How to Maximize the RSVP Rewards Program

The RSVP Rewards program for Sandman Hotel Group and Sutton Place Hotels is an easy-to-join, simple-to-use loyalty program for guests of its branded hotels. Travellers staying at these upscale hotels in Canada, the U.S., England, and Scotland will enjoy discounted rates and member-only perks.

This article provides a detailed overview of the RSVP Rewards program, including helpful strategies for accelerating your earnings and top hotel credit card recommendations.

What is RSVP Rewards?

RSVP Rewards is the free loyalty rewards program associated with the Sandman Hotel Group and Sutton Place Hotels. Once you sign up, you can start earning points by staying at qualifying locations in Canada, the U.S., Scotland, and England.

It's a pretty simple program since there aren't flexible redemption options.

When you're ready to book a trip, you can use all or some of your points for a free hotel night. The program has status tiers that let you earn perks like dining vouchers, early check-in, and priority parking.

Overview

Currency: RSVP Rewards points

Redemption options: Free night stay

Pros:

• Easy to earn and redeem points
• Membership tiers give extra perks
• Free to join
• Access to exclusive member rates and no blackout dates
• Can use a combination of cash and points for rewards stay

Cons:

• No co-branded credit card for maximizing rewards
• Only 1 redemption option
• Not as many hotel options as other loyalty programs
• Points expire after 18 months of inactivity

RSVP Rewards membership tiers

The RSVP Rewards program has 4 elite membership tiers based on how much you spend at their properties each year. The tiers and membership requirements are:

• Red: Up to $249
• Gold: $250 to $1,499
• Platinum: $1,500 to $3,999
• Diamond: $4,000+

As soon as you sign up, you'll be granted Red status. As you spend more on qualifying stays, you'll move up through the membership tiers and enjoy additional perks.

What are RSVP Rewards worth?

There's no need to second-guess yourself or worry that you're redeeming your hard-earned points for low value. RSVP Rewards offers a steady 1 cent per point redeemed, since there's only one redemption option: free or discounted hotel stays.

Here's the calculation:

Cost of reward in $CAD / cost of reward in points = value in cents per point (CPP)

In this case, a $30 discount costs 3,000 reward points x 100 = 1 CPP

How to earn RSVP Rewards

Earning RSVP Rewards points is really straightforward. As a member, you'll earn points for every $1 you spend at a Sandman Hotel or Sutton Place Hotel, regardless of the currency used to pay for your stay.

Base members earn 5 points per $1 in hotel stays, but elite tier members earn anywhere from 6 to 9 points per $1.

Point accelerators

Unfortunately, RSVP Rewards doesn't offer many opportunities to earn extra points outside of hotel stays, but there are a few you can take advantage of. These include:

• Sign-up bonus: Get 1,000 points automatically deposited into your account just for signing up.
• New location bonus: Book a stay at a location you've never stayed at before and get 500 bonus points.
• Birthday bonus: Enjoy 500 points every year on your birthday.

You can also sign up for the RSVP Rewards newsletter to be the first to hear about exclusive accelerated-point promotions.

Best credit cards to use for RSVP Rewards hotel stays

There aren't any co-branded credit cards for accelerated RSVP earning, but that doesn't mean you can't be smart about charging your next stay.

We recommend these credit cards for booking hotels since you'll get great rewards, perks, and/or benefits:

How to redeem RSVP Rewards

Once you've accumulated at least 3,000 RSVP Rewards points, you can put them toward a free night stay at a Sandman Hotel or Sutton Place Hotel property.

Keep in mind that since 3,000 points is only equivalent to $30, you'll need quite a few more points to completely pay for a stay. If you don't feel like waiting, you can pay with a combination of cash and points.

Don't forget that as an RSVP Rewards member, you'll also get a discounted rate.

When you're ready to book, just log in to your RSVP Rewards account, find a booking, add it to your card, and then head to the payment page. Check the "Pay with Points/Cash" box on the payment screen and enter the rest of your payment details to complete the booking and cash in your points.

Is the RSVP Rewards program worth it?

The RSVP Rewards program is quite limited in terms of how many hotels actually participate. Before you consider joining, take a closer look at the hotel locations to decide how often you'll be staying at a participating property. If the answer is not often, you'll probably want to skip it in favour of a national rewards program.

However, if you often find yourself checking into a Sandman Hotel, you'll be pleased to see that its rewards rate of return is competitive with other hotel rewards programs. Simply enrolling in the program gets you an exclusive member rate and express check-in, so it's worth it right off the bat.

Compare with other programs

There aren't many hotel-specific rewards programs for Canadians, but there are a few heavy hitters to compare with RSVP Rewards: Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.

As you can see from the table below, the RSVP Rewards program is much smaller than the programs offered by global hotel chains. Therefore, you won't have the same extensive earning or redemption opportunities.

FAQ

What is the RSVP Rewards program?

It's the free loyalty rewards program operated by the Sandman Hotel Group and Sutton Place Hotels, with over 60 participating locations in Canada, the U.S., Scotland, and England. You'll earn points for qualifying stays that you can redeem for free hotel nights.

Where can I use RSVP Rewards?

Throughout Canada, you can stay at Sandman Hotels, Sandman Signature Hotels, and Sutton Place Hotels. When travelling abroad to the U.S., England, or Scotland, you can earn and use your rewards at Sandman Signature Hotels in Dallas, Plano, London, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.

Can you tell me how to redeem RSVP Rewards?

To use your points, log in to your RSVP Rewards account and search for a hotel stay. Add your stay to your cart and head to the payment page. From there, select the option to pay with cash and points. You can specify how many points you want to use and pay for the rest of the stay with cash.

How much is one Sandman RSVP Rewards point worth?

According to the RSVP Rewards redemption option, where 3,000 points equal $30, 1 RSVP Rewards point equals 1 cent. Even though some membership tiers earn points much more quickly than others, they're all worth the same amount at redemption time.

Do RSVP Rewards expire?

Yes, if your account is inactive for 18 consecutive months, RSVP Rewards reserves the right to expire your points. However, a warning will appear on the dashboard when you log into your online account. Simply complete one qualifying activity to avoid points expiration – this can be anything that earns or redeems RSVP points.