Quirk Hotel Richmond
I recently described my openness to still being surprised by the points and travel hobby, a quarter century or so after I started. Sure enough, something unexpected came along soon after. Last week, I redeemed Chase Ultimate Rewards points for an award other than cash back, something I’ve hardly ever done. That’s nothing special to many who routinely redeem these points for their particular travel needs and wants. But it’s definitely out of the ordinary for me, with pretty much any bank points. To this day, I generally stick to a cash back policy with those rewards currencies. I haven’t ever redeemed Amex Membership Rewards for travel. But the stars aligned for a quick Quirk Hotel Richmond stay using Ultimate Rewards points.
My Ultimate Rewards Redemption at the Quirk Hotel Richmond
Early Trip Planning
Despite my ongoing frustration with Chase and more specifically, the Sapphire Reserve, I’m back with the card for a few solid reasons. Among others, I covered my ticket to see The Strokes with the card’s StubHub benefit. I considered making it a long day/night trip, driving there and back with the show in between. But with plenty of “free” night angles available, I ultimately planned to crash at a TBD property in downtown Richmond after the show. But which?
I’m a big fan of Richmond, but I’ve found points hotels in downtown are just okay. I’ve stayed at the Hilton and spent time at the Marriott, but using hotel points or certs there felt a bit boring (not necessarily a bad thing). The Jefferson is a more attractive option, available via Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Choice/Preferred Hotels partnership. This was a bit more than I needed for such a short trip, though. I decided to consider options beyond my standard methods. Plus, I’d been curious about a certain hotel in downtown Richmond for years.
Just Before the Trip
A few days prior to the trip, I did something I hardly ever do – I cruised by the Chase travel portal to view hotel options. Quirk Hotel Richmond, a property that’s intrigued me I’ve just never gotten around to visiting, was available. More importantly, the standard rate and Points Boost angle were attractive.
Despite my initial enthusiasm early on, I gradually became more skeptical of Chase’s Points Boost feature. Chase touted the attractive return on points – up to 2.5 cents each! – at a portion of properties bookable via the bank’s travel portal. That may work for some people, but I knew by no means should I expect my travel wants and needs to align with such properties. I thought it may eventually, but it hadn’t up to this point. I’m generally not interested in allowing a bank to overly manipulate me to redeem a certain way. I figured that 2.5x Points Boost rate would eventually decrease. Shocker, it has.
But I found the Quirk available for an attractive-enough rate with solid Points Boost value, as well. The potential Sunday night stay came to just over $200, bookable with 11,236 Ultimate Rewards points – reflecting a 1.8 cents per point value via Points Boost. Putting this together with the less-inspiring 1.2 cents per point value I now obtain via Pay Yourself Back, the relatively-limited PYB options this quarter at gas stations/public transit, and the lackluster points hotel options in downtown Richmond, this unconventional-for-me booking via Chase Travel was a no-brainer.
I knew I was essentially paying $134.83 – the value I could obtain via the above PYB categories – for this stay. This was substantially cheaper than the $200-neighborhood rate available via Quirk’s official site. That deal was square-enough for me at a property I was curious about, anyway. But enough analysis – how was my trip?
Quirk Hotel Richmond Summary
After parking nearby (just $8 for 24 hours via Spot Hero before portal rewards), I walked a few blocks to the Quirk Hotel Richmond and arrived slightly prior to 3 pm – well before the property’s official 4 pm check-in time. My room was ready, and check-in was my quickest and simplest in recent memory. It was refreshing not being bogged down with elite nonsense to review or clarify with the front desk.
Quirk Hotel Richmond leans into the artsy at this boutique property only offering 73 rooms. My room sported high-ceilings, large windows, striking colors, and a distinctive design. The king-size bed was mighty comfy, facing the huge 70″ TV was mounted just above the desk. The bathroom faced one side of the bed, sporting a large opening to the shower and single vanity. I definitely enjoyed the unique feel of this room compared to the more sterile offerings from the standard Marriott and Hilton offerings nearby.
Leading up to the trip, I was intrigued to visit the rooftop bar at Quirk Hotel Richmond. Unfortunately, management preemptively closed it for the day due to afternoon showers. Instead, I grabbed a Pocahontas IPA at the lively lobby bar during happy hour. I enjoyed talking with fun-loving travelers also in town for the concert.  The adjacent kitchen was hopping, both then and when I passed by in the morning just before checkout. Service throughout my stay was satisfactory but nothing outstanding – perfectly fine, though, for this level of property.
Conclusion
I can foresee using the Chase travel portal again, but only when my personal circumstances, interests, and points redemptions logically stack together. That’s not saying much, of course, as I’ve hardly ever used it in my many years in the hobby. But I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll find some reliable value here for stays at properties beyond the big hotel loyalty programs. I’m still sticking to cashing out as my primary redemption option, but I’m more open now than ever to something else via the portal. Still, that seemingly small tweak is a noteworthy change in philosophy for me.
How has your Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption strategy recently changed?
