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Marriott Maldives
Marriott

The Best Hotel Rewards Programs

For anyone traveling, booking accommodations is always daunting; you have to look into the hotel’s location, amenities, and price. To make your decision easier, you should consider joining a rewards program – that way, you’ll only have the hotels of one brand to choose from since you’ll want to get points and utilize the perks that come with the membership. Here’s a round-up of some of the best rewards programs to help you decide which is right for you. 

Ranking Rewards Program
Best Overall Marriott Bonvoy
Best for Family Travel Choice Privileges
Best for City Travel World of Hyatt
Best for Independent Hotels Stash Hotel Rewards
Best for World Travelers Hilton Honors
Best Rewards Program With Free Breakfast Best Western Rewards
Best Basic Rewards Program Radisson Rewards
Best for Sign Up Bonus Sonesta Travel Pass
Best for European and Asian Travel Accor Live Limitless
Best for Small Luxury Hotels Invited
The Best for Luxury Hotels Leaders Club
Best for Historic Buildings I Prefer
Best for Wide Range of Hotels IHG One Rewards
Best for Budget Stays Wyndham Rewards
Best for American Hotels Omni Select Guest

Best Overall – Marriott Bonvoy

Woman looking out from an overwater villa
Marriott.com

Marriott has been a staple in the hotel industry for nearly seventy years. Their rewards program shows they love customer loyalty. 

Membership includes:

  • Complimentary wi-fi 
  • Exclusive member rates
  • Instant redemption 
  • Tiered statuses 
  • Higher tiers include late checkout, welcome bonus points, and room upgrades 
  • Over 8500 properties worldwide

Best for Family Travel –   Choice Privileges

WoodSpring Suites
WoodSpring.com

Choice Hotels include Comfort Inn – great for budgeting, and WoodSpring Suites- great for extra space while traveling. 

Membership includes: 

  • Exclusive member rates
  • Use points toward gift cards for restaurants and retailers
  • Use points toward charitable donations
  • Use points for miles
  • Earn points with car rentals

Best for All-Inclusive Stays –   World of Hyatt

Looking over a pool towards the ocean and the setting sun at a Hyatt property
World of Hyatt

The Hyatt brand has many all-inclusive hotels throughout popular travel destinations, and you only need 40,000 points for free stays (unlike other luxury brands that often need over 100,000). So for all-inclusive stays, look no further than World of Hyatt.

Membership includes: 

  • Member rates
  • Earn free nights
  • Use points towards suite upgrades, free stays, spa treatments, and more
  • Partners with American Airlines
  • World of Hyatt credit card offers even more incentives

Best for Independent Hotels – Stash Hotel Rewards

The Driftwood in Alaska
Stash Rewards

For travelers who prefer staying in non-chain hotels, Stash Hotel Rewards is best. Independent hotels don’t find it worth having their own rewards program, as it only benefits people who stay in the same hotel several times a year, which isn’t many. Stash Rewards links hundreds of independent hotels, mainly in the United States but throughout North America and the Caribbean, so that you can get points for supporting independent hotels.

Membership includes:

  • Earn 5X points when you stay at Stash Partner Hotels. Earn 1X points when you stay at non-linked independent hotels, and you book through stashrewards.com. 
  • Use your points for free nights at Stash Partner Hotels
  • No blackout dates or expiration on points

Best for World Travelers – Hilton Honors

Hilton honors
Hilton

Hilton is found in over 122 countries, so it makes sense if you are a world traveler to use Hilton Honors. Even better if you are an American Express cardholder – as Hilton is an Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner, you get TWO Hilton Honors points for every Amex point. 

Membership includes: 

  • Lowest rates, and if you find a lower rate, they will match it, plus give you 25% off the lower rate. 
  • Fifth night free with Elite Status
  • Choose your room 
  • Free WiFi
  • Higher tiers receive spa discounts, room upgrades, free breakfast, and more

Best Rewards Program With Free Breakfast-   Best Western Rewards

Best Western Plus
Best Western

Best Western may not be the most luxurious hotel brand out there, but they are efficient, and if not having to think about breakfast is high on your list of amenities, then Best Western Rewards should be your first choice. 

