Accruing hotel loyalty points is easy to do, whether you’re a frequent traveller or use hotel-branded credit cards. But when it comes time to decide where to use them, there is a right and a wrong way. These do’s and don’ts can help you maximise their value, stretching those points for better, longer and more stays.
Always do the math.
Booking a hotel with cash is occasionally cheaper than with points, and the only way to know is if you run the numbers. Divide the cost in dollars by the number of points you’re being charged for the rate. If the redemption gets half a cent per point or more, you’re getting a decent value and are good to go. If not, save your points for another occasion.
Another calculation to explore: the value of your points if you pay for your room with a combination of points and cash. It’s not intuitive, but you may get a better exchange rate for your loyalty currency this way.
Use points for longer trips.
Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy both offer a fifth night free when you book with points—as a way to encourage guests to book for more than just a weekend and help fill the hotel on less-busy days. There are similar perks for people with IHG One Rewards and Aeroplan co-branded credit cards: Those programs offer a fourth night free when you book with points through their hotel reservation platforms.
Never transfer hotel points to airline miles.
Unless you need a small number of frequent flyer miles to book a specific redemption flight, avoid the poor conversion rates associated with these transfers. The exception is Marriott Bonvoy, which offers a 3:1 ratio—and 5,000 bonus airline miles—when you move 60,000 points to an airline. (That gets you 25,000 miles rather than the normal 20,000.) Moving points to United earns a 10,000-mile bonus.
Use a plan that covers your fees.
Despite efforts from the Biden administration to nix junk travel fees, many hotels continue to charge these on a per diem or per-stay basis, in addition to a nightly rate. But if you book your stay using Hilton Honors or World of Hyatt points, the fees get automatically wiped off your bill. World of Hyatt top-tier Globalist members get the fees wiped no matter how they choose to pay.
Prioritise fixed-value redemptions…
World of Hyatt is the only major loyalty program that still maintains an award chart—that means redemption values are fixed for each property rather than getting priced dynamically. So Hyatt’s Andaz Mexico City Condesa will always cost between 12,000 and 18,000 points per night, whereas a similar hotel, such as Marriott’s W Mexico City, can swing much more wildly, from 46,000 to 70,000 points per night. You’ll get better guaranteed value prioritizing the former.
…Or be flexible with your dates.
If you must redeem your points on a system that uses dynamic pricing, try shifting your dates to see if the rate changes. If you’re seeing a total price for the full duration of your stay, search one night at a time; sometimes, one night commands a higher price, driving up the overall cost of your stay.
Don’t let your points expire.
Every program has different expiration rules, but most require you to make at least one transaction on your account every 12 to 24 months to keep your balance active. Know your terms: Even transferring some points to another account can reset your deadline. The same applies for the free award nights you get with certain credit cards whenever you hit an anniversary—a perk that’s often hiding in the terms and conditions.
Never say no to free points.
You should always sign up for a loyalty program, even if you know you’re unlikely to use its points. That’s because some programs let you pool points with friends or family—and what you earn on a one-off trip might be enough to help a loved one score their own redemption prize.
Set price drop alerts.
Free online tools like OpenHotelAlert.com will monitor your hotel redemption to see if the points price drops for a standard room. You can usually cancel your existing redemption and rebook at the lower rate.
Avoid non-hotel redemptions.
Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and other companies have been bullish on experiences, letting you spend millions of points on things money can’t always buy—think Taylor Swift or Formula 1 tickets. Only use points this way if you have no travel plans in the immediate future or have so many points you can afford to be frivolous. As a rule, hotel points will always deliver maximum value when used on—you guessed it—hotels.
