Hotel Points are Not Created Equally: Which Program is Most Valuable?

Points and miles are much like currencies around the world. Just like $100,000 U.S. dollars aren't equal to 100,000 Japanese yen, 100,000 Capital One miles are not equal to 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards points.

But it's even more pronounced when it comes to hotel points. In the U.S., four hotel chains reign supreme: Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. You might think that since each of these hotels offers similar (varying) levels of hotels, their points would be equal … but that's far from the case.

In fact, it's not uncommon to see a run-of-the-mill Hyatt Place going for 8,000 points per night only to find a comparable Hampton Inn next door costing 60,000 Hilton Honors points. That must mean Hyatt points are more valuable, right? Well … yes, but it's hardly that simple.

With big limited-time welcome offers on co-branded credit cards, bonus points on paid stays, and a handful of other earning opportunities, acquiring a big pool of points with some hotel chains is much easier than others. Add in perks like a fourth- or fifth-night-free benefit on award stays, and things get even murkier.

So, which hotel points are most valuable? Let's take a deeper dive into the world of hotel loyalty programs to find out.

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Earning Points

These days, earning hotel points is (relatively) easy. Between big credit card bonuses, earning points on paid stays, transfer partners, and constant promos, building up a stash of points takes less effort than ever before.

We took a good, hard look at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG's programs to determine how many points you can reasonably expect to earn with each hotel chain, before ever considering what they're worth.

Here's what we found.

World of Hyatt

Hyatt is considered by many in the points and miles world (including us) to be the best hotel rewards program of all, so let's start there.

When it comes to earning Hyatt points, you earn 5x points per dollar spent on paid stays. If you've got elite status, you'll earn an extra bonus on top of that: You'll get a 10% bonus with Discoverist status, a 20% bonus with Explorist, and a 30% bonus with top-tier Globalist status.

Assuming you don't have any level of status with Hyatt, you'd earn 10,000 Hyatt points per year with $2,000 worth of paid stays. Road warriors with elite status will fare better. But even so, a top-tier Globalist would only earn 13,000 Hyatt points each year with this same level of spending.

If you're willing to add the World of Hyatt Credit Card to your wallet, you can currently earn 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, get up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2x points per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1x (up to $15,000 spent) for a total of 60,000 points.

Learn more about the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

Let's assume you're starting from scratch and have picked up the World of Hyatt credit card before making any stays. If you spent $15,000 in the first six months (including $2,000 at Hyatt hotels), you'd end up with 75,000 Hyatt points when all is said and done.

Because the card earns 4x points on Hyatt hotel purchases and includes complimentary Discoverist status as a perk, you'd be earning 19,000 of those points from your paid stays and the rest from the bonus and everyday card spending.

Hilton Honors

Next up is Hilton Honors. While Hilton no doubt has its flaws, we think it recently started giving Hyatt a run for its money as the consummate “best hotel program.”

Unlike Hyatt, base members earn 10x points per dollar on most paid stays with Hilton (you'll only earn 5x points at Tru & Home2 Suites and 3x points at LivSmart Studios). Elites get a bigger boost, with low-level Hilton Honors™ Silver status earning 20% more points, Hilton Honors™ Gold status getting an 80% bonus, and top-tier Hilton Honors™ Diamond getting a whopping 100% increase.

Of course, you can accelerate your earning with a Hilton Honors co-branded credit card. With the *Hilton Surpass*, you can currently earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. But we often see Amex roll out big, limited-time offers that push that total even higher.

Learn more about the *Hilton Surpass*.

To keep things fair, let's say you apply for the Hilton Surpass before booking any hotels and use it to pay for your Hilton Stays. Since the card earns 12x points on Hilton stays and includes complimentary Gold status, you'd earn a whopping 60,000 points on those stays alone. After an additional $13,000 of (non-bonused) spending over the first six months (the same amount as the Hyatt card), you'd end up with a stash of 229,000 Hilton Honors points when all is said and done – more than triple what you'd earn with Hyatt.

And best of all, spending $15,000 on the Hilton Surpass would unlock an ultra-valuable free night certificate, valid at almost any Hilton property.

