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Since the launch of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card in November 2021, Capital One has made significant strides in establishing itself as a formidable contender in the travel credit card arena. Thanks to earning and redemption opportunities that often surpass those of its competitors (AmEx, Chase, and Citi), the Venture X, along with its counterpart the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, has quickly emerged as a gateway to the world of premium travel benefits.
Today’s Venture X and Venture cardholders enjoy exclusive access to Capital One’s branded airport lounges in such cities as Washington, D.C. and Denver, with another planned for New York’s JFK. They also benefit from an array of perks when booking stays at properties within the Capital One Lifestyle Collection, a curated selection of design-forward boutique hotels, including room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout when available. Venture X cardholders receive even more premium advantages through the Capital One Premier Collection, a distinguished assortment of luxury hotels and resorts worldwide, including 10x miles earned per dollar spent on booking, daily breakfast for two, and $100 experience credit (or the local equivalent) toward on-property food, beverage, spa, or other activities.
In step with a swift expansion in the travel sector and customer feedback, Capital One has now introduced thousands of vacation rentals to its Premier and Lifestyle collections. In an industry first, cardholders can earn experience credits and mega-bonus miles for rentals and even redeem miles for overnights at properties across North America (including Hawai‘i and Costa Rica).
Here, all you need to know about Capital One’s new and highly welcome expansion into the vacation rental market, accessible through its Premier and Lifestyle collections.
Capital One cardholders can get credits and bonus miles for rentals and even redeem miles for overnights at properties across North America, such as Ute Lodge in Telluride, Colorado.
Courtesy of Capital One/AvantStay
The rental homes added to Capital One’s collections
In early summer 2024, Capital One quietly expanded its Premier and Lifestyle collections by adding a selection of villas, homes, and estates. As summer comes to a close, this curated inventory has grown to include more than 2,000 residential-style properties in more than 50 destinations across North America. This portfolio was made possible through partnerships with five leading, trusted rental brands: AvantStay, Boutiq, Key.Co, Portoro, and HVN.
Each professionally managed property was vetted to meet specific standards for service and design while ensuring it caters to destinations popular among Capital One customers. Simply put: Capital One did our homework for us.
While hotels and resorts through the Premier and Lifestyle collections are great for couples and small families, these rentals build on a growing trend of multi-generational and group getaways for stays short and long. Most rentals accommodate between 8 and 12 people, but some can fit up to 48. (Hello: 22-bedroom Hudson Valley estate, Shakespeare on the Hudson!) Other portfolio standouts include Ute Lodge by AvantStay, a rustic chic multi-bedroom home in Telluride, Colorado; midcentury-modern Painted Sand in Coachella Valley, California, by AvantStay; and Hilton Ivory by AvantStay, a sleek, six-bedroom estate in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Some locations offer only a handful of rental options, but some of the most popular U.S. vacation rental destinations, such as Asheville, Aspen, Orlando, and the Great Smoky Mountains, have more than 100 each that can be booked through Capital One Travel. The fanciest lairs tend to fall under the Premiere Collection while more approachable digs (in terms of price point and size) belong to the Lifestyle Collection.
The benefits of booking through Capital One Travel
When booking vacation rentals through Capital One Travel, Venture X cardholders will receive the following at properties in the Premier portfolio:
- 5x miles earned per dollar spent on booking
- $100 experience credit toward the likes of prearrival groceries, in-home chef meals, midstay cleanings, and more
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Early check-in and late checkout, when available
Meanwhile, both Venture X and Venture cardholders will receive the following at properties in the Lifestyle portfolio:
- 5x miles earned per dollar spent on booking
- $50 experience credit toward the likes of prearrival groceries, in-home chef meals, midstay cleanings, and more
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Early check-in and late checkout, when available
While earning 5x miles on stays is enticing, travelers looking to cash out Capital One miles on rentals can do so, too. Cardholders can redeem Capital One miles at a one-to-one ratio on rental bookings, such that 1,000 miles equates to $10. It’s possible to pay for part of the booking with miles and put the rest on your credit card.
What’s more, Capital One Travel credits can also be applied to bookings. This includes the Venture X’s $300 annual travel credit (a generous amount that helps defray the card’s $395 annual fee and one reason the card consistently earns a spot in Afar’s list of Best Travel Credit Cards), as well as the current, one-time, $250 Capital One Travel welcome credit that’s part of the welcome offer on the Venture card.
Finally, note that Capital One’s vacation rentals come with access to a concierge and services of a destination expert. During a summer stay, my concierge stocked my fridge to perfection (as per all of my detailed requests) and then facilitated a private chef-led dinner at the villa, for which I was able to apply my $100 experience credit.
How to book
Booking a vacation rental through Capital One Travel is as easy as booking any other hotel or resort. Simply log in, click on “Premium Stays” and then choose “Vacation Rentals” instead of “Hotels & Resorts.” In the “Where are you going?” field, input your desired destination, and then add your dates and number of travelers, including pets.
To access Capital One Travel’s vacation rentals, you’ll need a mid- or top-tier card from the brand’s Venture portfolio. Although we’re fans of Capital One across the board, we’re partial to the benefit-packed Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. A $395 annual fee is quickly offset by an annual $300 travel credit for any purchase on Capital One Travel. The card also comes with a valuable Priority Pass membership, handy for airport lounge access where Capital One has yet to open its own branded spaces. An annual 10,000 bonus miles after your first account anniversary takes care of the rest of the annual fee. Even better is that up to four additional cardholders can be added at no cost, each getting their own Priority Pass lounge membership, access to Capital One airport lounges, and access to the Lifestyle and Premier collections. That’s right, at no additional cost. The current welcome offer for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
For those still skittish about paying a high annual fee, the low-fee Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is highly attractive. You won’t get access to the Premier Collection, but the Lifestyle Collection is still your oyster. Until the end of 2024, you’ll also get two entries to Capital One lounges. Currently, this card has an elevated introductory offer: Get $250 to spend on Capital One Travel in your first year as a cardholder and a 75,000-mile introductory bonus after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. That’s a $1,000 value for a card that carries a $95 annual fee—a whopping savings on your future best vacation rental experience.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
