How to pick the best hotel loyalty programme for you
CHOOSING the right place to stay on a special vacation can be difficult, especially when there is a dizzying array of great options from the brands you know and love. How do you decide which brand to be loyal to? The answer depends on what you are looking to get from your loyalty points.
Rejiggering your strategy in time for the summer travel season can be a smart move. By now, you have lost out on the benefits of having a cohesive strategy in January – which would give you 12 months to reach calendar-year thresholds for elite status – but you can still cash in on some of your biggest trips of the year. And you can test the waters of new-to-you brands before committing in early 2024.
The reality is that most of the big brands – Marriott, Hilton and IHG – will have enough variety in their hotel offerings to meet the needs of almost any consumer. But the choice you make can have major implications on where and how you can use your points. Here are some important considerations when deciding which hotel programme is best for you.
If you want to bring the kids
Most hotel operators offer something for families, but Hilton Honors has some brands that stand above the rest. Embassy Suites by Hilton offer two-room suites with kitchenettes, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast and a free happy hour with snacks to keep guests well fed.
Many Embassy Suites properties also have indoor or outdoor swimming pools, too, and some go all-in on the resort experience, including the recently opened Embassy Suites by Hilton Aruba, which has a sprawling pool with cabanas and faces the beach.
Other family-friendly Hilton Honors brands include Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites by Hilton, each offering studio and suite accommodations plus complimentary breakfast. What kids might remember most, however, are the warm chocolate chip cookies served when you check in at any DoubleTree by Hilton around the world. And if you are more of a luxury traveller, you can opt for Marriott Bonvoy’s Ritz-Carlton hotels, which take great pride in the kids clubs it creates at every one of its properties.
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If you are a global traveller
With 31 brands, Marriott International has more than 8,500 hotels in about 140 countries and territories. That geographic breadth means guests can earn or redeem points in every corner of the globe at all price points using its Marriott Bonvoy programme. Marriott has hotel brands of every caliber and style from W Hotels for the music and design, to the Ian Schrager-designed Edition for fashionistas, to the luxury brands Ritz-Carlton and St Regis for those that want the best, most elegant service. With so many options in its massive global portfolio, Marriott’s Bonvoy programme has a far greater reach for its loyalty members than its competitors, such as Hilton or Accor.
If you are a frequent flyer
Travellers who are members of an airline’s frequent flyer programme can also earn hotel points while they are earning miles, essentially double-dipping on loyalty points. Or at least, they can reap the benefits of reciprocal status. But not all brands offer this. United Airlines flyers can link their MileagePlus account with Marriott Bonvoy. If you have United Premier Gold status or higher, you are eligible for reciprocal Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, which delivers space-available upgrades and bonus points.
Bonvoy members also earn 10,000 bonus miles when converting 60,000 Marriott points into United miles. And Marriott’s top-elite members qualify for United Premier Silver status, if they do not already have elite status with the airline.
American AAdvantage and World of Hyatt have their own partnership. Hyatt elite members earn one point for every dollar spent on an American flight, and American elite members earn one mile for every dollar spent with Hyatt. American’s invite-only Concierge Key status flyers receive Hyatt’s top Globalist status. There is also the occasional opportunity for an elite match between the two companies, for those with status with one brand and not the other.
If you like to plan ahead
World of Hyatt from Hyatt Hotels is one of the only major hospitality companies that still maintains some type of award chart. Most loyalty programmes have switched to dynamic pricing, a system that more closely links the number of points for a redemption with the cash cost of a stay. (The more it costs, the more points you will need.)
World of Hyatt’s chart has three rate categories – off-peak, standard and peak – giving a benchmark range for the number of points a member must save for a free stay. With other programmes, travellers are at the mercy of the company when it comes to how much they will pay for a redemption with wider fluctuations. Unless you know the specific dates you are travelling, it is hard to know how many points to save. Hyatt’s transparency gives it an edge over the rest.
If you want to share your status (and impress your friends), another Hyatt niche is the programme’s Guest of Honor benefit, which allows travellers to share their top-notch perks with anyone. Top-tier Globalist members can use their points to make a reservation for someone else – the recipient receives the same status benefits (room upgrades, free breakfast and parking, among other things) the Globalist member would get.
All other hotel programmes require the elite status member be present to take advantage of any benefits, but Hyatt gives its Globalist members the ability to share the love. And best of all, lovers of luxury hotels can take advantage of their points at their Alila, Andaz, Thompson, and Miraval hotels.
If you prefer home rentals
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is the hospitality company’s answer to Airbnb. The booking platform launched in 2019 with more than 2,000 highly-curated properties. It allows people to earn or redeem Marriott points when staying at rentals in the US, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. For those who prefer to have more space and amenities than a typical hotel room, Marriott’s programme sets a high bar, especially at resort destinations, with impressive properties including island mansions and mountain retreats.
If you frequent all-inclusive resorts
Many hotel brands are beefing up their all-inclusive portfolios as interest among families and couples grows. World of Hyatt is a leader, with its Hyatt Ziva and adults-only Hyatt Zilara brands, but its acquisition of AMR Collection’s nearly 100 hotels and resorts makes it one of the largest groups of all-inclusive properties from a mainstream brand.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)‘s integration of Iberostar into its umbrella gives it greater heft in this market segment, with properties in Brazil, Montenegro, Spain and other destinations taking things a step beyond the traditional Caribbean hotspots. Marriott Bonvoy is also growing its own subset of all-inclusive properties, mostly in the Americas, with exotic properties like the Westin Reserva Conchal in Costa Rica, Sanctuary Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic and Westin Porto de Galinhas on the north-east coast of Brazil; the parent company has also announced a large future pipeline of all-inclusives that will stem from its more luxurious brands, including W and Ritz-Carlton.
Not to be left out, Hilton Honors has also entered this market segment with a growing collection of all-inclusive properties in the Caribbean, Mexico, Turkey and elsewhere. Popular resorts include the Hilton Cancun and the DoubleTree by Hilton Bodrum.
If you want to avoid resort fees
Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt are two loyalty programmes that waive resort fees to travellers who book with points. These irritating fees can tack on quite a bit to a stay. Hyatt takes things a step further – it also eliminates these fees for its top-tier Globalist members who are paying with traditional currency.
If you want immediate status points from using credit cards
The Hilton Honors Aspire credit card comes with Hilton Honors’ top Diamond tier status, which delivers upgrades, bonus points, a US$250 resort credit, a free annual night award and club lounge access in exchange for a US$450 annual fee. It is the only credit card that can take you to the top of the hotel elite status pack the moment you get it.
Mid-level Gold status at both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy are perks of the US$695 annual fee Platinum Card from American Express. The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card from Chase Bank is another option for instant Gold status, but with a lower annual fee of US$250. For only US$99 each year, IHG fans can get instant mid-tier Platinum status with the IHG Rewards Premier credit card. All elite status tiers deliver bonus points when you pay for a stay, points that come with the promise of exotic future redemptions.
Do not want to bother with elite status? Join Leaders Club, the loyalty programme of the Leading Hotels of the World, which comes with instant perks like late checkout and free daily breakfasts for two. BLOOMBERG
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