The *chase sapphire reserve* recently got a glow-up … and a hefty new $795 annual fee to go with it. In return, Chase added an onslaught of new “money saving” credits to help travelers get over the sticker shock.
One of the card's best new benefits is an up to $500 per year ($250 semi-annually) credit for “The Edit” hotel bookings, available exclusively through Chase Travel℠. The bank's new *Sapphire Reserve for Business* card also comes with an identical credit.
If you're unfamiliar, The Edit is a curated collection of more than 1,000 luxury and boutique properties available exclusively to Sapphire Reserve cardholders. Think of it as Chase's answer to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts®, where you get elite-like benefits … no status required.
Better yet, Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for these bookings at a rate of 2 cents per point, thanks to Chase's new Points Boost feature.
Making good use of this new credit can help take the sting out of the higher annual fee. Here's how it works – and how to get the most value from it.
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What is “The Edit”?
With The Edit, Sapphire Reserve (and Reserve for Business) cardholders get exclusive access to a hand-picked and rotating list of hotels and resorts around the world. This premium lineup of hotels ranges from ultra-luxe properties like the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York to far more approachable options like the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok.
These aren’t just ordinary hotel bookings, though. When you reserve a property through The Edit, you also get access to valuable perks like:
- A $100 property credit to be used on dining, at the spa, or activities at the property
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrades, when available
- Early check-in and late check-out, if available
You'll also earn 8x points per dollar spent on these bookings with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card and, in most cases, still earn hotel points and elite night credits as well. That double dip makes this one of the most rewarding ways to book these hotels, even without taking all the other benefits into account.
If you opt to redeem your Chase points for a stay at one of these properties, they'll be worth 2 cents apiece, thanks to Chase's new Points Boost feature. This means you'd be able to cover a $500 hotel stay using 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards.
In most cases, using Chase points for one of these bookings will provide far better value than you'll get when transferring them to the likes of Marriott and IHG, both Chase transfer partners. But Hyatt is the exception: You'll often be better off transferring Chase points directly to World of Hyatt to book an award stay, rather than using Chase Travel.
Just keep in mind that when you book through Hyatt, you're sacrificing the property credit, daily breakfast, and other benefits that come with The Edit bookings, so it's not a true apples-to-apples comparison.
And if you've got an eye for Hilton hotels, The Edit might not be super helpful for you. Likely due to Hilton's close relationship with American Express, there aren't many (if any) Hilton properties that made the cut. Chase has promised that this list will update and grow over time, so maybe that will change in the future.
How Does the $500 Credit Work?
This new benefit is billed as a $500 hotel credit, which sounds really useful … especially for someone with a nearly $800 per year travel card in their wallet. Unfortunately, it's now quite that straightforward.
For starters, you don't get the full lump sum at the start of every year. Chase splits it into two credits of up to $250 each: one to be used for bookings between Jan. 1 and June 30, and another between July 1 and Dec. 31.
But that's not all the fine print you need to worry about. This credit will only work on prepaid “pay now” stays of two nights or more.
Since these properties skew higher end, you'll have a hard (if not impossible) time finding a two-night stay for under $250. This means you'll almost certainly need to pay something out of pocket when using this credit. Still, it's a nice discount, and the added perks that come with these bookings can definitely make it worthwhile.
To qualify, you must:
- Book a prepaid rate through The Edit
- Stay at least two nights
- Use your Sapphire Reserve card to pay
- The credit typically posts as a statement credit within a few days, but Chase officially says it can take up to six to eight weeks.
If you added the Sapphire Reserve card after June 23, you can start using the $500 Edit credit right away. Existing cardholders (who held the card prior to June 23) will gain access to the benefit starting Oct. 26, 2025.
Purchases made by authorized users also qualify. If you've got someone else on your account, their bookings can trigger the credit, too.
What Kind of Hotels Are Included?
The Edit is a rotating list of curated luxury and boutique hotels, so if you're looking for the absolute cheapest options, this probably isn't the place to start. Now, that doesn't mean that every single hotel on the list will be out of reach, but you're not going to find budget-friendly brands like Holiday Inn Express and Fairfield Inn here.
You also won't find these properties in each and every city you search. Since these are all higher-end hotels, you're more likely to find them in big cities and places known for providing luxe accommodations.
Take the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, for example. This year-round luxury hotel is located in Alberta's Banff National Park and offers breathtaking views of Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies. Off-peak nights this fall can be had for just north of $600 per night and include The Edit's standard $100 property credit, breakfast for two, a room upgrade (when available), and other benefits like early check-in and late check-out.
If you opted to use points for a two-night weekend stay here, it would cost you around $1,450 or just under 73,000 points in total for the stay, thanks to Chase's Points Boost offer. Meanwhile, booking the same room directly would cost just over $1,600 and only includes breakfast … none of the other extras. If you'd otherwise be booking a stay here, going through The Edit makes it the clear choice.
If a city stay is more your vibe, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more luxurious option in Minneapolis than the new(ish) Four Seasons Hotel. Room rates here start around $500 per night and only go up from there.
Booking through Chase, a two-night stay this fall would cost you just over $1,300 or nearly 66,000 points, again thanks to Chase's Points Boost offer. If you instead booked this hotel directly, it would cost around $1,050 per night without a property credit, breakfast, and other perks. In that case, saving $250 and sacrificing all the extras could still make it the better move.
Finally, if you're heading to Europe, the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome is one of the most sought-after properties in all of Paris. Nights here don't come cheap: Expect to pay upwards of $1,500 per night … and oftentimes much more than that.
Two nights here later this fall go for the low, low price of nearly $4,200 when booking through The Edit. If you opted to use points, you could book this stay for roughly 208,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, with each one being worth 2 cents apiece.
But since this is a Hyatt property, there's a far better option. By first kicking those points over to Hyatt, you can book this hotel for as few as 35,000 points per night on off-peak dates … or as high as 45,000 points per night for the most sought-after dates.
The only problem? Finding award availability at this hotel can be tough. Hyatt's handy new award calendar makes it much easier, but even still, this property is often quite stingy with releasing rooms bookable with points. If your travel plans aren't flexible, booking through The Edit for the elite like perks – and still being able to use points – can make for a good deal.
This is a pretty small sampling of hotels, but it should give you a sense of what's available through The Edit and help you decide whether these bookings are worth it. Using the Sapphire Reserve's new semi-annual statement credit can help take some of the sticker shock out of these pricier properties, and getting added benefits like an on-property credit, free breakfast, and more makes the deals even better.
Bottom Line
The Edit is a welcome addition to the Chase Sapphire Reserve's growing list of perks, especially as the annual fee climbs. If you're looking to get the most out of your card, using this up to $500 hotel credit each year is a no-brainer.
Whether you're planning a luxury retreat or a quick weekend getaway, booking through The Edit not only earns you statement credits but also stacks on serious value with elite-style hotel perks.
I really wanted to love The Edit but having recently gotten access to it I was very disappointed to find that the inventory of hotels is significantly less than Amex’s FHR. It’s not easy finding a sub $500 USD per night hotel on The Edit. I travel to Asia a lot and Amex FHR has many more options for me, The Edit frequently just offers me one option and it’s very very expensive.