’ll be presented with all of your hotel options at the center of the screen. You can view the price of your hotel in both cash and points by looking at the right of the hotel’s name. To view more info, view room types, and actually book a hotel room, click on its name and you’ll be redirected to an info page.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the room type you’d like to stay in. You’ll then be redirected to the checkout screen where you can choose if you’d like to pay in cash or points (or both). Follow the on-screen steps to book your room, and you’re all set.

Booking through the Chase Travel Portal is one of the easiest ways for U.S.-based travelers to book Fairmont properties for free or cheap. This is because there are a ton of different ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, so you can earn the points needed relatively quickly. However, this method isn’t without its downsides.

The first downside is that you’ll generally get less value for your points when you redeem at 1.0 to 1.50 cents per point through the travel portal. You’ll almost always get a better value by transferring your Chase points to a Chase transfer partner and booking a high-end business class airline ticket or a Hyatt hotel suite.

Further, you won’t earn Accor Live Limitless points when you book through the Chase Travel Portal. This is because bookings are processed by Expedia; generally, you can only earn hotel points and use hotel elite status benefits if you book direct.
Bottom Line:  The Chase Travel Portal is still one of the most convenient ways to book Fairmont hotel stays using points and miles. If you decide that the pros outweigh the cons of booking through the portal, it might be worth your time and points.

Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with select Chase-branded credit cards. We’ve put together a whole list of ways to earn points, including signing up for new credit cards, using the Chase shopping portal, and more.

Here’s a look at some of the best Chase card offers:

Book Stays With the Citi ThankYou Travel Center

Like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi operates a travel booking portal for its ThankYou points currency. This travel portal is called the Citi ThankYou Travel Center and you can use it to redeem Citi ThankYou points for paid hotel stays and flights.

However, the Citi ThankYou Travel Center actually a worse deal than the Chase Travel Portal.

Citi Premier^® Card, Citi Prestige^® Card, and other Citi cardholders can redeem points for hotels at 1.0 cents per point. This is 0.25 cents per point lower than redeeming for airfare with a Citi Premier, and a significantly lower value the value you’d get from transferring points to a transfer partner.

However, this can still be an easy way to cover Fairmont hotel stays with points. So if you don’t mind sacrificing value for convenience, here’s how to book with the Citi ThankYou Travel Center:

1. Log into your Citi account and head to the Citi ThankYou dashboard by clicking on the Redeem button next to your points balance on the right-hand side of the screen.

2. Look at the top of the screen and hover your cursor over the Travel button. Then, click the Hotels button from the drop-down menu.

3. Enter your search criteria in the search box at the center of the screen and click the Search Hotels button. You can also add Fairmont as a preferred hotel at the bottom of the search form.

4. Now, look for the Fairmont hotel of your choice on the list of available hotels. You can see the cheapest available room rate to the right of the hotel’s name. The quote will be displayed in points so long as you have enough ThankYou points in your account to cover the stay.
5. You can now select the type of room you’d like to book and proceed through the booking process. You can select how many points you’d like to use towards your booking on the payment screen — you can either pay fully with points, partially with points, or book with cash.

Remember, booking through this portal will make your hotel stay ineligible for earning Accor Live Limitless points or using elite status benefits. So unless you’re covering the whole stay with ThankYou points, we’d recommend booking directly through Fairmont.

Also, make sure to check out this list of awesome ThankYou point redemptions before you use your ThankYou points for hotel stays. Using your ThankYou points for one of these redemptions will give you a significantly better value for your points than if you redeemed for a Fairmont hotel stay at 1.0 cents per point.

Earning Citi ThankYou Points

You’ll need a Citi ThankYou point earning credit card in order to earn Citi ThankYou points. Check out our full guide to earning Citi ThankYou points, and see some of the best Citi credit card offers below:

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Premier^® Card

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$960

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
• Access to Citi transfer partners
• Annual hotel credit
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• $95 annual fee

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou^® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
• 60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

More Reads

• Benefits of the Citi Premier
• Authorized User Benefits of the Citi Premier
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Citi Premier Card [Detailed Comparison]
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• Best Credit Cards for Groceries and Supermarkets
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Citi Rewards+^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Rewards+^® Card

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

Welcome Offer

Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $250 in gift cards at thankyou.com.

20,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$320

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840)

Card Highlights

• Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
• Plus, for a limited time, earn 5 ThankYou^® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel(SM) portal through June 30, 2024.
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• Earn 2X ThankYou^® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou^® Points on All Other Purchases.
• The Citi Rewards+^® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
• No Annual Fee

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months and on purchases. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• No Annual Fee Cards

More Reads

• Best Citi Credit Cards
• Citi Transfer Partners

Citi^® Double Cash Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi^® Double Cash Card

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

Welcome Offer

None

Annual Fee

$0

APR

19.24% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi^® Double Cash Card has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points. This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
• Flexible redemption options
• No annual fee

Cons

• No bonus categories
• 3% foreign transaction fees
• Lack of premium travel benefits

Card Highlights

• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
• Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
• If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
• There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• No Annual Fee Cards

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

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• Capital One Venture vs Citi Double Cash
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Citi Custom Cash^® Card

U.P. Rating

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating.We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Learn More(at our partner's secure site)

Citi Custom Cash^® Card

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

Welcome Offer

Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

$200

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Fair to Excellent (580-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Custom Cash^® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.

Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
• No annual fee
• Multiple redemption options
• No redemption minimums

Cons

• Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
• Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category

Card Highlights

• Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou^® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
• No Annual Fee
• Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash^® Card account per person.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Cash Back Credit Cards
• No Annual Fee Cards

More Reads

• Citi Custom Cash Card Launches [Earn 5% Back on Your Top Purchases]
• Best Citi Credit Cards

Final Thoughts

In this article, we showed you all the ways you can redeem points for free Fairmont hotel stays.

As discussed, there aren’t a lot of good ways to redeem points for these stays. It’s hard to earn Accor Live Limitless points in the U.S. and using the Chase Travel Center, or Citi ThankYou Travel Center isn’t a great deal.

However, if you do decide to use points to cover Fairmont stays and don’t have Accor Live Limitless points, we’d recommend going the Chase Travel Portal route.

Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Chase Sapphire Preferred card, or Ink Business Preferred cardmembers can redeem their Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point on the Chase Travel Portal, giving them an edge over the Citi and Capital One options.

Otherwise, you may want to consider shifting your focus to Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott hotels. Each of these chains has more lucrative loyalty programs with more ways to earn points. Plus, each hotel program has its own luxury brands that rival Fairmont.

Safe travels!

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier.  Additional terms apply.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Ink Business Plus^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 
The information regarding the Chase Freedom^® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi Prestige^® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.