Explainer | Hotel loyalty programmes explained, and how to choose the best one for you
- Whether they’re part of the Accor, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt or other chains, hotels offer a variety of perks and rewards through loyalty programmes
- If you’re looking to maximise hotel loyalty for stays around the world, here’s a primer on what to consider before booking
Travellers new to the world of points and miles programmes tend to gravitate towards airline frequent flier schemes - a first seat booked using points accrued is an aspirational endeavour. But what about once you arrive?
Hotel points can be earned faster than miles, especially for business and leisure travellers who stick with a single chain.
With a combination of nights paid for and spending on meals and other purchases, you can unlock elite status and enjoy benefits such as complimentary breakfast, room upgrades and free nights.
If you’re looking to maximise hotel loyalty for stays around the world, here’s a primer on what to consider before booking.
1. The reach of a hotel chain
Before considering some of the nuances of hotel loyalty programmes, it may be beneficial to examine where certain hotel portfolios and chains have a presence – and whether that aligns with where your travels take you.
The larger the chain, the more likely it is you will be able to find a suitable hotel, whether you’re taking care of business in Singapore or enjoying a couple’s holiday in Sydney.
Among the major global hotel chains, Accor (with its Accor Live Limitless programme), Marriott (Marriott Bonvoy) and the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG One) have the most properties in the Asia-Pacific region.
Although Hilton (Hilton Honors) is one of the smaller players in Asia, the company is expanding across the region, with plans to double its footprint over the next several years. This is true even within its luxury hotel division – which includes Conrad, Waldorf Astoria and LXR.
Twenty of these high-end Asia-Pacific hotels are in the pipeline between now and 2026.
The obscure pleasures of 40-plus hours on an overloaded ferry in Indonesia
They may not have the worldwide reach of the mega-chains, but discount boutique hotels should not be ignored. Forty individual brands, such as Pan Pacific Hotels, Kempinski, and Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, are affiliated with the Global Hotel Alliance, through its Discovery programme.
The network includes more than 800 hotels worldwide, so it’s possible to leverage points meaningfully at even some smaller brands.
2. Evaluating the perks that matter
If using points for a stay, consider the hotel brands that offer bang for your buck.
Resort fees – charged in addition to the room rate to cover other hotel-specific services and amenities, and sometimes referred to as amenity fees or destination fees – are an increasingly common (and infuriating) part of hotel pricing.
However, with programmes such as Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt, these fees are waived on stays that are booked entirely on points.
Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors offer a fifth-night-free benefit - that is, when you stay five consecutive nights on points, you’ll receive the lowest-priced night for free. While you must have Hilton elite status in order to unlock this perk, that isn’t required with Marriott.
Naturally, using points at a hotel chain with which you already hold status is the best value proposition. Most of the major brands allow guests to make use of their status benefits – such as room upgrades and welcome amenities – even on stays that are booked with points. A stay is a stay.
If elite status cannot be earned from travelling alone, consider other avenues. For instance, American Express Platinum cards, including those issued in Hong Kong, include complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status.
How digital nomads have reinvented work and tourism officials have reacted
Gold elite benefits include space-available room upgrades, free daily continental breakfast (except in the United States, where “credit” is offered), late checkout and the aforementioned free fifth night.
3. Finding the sweet spots
Almost every hotel chain, big or small, has a loyalty programme. However, they’re not all created equal.
Hilton, Marriott, and IHG programmes have dynamically priced redemptions, meaning the cost in points fluctuates based on variables that include demand and seasonality.
Generally speaking, the higher the cost in cash, the more points you’ll be required to spend for a free night. Meanwhile, Hyatt has a “fixed” award chart, meaning points pricing for each hotel is set within a predetermined range (but is subject to availability).
Best of all, there are prime opportunities to leverage points to stay in one-of-a-kind properties around the world. This is especially true for high-end luxury hotels, like an overwater villa at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi in the Maldives (using Hilton Honors points), or a stylish ski-in, ski-out experience at Park Hyatt Niseko, in Japan (using World of Hyatt points).
At the other end of the spectrum are programmes such as the one offered by Accor.
While using points with Accor (including brands such as Banyan Tree, Fairmont, Raffles and Sofitel) is very straightforward, it isn’t one that you can particularly maximise; reward points can be used to settle part of your hotel bill at a flat rate of 2,000 points, equaling €40 (US$43). Nothing more and nothing less.