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott has taken a hit in recent years, with its acquisition of the beloved Starwood Preferred Guest program and introduction of its new(ish) Bonvoy program. But it's got one big thing going for it: There's a Marriott hotel everywhere! No other chain can compete with Marriott's footprint and that makes it a worthwhile choice for many.

Like Hilton, base members earn 10x points per dollar spent on most paid stays. Annoyingly, you'll only earn 5x points per dollar at budget-brands such as Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Element, Homes & Villas, Sonder, and Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy. It's even worse at a few brands you'll only find internationally.

Once again, elites can earn even more points on paid stays: Silver status gets a 10% boost, Gold earns 25% more, Platinum gets a 50% increase, and top-tier Titanium and Ambassador members earn a 75% bonus.

With two different bank partners – Chase and American Express – Marriott offers more co-branded credit cards than any other hotel chain. For example, if you picked up the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card you can currently earn three free night awards (up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

These free night awards are far less flexible than a big points bonus, but for the sake of this example, let's peg them at full value: 150,000 points. These bonus offers change frequently and it's not uncommon to see a similar point bonus on this card or one of its Amex counterparts.

Using your new Bonvoy Boundless Card to book $2,000 worth of Marriott stays would yield you 34,000 Marriott points, thanks to the cards 6x point-earning on Marriott purchases and complimentary Silver elite status. Once you completed the remaining $13,000 of (non-bonused) spending over the first six months (the same amount as the other cards), you'd end up with 210,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

IHG One Rewards

Finally, there's IHG One Rewards. Similar to Marriott, you'll have little trouble finding a hotel where you can earn and burn IHG points … no matter where you're traveling. The biggest tradeoff with IHG is that you won't have nearly as many high-end, luxury properties to choose from.

With IHG, base members earn 10x points per dollar on most paid stays with IHG (you'll only earn 5x points at Staybridge and Candlewood Suites properties). Elites get a bigger boost, with low-level Silver status earning 20% more points, Gold status getting a 40% bonus, Platinum status gets a 60% increase, and top-tier Diamonds get a 100% bump.

If you picked up the *ihg rewards club premier*, you can currently earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months. Just like all the other hotel chains, we frequently see Chase roll out increased offers on this card, pushing the bonus closer to 200,000 points and occasionally offering free night certificates (up to 50,000 points each) in place of the lump sum.

Learn more about the *ihg rewards club premier*.

By using your IHG Premier Card to book $2,000 in paid stays with IHG, you'd earn 52,000 points thanks to the cards 10x bonus on IHG purchases and complimentary Platinum elite status. After spending an additional $13,000 on non-bonused purchases in the first six months, you end up with 231,000 IHG points in total.

Redeeming Points

With all that out of the way, the amount of points you can earn through credit card welcome offers, paid stays, and everyday spending is nearly identical with Hilton, IHG, and Marriott. Hyatt is the clear loser in terms of earning points.

As a reminder, here's a quick recap of how many points you'd have with each of our (nearly identical) examples outlined above:

Hyatt: 75,000 World of Hyatt points
Hilton: 229,000 Hilton Honors™ points
Marriott: 210,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
IHG: 231,000 IHG One Rewards points

But now, it's time to put those points to use … and this is where Hyatt catches up to the pack.

Hyatt is the only one of these hotel chains that still uses an award chart to determine what a given night will cost. With slight fluctuations for peak and off-peak dates, you'll know ahead of time exactly how many points a given hotel will be charging based on which category it slots into. This means you often can plan ahead and score outsized value when redeeming Hyatt points.

Meanwhile, Marriott and IHG both use dynamic pricing – where points roughly track cash prices – to determine what a free night will cost. That means the more expensive the nightly rate, the more points you’ll need – sometimes astronomically more.

Hilton does this, too … but with a twist. While the points rate is typically tied to the cash price, they also have “standard awards” at a set rate for every property. This means award rates can be all over the map at many hotels – sometimes as high as 1 million points a night – but there’s still a lowest-and-best base rate when redeeming Hilton Honors points. When you can find “standard award” availability, that's the time to put them to use.

