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The Best Hotel Reward Programs

The Best Hotel Reward Programs are hotel loyalty plans that allow guests to earn outstanding benefits without having to spend extra cash. There are several hotel reward programs out there to choose from. We have compiled the best hotel rewards programs in this guide.

IHG

on IHG Rewards' website​

Over 6,000 hotels worldwide are involved.

Rewards nights have no blackout dates.

If you are a member of that airline’s frequent flyer program, you may earn points with more than 40 partner airlines.

Marriot Bonvoy

on Marriott Bonvoy's website​

Over 7,000 hotels are participating.

Properties in over 130 countries, including cities, beaches, small villages, and more.

Rewards may be used for hotel stays, flights, rental cars, cruises, and vacation packages.

World of Hyatt

on World of Hyatt's website​

Free nights in regular accommodations are available starting at 3,500 points each night.

For qualifying stays and flights, elite members of both American Airlines AAdvantage and World of Hyatt can accrue points and miles simultaneously.

Accrue and redeem points in hotels with a range of price points and styles.

Wyndham Rewards Logo e1671341903481

on Wyndham Rewards' website​

Free nights in regular accommodations are available starting at 3,500 points each night.

For qualifying stays and flights, elite members of both American Airlines AAdvantage and World of Hyatt can accrue points and miles simultaneously.

Accrue and redeem points in hotels with a range of price points and styles.

Hilton Honors

on Hilton Honors' website​

There are no blackout dates when using points to stay.

There are about 6,800 participating hotels and resorts globally.

All resort costs are waived for all reward nights booked with points.

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I. FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL CHOICES:
Best Hotel Reward Programs

There are two types of hotel reward point programs: those that require memberships or annual fees, and those that don’t charge anything at all. The latter type of program allows travelers to accumulate points from their stays and redeem them later on. They also offer co-branded hotel credit cards.

We have compiled a list of the top hotel reward websites that offer free membership. These sites include some of the biggest names in the travel industry, such as Hilton Honors, Marriott Rewards, IHG Rewards Club, Hyatt Gold Passport, Radisson Rewards, and Choice Privileges.

1. IHG Rewards Club

IHG Rewards Club is a loyalty program offered by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). The program allows members to earn points from their stays at participating hotels. Points can then be redeemed for free nights or other benefits.

IHG Rewards Club has over 100 million members worldwide. Members can redeem points for thousands of hotel stays, vacation packages, gift cards, merchandise, airline tickets, hotel-specific perks, and much more.

Features

  • Earn sign-up bonus points
  • Earn points for reward nights and more
  • No blackout dates for reward hotel nights
  • Points don’t expire
  • Rollover nights for next year’s status
  • Member rates
  • Member promotions
  • Reward hotel nights discounts
  • Dedicated diamond support
  • Free internet
  • Guaranteed room availability
  • Complimentary upgrades (subject to availability)
  • Welcome amenity at Check-In
  • Early Check-In (subject to availability)
  • Late Check-Out (subject to availability)

2. Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy has grown into a global hotel chain with over 6,500 hotels across six continents. They offer accommodation at affordable rates, and their loyalty program allows members to earn points and redeem them for free stays or upgrades.

Marriott Bonvoy‘s travel loyalty program offers its members rewards such as discounts, free nights, and other benefits. Members can also earn bonus points through activities such as booking travel reservations, dining out, shopping and staying in certain types of accommodations.

Features:

  • Ultimate reservation guarantee
  • Earn sign-up bonus points
  • Late checkout
  • In-hotel welcome gift
  • Enhanced room upgrade
  • Dedicated hotel elite support
  • Lounge access
  • Annual choice benefit

3. World of Hyatt

There are four tiers of membership in the World of Hyatt program: Member, Discoverist, Explorist, and Globalist. The more frequently you stay at Hyatt, the faster you move up the membership ladder. Points can be redeemed for a free night in any available qualifying room at any membership level.

Every member is also eligible for the Milestone Rewards program. This program, which is distinct from elite status, lets you receive various incentives after staying a particular number of qualifying nights or earning a certain amount of base points. The number of nights visited (starting at 20) or essential points received determines the reward (beginning at 35,000). Among the benefits are accommodation upgrades and free night awards, among other things. This program is based on the number of stays and points acquired every calendar year.

Features

Member Benefits include:

  • Ability to earn sign-up bonus points
  • Free nights
  • Free amenities
  • Member discounts

Discover Benefits include:

  • Ability to earn and use points
  • Free nights
  • Free room upgrades
  • Priority check-in/out
  • Free amenities
  • Member discounts

Explorist Benefits include:

  • Ability to earn and use points
  • Free nights
  • Free room upgrades
  • Priority check-in/out
  • Free amenities
  • Member discounts

Globalist Benefits include:

  • Ability to earn and use points
  • Free nights
  • Free room upgrades
  • Priority check-in/out
  • Free amenities

4. Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards is a loyalty program offered by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The program allows members to earn points for staying at participating hotels and resorts worldwide. Points can then be redeemed for free stays or upgrades.

