2024’s Best Hotel Rewards Programs Save Members up to 15% – WalletHub Study

August 15, 2024

With a busy summer travel season expected and consumers looking for ways to cut costs amid persistent inflation, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its study on 2024’s Best Hotel Rewards Programs to help travelers maximize their savings.

WalletHub’s study ranks the nine largest U.S. hotel chains’ rewards programs based on 21 key metrics, including the average value of a point, point expiration policies, and the volatility of award-night pricing. WalletHub’s study also includes a handy calculator that allows travelers to customize the results based on their specific spending habits. You can check out some overall highlights below.

Best Hotel Rewards Program: World of Hyatt is the best hotel loyalty program overall, earning an average WalletHub Rating of 72 out of 100.
Big Savings Available: The five best hotel rewards programs save their members an average of 10%. In some cases, members can save as much as 15% at select hotels.
Award Nights at any Property: Six of the top nine hotel rewards programs allow members to redeem points for award nights at all brands/properties (Marriott Bonvoy, Choice Privileges and IHG One Rewards are the exceptions).
Rewards That Never Expire Are Rare: Best Western is the only major hotel chain whose points do not expire due to account inactivity.
Best Hotel Credit Card: The World of Hyatt Credit Card is 2024’s best hotel credit card, according to WalletHub’s editors. It stands out because it can save the average person roughly $4,778 over the course of two years.

“When people look for ways to save on summer travel, taking advantage of hotel loyalty programs usually isn’t at the top of the list, but maybe it should be. Hotel rewards programs are free to join, and WalletHub’s latest research shows that the five best programs save members an average of 10% on their hotel spending. Members can get discounted room rates and earn free nights over time, just to name a couple of perks. If you pair membership in one of the best hotel loyalty programs with one of the best hotel rewards credit cards, you can really take your savings to the next level. For example, you could get a few free nights just as a signup bonus, then earn thousands more in savings over the next couple of years. Fortunately for travelers this summer, the best loyalty program and the best credit card are affiliated with the same hotel chain: Hyatt.”John Kiernan, WalletHub Editor.