Velocity Points are a handy tool for booking reward flights around Australia and on international partner airlines. So why not make each holiday more rewarding by earning even more Velocity Points? It’s easier than you think, thanks to a large collection of hotel partners.
1. Earn Velocity Points directly with hotel partners
Velocity Frequent Flyer has partnered with a number of hotels and resorts in and outside Australia. If you book a qualifying rate directly with one of these partners, you’ll earn Velocity Points for your stay.
The normal rate for stays in Australia is three Velocity Points per dollar spent, while overseas properties will earn you from 600 points per stay. Participating brands include:
- Crown Hotels
- Hamilton Island resort
- TFE Hotels
- Accor
- IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Pan Pacific
- Langham Hospitality Group
- Next Story Group
- Shangri-La Hotels
- Virgin Limited Edition
To earn points, show your Velocity membership card during check-in or add your frequent flyer number to the hotel booking online or over the phone before your stay.
Note: For hotels that have their own loyalty program, such as Accor and IHG, earning Velocity Points will replace the points you’d normally earn in that hotel program.
2. Earn Velocity Points by booking a hotel online
As of 11 August 2022, Virgin Australia is now partnering with Rocket Travel instead of Expedia to offer Velocity Points on hotel bookings. Again, you’ll earn three Velocity Points per dollar spent on hotel bookings worldwide. Rocket Travel clearly shows you how many points you could be pocketing.
Prices are roughly comparable to what you can get through other third-party websites, though you may score a better deal with member rates if you book direct with the property.
Incidentally, you can also redeem Velocity Points for hotels via Rocket Travel. The $555 stay above can be redeemed with 92,500 Velocity Points. This gets you an abysmal value of 0.6 cents per point, which is far lower than what you can get with any flight reward seat redemption. We’d definitely recommend saving your points up for flights instead!
3. Earn Velocity Points by booking hotels through Agoda PointsMAX
Agoda PointsMAX is another online portal that offers bonus points. You can enjoy a solid earn rate of at least five Velocity Points per dollar spent. However, Agoda’s prices tend to be a bit higher than other competitors when you choose the PointsMAX option.
The Agoda price guarantee doesn’t apply to these bookings. Make sure you select Velocity Frequent Flyer as your preferred loyalty program. Then enter your membership number at the time of booking.
Read our experience of booking through Agoda PointsMAX.
4. Converting hotel points to Velocity Points
There’s one more way to earn Velocity Points on stays – but it’s a bit convoluted, and you don’t usually end up with a great return on your points. But here’s how it works.
You can stay with certain hotel loyalty chains and earn points in that program. When you reach a certain threshold, you can then convert those hotel points to Velocity Points.
- Accor Live Limitless: 1 ALL Points = 1 Velocity Point (minimum 4,000 pts)
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3 Marriott Points = 1 Velocity Point (minimum 3,000 pts)
- Hilton Honors: 10,000 Hilton Points = 1,500 Velocity Points (minimum 10,000 pts)
- IHG One Rewards: 10,000 IHG Points = 2,000 Velocity Points (minimum 10,000 pts)
- Choice Privileges: 2,000 Choice Privileges Points = 800 Velocity Points (minimum 2,000 pts)
- Shangri-La Circle: 1 Circle Point = 1 Velocity Point (minimum 1,000 pts)
Some transfers can be done online, but others have to be made over the phone (such as with IHG One Rewards). Learn more about the transfer process on the Velocity website.
Summing up
Earning Velocity Points from hotel stays isn’t hard. In fact, if you’re loyal to Velocity, you’d be silly not to try and book your hotel stays in a way to maximise your points.
There’s a large range of Velocity and hotel partners to take advantage of. However, as always, do your comparisons and sums to make sure you’re not missing out on a better cash deal by booking elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use your Velocity Points to pay for hotel stays. However, it offers very poor value. You can pay in full with your points, or you can use Points + Pay. A minimum of 4,000 points is required.
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Just went to the Expedia Velocity Portal, it doesn’t show 9 points per $ for me (still showing 3 point per $). Is the current triple points promo targeted?
Hi mrsrosec
This is definitely not a tailored promotion. I did a dummy search for hotels in Hobart and the 9 points per $ were showing up for me. Could I ask what your search criteria are to see if I can replicate the issue? Thanks.
If you can hold off to book between 15 September and 30 November 2017 (for stays even after that date), then you’ll earn triple Velocity points on your booking/s.
Where do you think I might be able to find more information about this statement in the article?
Here is the link!
Also worth considering is the fact that if you have a booking with Virgin flights there is a link on the bookings that gives you 8% off – this also works if you call them and quote your bookings reference – and yes you get bonus points for silver, gold & platinum members – we just booked for 2 hotels in Hawaii cheaper than on the hotel websites – they weren’t showing on the Holidays website but when I called they were very helpful and booked it on the spot and included the discount and logged the discount.
This article needs a further update – Agoda is no longer partnered with velocity to give any points.
Thanks! Yep, we’ve added that to the status box on this post.
My points claim through Vibe hotels claims was rejected by the hotel.
The reason ‘I did not pay for the hotel’
Booking is under my name and I am the one that stayed at the hotel.
It was booked through travel agent and paid directly via charge back
Anyone know if there is a rule that stipulate that I must pay for this myself?
Thanks
I’m pretty sure the Agoda/Velocity points earning no longer works. There is a small note on the Velocity website.
When logged into Agoda, the PointsMax Velocity option is still there, however, from when I tried it in April, it seems that I have received no points.
Do you know if the Virgin Australia hotel bookings count as purchases with Virgin Australia? To get the 3 points per dollar on my AMEX as well as the 3 points (or more depending on status). So for me would I get 7.5 points per $1? 3 from my AMEX, 3 for the booking and a bonus 1.5 for being a silver velocity member?
Kaligo’s value to velocity members (and what I use it for) is earning Singapore Krisflyer miles. I find singapore redemptions are the best use of velocity points and you can earn miles without the transfer penalty.
It should be noted that there is a status bonus for Virgin Australia holidays. It is 100% for Platinum, 75% for Gold and 50% for Silver
With Virgin Australia Holidays you can earn up to 6 Velocity points per dollar as long as you are Platimum.
Turns out the Agoda/Virgin agreement has been silently discontinued. The Agoda link above no longer works.
HI Keith, I already use my Agoda rewards for discounts on bookings with Agoda, there is no mention in either your report or Todd’s Intro to agoda Pointsmax as to whether these are dropped. Also the value comparison if you do infact lose the Agoda rewards option compared to Velocity for example. Hope this makes sense
You wouldn’t earn any other rewards or points like Agoda Rewards if you’re booking through PointsMax. Value comparison would depend on the hotel booked, number of points earned with a few different options – not to mention the non-Agoda option. It’s complex and would change from booking to booking. Not to say we won’t look at it though, I just haven’t thought through exactly how to represent and compare at this point.