If you find yourself staying in hotels and aren’t a member of their rewards program, you could leave a lot of money on the table. From discounts to free nights, and other perks, most major hotel brands offer a rewards program for their frequent guests- but here’s the real secret: You don’t have to spend a lot of nights at branded hotels to receive these perks! Sometimes, just signing up will get you a few extras, like room upgrades or a late checkout.
Depending on how and when you travel, some programs may work better for you than others. In our ranking, we put the most emphasis on how easily you can earn rewards and how beneficial the rewards are for the average guest.
Wyndham Rewards
The Wyndham Rewards program covers over 8,000 locations and is easy to participate in. You earn points with every stay and the points add up to free nights. To cash in on the free nights, just book your stay through the Wyndham app and choose the option to use the points you have accumulated for a discounted or free night. Wyndham Rewards members also get free upgraded rooms, early check-ins, late checkouts, and free bottled water on arrival.
IHG One Rewards
IHG One Rewards covers between six and eight thousand properties around the world. You build reward points with stays and can redeem them for free nights, but the best part of this one is there are no blackout dates. You also get other cool benefits like free internet with every stay, room upgrades, and a dedicated check-in area.
Marriott Bonvoy
There are more than 30 Marriott brands including The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, and Courtyard by Marriott. Stays at any of the brands will earn you points toward free nights. You can also earn additional points with this program by using certain car rentals, sightseeing tours, and affiliated credit cards. A bonus with this program’s points is that they can also be redeemed for rental cars, retail gift cards, and cruise vacations.
Choice Privileges
There are over 7,000 hotels that will earn you points in the Choice Privileges program. You also get a point for every dollar you spend on hotels (and even some retail purchases) when you use the Choice Privileges Mastercard by Wells Fargo. You can use the points towards participating Preferred Hotels & Resorts properties (which include some Penn National Gaming-affiliated casino resorts), but you get the most bang for your buck at branded hotels like Radisson Hotels and Econo Lodge.
Radisson Rewards Americas
Radisson Rewards Americas is a now-defunct hotel loyalty rewards program where you earned points by staying at Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, and Park Inn hotels among others. We are including it here because if you have unused points you can still get free nights out of them! Choice Hotels purchased Radisson Hotels in 2022. You can convert your rewards points at a rate of two Radisson Rewards Americas points to one Choice Privileges point.
World of Hyatt
When you participate in the World of Hyatt rewards program, you get points for staying at one of 1,200 Hyatt properties. While there are fewer properties to choose from, Hyatt’s properties are most often found in popular vacation destinations throughout the United States and Europe. In addition to free nights, World of Hyatt points earn you free room upgrades, spa and fitness services, and airline miles. World of Hyatt credit card users also earn points towards the rewards program.
Best Western Rewards
With more than 4,000 properties in over 100 countries, Best Western Rewards is a great option for discount travelers and economically minded businesses. The nice thing about Best Western Reward points is that they never expire. You can also earn even more points by doing business with Best Western partners like car rental services and airlines. When you do redeem a free night, it even counts toward your elite status!
Sonesta Travel Pass
Sonesta is a global hotel chain that lets you earn points with every stay. They partner with Bank of America on the Sonesta World Mastercard, which gives you points from everyday purchases as well. New members get an additional 500 points when they sign up for the program. The major advantages of this program are no blackout dates and they match your member status if you are a rewards member of another hotel’s loyalty program.
INVITED
If you love staying at independent luxury boutique hotels when you travel, this one is for you! This program includes more than 500 Small Luxury Hotels all over the world, including many popular travel destinations. You only need 13 qualifying stays to get a voucher for a free night. Members also get early check-ins, late checkouts, and room upgrades when available. The downside is vouchers only work on standard rooms.
Hilton Honors
For travelers who spend a lot of time flying to and from major cities, the Hilton Honors program offers great benefits. Four brand-affiliated credit cards give points for purchases including the Hilton Honors American Express Card, which has no fees. They also partner with more than 25 airline and rail partners that allow you to exchange points for miles. Points can also be used on other select purchases such as live events, rental cars, and Amazon purchases.
Omni Select Guest
The Omni Select Guest program is great, but it ranks lower on our list because there are less than 100 participating hotels. However, if you are a fan of Omni, the program has fantastic rewards that include free stays with enough points. Some of the program’s other perks include unique offerings like a daily beverage, free shoeshines, and complimentary ironing.
Leaders Club
Leaders Club is the membership program for The Leading Hotels of the World which includes several hundred properties like Badrutt’s Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, The Hazelton Hotel Toronto in Ontario, and Le Mount Stephen in Montreal. Not only do members get points that add up to free nights, but membership benefits include complimentary breakfast for two throughout your stay, special rates, and exclusive experiences.
ALL – Accor Live Limitless
Accor Live Limitless applies to brands like Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, and thousands of other hotels. Members also earn points on onefinestay vacation rentals and luxury train bookings on Orient Express. An interesting perk is that you can use a combination of points and cash to pay for your stays. Accor also partners with several airlines, allowing members to earn and use points with certain airlines.
Stash Hotel Rewards
The Stash Partner Hotels network includes properties that are independently owned boutique hotels. This is a super straightforward program that gives you points for stays to be redeemed for free nights. There are no blackout dates and you can earn points on non-partner hotels by booking them through the Stash website. The only drawback is that there are only 230 hotels in the network, and they are almost exclusively coastal properties in North America.
I Prefer Hotel Rewards
I Prefer Hotel Rewards covers over 650 hotels and resorts in more than 80 countries. Staying at preferred hotels earns points toward free nights, but you can also use points to buy special experiences through an online auction process. Higher-status members also get exclusive rewards like food and beverage offerings and extra welcome amenities. All members receive priority check-ins and checkouts as well as room upgrades when available.
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