Tara Singh
As many of you know, I wrote a guide to Hotel Loyalty Programs in 2020. Since then, each of the major programs have made changes some good, some bad. Since then, I have run each of the major programs for several years, and this is a summary of where each of them is in 2026 and whether or not they are worth your time.
Hyatt: still the best for serious users
Hyatt’s remains the best loyalty program for serious travelers. Earning rates are reasonable for Hyatt, and as with most programs, redemptions can produce great value, often 1.5 to 2 cents per point at Category 3 to 5 properties. As with other programs, however, thresholds for status are high. It takes 30 nights of stays to reach Discoverist status, the lowest tier with meaningful benefits. Another 30 nights of stay will reach Explorist status with more real perks. Hyatt’s relatively small portfolio of hotels and locations outside of key markets around the world where they have properties makes the program less useful for travelers in those regions. Confirmation that the program is the best for serious travelers, but that it has limitations nonetheless, is in order.
Marriott: largest portfolio, devalued program
Marriott’s got the largest hotel portfolio but they’ve really devalued their program the last few years. While you earn at a decent rate of points, your redemption rates have really fallen. For the most part, the best redemptions for Marriott points now cost 60,000 to 100,000 points per night to book, which translates to cash prices of $250-$400 per night. Furthermore, earning enough nights for status is quite high: 50 nights for Platinum status, which has the best middle-tier benefits, and 75 nights for highest-tier Titanium status and its best benefits. Therefore, this program is most valuable to travelers who regularly stay in Marriott-branded hotels (most valuable for business travelers who frequently stay in Marriott hotels), and to travelers who live in geographic areas with large amounts of Marriott hotels. For the casual traveler, however, this program is generally not that valuable. Your results may vary.
Hilton: similar to Marriott, slightly worse
On the road, my biggest observation on Hilton is that Diamond status has some nice perks such as upgrade priority as well as free breakfast for yourself and guests. On the other hand, Hilton point redemptions are pretty mediocre in terms of cash value, and I typically find that redeeming at the top-end hotels (e.g. the Ritz Carlton, etc) do not get as good of a return in terms of the amount of points needed to redeem versus cash rates for comparable hotels. My daily budget for travel is about $60 per day, and in line with that, my observation on Hilton are generally positive in terms of the relatively easy to attain mid-tier status of Gold, as well as the very valuable free breakfast for yourself and guests at most properties.
IHG: easy status, weak rewards
IHG (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental) is a easy to reach mid-tier status level. Status nights and points can be earned in a variety of ways such as spending, stays, and even through a credit card. Currently, the IHG Rewards Club credit card offer includes Platinum status for as long as you have the card and also includes free night certificates for a year. While earning points through the program is generally easy and rewarding, redeeming those points for value can be very poor. This makes cash and even other hotel programs a better option for redeeming value. I find this program to be very useful for travelers who primarily stay at Holiday Inn properties within the U.S. or other countries, but generally not as useful in other locations around the world. This makes for a very solid rule to follow.
Status matching and other tactics
There are some valid “program tricks” that can be used. For example, many programs offer status matches from other loyalty programs from time to time (e.g. 90 days of Platinum status with InterContinental) for members of Gold status or higher. This can be a good way to test the waters of another hotel chain to see if they are a good fit for you. Credit card status is also typically more powerful than nights-based status and can be earned in a single year (as opposed to 50-60 nights at Marriott). But for casual travelers, it is generally best to pick a program and try to earn enough points to get decent rewards at the hotels in that chain, rather than trying to maintain a presence across all of the major hotel chains.
Practical takeaways for your next trip
A well-organized routine on the road really makes a difference. In this section, I will describe packing, the check list for 24 hours before the trip, a booking check list and how I track my news and local rules of destination for the week before I leave. Each of these small systems is a tiny investment in avoiding panic, confusion, delayed departures, bad accommodations, delayed flights, extra cost and generally being lost in unfamiliar environments. When all are combined, they make travel a lot less stressful.
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