Now let's take a look at a few different examples ranging from run-of-the-mill roadside hotels to ultra-luxe resorts in one of the world's most exotic locales.

A Budget-Friendly Family Vacation

With a trio of world-class theme parks, Orlando is widely considered the family vacation capital of the U.S. If you're planning to take the family to the Sunshine State, you'll have no trouble finding a hotel to use your points with any one of these chains.

Hyatt fans looking to stay near Universal Studios could book this Hyatt Place for 9,500 points per night, saving just over $160 in cash (including taxes and fees) for the same stay.

The Home2Suites by Hilton Orlando is located just over a mile away and costs 60,000 points per night. This hotel is the priciest option of the bunch at an all in cost of $219 per night.

Meanwhile, Marriott fans could pick a comparable Fairfield Inn & Suites for 25,000 points per night, saving nearly $160 in the process.

Finally, if you've got IHG points to burn, there's a Holiday Inn Express right next door to the Fairfield that goes for 24,000 points per night – or just over $150 if you're paying out of pocket.

Given these four options, the Hyatt Place for 9,500 points per night should be the clear winner, right?

While it's true that this hotel is the cheapest option (in terms of points), you need to remember that you've got (more or less) three times as many Hilton, IHG, and Marriott points to work with. In that case, the Holiday Inn Express would actually use up the smallest percentage of your total balance, with the Fairfield Inn coming in a close second.

If you're booking at least four nights, the math works even more in IHG's favor, thanks to the fourth-night free benefit you get for being an IHG Premier cardholder. Marriott and Hilton (with status) both offer a fifth-night free on award stays, making both of those more attractive options, too.

A Mid-Tier City Stay

Orlando certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. Maybe you've got your sights set on a full-service hotel in a popular European city like London instead. Once again, you'll have no trouble finding plenty of (similar) hotels to choose from with any one of these chains.

The Hyatt Regency London Black Friars offers the cheapest points price at 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night. With a cash rate of nearly $380, this is a solid use of Hyatt points.

Hilton fans have an overwhelming number of options to choose from, but The Waldorf Hilton, London – not to be confused with Hilton's high-end Waldorf Astoria hotels – is located just down the street from the Hyatt Regency and goes for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Compared to the $470 cash cost, this is a respectable use of Hilton points.

Similar to Hilton, those with Marriott points have more than 50 different properties to choose from. The W London is a modern, upscale choice costing 62,400 points per night – a practical bargain when compared to the $570 cash cost.

Finally, there are no shortage of options with IHG, either. The Hotel Indigo London stands out as a solid choice with its boutique hotel vibes and central location. An award night here can be had for 44,000 IHG points, saving just over $280 in cash.

While the cash cost of these hotels varies pretty wildly, from $280 per night on the low end to $570 for the highest priced Marriott property, they all deliver a similar level of service and comfort in the same general area.

In basic terms, you're once again getting the highest value (cents per point) with Hyatt, but that doesn't tell the full story. Booking the Hotel Indigo for 44,000 points per night would eat up the smallest percentage of your hotel points. And even though it's the most expensive cash option, the W London is also delivering solid value for your Marriott points.

If you're booking a longer stay and can take advantage of the fourth- or fifth-night free benefit offered by IHG, Marriott, and Hilton, any one of these properties could end up being a better choice than using a smaller amount of Hyatt points.

Ultra-Luxe Resorts

So far, Hyatt hasn't really proved to be the most valuable hotel program that many claim it to be. But high-end properties are where Hyatt (and Hilton) really shines – it's time to showcase that.

With mile after mile of uninterrupted ocean views, top-notch snorkeling and diving, and the clearest night skies you could ever imagine, it's hard to think of a more aspirational destination than the Maldives. But getting there – and especially staying there – isn't cheap. Most luxury resorts start at $1,000 per night … and only go up from there.

The Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is a Category 6 property, meaning peak nights will set you back 35,000 points. While that total might seem a little high compared to some of the other Hyatt hotels we've spotlighted so far, cash rates are regularly $1,500 to $2,500 per night with taxes and fees included. Using just 35,000 Hyatt points is a bargain in comparison.

