What is the best Hotel Loyalty Program?

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  tallkid123 on 13/04/2023 - 15:16

  +2

  If you don't have one already and if you earn over $100k and are willing to pay $1.5k annual fee, just get the Amex Platinum card.

  It'll automatically give you upgraded memberships for Accor, Marriott, Hilton and Radisson loyalty programs. This is me assuming you haven't signed up for any memberships yet.

  Otherwise, go with Accor (Novotel, Mercure etc) for Europe, Asia and NZ. I've been using Accor for the last year and it's been consistent rewardwise so far. They've given me welcome drinks and late check out without any issues.

  And something else for NA.

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  freshofftheboat on 13/04/2023 - 15:40

  +1

  Hyatt Globalist is without a doubt the best top tier hotel status. The program itself is highly engaging, and benefits of Globalist are second to none, with Suite upgrades, Guest of Honor for family members, Free Breakfast (also with Hilton and IHG), 4pm check out.

  Of note, I'm also Hilton Diamond and IHG Diamond - both good, but nowhere near as good as Hyatt.

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  djkelly69 on 13/04/2023 - 16:07

  +2

  Very anecdotal, but my experiences having Amex Plat (so gold-type status with most of those listed) and having done a bit of leisure travel since mid-2022 are:

  • Marriott - treated like a god, quite liked them (had an 11pm flight out of Doha, so they organised a midnight late checkout)
  • Hilton - had a couple of issues but they dealt with them well and compensated me with points and breakfast, so happy enough
  • Accor - didn't seem to notice or care about status, no upgrade, etc, just some drink vouchers. Edit: they actually gave me a late checkout as well (good), but the cleaners obviously weren't informed (bad for them as I was only in my jocks when they burst in)
  • IHG (from the status deal posted here last year) - about the same as Accor

  YMMV!

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 13/04/2023 - 20:55

    Very anecdotal

    lol

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  donaldlj on 13/04/2023 - 16:28

  +1

  So in my previous life I also was in your same shoes. And basically stayed at either Marriott, Hilton and IHG. I had to juggle with those 3 because depending on the continent and your employer's budget criteria, dictates where you stay. Marriott and Hilton in terms of perks for people who stay many nights is in my mind the best with Executive lounges and the extra touches that they do to make long term guest and high tier guest feel welcomed. In North America, they have many more of the lower tier Marriotts and Hilton's where you can stay for low costs, build up your nights to reach platinum/diamond and then use that tier to get the free stuff. In the rest of the world however, the Marriott and Hilton options are more expensive and hence why I had to use IHG (ie Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn express).

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  Tovers93 on 13/04/2023 - 16:37

  +1

  Only have experience of Hilton Gold (positive overall, mainly for free breakfasts!), so just here to say that whichever scheme you go for:
  1) Look for promotions/deals that will let you enroll at mid to high status so by the end of your trip you'll be top tier. This can come from status matches, sign up offers, ongoing promotions, challenges E.g. read this guide
  2) Double dip with a points earning credit card and cashback promotions. I used to see promos on my AMEX like $100 statement credit with $400 Hilton Spend
  3) Sign up to promotions from the scheme and regularly check their websites. IHG/Hilton always seem to have 2x Points promotions etc to enroll in

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  screensaver on 13/04/2023 - 19:15

  what about hotels.com where you get one free night for every 10, its free membership

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  TheMindsetTraveller on 13/04/2023 - 20:47

  +1

  We do about 60-100 nights per year in hotels, all for leisure. Currently a Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum. A leisure traveller's demographic / need differs from a corporate traveller's. It is earning points, redeeming them and onsite elite benefits for us.

  Marriott probably has the largest footprint for where you visit, and the benefits are generally quite good outside North America. You would be treated like a God in S.E Asia and expect an upgrade to suites often (at least at a Titanium level) but that may be negligible benefit if you are staying by yourself (versus with your partner on vacation like us). Guaranteed 4 pm check outs and so on. Get to 100 nights per year and you get a personal concierge to help you with anything relating to Marriott bookings and more.

  Hyatt has great benefits from what I hear but lacks the footprint for your global travels. Some highly aspirational properties that we want to visit (as leisure travellers).

  Hilton Diamond sucks in our experience. Getting late check outs beyond 1pm is a fight, and upgrades are negligible - but that may not be a huge consideration for your situation. We didn't bother in 2021 so kind of lost Diamond status, but they offered us to keep Diamond for another year if we stayed one night. We did that - just in case we return to one of their aspirational properties like Waldorf Astoria Maldives, Conrad Maldives / Bora Bora etc.

  IHG Platinum - nah, not worth it.

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  bmxr on 13/04/2023 - 21:08

  It's a completely subjective question based on where you travel.

  For the last 15 years, I've been favouring IHG based on where I travel (primarily Oceania and Asia). Even achieving Royal Ambassador status at Intercontinental for a couple of years (it almost made it worth the 85+ nights a year in exclusively Intercontinental hotels away from friends and family). But also have status with Hilton, Accor and Marriott Bonvoy for those destinations where IHG doesn't have an appropriate property, or none at all. I find that no matter how remote the destination, one of those four programs will have a hotel to stay at.

  Given your number of 100 nights listed above you will max out any - and maybe more than one - loyalty program.

  The other significant consideration is points accrual and redemption. Having done the hard yards over many years, we are now travelling very comfortably to all parts of the world redeeming points for hotel stays. So assuming these trips are for work, choose the program that provides the best "repayment" for your time away from home in random rooms around the globe.

  There are other online forums (such as AFF) that have detailed breakdowns on what's best for you based on travel patterns.

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  johninmelb on 14/04/2023 - 14:02

  It is getting to the point that none of them are fit for purpose any more.

  If you read/subscribe to the Loyalty Lobby newsletter, they are continually publishing posts on how the big hotel chains are slowly eroding all the benefits even for top tier members.

  This from a couple of days ago.
  https://loyaltylobby.com/2023/04/11/reader-email-hotels-ditc…