Travelers don’t always need a credit card to unlock perks from hotel loyalty programs. You can receive free nights and other benefits like room upgrades, discounts and additional services simply by staying at the hotel and accumulating points. But while most hotel loyalty programs offer such options, which one is the best for you depends on your travel habits and factors like hotel footprint, point values and redemption opportunities, all of which are discussed in more detail below.
The best hotel rewards programs typically offer: Some of the experts Newsweek spoke to chose World of Hyatt as the best hotel rewards program overall due to its high redemption value. But Hyatt’s hotel footprint is narrower compared to competitors. Hyatt’s properties are clustered in cities, so if you drive a lot, venture into towns or stay near highways, you might get better options by picking Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham or Choice, Jimmy Yoon, head of points intelligence at point.me, recommended to Newsweek.
Several hotels let you earn free nights and other perks without requiring a credit card. You can earn points through: “A lot of programs let you earn points on stuff even when you’re not staying there such as the hotel restaurant, the spa or even the golf course. Just give them your member number when you pay the bill,” Yoon said.
The best hotel program to choose based on your needs
Extract — continue reading at the source.
