5 Fantastic Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Europe

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Get a free award night at a fancy Ritz-Carlton hotel when you go skiing in Switzerland, visit historic London, or spend a romantic vacation in the mountains of Portugal!

The sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after completing the minimum spending requirements.  And you can transfer those points directly to Ritz-Carlton to splurge on award stays.

You can earn more Ritz-Carlton award stays with other cards like the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier and Chase Ritz-Carlton Rewards card.

I’ll show you 5 European hotels to experience with Ritz-Carlton points!

5 Fantastic Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Europe for Award Stays

Ritz-Carlton recently made positive changes to their loyalty program, including:

• Points Advance – Book an award stay before you have the points, as long as you earn (or buy) the points to cover the full cost 14 days before check-in.

• Points Sharing – Share your Ritz-Carlton points with ANY Ritz-Carlton or Marriott member (up to 50,000 points per year).  Once per year you can go over the 50,000 point limit right before a specific redemption, only up to the amount needed for a specific stay, rounded to the nearest 1,000 points.

• Elite Credit for Award Nights – Redeem points for award nights and you’ll earn stay credits towards Ritz-Carlton elite status

• Cash + Points – You can use a combination of points and cash to book each night of your stay

You’ll also get the 5th night free on any award stay!

I like using Hotel Hustle to find hotels for award stays because it shows you how many points you’ll need for your specific travel dates.  And show you if award nights are available at hotels, including Ritz-Carlton!

Another option is AwardMapper.  It shows similar information.  But it’s not specific to travel dates and won’t search for available award rooms.

I haven’t personally stayed at all of these hotels, but they look like wonderful places!  Let me know if you’ve stayed at any of them!

Note:  The prices in these examples are based on travel in May 2016.

Typically, I like to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt for award stays.  Or move points to United Airlines and their partners for international flights.  Because I think you stretch your points further that way.  That said, the best use of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points is making memories that are important to YOU!

Note:   Some Ritz-Carlton hotels (especially resorts) add pricey resort fees to paid and award nights.  Before you book, check the hotel policy to decide if it’s worth it for you.

1.   The London EDITION

For your stay in The Old Smoke, consider The London EDITION, a Tier 3 Ritz-Carlton hotel.  Folks on TripAdvisor love the West End location, the basement club, and the top-notch service.  This hotel has nearly all 5-star reviews!

Rates here start at ~$411 or 50,000 Ritz-Carlton points per night.

Remember, you’ll earn more points on the 2X categories of travel and dining.  And 5,000 more Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you add an authorized user who makes a purchase within the 1st 3 months.

This hotel is in a perfect location for exploring London!

2.   The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest

The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is located downtown, near all the history and attractions Budapest is known for, like St. Stephen’s Basilica and the Hungarian National Museum.  You can take a tram along the Danube River, or to the huge Central Market to try local dishes and regional wine.

Be sure to read the great reviews on TripAdvisor!

When I checked, nights here cost ~$468, or 50,000 Ritz-Carlton points.  So if you already have a stash of Ritz-Carlton points, you can top off your account for an award stay here with Chase Ultimate Rewards points to save money.

And remember, now it’s easier to visit Budapest from the US on Air Berlin when you connect in Berlin and pay with British Airways Avios points, which is also a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner!

3.   Penha Longa Resort, Portugal

Nights at the Penha Longa Resort cost ~$298 or 40,000 Ritz-Carlton points per night, because it’s a Tier 2 hotel.  It’s located in the Sintra mountains, a short train ride from Lisbon, and is ranked the #1 hotel in the area.

The 5-star hotel is in a restored 14th-century monastery, so you’ll be in a magical place full of romance, history, and delicious fresh seafood!  My friend had an amazing time exploring the nearby castles and gardens in the mountains.

See what else is recommended by other guests who’ve stayed here on TripAdvisor.

Lisbon is a great place to visit with budget airlines.  Then you can take the train to the Linho for your stay at the Penha Longa Resort!

4.   The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna

The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna is located across from Stadtpark in 1 of the best neighborhoods in Vienna.

If you love architecture or history, you’ll enjoy this hotel because it’s housed in a historic palace!  And Vienna is home to numerous castles and monuments, which you can easily explore from your location here.