Hilton fans have nearly 10 different choices for a trip to the Maldives, but the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island – and its signature underwater restaurant – stand out as the best balance of luxury and affordability. At 140,000 points per night, it's not cheap … but it's a whole lot better than the nearly $2,000 cash price this hotel often goes for.

Marriott has a similar number of resorts in the Maldives as Hilton, with a handful of standouts. We've stayed at both the Le Méridien Maldives (more budget-friendly) and the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort (high-end luxury) and loved them each for what they offer. But for an upscale option that isn't quite as pricey as the St. Regis, the JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa could be the perfect choice.

An award night here can be had for 127,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, saving you nearly $2,000 per night in cash.

IHG has far fewer luxury properties (both in the Maldives and in general) than the other three hotel chains, but there are still a few to choose from. The Vignette Collection Noku Maldives is one of IHG's newest properties in the Maldives going for 120,000 points per night. Again, that's a fair amount of points but with cash rates of $1,200 (or more per night), it's a surprisingly good value.

Out of all four of these hotel chains, Hyatt is the only one you'd have enough points for multiple free nights at one of these properties in the Maldives. With one exception …

Remember that Hilton free night certificate you can earn by spending $15,000 on the Hilton Surpass Card? You can use that to book another night at the Conrad! This makes both Hyatt and Hilton excellent choices for high-end luxury properties like these in the Maldives.

Of course, if you had a bigger balance of points, there's value to be had with any one of these programs. Considering how long it takes to get to this far-flung island nation, you're almost certainly going to want to stay more than two nights. If you string together a four- or five-night stay, you can save big with IHG, Marriott, and Hilton's free night benefit. The same would be true for even longer eight- and 10-night stays.

Sadly, that's not the case with Hyatt.

Transfer Partners Could Tip the Scale

Now that we've taken a look at how many points you can reasonably expect to earn in each program – and what they get you when you go to redeem – it's time to mention one other important detail. Big welcome offers, swiping co-branded hotel cards, and booking paid stays aren't the only ways to earn hotel points.

Each of these programs partners with a bank (and in some cases, multiple banks), allowing travelers earning transferable points from credit cards like the *chase sapphire preferred* and the *amex gold card* to turn their flexible points into hotel points and use them for a free night stay.

If you've got Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can transfer them 1:1 to Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. Absent a big transfer bonus, Hyatt is really the only option worth considering here. Given how valuable Hyatt points can be, this might just be the single best use of Chase points, period.

Meanwhile, American Express Membership Rewards can be transferred 1:1 to Marriott and 1:2 to Hilton, meaning every 100,000 Amex points you transfer would get you 200,000 Hilton Honors points. If you're lucky, you might even be able to take advantage of a big transfer bonus and help stretch your points even further.

You can also transfer Bilt points 1:1 to each of these hotel chains – but again, Hyatt is the best option.

Final Verdict: Which Hotel Points are Best?

How easy points are to earn, how far they go when you redeem them, and how many properties you can use them at all matter.

If your goal is maximum value per point, Hyatt wins – no contest. Meanwhile, if you want easy-to-earn points and a broad footprint, Marriott and Hilton are great options. And if you’re booking budget-friendly family trips, IHG offers underrated value.

At the end of the day, the “best” program depends on your travel style:

Aspirational, luxury stays: Hyatt and Hilton are both good options
Everyday earning & flexibility: Hilton and Marriott are great for racking up points in bunches, allowing you to book a wide variety of properties
Family-friendly, budget stays: IHG offers some of the most budget-friendly options of any chain

By stacking bonuses, leveraging transfer partners, and knowing when to pounce on free-night perks, you can make any one of these hotel chains a solid choice.

Bottom Line

Determining which hotel points are most valuable isn’t as simple as slapping a cent-per-point value on them and calling it a day. Hilton points aren’t worthless just because they’re worth “less,” and Hyatt points aren’t automatically the best simply because they tend to be more valuable on paper.

If you've been led to believe that you should only be earning and redeeming Hyatt points, it might be time to rethink that strategy.