Checking-In to the Sonesta World Mastercard® Card
The Sonesta World Mastercard® is a hotel rewards credit card from Bank of America. Sonesta and its four brands operate over 80 properties in seven countries across the globe. The Sonesta World Mastercard® earns triple points with eligible Sonesta stays; double points on eligible airfare, car rentals, and gas station purchases; and one point per dollar spent on everything else. New account holders can also benefit from up 95,000 bonus points when they meet minimum spend requirements in their first year of membership. The card features an annual fee of $75, but this fee is waived for the first year.
How it Works
Earning Points:
- Earn Points with Sonesta Stays: Cardholders earn triple points (3 points for every dollar spent) on eligible Sonesta purchases.
- Earn Points When Traveling: Cardholders earn double points (2 points for every dollar spent) on eligible airfare purchases, car rental bookings, or dining purchases.
- Earn with Everything Else: Cardholders earn a single point per dollar for all other purchases made with their card.
Redeeming Points:
- Hotel Stays: Sonesta Travel Pass points are redeemable for stays at eligible Sonesta hotels, with free nights starting as low as 15,000 points. Available hotels where redemptions begin at 15,000 points include:
- Sonesta ES Suites Birmingham
- Sonesta ES Suites Montgomery
- Sonesta ES Jacksonville
- Sonesta Dosasdas Del Inca (Puno & Miraflores)
- Sonesta Hotel Guayaquil
- Sonesta Hotel Loja
- Sonesta Hotel Pereira
- Sonesta Hotel Barranquilla
- Sonesta Hotel Valledupar
- Sonesta Hotel Bogota
- Sonesta Hotel Bucaramanga
- Sonesta Hotel Ibague
- Points Restrictions: Sonesta Travel Pass points never expire, and there are no blackout dates.
Today’s Bonus Offer
New cardholders earn up to 95,000 bonus points when they make eligible purchases. Cardholders earn 60,000 points when they make just $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days, as well as 5,000 additional points after adding another authorized user to the account within the first 90 days. Cardholders also receive 30,000 bonus points on their account anniversary when they make at least $7,500 in purchases each year.
Getting Under the Sheets with the Sonesta World Mastercard®
- Annual Fee: The Sonesta World Mastercard® features no annual fee for the first year, followed by an annual fee of $75 for each year after that. For those that frequently travel abroad, this fee is relatively modest, especially given no foreign transaction fees.
Hotel Perks:
- Complimentary Elite Status: Sonesta World Mastercard® cardmembers receive instant Sonesta Travel Pass Elite membership status, which is usually reserved for those who book at least 12 qualified night stays per year. Elite status entitles members to complimentary Wi-Fi, 5% off travel across the many worldwide locations, express check-in and check-out, member-only offers, priority self-parking, complimentary room upgrades, and more. Elite members also receive a 15% discount on dining and resort amenities.
Cardholder Protections:
- Fraud Protection: Cardholders have complete protection from any fraudulent or unauthorized purchases made on their account.
- FICO Score: Cardholders receive complimentary access to their FICO Score every month.
- Account Alerts: Cardholders can stay on top of their account with email and text account alerts reminding them when payments are due.
- Digital Wallet Technology: Cardholders can use their Sonesta World Mastercard® to shop in-store or in-app using Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, or Samsung Pay.
“Suite” Perks That Make the Sonesta World Mastercard® Worthwhile:
- Initial Bonus Offer: Cardholders can earn up to 95,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points if they meet purchasing thresholds within the first year of membership. As Tier 1 Sonesta Travel Pass reward stays start as low as 15,000 points, 95,000 points equate to up to six complimentary nights at Sonesta properties.
- Complimentary Elite Status: The perk of automatic Sonesta Travel Pass Elite status is another great feature of the Sonesta World Mastercard®. Elite status entitles members to an impressive array of benefits, including express check-in and check-out, member-only offers, priority self-parking, complimentary room upgrades, a 15% discount on purchases at Sonesta, and more.
“Reservations” About the Sonesta World Mastercard®:
- None, really: While the Sonesta World Mastercard® lacks free annual stays, the addition of Elite status more than makes up for this shortcoming. Additionally, while the card doesn’t have the features of many other hotel cards, it also lacks their high annual fee.
Time to Check-Out
Sonesta Hotels are renowned for providing excellent service and amenities for their discerning clientele worldwide, and the Sonesta World Mastercard from Bank of America is no different. The card offers Sonesta Travel Pass Elite Member status (featuring complimentary room upgrades, free club lounge access or daily continental breakfast), 60,000 bonus points after an initial $1,000 spend over the first three months and no annual fee for the first year (with a $75 fee after that). The volume of bonus points on offer makes it a very good option when compared to other cards, which usually require a much larger initial spend in exchange for fewer points.
Beyond the perk of the initial sign up bonus of instant Elite Member Status, cardholders can earn up to 30,000 points as an anniversary bonus, provided they spend at least $7,500 on purchases each year. Additionally, adding an authorized user within the first 90 days of opening an account brings an extra 5,000 reward points. These accumulated points may be used for stays at Sonesta hotels, with as little as 15,000 points required for a complimentary stay.
While the Sonesta World Mastercard® isn’t the most impressive hotel rewards credit card, it is still a very good credit card for the price – and for frequent Sonesta Hotel customers, the Elite status and points-earning potential are too good to pass up.
Editorial Disclosure — The opinions expressed on HotelCards’ reviews, blogs, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author. They are not reflective of any card issuer or financial institution and have not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless otherwise noted. Further, HotelCards lists credit card offers that are updated daily with information believed to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.