When traveling, two of your largest expenses are flights and accommodation. Accommodation can be in various form, however, in this post, we deal with hotel loyalty programs an introduction.
A hotel loyalty program is a key strategy by holders to drive business to particular hotels. It allows travelers to choose a hotel brand and stick with it by choosing its properties worldwide. There are incentives, such as points and hotel branded credit cards. The accumulation of points gives you a goal to work towards, with the intention of you returning to that brand.
These are our top 5 Hotel programs:
Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG): Purchased by Marriott International in 2016, the SPG program is currently under a few changes. They still carry their name (for now) but a few changes have been made to its programs. The program changes were announced in April 2018.
SPG, Ritz-Carlton, and Marriott now share on redemption program. Although the programs have been intertwined, you can still sign up for an SPG account. One of our favorite things is its airline transfer programs, where you can make up additional airline miles by transferring SPG points.
Marriott Rewards: This program was one of the first programs I started with. It has a large number of properties worldwide across several brands, for example, JW Marriott, Delta Hotels, AC Hotels, etc. They are a very innovative brand and their hotels are great. The American Express Platinum card gives complimentary gold access to the hotel (Also SPG) and I use that for room upgrades once available. One key perk is there streaming agreement with Netflix. Sometimes when traveling for work or when I need a day to relax, binge-watching on the road is a go to.
Hilton Honors: The Hilton Honors is another one of our favorite programs. It’s another hotel that offers complimentary gold with the American Express Platinum card. Gold Status comes with your choice of 1000 points or free breakfast. (Always take the free breakfast) This allows you to have a great meal and have free water throughout your day traveling. (Remember we save as much as we can)
The World of Hyatt: I’ve stayed at a few Hyatt properties in the last year and I’m really considering joining full-time. (Always get the points) I’m looking forward to staying at their new Park Hyatt St.Kitts later this year and after staying at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, I think I will stay at a few more properties.
Le Club AccorHotels - I like this program whenever I’m traveling to Europe. The prices are affordable and they have options for all budget ranges. Their Ibis Styles brand is all over, I even stayed at one on my Trip to Tasmania. This is a good hotel brand for those looking to travel long distances and save along the way.
Disclaimer: We have no current affiliate agreements nor do we get compensation from any of the hotel programs listed above.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved or endorsed the content listed in this post.
