You may be loyal to a particular airline (and its loyalty program) because you prefer the in-flight experience or because that airline has the best flight options from where you are. living.
Loyalty program is different. There are often properties at various price points from every major hotel group in the city. So it’s unlikely you’ll be as loyal to a hotel conglomerate as it is to an airline that operates all of your flights from your local airport.
Airlines may partner with a number of different programs, but hotels are often only members of one hotel group. So you may prefer a more specific loyalty program as it allows you to earn and redeem points at your favorite hotel brand.
There are several major loyalty programs globally, each with thousands of hotels in dozens of countries. Here are some of the top shows:
You can join many loyalty programs. However, if you want to focus on a hospitality program — perhaps to earn a higher level the hotel’s elite status or create a great hotel points balance — here are our tips to help you choose the best option.
Related: Best hotel credit card
Hotel you want to stay in
This may seem obvious, but there’s no point in choosing a program — no matter how good — if you don’t want to preserve its properties. For example, if your favorite Hyatt brand but i don’t like it the most Marriott brandchoose to use Marriott Bonvoy program won’t make sense even if you find it easy won Marriott Bonvoy status.
With that said, most of the major hotel groups have many different brands. So even if you don’t like one brand in the loyalty program, other brands may surprise you.
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Consider how the show’s brands fit your travel needs. For example, you might want a program that offers the following options:
- Cheap and cheerful brands adhere to corporate travel restrictions.
- Premium brands where you can get superior value from the rewards you’ve earned at cheaper brands.
Related: Can version survive without its original creative force? Marriott thinks so
Properties at the destinations you want to visit
To maximize the value of a hotel’s loyalty program, you’ll probably want to stay at their hotel for most of your trip. In big cities like New York City And Londonthere are many properties from each main program.
On the other hand, when looking at an area like Scandinavia, you might have a hard time finding Hyatt’s World property but see a lot Radisson Reward property. So, if you travel extensively to Scandinavia, visit various Scandinavian destinations, and want to earn hotel points in one program, you may want to choose Radisson Rewards over World of Hyatt.
Marriott Bonvoy has more hotels worldwide than any other hotel group. Much Marriott Hotel are in the US and you’ll usually find a Marriott option in every major city. Meanwhile, Accor has the most properties in Europe and Hilton is very strong in the UK
So consider whether a program attributes to the destinations you tend to travel to and the destinations where you are saving points for visiting. For example, if redemption in your dream is in Seychellesmake sure the program you’re considering has a compelling attribute there.
Related: The 19 best Hilton hotels in the world
Program benefits you will use
If you travel frequently for business, you may want to focus on a loyalty program that offers free breakfast, room upgrades, and late check-out. If you’re primarily traveling for pleasure, you might want to prioritize membership discounts or prize pools.
Consider the benefits you value and choose a plan that offers these perks to elite members at the level you are likely to earn and maintain. For example, some TPG employees place significant value in a Guaranteed late check-out at 4pm or the ability to get a free Wednesday or Thursday nights for award stays.
Make sure you understand how you will receive benefits before choosing a loyalty program. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Premium Breakfast Benefits uncomfortably complicated. And Hilton Honors Elite Breakfast Benefits varies depending on the brand and whether you’re located in the US
Related: Compare the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
Consider how you will earn and redeem gifts
There is no perfect loyalty program — each has its pros and cons and will appeal to different types of travelers. Do your best to understand how monetization and redemption works before embarking on a particular program.
On the earnings front, some plans offer a flat rate per stay, while others offer points based on the amount spent on room rates or other hotel expenses. Many programs offer bonus points to elite members. It’s also worth considering whether to add a co-brand hotel credit card to your wallet for extra perks and bonus points when you pay for stays with the program’s brands.
In terms of redemption, consider whether the program uses dynamic pricing or an award chart. Also, consider whether you need pay resort fee about the length of time the prize is saved and whether it is received free Wednesday or Thursday nights for award stays ability.
Related: 8 mistakes to avoid when redeeming hotel points
Set goals for your hospitality program
One of the most fun parts of investing time and spending in any loyalty program is planning to use the benefits and rewards for something of real value.
For example, if you travel often, you may want to earn hotel elite status as quickly as possible to enjoy perks like late check-out, room upgrades, and free breakfast. Or, you can keep an eye on an aspirational redemption like a Overwater Villas in the Maldives for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
No matter how big or small your goals are, it’s important to consider them before joining a loyalty program. The more specific your goal, the better. Your goal could be as simple as wanting to stay in a cheap apartment at least once. Or your goal could be as detailed as wanting to secure an upgrade to an overwater villa in the Maldives when booking a lower tier room entirely by points.
Related: 8 tips to help you upgrade your hotel room for free
How to choose a hotel loyalty program
Start by looking at the hotel brands you like and whether their programs have assets in the destinations you plan to visit. If you still have a few programs to choose from, it’s time to look at the finer details of each to help you decide. This is where the goals you set come into play.
If one of your goals is to quickly land the elite spot of a high-end hotel, see how many nights it takes and whether it’s worth it. Credit cards can help you get to status faster. For example, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status typically requires 50 nights per year, but you can get it as a free perk of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Others Marriott Bonvoy credit card also offers elite night credit each year which can help you earned Marriott Bonvoy status.
If you have a lot of transferable points, you should also consider whether you want to transfer your points to book award nights. For example, many travelers find good value when transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt – especially since Hyatt still uses the award chart. So, Chase cardholders who enjoy the Ultimate Rewards program may want to make World of Hyatt their loyalty program.
Look at Valuation of TPG to see how we rate different points and miles. After all, not all hotel points are of equal value. So don’t assume that a Hyatt hotel that costs 35,000 points per night is inferior to a Hilton hotel that costs 40,000 points – it could be the opposite.
Related: 5 Easy Ways to Maximize Hyatt Rewards Redemption
bottom line
No loyalty program is perfect for every traveler. So it’s best to consider your travel preferences and what’s most important.
Consider Marriott Bonvoy if you want a wide selection of global properties. If you want great benefits for elite status, consider earning The State of Globalization of Hyatt World. And if you want to get free elite status just by having one hotel credit cardconsider the Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy Rewards or Wyndham Rewards.
