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Top 10 best hotel loyalty programs to join in 2019

The Luxury Travel Expert

BEST HOTEL LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (April 1, 2019): Top 10 best hotel reward programs.

Almost all major hotel chains own a lucrative loyalty program that allow guests to earn hotel points and redeem them for discounted or free stays. Everybody should participate in these programs as they can save you tons of money (although many programs have devaluated in the last couple of years). Unfortunately, the high-end luxury hotel chains are rather reluctant to the idea of a loyalty program, hence why only very few of them offer one. I hereby present the 10 most rewarding hotel loyalty programs for luxury travel and what they offer (with pros and cons). However, always keep in mind that deciding which hotel loyalty program is best for you will mainly depend on 4 factors:

  1. The number of hotels in a chain (larger chains offer more options to earn and redeem points);
  2. The benefits that are most important to you;
  3. The destinations where you travels take you to (some chains are better represented in certain countries as compared to others);
  4. The type of hotel you want to stay at (ranging from budget to ultraluxurious).

What’s your favorite hotel reward program? Leave a comment or take my poll below.

10. GHA DISCOVERY
9. LE CLUB ACCORHOTELS
8. JUMEIRAH SIRIUS
7. GOLDEN CIRCLE BY SHANGRI-LA
6. EXPEDIA REWARDS
5. HILTON HONORS
4. IHG REWARDS CLUB
3. HOTELS.COM REWARDS
2. WORLD OF HYATT
1. MARRIOTT BONVOY
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10. DISCOVERY

Discovery is the loyalty program of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands. With recognition across 34 luxury hotel brands – all with their own unique character – and more than 550 hotels spread around the globe, Discovery members can experience a property that truly reflects the culture and traditions of its location, while enjoying all the benefits of loyalty, including room upgrades and comfort-enhancing perks.

9. LE CLUB ACCORHOTELS

AccorHotels is a French multinational hospitality company that represents the largest hotel group in the world outside of the United States. It operates in 100 countries, with more than 4,200 hotels and 250,000 employees worldwide. AccorHotels recently acquired Swissôtel, Raffles and Fairmont properties and entered a strategic partnership with Banyan Tree, drastically increasing its share in the luxury market. AccorHotels’ loyalty program is called Le Club AccorHotels and it very simple: for every 2,000 points you collect, you can redeem for a €40 Accor voucher (which comes down to receiving cashback – in Accor vouchers – of 5% as a base member).

8. JUMEIRAH SIRIUS

Named after the brightest star, the Jumeirah Sirius recognition and rewards program illuminates the very best experiences that Jumeirah Hotels, Resorts & Residences present across the world. Members earn Jumeirah Sirius points and exchange them for valuable rewards when they stay at one of the more than 20 Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts in the world (in fascinating destination such as Dubai, the Maldives, Frankfurt, London, and Rome). Jumeirah’s flagship hotel is the world-famous, self-proclaimed seven star hotel, Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

7. GOLDEN CIRCLE BY SHANGRI-LA

Golden Circle is the complimentary loyalty program of Hong Kong-based Shangri-La, regarded as one of the world’s finest hotel brands. Owning and/or managing over 100 hotels and resorts throughout Asia Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe, the Shangri-La group has a room inventory of over 40,000. Golden Circle is a program that allows members to earn and redeem points at all Shangri-La hotels (including restaurants & spas) across the globe.

6. EXPEDIA REWARDS

One of the web’s biggest travel sites, Expedia, offers a very lucrative loyalty program. Guests can earn Expedia points based on nights stayed as well as on dollars spent, dividing program members into three ascending tiers. Free membership automatically gives you blue status, followed by silver status after you spend $5,000 USD on eligible bookings or staying 7 qualifying hotel room nights, and gold status after spending $10,000 USD on eligible bookings or staying 15 qualifying hotel room nights. Points earned can then be redeemed on Expedia for future trips.

5. HILTON HONORS

When you become a Hilton Honors member, you earn Honors points for staying at one of the 4,600 hotels and resorts worldwide within the Hilton portfolio. You also earn Honors points whenever you travel, shop, dine or spend with Hilton’s partners, which includes airlines, car rentals, redit cards and wine clubs amon others. Rewards include free nights with no blackout dates, but you can also redeem Honors points with the program’s travel, shopping, dining and entertainment partners.

4. IHG REWARDS CLUB 

IHG hotels provide more than 744,000 guest rooms globally, serving over 150 million guests each year. IHG’s 14 brands range from the friendly comfort of a city-center Holiday Inn hotel to the luxury of an award-winning InterContinental resort. To advance in the IHG program, all you need to do is stay at hotels in the IHG portfolio, which includes several affordable venues. The loyalty program is split into four tiers, ranging from Club to Spirit Elite, and allows you to earn and redeem points. IHG recently acquired the ultra-exclusive Six Senses brand, although it remains to be seen whether Six Senses wil participate in IHG Rewards Club.

3. HOTELS.COM REWARDS

Hotels.com, which is owned by Expedia, has an excellent loyalty program, designated ‘Hotels.com Rewards’, and its simplicity may be its primary selling point. When you book and stay 10 nights at eligible hotels, you’ll get 1 night free to redeem at another (coming down to a 10% cash back in Hotels.com vouchers). Hotels.com works out the average value of all the 10 nights you’ve collected and gives it back to you as a free night. You will also enjoy additional benefits, such as priority customer service and hassle-free travel guarantee when you book and stay at 10 nights (Silver membership) or 30 nights (Gold membership) during one calendar year.

2. WORLD OF HYATT

Hyatt is one of the best hotel brands in the world, and it owns the highly respected luxury hotel chains Park Hyatt and Andaz (which rank among my favorite hotel brands in the world). The World of Hyatt guest loyalty program is part of Hyatt’s ongoing commitment to making our guests feel more than welcome every time they stay. Members can enjoy exclusive benefits, such as earning five points per eligible dollar spent to redeem toward free nights with no blackout dates, room upgrades and airline miles. There are three elite tiers providing members with even more privileges.

1. MARRIOTT BONVOY

In my humble opinion, Marriott Bonvoy, the reward program of the Marriott group, gives you the richest elite benefits in the hotel industry, including the opportunity to achieve Gold or Platinum status for life. Marriott Bonvoy is the new combined progrma for the loyalty programs that used to be known as Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and SPG. Marriott manages several luxurious hotel brands, including Ritz-Carlton, St Regis and JW Marriott in the “classic” luxury segment and Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Luxury Collection, BVLGARI, W Hotels, and Edition in the “distinctive” luxury segment.

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