A new ranking shared by Travel + Leisure analyzed nine hotel rewards programs to see which deliver the most value for travelers.
Hotel loyalty programs have been around since the late 1980s to early 1990s, promising frequent travelers benefits for staying loyal to one brand — perks like free nights, room upgrades, late checkout, and lounge access.
But Travel + Leisure recently shared the results of a new survey that suggests the best rewards program in the industry might come from a hotel chain many travelers associate not with luxury but with convenience.
A recent study by WalletHub scored the rewards programs of nine major hotel brands across more than 20 different factors that included the value of points, redemption flexibility, earning potential, and overall member benefits. The results were surprising. Choice Privileges, the loyalty program from Choice Hotels, had the best program. According to Travel + Leisure’s report of the study, the program delivered some of the strongest overall value for travelers across multiple spending levels.
The programs they compared
WalletHub studied the following hotel loyalty programs:
- Best Western Rewards
- Choice Privileges
- Drury Rewards
- Hilton Honors
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Sonesta Travel
- World of Hyatt
- Wyndham Rewards
Why the Choice Privileges program was labeled #1
Using expenditure data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as household income data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Travel Association, WalletHub’s analysis compared hotel rewards programs across three consumer spending profiles that they created:
-
- Light Traveler: Makes $40,000 – $69,999 per year and spends roughly $684 on hotel accommodations
- Moderate Traveler: Makes $70,000 – $99,999 per year and spends roughly $1,057 on hotel accommodations
- Heavy Traveler: Makes $100,000 – $200,000 per year and spends $1,865 on hotel accommodations
The researchers then evaluated the nine hotel rewards programs based on factors such as reward value, blackout dates, geographic coverage, point expiration policies, and elite status perks.
In the end, Choice Privileges performed well in nearly every category, to the point where it was determined to be the best program of the nine.
Where Choice Privileges excelled
One of the most important factors was the program’s high reward-to-spend ratio. According to the study, members can typically expect to receive up to $14.49 in rewards value for every $100 spent—that was one of the strongest returns among the programs they analyzed.
Another advantage is how quickly members can earn points compared with some competing hotel programs. Free nights can start at relatively modest redemption levels depending on location and demand, meaning even “light” travelers may reach a reward faster than with some luxury-focused loyalty programs. As Travel + Leisure noted, this accessibility played a major role in the program’s top ranking.
WalletHub also noted that while hotel reward programs are offering 0.25% more value now than they did a year ago, Choice Privileges accounted for 33.15% of this increase.
Choice Hotels International operates 22 brands and franchises more than 7,400 hotels with nearly 570,000 rooms across more than 40 countries and territories. Its brands include Radisson, Comfort, Cambria, Quality Inn, Ascend, Econo Lodge and Clarion.
Other programs that did well
The rest of the Top 5 included:
- #2 – World of Hyatt
- #3 – Wyndham Rewards
- #4 – Marriott Bonvoy
- #5 – Sonesta Travel Pass
WalletHub was quick to point out the strengths of these other programs, as well.
Hyatt is well known for its elite status benefits and redemption value. Wyndham Rewards frequently performs well because of its straightforward point structure and its reputation for offering budget-friendly properties. Marriott Bonvoy offers one of the largest hotel portfolios in the world, which gives travelers a larger geographic reach.
WalletHub explains its methodology and provides the full ranking breakdown on its website.
Of course, the “best” program can still depend on where you travel and which hotel brands you use most — so as the good blog says, Your Mileage May Vary.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
