My BlackSmith membership from Mr & Mrs Smith is quite possibly the most useful membership card that I have ever owned.If you’re not familiar with Mr & Mrs Smith, then let me introduce you; it’s a luxury and boutique hotel website with a handpicked selection of properties around the world, each and every hotel having been rigorously reviewed by the mysterious Mr and Mrs Smith to ensure that it’s up to their exacting standards.

I have been using Mr and Mrs Smith to book my hotels for years now and I have always been wowed by the places that I have stayed. I’m notoriously picky about my hotels; they need to be utterly luxurious but not ‘stuffy’, well-located but not noisy, and have something a little je ne sais quoi about them, something special and exclusive. My best ‘finds’ through Mr & Mrs Smith to date have been a tiny B&B in the south of France in a farming hamlet that served Verbena tea at breakfast time, the ultra-sleek and sexy Aviator hotel in Farnborough and a to-cool-for-school Barcelona crash-pad. There are rooms for (nearly) all budgets on Mr & Mrs Smith, although the keyword is undoubtedly ‘luxury’ and not ‘budget’! There are often great 2-for-1 offers that make expensive hotels suddenly more affordable and I keep an eagle-eye out for these, but there are also more wallet-friendly properties in the ‘Budget Boutique’ range that offer luxury-for-less.

Anyway, I’ve gone a little off-piste raving about the hotels, when what I really wanted to rave about was my Blacksmith membership. It’s the entry-level membership (there’s also Silversmith and Goldsmith) in a scheme that not only allows access to unbelievable discounts and offers but acts as a reward scheme, earning you hard cash back on each and every booking. Off the top of my head, the discounts that I get with my Blacksmith membership are: 20% off Myla Lingerie, 10% discount on anything bought at Liberty, 10% off REN, Oskia, l’Occitane, Aromatherapy Associates, Cowshed… There are so many, and new partners are constantly added with discounts on travel, fashion, luggage and grooming. If that wasn’t enough of an incentive to take up membership, get this: every time you book as a BlackSmith member, you get some kind of gift or freebie at the hotel you’re staying with! So far, I’ve had a few free bottles of champagne, Chocolate Martinis for two, a room upgrade, chocolate strawberries, a l’Occitane gift set and a cheese board with bottle of red wine. These lovely little touches make your stay feel very special and exclusive, but for me, the beauty is in the fact that they are totally free!

BlackSmith membership costs £20 per year, which must make it the best value-for-money luxury members club in the world! I make my membership cost back just in one shopping spree at Myla, but I also collect quite a bit of ‘cashback’ in my Smith Vault over the course of the year, which I redeem against my hotel bookings. If you frequently book expensive hotels for business then it’s definitely worth looking at how much you’d make back in your ‘Vault’ through the BlackSmith membership.

SilverSmith membership offers enhanced discounts and perks for £150 per year (think 20% off at Liberty, 30% Myla, 70%-cheaper late-deals) and Goldsmith (£400 per year) is the ultimate accessory for luxury travel wih access to a full concierge service, automatic room upgrades and 5% back on every booking made to go into the infamous Vault.

I can’t recommend BlackSmith enough – I make back my membership fee a few times over without even booking a hotel! If you’re into nice weekends away, then you’ll find this card invaluable. Take a little wander about on Mr & Mrs Smith and see what takes your fancy!

BlackSmith is just £20 per year from Mr & Mrs Smith.