Wyndham Rewards was launched in 2010 and has grown into a global brand. In 2017 alone, Wyndham Rewards had over 2 million members who stayed at more than 500 partner hotels across 40 countries.

With over 2 million members, Wyndham Rewards is now the world’s most extensive hotel rewards program. Members can redeem their points for free stays or upgrades at select hotels and resorts around the globe.

Features

  • Earn sign-up bonus points
  • Enjoy savings on the best available rates at nearly 8,000 Wyndham Rewards Hotels worldwide
  • Earn 10 points per dollar or 1,000 points, whichever is more
  • Free award nights
  • Rollover nights never expire
  • Free WiFi
  • Dedicated member services

5. Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors members enjoy great benefits at over 4,500 hotels worldwide. If you haven’t joined yet, now’s the time. Hilton Honors is part of Hilton Worldwide, the leading global hospitality company. The program offers travelers the opportunity to earn points through stays, dining, shopping, and other activities. Members also receive exclusive perks such as free nights, upgrades, gift cards, and more.

There are two ways to join Hilton Honors: either by paying full price or earning rewards. For those who want to pay less upfront, joining Hilton Honors is a smart move. Earn enough points and you’ll qualify for free nights, upgrades, and even cash back.

Features

  • Hilton Honors exclusive rates guaranteed
  • As a Hilton Honors Member, you will receive unique pricing when booking on Hilton.com or their app
  • Earn points for free nights, travel partners, and other benefits
  • Earn points with every stay
  • Digital Check-in
  • Digital Check-out
  • Select your room
  • Digital Key
  • Wireless internet access
  • Hilton Honors Business Card

II. Other Resources

1. What are Hotel Reward Programs?

A hotel rewards program is a loyalty points system designed for major hotel chains or resorts for customer engagement with their frequent visitors. When you join a hotel rewards program, each time you book a stay at a participating hotel, you will accrue hotel points and other elite status benefits. These ultimate rewards can be redeemed for reduced or free nights on future stays.

2. About Hotel Reward Programs 

You may earn hotel brand points and other additional perks in a variety of methods, but the most prevalent include staying in hotels and spending on the correct credit cards with excellent sign-up bonuses and hotel rewards credit cards.

Hotel reward points sites are a great way to earn rewards for your hotel stays. You can earn points for stays at a variety of hotels, including popular brands like Marriott, Hilton, and Starwood. You can also earn points for activities like booking a room through the hotel’s website or using the hotel’s loyalty program. The points you earn can be used for free nights at a hotel, upgrades, or other perks.

3. How Hotel Reward Programs Work

Hotel reward points are loyalty programs. They are a fantastic method to cut costs on your upcoming hotel stay. For each dollar you spend on a hotel room, you may get points by creating a free account. These points can be used for future visits and can be exchanged for discounts, free nights, accommodation upgrades, meal discounts, and other benefits. Additionally, when you utilize a hotel rewards points website, you may frequently get exclusive offers, airline miles, and discounts on hotel rooms.

4. How To Choose a Hotel Reward Program 

When it comes to choosing a hotel rewards points site, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that the site is legitimate. There are sites out there that will promise you free hotel stays and then will end up charging you for them. You need to be careful of these types of sites.

The second thing that you need to do is to make sure that the site is easy to use. There are a lot of sites out there that are very complicated and hard to navigate. You want to be able to easily find the information that you are looking for and to be able to book your hotel stay without any problems.

The third thing that you need to do is to make sure that the site offers a good selection of hotel rewards points. There are a lot of sites out there that only offer a few hotel reward points. You want to be able to choose

III. Pros & Cons of Using Hotel Reward Programs

There are many different ways to earn hotel rewards points, but one of the most popular is through hotel rewards points sites. These are websites that allow you to earn points by staying at certain hotels, using certain credit cards, or even shopping through their site. While there are some great benefits to using these types of sites, there are also some drawbacks that you should be aware of before you decide to use one.

Pros of hotel reward programs

  1. You can often earn points much faster than you would by simply staying at a hotel.
  2. You can use your points to book free nights at many different hotels, or even get other rewards like free flights or upgrades.
  3. You can often find deals on hotels and travel that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.

Cons of hotel reward programs

  1. You usually have to book your hotel through the site in order to earn points, which means you might not always get the best deal.

IV. Other Hotel Reward Programs to Consider

Every traveler benefits differently from different hotel loyalty programs. While some programs promote accumulating points for free nights and give members more freedom, others place more emphasis on exclusive benefits for members, including free Wi-Fi or minibar credits.

We have identified 15 of the most well-known hotel loyalty programs. Check out our list of the Best Hotel Rewards before signing up for a hotel loyalty club.

