On top -
tier hotel redemptions, this presents a saving of 35,000 points per night!
Pro tip: Use hotel points for lower -
tier hotel redemptions in developing countries and other sweet spots, and free night certificates at the most expensive hotels worldwide to maximize your value.
Any discussion about top -
tier hotel redemptions with SPG should start off with a very large caveat.
Not exact matches
Redemption rates begin at a very low 5,000 points for Category 1
hotels, and range up to 30,000 for the top -
tier properties.
Recent changes to the program include the ability to count
redemption nights toward elite status qualification and new welcome gifts (points or food and beverage items) at most
hotels in the U.S. for top
tier members.
Dealing with their seemingly strategic carving up of room categories to thwart desirable
redemptions, inconsistent status recognition in their
hotels, and almost comical service gaffes on stays at some of their top
tier hotels left me feeling that they wouldn't need such a generous loyalty program if they just ran a better operation.
Before March 28, to earn a free night at a top
tier hotel, a general member of Hilton's program would have to spend only $ 5,000 at Hilton properties, compared to the $ 17,500 a general member of Starwood Preferred Guest would have to spend for a top -
tier redemption with Starwood.
Presently, the $ 69 annual fee version of the card offers a sign - up bonus of 30,000 points with first purchase, and earns you 5x per $ 1 on
hotel stays and 2x per $ 1 on everything else, and offers a cardmember anniversary bonus of 5,500 points, the old program's
redemption rate for one night at a Wyndham
Tier 1
hotel.
Award nights at top category
hotels can be expensive, but the
redemptions at low - mid
tier hotels a = offer a great value.
The most significant change was that they did away with standard
redemption tiers / categories that most other
hotel programs use (category 3, 4, 5, etc.) and they put in a new
redemption scheme where properties can be redeemed for 15,000 points per night (that means you can get 3 free nights with this card).
And these are the top
Tier 4
hotels (presuming that you want the best value), available for the
redemption.
Points also can be redeemed for stays at higher -
tier properties, gift cards and other options in the Choice
Hotels redemption catalog.
While some people might not like the fact that low level Wyndham properties require the same number of points as top -
tier resorts, it actually makes sense: Top -
tier hotels generally offer the best
redemption value anyway, while low - level
hotels tend to have cheap paid rates and are thus better suited for Arrival Mile
redemptions.
Unlike most
hotel loyalty programs, Hilton doesn't use a
redemption chart with
hotel tiers and required points for each
tier.