Loyalty programs are tricky as they are designed to keep customers engaged and intrigued for the longest period. Therefore, it is neither easy nor simple to single out one from others. Most hotel reward programs are multi-faceted schemes hinged on various factors like the number of properties, milestone bonuses, points validity, rollover nights, free stays, etc. To simplify things, we evaluated the hotel reward programs of some of the most esteemed hotel groups in the USA and narrowed down the ones that promise the highest benefits, perks, and upgrades in 2022.?
1. Wyndham Rewards
Research like the WalletHub research declared Wyndham Rewards as the best hotel reward program. You can get a free night stay for a minimum of 7, 500 points where one point equates to 1.11 cents. The value of Wyndham rewards is the same on weekdays and weekends, so you don?t need to rush on weekdays to redeem the points. The transfer partners of this hotel group include United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, and ten others. You earn 10 points for every $1 you spend residing at a Wyndham property.?
Hotel Network: Over 9000 hotels across 90 nations and territories.
Pros
- The rollover nights have no expiry
- Best co-branded credit cards
- Very diverse portfolio of hotel brands
- Diamond and Gold members earn points just for bookings
- Valuable reward points for free nights
Cons
- Whatever points you earn, expire if the account is inactive for more than 18 months
- The redeeming value of points is less than that of their purchase
2. Radisson Rewards
The highlighting features of Radisson rewards include bonus points for elite members, endless redemption options, and extra points on hiring affiliated car rental agencies. You can have a free night stay for a minimum of 9000 points where the value of one point equates to 0.48 cents on both weekdays and weekends. Radisson has more than 37 transfer partners which just increases the perks for international and distant travelers.
Radisson offers 20 reward points for every dollar spent. Additional deals can be availed at the official website of the hotel. You can join the hotel reward program even as a basic member. Most notable benefits include a 5% discount on beverages and food at all participating hotels, special rates of reservation, and two complimentary water bottles per stay.
Hotel Network: Over 1, 200 properties across 100 nations and territories.
Pros
- Bonus points for elite-level members on bookings
- Strong international presence
- Great co-branded credit cards
- No blackout or expiry on regular rooms
Cons
- A Low value of points as compared to major global players
- Points expire after 2 years of account inactivity
- A high-status level can only be attained after spending many nights
3. World Of Hyatt
If you are looking for a luxurious hotel in major cities in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and the U.S., you need to check out World of Hyatt. Apart from world-class hospitality services, it has the best hotel rewards program spread across four categories: Globalist, Explorist, Discoverist, and Member. With Hyatt, you just need a minimum of 5000 points to get a free night stay. The value of each point equals 2 cents and the customer gets 5 points for every dollar spent. You can earn more points by using its pools, spas, transfer partners’ services, purchasing a Hyatt credit card, Island Approach, etc.
Hotel Network: The hotel owns more than 1000 properties spread across 60 nations and territories.
Pros
- Highly useful points for booking free nights
- No expiry on standard rooms
- Multiple reward redemption alternatives
- Discoverist and Globalists receive special points for booking
Cons
- Single co-branded credit card
- Very few locations covered in the United States and other countries as compared to other global players
- Points expire after two years of account inactivity
5. Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors gets a place among top hotel reward programs for its huge global presence. The bonus points are endless for elite-level members along with very few limitations with earning points and multiple redemption alternatives. You can get a free night stay for a minimum of 5, 000 points where each point holds a value of 0.59 cents. You can earn 5-20 points for every dollar you spent at a Hilton property and additional points can be earned through Hilton credit cards, hiring Lyft rides, using exchange points, and using Hilton?s car rental partners.?
You will also like : 10 Best Last Minute Hotel Booking Apps In 2022
Hotel Network: Hilton owns more than 6, 700 properties in more than 110 nations and territories across the world.
Pros
- A diverse portfolio of hotel chains
- Various valuable co-branded credit cards
- Great benefits for elite-level members
- Multiple transfer partners
- Several redemption options
Cons ?
- Points expire after 15 months of account inactivity
- Earning points differ according to kind and size of Hilton property
- Elite status is not available without a Hilton credit card
6. Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy is an intriguing hotel reward program with endless benefits for all categories of guests. You can spend a minimum of 4, 500 points for a free night stay where the value of one point equals 1 cent. For every dollar spent, Marriott offers 10 points and additional points can be earned by using Bonvoy flight, cruise, car rentals, shopping partners, creating Marriott Bonvoy moments, and so forth. The hotel reward program scheme has 42 transfer partners that usually offers 3 Marriott points for every airline mile.?
Hotel Network: Marriott has more than five thousand properties in the U.S.A. and over 2400 properties across 130 nations and territories.
Pros
- Relatively beneficial points for booking free nights
- Special rewards and discounts for elite-level members for bookings
- A comprehensive portfolio of famous hotel chains
- HIghly useful co-branded credit cards
- No expiry for regular rooms
Cons
- Reward points vary according to Marriott property
- Points blackout after 2 years of account inactivity
- Difficult to earn Elite status and not possible without a Marriott credit card
- A very low value of points when redeemed against non-hotel travel accommodations and merchandise
Points to make best out of your rewards
It is not easy to navigate through hotel reward schemes. But there are a few points you can keep in mind to maximize your reward:
- Compare to see which hotel reward program provides more points for every dollar spent.
- Look for the best travel credit card as per your priorities. Here are our best picks:
- Point transfers, huge bonus and flexibility: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- To Get Best Perks On Luxuries: American Express?s Platinum Card
- Zero Annual Fees Cards: The Travel Rewards credit card from Bank of America
- High-end benefits along with bonus rewards: Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Best For Business Travel: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
- Find out what all it takes to achieve elite status, go for the one that offers better value for lesser nights.
- Look into the ease of redemption,
- It is best to stick with a single brand if you
