points N places

SLH's Considerate Collection Celebrates its First Birthday
8 Nov

How time flies...

Just over a year ago, SLH launched the Considerate Collection with 25 founding members of pioneering properties, proving that luxury is compatible with longevity.

Environmentally-minded travel agents (like Rewarding Travel) can browse and book from a biodiversity-promoting portfolio of boutique stays around the world, which have been hand-picked to help you find your perfect eco-escape.  

These properties still need to pass the SLH Quality Assurance standards required by all SLH properties, so you can be assured that the sustainability does not sacrifice luxe.  You can read more about how these standards are measured and maintained in our Complete Guide To SLH Invited.

As of this month, the collection celebrates 43 hotels (almost doubling in size) along with almost 40,000 trees planted in collaboration with TreeSisters.

The SLH Considerate Collection has also introduced a first-of-its-kind partnership with new sustainability platform Weeva, and a collaboration with luxury amenities brand VANITY GROUP.

SLH is one of our preferred groups and with the Considerate Collection, your stay will leave the softest of footprints on our planet.
The properties within the Considerate Collection are stunning, so contact Rewarding Travel to learn more for your next sustainable, luxe stay - with free perks !

Qantas FF can now use points on Bangkok Airways
1 Nov

Qantas Frequent Flyers can now book Classic Flight Reward seats to more than 20 destinations across Thailand and South East Asia as a new partnership with Bangkok Airways was launched today. The partnership expands on a codeshare agreement that was introduced in 2014 allowing Qantas customers to book commercial seats on Bangkok Airways flights.

Travellers can access Bangkok Airways flights from Australia via Bangkok, Phuket and Singapore. The Qantas Group operates more than 50 return flights each week between these cities and Australia.

Bangkok Airways is a full-service carrier, with regular flights each day out of its hub in Bangkok to some of Asia’s most popular destinations, including Koh Samui and Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said Qantas Frequent Flyer was excited to welcome Bangkok Airways to the program. “Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for our frequent flyers and this partnership will make it easier for them to explore more of the region using their points...The option to book reward seats on Bangkok Airways’ expansive network across Thailand and South East Asia will also open up thousands of new redemption opportunities."

The Bangkok Airways partnership follows recent initiatives from Qantas Frequent Flyer to expand members’ opportunities to use their points on flights including 100,000 Classic Flight Reward seats between Australia and Japan, and the extension of its commitment for 50 per cent more reward seats until June 2023.

Luxury hotel brand Capella comes to Sydney - opening March 2023
31 Oct

Luxury hotel group Capella Hotels and Resorts will open Capella Sydney (pictured) in March 2023.

The luxury hotel will be located at the heart of Sydney’s newest retail and hospitality precinct, Quay Quarter - a short walk to Circular Quay ferries, Sydney Opera House, the historic Rocks precinct and a wide range of dining options.

The historic Department of Education building is being transformed into a space like no other. Inspired by the stories of the sandstone building’s past, the restored hotel is a balance between old and new.

Capella Sydney celebrates its magnificent surroundings and respects the traditions of the building, mingled with contemporary design flair. Paying homage to Sydney’s local culture, guests can find touches of the Harbour City throughout the hotel – from the signature restaurant, Brasserie 1930’s modern art décor, McRae Bar, a reinterpretation of Australia in the 1920s, to a 20-metre swimming pool positioned under a large heritage lantern skylight. and an award-winning Auriga Spa. 

Being a low-rise building, views of the Opera House and Harbour aren't available, but the 192 spacious rooms and suites are gorgeous and will suit anyone with an eye for design.

Capella participates in the GHA Discovery loyalty program. Learn more about how to best use GHA Discovery.

Six Senses wins award for Best Luxury Hotel Brand from LTI - 3rd year in a row
29 Oct

Luxury Travel Intelligence (LTI) has taken the past 12 months to apply a rigorously defined algorithm that measures the performance and values of luxury hotel brands.

Six Senses has taken the top spot for the 3rd consecutive year for its ability to deliver, “passion, commitment, ethos and values, as well as the quality of its management and staff.”

The algorithm has 128 touch points relevant to the luxury hotel sector. Each has its own weighted score value with a total maximum accumulative score of 4628. They relate to overall brand performance, not the performance of individual properties. Continuing investment and how it’s used is also a major factor – particularly for new properties and the refurbishment of existing ones.

To make its decision, LTI researchers engage with everyone from the CEO to the management, hosts, and guests. Every year, the process starts again so the results from previous years have no bearing on the following year and therefore reflect what is happening within the dynamic hospitality sector. This is all part of the process for creating destination-led reports for the organization’s members, who wish to make informed travel decisions based on its honest and detailed intelligence.

On awarding Six Senses World’s Best Luxury Hotel Brand, LTI noted, “We continue to be very impressed with Six Senses. It delivers an authentic blend of wellness, sustainability, warm hospitality and crafted guest experiences. Also, with Six Senses London and Rome due in 2023 this is an exciting time for the brand and its loyal followers.”

Responding to the award, Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs credited the whole team, “Six Senses hosts take a bow! To win this award three times in a row reflects everyone’s unwavering commitment over three bumpy years and across our entire group. We take a proactive role in sustainable well-being, whether that means for our guests, hosts, or the land and communities around us. But for it to work, it has to be honest and championed with care. Perhaps this authenticity is what guests appreciate the most.”

Six Senses is one our preferred resorts and spa/wellness brands.  It has long had a focus on bare-foot luxury with sustainability, so this success comes as no surprise to us.  It is well-deserved.

Some properties participate in the IHG One Rewards loyalty program - that alone may be sufficient reason to sign-up as a member.