New Orleans doesn't need a lot of selling. It's enough to visit for the food: the real gumbo, the beignets at Café Du Monde at 2 AM, and the oysters at a dozen different places. The music, the city's architecture, and its overall atmosphere of its own quirky way of doing things add up to one of the most unique travel destinations in the country. And, as an added bonus, there is also an award stay in the middle of it all for a discounted price.

Virgin Red is offering a special 30% discount for award nights at Virgin Hotels New Orleans until September 30, 2026. As long as you've been thinking about taking a fall trip to the Crescent City, it's about time this is a pretty good excuse to do it.

The Discount Actually Seen

Virgin Hotels uses its loyalty program to offer its award stays, and the property in New Orleans offers the following promos based on the type of night you choose:

• Weeknights: 22,500 Virgin Points per night (down from 32,143 at the standard rate).
• Weekends: 32,500 Virgin Points per night at standard rates (down from 32,500 points at weekend rates).

That 30% discount is automatic and doesn't require a promo code or registration. The discount is included in the price until the end of the stay period and also if you are a member of Virgin Hotels' own loyalty scheme, The Know.

A few words on operationalities: stays must be reserved at least seven days before the arrival, cancellations are permissible up to 72 hours before arrival, and no changes in the reservation can be made directly but mentioned above cancellations can be made and rebooked when the dates need to be changed, as long as they are within the cancellation timeframe.

Who is Eligible and How to Book

They must be members of Virgin Hotels' loyalty programme, The Know, for the booking to happen. The upside is that Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club transfer at 1:1 ratio without a hassle and without any cost into The Know. So if you have points in any of those three interrelated programs, you can effortlessly transfer them to the correct position and use these reduced rates free from any friction.

Check the Virgin Hotels website, select Pay with Virgin Points and then book your desired dates in September. If eligible for the promotion, the promotional pricing should be displayed automatically.

Virgin Points are Available Everywhere

It's one of the more positive parts of the earning opportunity here that the broader earning environment. Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club are the hubs of a wide network of transfer partners, which means that points that you already have from many major credit card currencies can turn into Virgin Points in no time.

Some Amex cards, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Rove, Bilt and Wells Fargo cards are 1:1 programmes transferring points to Virgin Red or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. At least one or two of those are already in the account of most serious points collectors. The transfer only takes a few minutes, the points change immediately and you can book the same day.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is more of a starter card for those who wish to earn bonus points with regular card spending; it offers bonus points for travel, dining, gas, EV charging, and online grocery shopping, has an annual hotel credit, and transfers points to Virgin Atlantic at 1:1.

What Virgin Hotels New Orleans is Actually what it Really Sounds Like

The Virgin Hotels brand sits somewhere between boutique hotel and lifestyle brand, in a design-forward and personality-driven fashion. The properties have bold aesthetics, thoughtful common spaces and attention to detail that suggests that somebody actually put creative effort into the physical spaces as opposed to ticking boxes on a brand standards checklist.

The New Orleans site is fitting in a city where the desire for such aesthetic ambition is already rewarded. With the location and ambiance, it's an easy choice for those that prefer to stay in a place that reflects the spirit of its place, not a room that could be in any other location.

The hotel brand is similar in spirit to Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class cabin and the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse lounge: it's an excellent luxury experience without being stuffy, thoughtfully designed, and designed to make the trip truly enjoyable, not just tolerable.

The September Timing

The promotion is limited to stays up to September 30; that's not a long runway. But, September is actually a great time to visit New Orleans. The hot summer weather and humidity have started to slow down, the tourist crowds are not as dense as the winter or spring festival period, and much of New Orleans' restaurant and music scene is not affected by the calendar.

As it is a seven-day advance booking policy, you can book up to September 30 until September 23 at the latest, even if you are reading this late in the month, there may be some available nights left to book! The earlier availability is checked the better there is a limited amount of properties available and award nights are the first to sell before cash rates.

The Bottom Line

Virgin Red is extending its 30% September 2026 discount on award nights at Virgin Hotels New Orleans, which are 22,500 points for week nights and 32,500 points for weekend nights. There is no need to register or pay for a promo code all one needs is to be a member of The Know, Virgin Hotels' loyalty scheme, which will accept transfers from Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club 1:1. 

This is also available to many points collectors who hold points in any major flexible currency, through the broader transfer network of Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Rove Miles and Wells Fargo Rewards. Stays must be reserved at least 7 days in advance and cancellations up to 72 hours prior to check-in. If you're flexible on your travel dates and have some points to spend, it's an easy, hassle-free way to take a trip to one of the nation's most unique cities at a great price.