  • Stay two nights, get 5,000 bonus points
  • Free nights
  • Often offers status matches 

Best Basic Rewards Program – Radisson Rewards

Looking at the pool with the Radisson on the right and the ocean on the left
Radisson Hotels

If you don’t care about transferring points or credit cards and just want a basic rewards program, go with Radisson Rewards. With locations all over the globe, you will have no trouble finding a Radisson wherever your travels find you.

Membership includes:

  • Member-only rates
  • Referral bonus
  • Deals of the day

Best for Sign Up Bonus – Sonesta Travel Pass

The Royal Sonesta Washington DC
Sonesta

Everyone loves free stuff, and with Sonesta Travel Pass, you get points just for signing up, giving you a  head start on your earnings. With over a thousand hotels in eight countries, you can start cranking out those points in no time. 

  • 500 bonus sign-up points
  • Member rates
  • Tiered statuses

Best for European and Asian Travel –  Accor Live Limitless

ibis Archamps Porte de Genève
Accor

Accor hotels have a huge presence in Europe and Asia, so for anyone who spends the majority of their travel there, Accor Live Limitless makes sense. 

Membership includes: 

  • Exclusive savings
  • Accor credit card offers sign-up bonus
  • Partner benefits

Best for Small Luxury Hotels – Invited

Invited SLH Fiji
SLH

Invited gives travelers who love luxury travel without the big name chains to get rewarded for supporting the smaller names in luxury. Choose from over 500 small luxury hotels throughout the world.

Membership includes: 

  • 10% off every booking
  • Early check-in
  • Complimentary breakfast and room upgrades with higher tiers
  • Stay just three nights to get upgraded to the second tier

Best for Luxury Hotels – Leaders Club

Leading Hotels of the World - Amathus Beach Hotel Limassol Cyprus
Leading Hotels of the World

If you like luxury and prefer bigger hotels, Leaders Club is a better bet for you than Invited. With big names like the Ritz in London and Paris, you’ll gain points at some of the nicest hotels in the world. 

Membership includes:

  • Pre-arrival upgrades
  • Daily continental breakfast
  • Members-only savings

Best for Historic Buildings – I Prefer

iPrefer Italy
I Prefer

I Prefer features hotels from Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide, Preferred Hotels Worldwide, as well as Beyond Green – a cluster of hotels known for their sustainability. Stay in historic properties like the Bellwether house in Savannah, the Union League Club of Chicago, and the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly in France. 

Membership includes: 

  • Exclusive member rates
  • Enhanced room upgrades on all tiers
  • Early check-in, late check-out
  • Higher tiers receive welcome gift 

Best for Wide Range of Hotels – IHG One Rewards

Intercontinental by IHG
IHG

Whether you are looking for a ski resort, family-friendly five-star hotel, or a hotel that you can bring your dog to all over the world, IHG has them all and more. With luxury brands like Regent, Kimpton, and Hotel Indigo, premium brands like Crowne Plaza and Voco, budget brands like Holiday Inn Express, and family-friendly suites like Candlewood and Staybridge, IHG has you covered for whatever vacation you are going on, making IHG One Rewards a no-brainer for travelers who like variety.

Membership includes: 

  • Points for reward nights
  • Member rates and special offers
  • Late check-out
  • Higher tiers include a welcome amenity

Best for Budget Stays –  Wyndham Rewards

Club Wyndham Durango, CO
Wydham Hotels

Many travelers aren’t looking for luxury; they simply want a place to put their head after a long day of sightseeing. While Wyndham isn’t exactly bare bones, it certainly isn’t a luxurious brand. It’s a great rewards program for budget-conscious travelers. 

Membership Includes: 

  • Triple points when you stay two or more consecutive nights at participating hotels
  • Special member sales
  • Early check-in and late check-out for higher tiers
  • Rollover nights never expire

Best for American Hotels – Omni Select Guest

Omni Hotels & Resorts
Omni Hotels

With just three hotels outside of the United States, and none outside of North America, Omni hotels are the perfect choice for travelers who want to stay within the continental U.S., with hotels in eleven states. 

Membership Includes: 

  • Earn free nights
  • Give back: with each reservation, Omni will donate one free meal to Feeding America
  • Daily beverage

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