This post was last published about over a year ago. Since then, we’ve added the Sonesta hotel chain and have established new Reasonable Redemption Values (RRVs) for all of the programs listed in this post. With the new RRVs, we’ve re-calculated which programs are most rewarding on paid stays. You’ll find the results below.
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The calculations in this post rely on our Reasonable Redemption Values (RRVs). RRVs are the values at which it is reasonable to expect to get that much value or more from your points. For hotels, we calculate RRVs by comparing paid and award rates for multiple dates at a number of hotels in the United States, and we pick the median point value to be the RRV. If a program has an RRV of 1.0, for example, this means that the median value of that program’s points is 1 cent.
This post does not factor in extra points earned from hotel promotions or elite welcome gifts; nor does this post factor in the fact that different elite programs are differentially rewarding in ways other than assigning extra points. For example, I love the fact that Hyatt waives parking fees on free nights for top tier elites, but that type of thing is not factored in here.
Most rewarding hotel loyalty program without elite status
The following table shows the hotel programs that offer the most valuable rewards on paid stays for those with no elite status. This table does not consider the value of credit card rewards earned on your stay:
| Rewards Program | Point Value (RRV) | Points Earned Per Dollar* | Value of Rewards Earned as Percentage of Amount Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonesta | 1.06 | 10 | 11% |
| Wyndham | 1.01 | 10 | 10% |
| Hyatt | 1.7 | 5 | 9% |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 0.7 | 10 | 7% |
| Choice | 0.67 | 10 | 7% |
| IHG | 0.62 | 10 | 6% |
| Best Western | 0.61 | 10 | 6% |
| Hilton | 0.48 | 10 | 5% |
* The points per dollar number is each hotel program’s usual rate. Some have exceptions. For example, Marriott only offers 5 points per dollar for their long-stay hotels. Additionally, Sonesta offers half the usual points at Simply Suites, Signature Inns, America’s Best Value Inns, and Canada’s Best Value Inns
Sonesta, Wyndham, and Hyatt offer the best rewards before considering the value of elite status or credit card spend.
Most rewarding hotel loyalty program with top status
The following table shows the hotel programs that offer the most valuable rewards on paid stays for those with top tier elite status. This table does not consider the value of credit card rewards earned on your stay:
| Rewards Program | Top Elite Status | Point Value (RRV) | Points Earned Per Dollar* | Value of Rewards Earned as Percentage of Amount Spent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonesta | Platinum | 1.06 | 20 | 21% |
| IHG | Diamond | 0.62 | 20 | 12% |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Titanium or Ambassador | 0.7 | 17.5 | 12% |
| Wyndham | Diamond | 1.01 | 12 | 12% |
| Hyatt | Globalist | 1.7 | 6.5 | 11% |
| Choice | Diamond | 0.67 | 15 | 10% |
| Hilton | Diamond | 0.48 | 20 | 10% |
| Best Western | Diamond | 0.54 | 15 | 9% |
* The points per dollar number is each hotel program’s usual rate. Some have exceptions. For example, Marriott only offers 5 points per dollar for their long-stay hotels. Additionally, Sonesta offers half the usual points at Simply Suites, Signature Inns, America’s Best Value Inns, and Canada’s Best Value Inns
Sonesta stands alone at the top of this chart! After Sonesta, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham are in a tight race, with Hyatt not far behind.
Most rewarding hotel loyalty program with credit card status
Many hotel programs offer credit cards which give the cardholder elite status. That elite status, in turn, usually means earning more points per dollar for stays. With this factored in, let’s take a look at which hotel programs are most rewarding for those who have status from credit cards:
| Elite Status from Card | Credit Card | Points Per Dollar Due to Status | Points Per Dollar from Card | Total Value % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonesta | Sonesta World Mastercard | 17.5 | 3 | 22% |
| Diamond | Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card | 12 | 8 | 20% |
| Platinum | Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus | 11.5 | 6 | 18% |
| Discoverist | World of Hyatt | 5.5 | 4 | 16% |
| Diamond | Hilton Aspire | 20 | 14 | 16% |
| Platinum | IHG Premier, Premier Business | 16 | 10 | 16% |
| Platinum | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant | 15 | 6 | 15% |
| Gold | Hilton Surpass, Hilton Business | 18 | 12 | 14% |
| Gold | Ritz | 12.5 | 6 | 13% |
| Platinum | Best Western Rewards Premium | 11.5 | 10 | 13% |
| Silver | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | 11 | 6 | 12% |
| Silver | Hilton (No Fee) | 12 | 7 | 9% |
Sonesta again takes the top spot but with Wyndham very close behind.
The hotel promo factor
Hilton performs noticeably poorly in some of the above analyses. This is not because they offer few points per dollar, but because their points are, on average, worth considerably less than points from most other hotel loyalty programs.
Despite that, Hilton is often the most rewarding hotel chain for paid stays because they frequently run valuable promos. For example, they periodically run a promo that offers double points on 1 or 2 night stays and triple points on longer stays. With double points alone, Hilton would rise to the top (or near the top) of all of the above charts as long as the other chains weren’t also offering valuable promos at the same time.
Conclusion
Sonesta came out on top in every category shown above. They offer very good value for their points and lots of points per dollar for stays at many properties (but they do have a sizeable list of properties that earn half as many points). Beyond Sonesta, you can do really well with almost any of these programs with the right combination of elite status and credit cards.
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