en de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en te en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ja en en en en de ru de en en en en en en en en en en ceb en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fa en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.
Like airline frequent flyer programs, hotel loyalty programs are designed to keep you coming back, selecting their properties over another. If you’re savvy, you can end up with some pretty serious benefits.
Before we look into how to best take advantage of hotel loyalty programs, let’s explore why you would both in the first place. Here are some great perks of showing your favorite hotel chain some love.
Yup. The best benefit is the most obvious. When you accumulate enough points for staying nights at a hotel, you can cash them in for free nights. Don’t forget that nights accrue across the entire hotel chain (e.g. a stay in a Courtyard Marriott earns you points toward a free night in the Ritz Carlton).
Besides cashing in loyalty points for free nights, you can also spend them to upgrade a regular room to a deluxe one or a suite. These bumps may also be afforded you because of a higher level of status within the loyalty program, meaning you won’t have to cash in any points.
TIP: Always ask at the front desk when you check in.
Free Perks (e.g. Valet, Wifi)
At higher levels of status, many hotel loyalty programs offer you benefits such as valet, wifi, or complimentary breakfast that other guests have to pay extra for.
Before we go any further, don’t forget to actually join the loyalty program. Most are completely free, but if you’re not logging nights through your number, you’re not accumulating status toward benefits.
Just as with frequent flier benefits, it is to your advantage not to spread the love. Focus your loyalty on one hotel chain and begin moving up the ranks. It is generally easier to do this if you choose a large, worldwide chain with many concepts, such as Hilton or Marriott.
Book within a Hotel Group
Pay attention to what concepts are owned by the same parent company as these often allow you to share benefits between them. Some may be obvious by the name alone, but others (like Wyndham, which owns Ramada and Days Inn) take some quick research.
Book a Series of Nights
Some hotel chains give you quick benefits if you book a series of nights. For instance, ‘Book 4 Nights and the 5th is Free’.
Pay close attention to the hotel policy when it comes to changing nights or canceling your stay. If you’re not careful, you could spend points on the wrong night and be unable to obtain a refund. It’s a mistake not to take bookings made with these accumulated points as seriously as you would a cash transaction.
Just like the airlines, many hotel chains have partnered with credit card companies to produce brand-specific versions of the credit cards themselves (e.g. Hilton American Express). The benefits can range from a large number of loyalty points upon application to multiplied points when you pay for travel using the card. If you want to maximize the benefits of booking lodging, check out the best credit cards for travel miles.
Best Hotel Chains for Benefits
When it comes to the loyalty programs, not all hotel chains are created equal. Here are a few of the top contenders when it comes to hotel points, perks, and possibilities.
Ranging in price from Days Inn to Wyndham Resorts, Wyndham is the largest hotel chain in the world. Wyndham properties span 15 brands, 66 countries, and 8,000 locations. All of these properties are an opportunity to earn and spend loyalty points, which is a large factor in this program’s appeal. It also has a relatively low threshold (15,000 points) to qualify for a free night.
Compared to other top contenders, Hyatt is a comparatively small hotel chain. What it lacks in units, it makes up for in high-end charm with 6% of its properties qualifying as luxury hotels. In keeping with this image, Hyatt offers extremely appealing benefits (such as suite upgrades) to its elite status members. Be aware that they recently changed their award chart.
Hilton is one of the most widely recognized names in the world and for good reason. There are Hilton properties in over 100 countries. Besides this appealing geographic spread, Hilton also has unique loyalty benefits like family sharing plans and very strong relationships with its credit card sponsors.
The Bottom Line Regarding Hotel Points
A big takeaway from this article should be to start thinking of hospitality status like actual currency. If it replaces real dollars that you can now spend on something else, what’s the difference?
Whether your goal is to accumulate free nights to travel on a shoestring budget or rack up status to stay like royalty, paying attention to the nuances of hotel loyalty programs and hotel points can get you there.
Do hotel points expire?
Yes. However, for most hotel chains, points expire due to periods of inactivity. Although not always the case, you can often prevent points from expiring by earning or redeeming points within a 12, 18, or 24-month period.
Can I use hotel points to dine at the hotel restaurant?
Maybe. Some of this depends on whether or not the hotel owns the restaurant or has an existing arrangement. It never hurts to ask (in advance)!
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Required fields are marked *
OUR FAVORITE PARTNER CARDS
80,000 points bonus, 3x points on gas, $100 annual hotel savings. Terms apply.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
75,000 bonus miles, at least 2x miles on everything. Terms apply.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 points bonus, 3x points on dining, $50 annual hotel credit. Terms apply.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
100,000 points bonus, 5x points on select travel. Terms apply.
Best Credit Cards For Dining, Restaurants, Takeout, & More
The Best Gas Credit Cards for 2022 (Rewards, Cash Back, & Bonuses)
In-Depth Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review 2022
How Hard Is It To Get The American Express Platinum Card? (Review)
Coronavirus: Should You Travel to Europe Right Now?
World of Hyatt Grows More With Thompson Hotels
Popular Credit Card Topics
How Hard Is It To Get the Capital One Venture
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Capital One Venture
Best Credit Cards for International Travel
Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners
Best Chase Credit Cards
Best American Express Credit Cards
World’s First Custom Safari Planning Tool
Boulder, CO, Jan. 11, 2012 –  Natural Habitat Adventures (NHA) today announced the release of the Africa safari planner, a revolutionary interactive online tool that allows consumers to build their…
Connected on Royal Caribbean
By Hannah L. Uram: In February, Royal Caribbean unveiled the latest technological advancement for today’s cruise enthusiasts: Royal Connect. The application is revolutionary, being the first software to allow guests…
Around the World on Singapore Airlines A380 Superjumbo Aircraft
Note: This trip was sponsored by www.SingaporeAirlines.com With the introduction of JFK-Frankfurt-Singapore daily service, travelers can now circumnavigate the globe on the A380 with one carrier. The Singapore Airlines A380…
The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2022 Citi Premier Card Review Best Airline Miles Credit Cards The Best Chase Business Credit Cards
About Johnny Press & Media Advertise With Us Contact Join Newsletter Privacy Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure: The card offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Johnny Jet receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Johnny Jet does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace. Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.