🇺🇸 Maximize points on trips in America(s)

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Good morning from Wuhan, China!

And before we get into the newsletter, I gotta say… Wuhan has been surprising in all the best ways. It’s beautiful, vibrant, fun, interesting, and I can’t recommend it enough if you get the chance to come here.

Okay, now let’s get into it:

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday
🏨 Double points on hotels in America(s)
😌 What I ACTUALLY used on my last trip
🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

🤓 Travel Trivia Tuesday

Which U.S. hotel has been operating continuously since before the country even existed?

🏨 Double points on hotels in America(s)

If you’ve got any summer travel planned in the Americas (a quick U.S. trip, a Mexico City weekend, or something a little more ambitious), I’ve got a promo worth paying attention to.

Accor Live Limitless is currently offering 2x points on stays across the Americas – everywhere from the U.S. and Canada to Panama or Brazil.

First, let me give you some quick context… because Accor works a little differently than most hotel programs.

Unlike Marriott or Hilton, where you’re earning a ton of points that are each worth a fraction of a cent, Accor points are fixed-value.

You redeem them at exactly €0.02 per point (~2.3 cents), which is way higher than most programs.

That’s why the earning rates look low on paper.

For example, at the base “Classic” level (no elite status), you’re earning:

25 points per €10 spent at most brands
Which comes out to roughly a 5% return on your spend

Not mind-blowing… until you double it with this promo.

Now, you’re effectively pushing closer to a 10% return, which is pretty solid, especially for hotel stays you were already planning to book.

Now layer in the part that makes this interesting: Accor’s brand mix.

They’ve got everything from luxury (Sofitel, Fairmont) all the way down to super affordable brands like ibis, Novotel, and Mercure.

So you’ve got two ways to play this:

Option 1: Go cheap and stack points

You book something like this Novotel in Mexico City for around $115 a night.

Nothing crazy, but a solid deal for a 4-star hotel in CDMX.

Now you’re earning double points on a relatively low spend, which makes this a good way to rack up value without blowing your budget.

Option 2: Lean into expensive stays

Let’s say you’re heading somewhere pricier like Montreal.

Montreal in the summer is going to be painful no matter where you stay, so while Accor’s hotels are expensive (like this luxurious renovated Sofitel), at least earning double points will take the edge off. 😅

A few key things you need to know before you get too excited:

You have to register for the offer before booking
Only bookings made after activation count
Stays must be at least 2 nights
Valid for stays between April 8 and September 8, 2026
You must book directly through Accor

How to rack up even MORE points

The best part of this deal is that since you’re paying cash, you can layer it and use a card that earns well on travel purchases to rack up even more points.

Here are a couple of recommendations:

This card for 3x UR points for general travel
This card for 4x UR points on direct hotel bookings
This card for 3x MR points on travel
This card for 3x ThankYou points on direct hotel bookings

Or… you could not pay cash at all

If spending money isn’t your thing, I get it – I’m the same way.

Thankfully, you could also just transfer points to Accor directly from Capital One miles, ThankYou Points, Bilt Rewards, or Rove Miles.

You won’t get any bonus points, but… It’s free. 🤷🏼‍♂️

The bottom line

This isn’t a life-changing promotion.

But if you already have travel planned in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, or elsewhere in the region, it’s a really easy way to squeeze extra value out of stays you were going to book anyway.

And if you’ve never really paid attention to Accor before… this summer is a good time to start. 😉

😌 What I ACTUALLY used on my last trip

Hello, friends. Alison here again to brag about my favorite travel tip. I got back from China recently, and there’s always a gap between what I pack… and what I actually use.

But one thing I used every single day (basically every SECOND of every day): Surfshark VPN.

Before the trip, Reddit told me that there was no single VPN solution that would work seamlessly, and they all had their own issues. But I went with Surfshark, because… duh, and it was flawless the entire trip!

Between hotel Wi-Fi, long train rides between cities, and logging into personal accounts from random spots, I had Surfshark on constantly. It kept my connection secure, and it helped me access the apps and sites I rely on without running into ANY issues.

A few things it came in clutch for:

Safely checking my bank balance on public Wi-Fi
Accessing everyday apps in a country where they’re usually restricted
Streaming shows on long travel days and in my hotel, where I couldn’t understand the TV shows

It also works on unlimited devices, which was so helpful when I switched from my phone to my iPad to my laptop. And it blocks ads and trackers, and takes like 10 seconds to set up.

Honestly, it’s one of those tools you don’t think about… until you travel without it.

👉 Go to surfshark.com/dailydrop or use code DAILYDROP at checkout to get 4 extra months free for your next trip!

🌎 Travel Trivia Reveal

A few minutes ago, we asked which hotel has been open longer than the United States itself…

If you chose the Beekman Arms & Delamater Inn, congratulations! 🎉

Located in Rhinebeck, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City, the Beekman Arms has been continuously operating since 1766 (a full decade before the Declaration of Independence was signed!).

The country didn't even exist yet, and this place was already checking guests in.

Known affectionately as "The Beek," the inn served as a resting place for Revolutionary War soldiers, and George Washington is said to have conducted drills on its front lawn.

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr also walked its halls, which means this hotel has hosted more drama than most reality TV shows.

Today, you can still stay in the original historic inn or the slightly younger Delamater Inn, a 19th-century addition to the property.

The tavern is still serving food. The floorboards still creak. It's genuinely that old.

And the timing couldn't be better to visit: The Beek is gearing up to celebrate its 260th anniversary alongside America's 250th birthday this Fourth of July.

A hotel that has been around for 260 years, throwing a party for a 250-year-old country, feels like the right energy. 🎆

👉 Read more about The Beek here.