 

Hotel Brand
Earn Points On
Use Points On
Hotels in Network
Learn More
Accor Live Limitless
  • Hotel Stays
  • Plane Travel
  • Hotels Booking
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000
Best Western Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking 
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000
Choice Privileges
  • Hotel Stays
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking 
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000
Hilton Honors
  • Hotel Stays
  • Air Travel
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000
on Hilton Honors' Site
IHG One Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking 
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000
on IHG Rewards Club's Site
INVITED

Small Luxury Hotels

  • Hotel Stays
  • Hotels Booking 
Less than 1,000
on Invited's Site
I Prefer Hotel Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Hotels Booking 
Less than 1,000
Leaders Club
  • Hotel Stays
  • Hotels Booking 
Less than 500
on Leaders Club's Site
Marriott Bonvoy
  • Hotel Stays
  • Plane Travel
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking
  • Plane Travel
  • Room Upgrades
More than 4,000
on Marriott Bonvoy's Site
Omni Select Guest
  • Hotel Stays
  • Booking Hotels
Less than 100
Radisson Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Booking Hotels
  • Plane Travel
  • Room Upgrades
Less than 4,000
Sonesta Travel Pass
  • Hotel Stays
  • Credit Card
  • Hotels Booking
Less than 500
Stash Hotel Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Booking Hotels
Less than 4,000
World of Hyatt
  • Hotel Stays
  • Plane Travel
  • Credit Cards
  • Hotels Booking
  • Plane Travel
  • Room Upgrades
Less than 4,000
on World of Hyatt's Site
Wyndham Rewards
  • Hotel Stays
  • Credit Cards
  • Booking Hotels
  • Plane Travel
More than 4,000

V. Making The Most of Hotel Reward Programs

Using your hotel points to their full potential might result in a more luxurious overnight stay on your next journey.

Co-branded hotel credit cards provide points that may be used for stays at a number of properties within the portfolio of a certain hotel chain. Meanwhile, generic travel credit cards allow you to stay at various hotels.

  • Select the appropriate card
  • Examine reward transfer percentages and travel websites
  • Use free nights and other hotel promotions
  • Be flexible with your trip dates and accommodations
  • Don’t throw away your points!

1. About Hotel Credit Cards

Earning points for your hotel stays with hotel credit cards may be quite beneficial. You may accrue points or miles through a number of hotel loyalty programs, which you can then use to book free or deeply discounted hotel stays. A hotel credit card might be a wonderful method to earn points and extra perks if you stay at hotels regularly.

When selecting a hotel credit card, take into account the following:

  • If you are a regular traveler a hotel credit card can be a terrific method for you to accumulate points for your travels and save hundreds of dollars.
  • Before applying for a card, think about the hotel program you belong to as many hotel credit cards are associated with that business.
  • Some hotel credit cards provide miles or points that may be used for free or reduced hotel stays, while others provide additional benefits like free upgrades, free breakfast, or late checkout.
  • Check the annual percentage rate and yearly fees.

2. Outstanding Hotel Credit Cards

Loyal customers can earn rewards with card benefits in the form of air miles, hotel points, transferrable points, 5X membership rewards, 10X miles, or cash back. Numerous travel cards furthermore provide special advantages like annual statement credits, trip insurance, and additional perks.

  • American Express Platinum Card®
  • Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
  • Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
  • Citi Premier® Card
  • Citibank ThankYou Premier Credit Card
  • Discover it® Miles
  • Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
  • Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Credit Card

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VI. Frequently Asked Questions

1 What is the best hotel rewards program? There are different hotel rewards programs out there with great offers, so it can take time to determine which one is the best. However, there are a few things you can look for to help you make your decision.

First, consider what type of traveler you are. If you stay in hotels often for business travel, you’ll want to look for a program that offers rewards for business travelers. Alternatively, if you’re a leisure traveler who stays in hotels mostly for vacation, you’ll want to look for a program that offers rewards for leisure travelers.

Second, consider what type of rewards you’re looking for. Some programs offer points that can be redeemed for free hotel stays, while others offer discounts on hotel stays or other perks such as free upgrades.

Finally, consider the program’s terms and conditions. Some programs may have blackout dates or other restrictions that you’ll want to be aware of before you sign up.

Once you’ve considered these factors, you should be able to narrow down your list and select the best loyalty program for you.

2. How to get hotel reward points? The majority of your points will often be earned while making purchases directly from the hotel chain, but you may also accumulate points by making regular expenditures like everyday purchases such as food, gas stations, entertainment, and more. In addition, you may receive a welcome welcome bonus when sign-up for hotel credit cards.

3. How to use hotel reward points? Choose the reward night(s) you wish to use, then add them to your reservation. Along with any applicable taxes and fees, the total cost of your reservation will include your reward night discount.

4. How much are hotel reward points worth? On average, 25,000 travel points are worth $250; however, the value varies based on the card’s rewards program and the manner of redemption. For instance, 25,000 Bank of America Travel Rewards points is worth $250, or one penny per point, when used to book travel.

5. How to book a hotel with reward points? You can save on travel expenses by using points to book hotel stays, and it’s also a fantastic method to remain under your spending limit. For instance: When you book a hotel using points from hotel loyalty programs, the hotel or resort fees may be waived.

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