Marriott International announced Dec. 5 that it has inked new deals with J.P. Morgan Chase and American Express and will soon add to its collection
of hotel rewards cards.
(See also: Breakdown of Benefits and Value
of Hotel Rewards Programs)
Just to make things confusing, each hotel chain has decided to do this differently, but you probably have accumulated most
of your hotel rewards with one or two chains so you'll only have to figure out that end of the puzzle.
You probably want to know where the other big programs landed, so here is the top ten list
of the hotel rewards programs:
To establish the value
of hotel rewards points, I'm starting with the mountains of data collected by the Wandering Aramean and his tool «Hotel Hustle».
Users turn to these sites in a misguided effort to save more on their travel, completely unaware that they're likely sacrificing
all of their hotel rewards in the process.
Some of the hotel rewards programs do it in a gradual and transparent manner.
As Nair says, «The value
of hotel rewards points depends on what you, as the traveler, values.»
Become a member
of hotel rewards programs.
But also, remember to join
each of these hotel rewards programs whether you can see an immediate use for them or not.
But as mentioned above, SPG points are probably the most valuable
of all hotel rewards programs when used for actual stays.
PHOENIX, Ariz. — January 16, 2017 — WalletHub — the first - ever website to offer daily updated free credit scores and full credit reports — released the findings
of its hotel rewards program study earlier this month.
A number
of hotel rewards programs offer a «lifetime status» option and guests meeting the criteria for lifetime status don't have to worry about qualifying for their perks from one year to the next....
The Ritz - Carlton card is a little different because it's part
of a hotel rewards program.
There are also a couple
of hotel rewards programs through which you will earn Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles.
Thankfully, consumers can help deflect the costs of these fees by taking advantage
of a hotel rewards card.
Category Changes Many
of the hotel reward programs adjust the categories of the hotels (and therefore the points needed for one free nights) on a regular basis to reflect the changing prices at hotel rooms.
I've had Hilton diamond status for about 5 years and I think it is the best
of the hotel reward programs.
Not exact matches
The card earns Membership
Rewards points, the currency in Amex's loyalty program, which can be exchanged for statement credits or cash back, used to book travel through Amex's travel website, or, to get the most value, transferred to any
of 17 airline and three
hotel transfer partners (transferable points are among the best).
Get 20 %
of hotels, flights, car rentals, and cruises when redeemed through Chase's Ultimate
Rewards program
The
hotel group has the largest loyalty program because
of the number
of participating
hotels; this loyalty program encourages visitors to come again and rack up points and
rewards.
Seventy - nine percent
of travel credit card holders said they had never transferred credit card
rewards points to an airline or
hotel loyalty program, despite presumably having those
rewards points.
Expedia's
rewards program gives members two points for each dollar
of travel booked through its site, which can be used to book
hotels or flights for yourself or someone else.
The premise
of Upside is simple enough:
Reward business travelers with gift cards for being a little more flexible with their flight and
hotel.
Those most loyal and most regular will reap the most
rewards, but even the occasional traveler can play the field, holding memberships at dozens
of hotel companies, and still get valuable perks.
Out
of these, four allow you to collect airline miles, which you can redeem for airfare and other airline
rewards, three are cobranded
hotel cards that offer
hotel nights in exchange for your points and 21 are general
rewards cards that offer a wide variety
of redemption options.
You can also transfer to one
of the Ultimate
Rewards transfer partners including airline programs from Air France / KLM, British Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic and
hotel programs at Hyatt, Marriott, Priority Club / InterContinental
Hotels Group, and Ritz - Carlton.
As a rule
of thumb, if you spend less than $ 10,000 per year on gas, dining, or
hotels, the Stash
Hotel Rewards Visa card is probably not worth the fee.
Tier two Ultimate
Rewards cards, such as Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card and Ink Business Preferred ℠ Credit Card, allow you to transfer your points to a number
of different airline and
hotel partners.
Get up to 5 Starpoints for each dollar
of eligible purchases at participating SPG ®
hotels, Earn 2 Starpoints for each dollar
of eligible purchases at Marriott
Rewards ®
hotels, Get 1 Starpoint for all other purchases
The Ritz - Carlton
Rewards Credit Card is one of the few premium hotel credit cards, and it comes with some of the best rewards for frequent tra
Rewards Credit Card is one
of the few premium
hotel credit cards, and it comes with some
of the best
rewards for frequent tra
rewards for frequent travelers.
While general points programs like Chase Ultimate
Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards give you the most flexible rewards, some of the best rewards do come from loyalty to one specific airline or hotel
Rewards and American Express Membership
Rewards give you the most flexible rewards, some of the best rewards do come from loyalty to one specific airline or hotel
Rewards give you the most flexible
rewards, some of the best rewards do come from loyalty to one specific airline or hotel
rewards, some
of the best
rewards do come from loyalty to one specific airline or hotel
rewards do come from loyalty to one specific airline or
hotel brand.
The card's
rewards program, Stash, is designed for boutique
hotels — ones that are not tied to one
of the giant
hotel conglomerates.
Most
of the Stash
Rewards hotels, however, are located in the United States.
Those Membership
Rewards points can be redeemed for statement credit, gift cards, and Uber credits, but you'll get the most value out
of using them to book travel through amextravel.com or by transferring them to an airline or
hotel partner:
When you redeem these points through Chase Ultimate
Rewards ®, they have a value
of $ 750 — or potentially more if you transfer to its airline or
hotel partners.
One
of the most sought - after
rewards for
hotel credit cards is free
hotel nights — which the Starwood Preferred Guest ® American Express Luxury Card features.
Partner airline programs include British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM, Korean Air SKYPASS, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid
Rewards ®, United MileagePlus ® and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and partner
hotel programs include IHG ®
Rewards Club, Marriott
Rewards ®, The Ritz - Carlton
Rewards ® and World
of Hyatt.
* Note: In order to transfer Ultimate
Rewards points to airline and
hotel partners, you must hold one
of the starred cards.
However, while many
hotel rewards programs have a point value
of 1 cent or less, the Nerds estimate Starpoints to be worth 2.3 cents each when redeemed for free nights.
Earn 2 Starpoints ® for every dollar
of eligible purchases on the Card at participating SPG ® and Marriott
Rewards ®
hotels.
The last group
of rewards cards are tied to a specific airline or
hotel chain.
Let's look at a comparison
of the SPG Amex credit card, Hilton Honors Surpass from American Express and the IHG
Rewards Club Select credit card (free night certificate, low annual fee, and low minimum spend helps separate this
hotel card).
With Bank
of America ® Travel
Rewards Credit Card, you'll take a step closer to a free flight or
hotel night every time you swipe your card.
You could come close to that
rewards levels with many other cards, but only if you spent on specific categories, or by using the
rewards at a particular chain
of airlines or
hotels.
This is one
of our favorite credit card
reward programs, as it allows you to transfer your points to some great airline and
hotel loyalty programs.
While
hotel cards offer some
of the best overall
rewards, their redemption options are far more limited.
The Starpoints earned through this card, the cornerstone
of its
rewards program, can be used to book
hotel rooms, as well as be turned into airline miles.
To get a rate
of 4.2 %, users must use the card to exclusively make Expedia.com purchases, and then redeem their
reward on + VIP Access
hotels — exchanging points for ordinary rate
hotel coupons will drop the
rewards rate down to 2.1 %.
If you have the Southwest Companion Pass, this is an excellent way to book your
hotels and earn some more Rapid
Rewards points that can take you and a companion on all kinds
of adventures.