MileValue is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Note: Some of the offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer be available. You can view current offers here.


For a limited time, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus is offering with 50,000 bonus Arrival miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Arrival miles are perfect for covering cheap economy flights when miles aren’t worth spending, award taxes/fees, Airbnb’s, hotels, etc.
screen-shot-2016-12-14-at-1-14-50-pm

You’ll earn 56,000 Arrival miles after meeting the minimum spending requirement of $3,000 in three months for the sign up bonus (50K), as every dollar spent earns two Arrival miles. You can redeem the miles to offset any travel expense greater than $100 inside your Barclaycard account within 120 days of the purchase, like any flight (no blackouts). Here is How to Redeem Arrival Miles. 56,000 Arrival miles is worth $560 if you redeem on travel expenses.

Credit card links have been removed from posts and added to the menu bar at the top of every page of MileValue under the heading Top Travel Credit Cards.

For a little travel inspiration I’m going to tell you about some of my and my friends’ favorite boutique hotels and bed & breakfasts we’ve visited in South America. You can’t redeem hotel points at these places, so they’re exactly the kind of travel expense Arrival miles are convenient for. The cost per night of each place listed is for a standard room.

Abbey of Design

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-9-42-43-am

The Abbey of Design is probably my favorite bed & breakfast I’ve visited in South America. The combination of an unbeatably convenient location (smack dab between Ipanema and Copacabana), friendly host, large and delicious breakfast served in a quaint garden, and modern and beautiful interior design make for a perfect stay. You get all of that for cheap, especially considering your other options in the in the Ipanema and Copacabana area that are often crazy expensive.

You may be surprised when you arrive, as the entrance is along a crappy looking security wall winding around a cobble stone street at the top of a hill. But behind those doors is a little oasis that provides a great base from which to explore Rio de Janeiro.

Approximate cost per night: $120 or 12,000 Arrival Miles.

Casa San Blas

Cuzco, Peru

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-10-00-55-am

If you have any desire to see Machu Picchu, you’ll need to fly into to Cuzco. Cuzco is the gateway to the numerous beautiful Incan ruin filled villages in the Sacred Valley, and is worth spending time in itself as well–learn more in our series on traveling in Peru.

The Casa San Blas hotel situated in a central location in the historic neighborhood of Cuzco near many good restaurants and just a few blocks from Cuzco’s main plaza. I stayed in a multi-level room with a bed in the loft and downstairs mini kitchen/living area. The room had a great view of the surrounding mountains. The hotel was cozy, which is desirable in a place that gets chilly at night.

Approximate cost per night: $148 or 14,800 Arrival Miles.

Pousada Latina Arte

Taipú do Fora, Brazil

Pousada Latina Arte in Taipú do Fora

Pousada Latina Arte is a lovely bed and breakfast spitting distance from the gorgeous Taipú do Fora beach. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is owned by an Argentine man, Juan Pablo, who runs the place with his Brazilian wife Priscilla. They have done a marvelous job restoring the older building, and all the antiques and art give the place charm. The breakfast was fabulous as well with tons of fresh baked breads, fruits, and eggs made to order. The wifi worked pretty well which was a godsend in an area of nearly non-functioning internet.

Approximate cost per night: $75 or 7,500 Arrival Miles.

Casa de Coria

Chacras de Coria (Mendoza), Argentina

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-10-24-37-am

I love Mendoza. You can tour vineyards, tasting tons of world class wines, and leisurly lunch to your heart’s content one day, and hike or white water raft amongst the Andes mountains the following day. Chacras de Coria is a cute little town right outside of the city Mendoza that I recommend staying in if you’re visiting the area. The city of Mendoza itself isn’t much to write home about, and you’ll have to travel outside to get to the vineyards anyways. Chacras de Coria is near many vineyeards and much quainter than the city.

Casa de Coria is a great value play for the area and has a big pool and “parilla” (Argentine word for grill) where you can cook your own BBQ. The staff will give you all the pointers you need to make your stay in Mendoza perfect.

Approximate cost per night: $89 or 8,900 Arrival Miles.

Home Hotel

Buenos Aires, Argentina

screen-shot-2016-12-23-at-10-45-00-am

In general I recommend renting an Airbnb in Buenos Aires, especially for an extended stay. But sometimes treating yourself for a couple nights to the amenities that a boutique hotel provides is part of the fun. The Brunch at home hotel is well known, as well as their spa. The garden and pool are gorgeous and the design of the whole place aesthetically very pleasing.

Home Hotel is located in Palermo, close to tons of good restaurants, bars, clubs, and not too far from the majority of the cities’ parks.

Approximate cost per night: $260 or 26,000 Arrival Miles.

Bottom Line

I tend to stay in Airbnb’s in most places I go because when I travel, I want to feel like I’m living there, with my own kitchen to cook and space to work, etc. And Airbnb’s are often more economical. But occasionally local boutique hotels can be a better deal than renting an Airbnb, and it’s just nice to be taken care, fed breakfast, and cleaned up after. A good hotel staff can make all the difference when it comes to questions and tips as well. Arrival Miles from the Barclaycard Arrival Plus are great for covering the expense of boutique/bed and breakfast hotels that you can’t redeem hotel points for.

Have you stayed in any good (small) hotels in interesting places around the world that you’d like to share with us?