This hotel costs ~$422 or 50,000 Ritz-Carlton points per night.  So you can save a lot of money on a special occasion.

From Vienna, you can take the train to Budapest or Berlin to see more of Europe.

If you want to stay longer, check out my tips on how to mix-and-match paid and award nights with Airbnb.  There are several options for ~$100 in central Vienna.  Here’s how to find a safe and comfortable Airbnb.

5.   The Hotel de la Paix, Geneva

Switzerland is expensive, but you can save a lot of money when you redeem points for an award stay at The Hotel de la Paix, Geneva.  Nights here cost ~$630 or 50,000 Ritz-Carlton points.  So the 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points you’ll earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus are worth over $600!

From here, you can drive to the Swiss Alps near Zurich or to Nice in the South of France.  Folks on TripAdvisor love Lac Leman, which is walking distance from this hotel.

Emily and I explored Zurich for a day and found lots of tasty sweets and chocolates Switzerland is known for!

How Do You Get Ritz-Carlton Points?

Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards

Link:   Chase Sapphire Preferred 

Link:   Chase Ink Plus

Link:   Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Link:   Chase Freedom

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Ritz-Carlton instantly at a 1:1 ratio if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, or (no longer offered) Chase Ink Bold cards.

If you have the Chase Freedom or Chase Ink Cash cards you can combine their points and transfer to Ritz-Carlton as long as you have 1 of the other cards!

This is great news for folks who want to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.  That’s because you’ll earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account, which is enough for a night at a Ritz-Carlton hotel.  Make lifelong memories or splurge for a special occasion!

Keep in mind Chase has tightened their approvals if you’ve opened more than ~5 cards within the past 24 months.  So if you’re interested, make sure to get this card first!

And the Chase Freedom card has rotating quarterly categories that earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you activate the bonus.

The Freedom card also has an increased sign-up bonus of $150 (15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening your account, and NO annual fee!

So now is a good time to open a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which is my favorite points program and the top card I recommend to those starting out with miles and points.

Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Cards

Link:   Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Card – 50,000 Points + $200 Marriott Gift Card Offer 

Link:   Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Card – 80,000 Points Offer

Link:   Chase Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card

Ritz-Carlton and Marriott are essentially the same frequent-guest program (just with different branding and marketing), so you can use your Ritz-Carlton points to stay at Marriott hotels and vice versa.

Marriott Cards

The current sign-up offer for the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card is 50,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of account opening.  The $85 annual fee is waived the 1st year AND you receive a $200 Marriott gift certificate after meeting the minimum spending requirements.  Here’s my review of the card.

There’s another offer for the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card to earn 80,000 Marriott points after meeting minimum spending requirements.  That’s enough for 2 nights at a Tier 2 Ritz-Carlton hotel, but the $85 annual fee is NOT waived, and the minimum spending requirements are the same.

Ritz-Carlton Card

Finally, you can pick up the Chase Ritz-Carlton Rewards card.  You’ll earn 2 free nights at any Tier 1 to 4 Ritz-Carlton hotel, after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

The $395 annual fee is NOT waived, but it comes with perks and benefits that can easily offset it, like a $300 annual travel credit (which includes reimbursed Global Entry fees, checked luggage, and seat upgrades).

If you like Ritz-Carlton hotels, it’s a fantastic card to have.  Here’s my review.

Bottom Line

There are several fantastic Ritz-Carlton hotels in Europe where you can get award stays with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Ritz-Carlton.  This includes The Hotel de la Paix, Geneva and The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest.  These hotels are ideal for a splurge.  Or for a romantic vacation.

You can earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of opening a new Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which you can transfer to Ritz-Carlton.

And there are great offers with Marriott cards, too!  Remember, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton have similar loyalty programs, and you can book Ritz-Carlton stays with Marriott points (and vice versa).  Earn 50,000 Marriott points and a $200 Marriott gift card with the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier card after spending $3,000 on purchases within the 1st 3 months of account opening.

Or earn 80,000 Marriott points with a different offer on the same card but with the same minimum spending requirements.

You can also earn 2 free nights at any Tier 1 to 4 Ritz-Carlton hotel with the Chase Ritz-Carlton Rewards card after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

Are there any Ritz-Carlton hotels in Europe you’d add to my list?