By Sakshi Udavant
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Travelers don’t always need a credit card to unlock perks from hotel loyalty programs. You can receive free nights and other benefits like room upgrades, discounts and additional services simply by staying at the hotel and accumulating points.
But while most hotel loyalty programs offer such options, which one is the best for you depends on your travel habits and factors like hotel footprint, point values and redemption opportunities, all of which are discussed in more detail below.
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What Is the Best Hotel Rewards Program Overall?
The best hotel rewards programs typically offer:
- A wider hotel network: Hotels located in both popular and niche destinations.
- Flexibility: More ways to earn and redeem points.
- Ease of use: Straightforward terms, little hassle to gain, manage and spend points.
Some of the experts Newsweek spoke to chose World of Hyatt as the best hotel rewards program overall due to its high redemption value.
“Hyatt free nights can be as cheap as 3,500 points, which at a 5x earn rate on stays is only about $700 in spend,” Steve Goeke, founder and CEO of Kiwii, told Newsweek.
But Hyatt’s hotel footprint is narrower compared to competitors. Hyatt’s properties are clustered in cities, so if you drive a lot, venture into towns or stay near highways, you might get better options by picking Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham or Choice, Jimmy Yoon, head of points intelligence at point.me, recommended to Newsweek.
“There is little point earning generous rewards if the hotel group doesn’t operate where you need to travel,” Ingrid Sanderson, founder of Principal Business Travel, said to Newsweek.
“Choose a loyalty programme that fits your existing travel habits, rather than changing your travel habits to fit a loyalty programme,” she said. “Rewards should give you something back for money you would have spent anyway, not encourage you to spend more.”
Which Hotel Loyalty Program Is Best for Business Travelers?
Business travelers will benefit from loyalty programs offering:
- City coverage: Hotel locations in major business hubs.
- Relevant perks: Options for early check-in or late checkout, room upgrades and business-related perks like access to conference rooms.
“Access to executive lounges and concierge-style services can transform the experience of traveling regularly for work,” Sanderson said. “A quiet lounge, where you can work and attend meetings, enjoy refreshments or simply unwind, can be worth considerably more than a handful of points towards a future stay.”
“For the average business traveler at ~10 nights per year, Marriott would be my first choice,” Goeke said. “They have over 10,000 properties across more than 30 brands and cover more secondary markets than anyone so you can find a room that fits your needs.”
Which Hotel Program Is Best for Families?
The best hotel program for families will depend on factors like:
- Kid-friendly destinations: Hotels available in locations that are popular for family vacations.
- Kid-oriented perks: Kid-friendly options at breakfast, play parks and child-proof rooms can be valuable.
Families have very different priorities from solo business travelers, according to Sanderson. “Connecting rooms, breakfast, convenient locations and the ability to combine points can be far more valuable than a lounge access or a room upgrade.”
Some hotels like Hilton let you book connecting rooms online.
“The math essentially changes when the standard redemption is a two-room suite that sleeps five,” Goeke said. “Hilton’s points by themselves are worth the least of any major program, but you’re redeeming them in this case against a much bigger room.”
Which Hotel Program Is Best for International Travel?
Some experts recommend Marriott Bonvoy as the best hotel program for international travel because of its extensive global network, broad range of hotel brands and opportunities to earn and redeem rewards across destinations.
“Hilton Honors is a very strong alternative, with 9,158 properties across 143 countries and territories,” Sanderson said.
Can You Earn Free Hotel Nights Without a Credit Card?
Several hotels let you earn free nights and other perks without requiring a credit card. You can earn points through:
- Staying at the hotel
- Promotions and discount offers
- Bonuses for elite status members
“A lot of programs let you earn points on stuff even when you’re not staying there such as the hotel restaurant, the spa or even the golf course. Just give them your member number when you pay the bill,” Yoon said.
Which Program Should You Choose?
The best hotel program to choose based on your needs:
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