Bits: £100 Amex Hotel Offer, Marriott Executive Apartments Improves, Al Bustan Closure
•February 18, 2026
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Companies Mentioned
Why It Matters
The cashback deal strengthens Lore Group’s partnership with Amex, driving incremental spend, while Marriott’s program tweaks boost member value and could lift occupancy. Al Bustan’s closure underscores intense competition in Oman’s luxury market, prompting capital investment to maintain relevance.
Key Takeaways
- •Lore Group offers £100 Amex cashback on £400 spend
- •Pre‑paid stays count if booked via official site or GHA
- •Marriott raises Executive Apartments points to 5 per $1
- •Elite night credits now earned per night, not per three
- •Al Bustan Palace in Muscat closes for extensive refurbishment
Pulse Analysis
The new American Express cashback offer from Lore Group is a strategic play to capture high‑spending travelers who prioritize flexible loyalty rewards. By allowing prepaid reservations—often excluded from similar promotions—to qualify, Lore taps into a broader booking segment, encouraging early revenue capture and reinforcing its brand presence in key markets such as London, Amsterdam, and New York. This approach aligns with a broader industry trend where hotel operators partner with premium card issuers to drive incremental spend and deepen guest engagement.
Marriott’s adjustment to the Bonvoy earnings structure for its Executive Apartments marks a corrective shift after years of under‑rewarding long‑stay guests. Elevating points from 2.5 to 5 per dollar and granting elite night credits on a nightly basis aligns the brand with other extended‑stay portfolios like Residence Inn, making it a more attractive option for business travelers and digital nomads seeking both comfort and status accrual. The change is likely to stimulate demand, especially in European cities where the brand has a modest footprint, and could improve overall program retention by offering clearer value propositions.
The announced closure of Al Bustan Palace, a flagship Ritz‑Carlton property in Muscat, signals a significant capital commitment amid a rapidly evolving luxury landscape in Oman. With new entrants such as Jumeirah Muscat Bay, St Regis Al Mouj, and an upcoming Waldorf Astoria, the property must modernize to remain competitive. Whether the refurbishment leads to a rebrand or a refreshed Ritz‑Carlton experience, the hiatus will temporarily reduce high‑end inventory in the region, potentially shifting affluent demand to rival resorts and prompting travel managers to reassess itineraries for Gulf‑bound corporate and leisure trips.
Bits: £100 Amex hotel offer, Marriott Executive Apartments improves, Al Bustan closure
News in brief:
Lore Group launches £100 American Express cashback
Lore Group, owner of upscale hotels in London, Amsterdam, New York and Washington, has launched an American Express cashback deal.
The participating hotels are:
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Sea Containers London
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One Hundred Shoreditch, London
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Pulitzer Amsterdam
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Hotel Park Avenue, New York
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Riggs DC, Washington
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Lyle DC, Washington
You will receive £100 cashback when you spend £400 by 30th March.
If targetted, the offer will appear in the offers section of the Amex app or website. Remember to check for each card you hold as each receives different promotions. You must opt-in before spending.
Unlike many Amex hotel deals, pre-paid stays do count as long as they are made via the official website or via Global Hotel Alliance. (Lore has confirmed with me that GHA-booked stays are OK.) ‘Pay on departure’ stays obviously count as well.
Cumulative spend is OK.
We reviewed Sea Containers here, image below. We reviewed One Hundred Shoreditch here.
Our overview of Global Hotel Alliance, which we published last weekend, is here. This promotion is a good way of achieving one of the three brands you need for top tier Titanium status.
Marriott Executive Apartments improves Bonvoy earning
Marriott has, very quietly, corrected one of the long-term anomalies of the Bonvoy programme – the poor treatment of guests at Marriott Executive Apartments.
Marriott Executive Apartments was previously the least rewarding Bonvoy brand, unless you count Bulgari Hotels which doesn’t earn anything!
Previously you received:
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2.5 Bonvoy points per $1 spent (most Marriott brands earn 10)
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1 Elite Night Credit per THREE nights stayed
This has now changed to:
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5 Bonvoy points per $1 spent (in line with other long stay brands like Residence Inn)
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1 Elite Night Credit per night stayed
The most important change is Elite Night Credits, with the rate tripling. Marriott Executive Apartments is now a decent option for Bonvoy members and most sites take short as well as long-term bookings.
In Europe, you will find Marriott Executive Apartments in:
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London (Canary Wharf)
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Antalya
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Brussels
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Budapest
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Istanbul x3
Al Bustan Palace to close
Speaking of Marriott, the flagship hotel in Oman – Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Muscat – appears to be closing for a lengthy refurbishment. Image above.
The Marriott website is not taking bookings beyond 30th June.
What is odd is that the hotel was closed in 2018/19 for refurbishment. It hadn’t been open long when I reviewed Al Bustan Palace in June 2019.
Throw in a presumably lengthy pandemic closure and the hotel should still be looking good. It is difficult to see why another closure should be required. That said, the competition in Muscat is now fierce (here’s my review of Jumeirah Muscat Bay, a St Regis recently opened and a conversion to a Waldorf Astoria is opening soon) and Al Bustan may be looking to step up.
(It is also possible that the hotel is leaving The Ritz-Carlton and rebranding, but unofficial comments on Flyertalk are that staff are saying it is for refurbishment.)
The hotel website is here. The closure is not mentioned but no rooms are available from July.
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