Are hotel points overrated? Which do you collect?

[saianel]

My personal experience is that most hotel points are pretty worthless...

When location matters, there's usually cheaper options such non-chain hotels, Name your own price Cat 4 hotels or AirBnb flats that are much cheaper than a hyatt, hilton, or marriot hotel.

The only chain that to me that is sometimes a good deal is Club Carlson, but beyond that, I have serious doubts.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would like to know which hotel points people collect, and which credit cards you keep open.

I appreciate your comments.

 

[f0xx]

The only Hotel CC I have is the Chase Marriott. The free night was eh. Cat 1-4, same with the Marriott Silver status (weak). Though the 70k was decent.
Almost enough for a two night stay at the Ritz Carlton Toronto. (Tier 3, 50K per day)

Though from there... The annual fee isn't worth it.
I've been super impressed with the Residence Inn Fairfax City location (stayed too many times)... It's what got me hooked on Marriott locations. Unfortunately. Points wise... It's a let down.

Hyatt seems to be very decent (trying my luck with Hyatt now). Almost Hyatt Platinum.
Hilton... eh. Points are WAY too high for redemption.

 

[Matt]

Club Carlson is the only card I'd gladly pay a fee on for hotels, but I do also hold the SPG card because of their transfer partners.

The others, Hyatt, and Hilton with the 2 free nights make the start of nice trip, to which you can bolt on an additional free night or two for a luxury break.

 

[TheBOSman]

Club Carlson is the only card I'd gladly pay a fee on for hotels, but I do also hold the SPG card because of their transfer partners.

The others, Hyatt, and Hilton with the 2 free nights make the start of nice trip, to which you can bolt on an additional free night or two for a luxury break.

I'm currently churning hotel cards so I have quite a few of them right now. I'm definitely keeping Club Carlson, but I'll gladly pay the fee for the points they give in return. I MS on it even at its base earning as I get huge values when using 2 night stays.

I had the Marriott, was a good signup bonus when it was 70k+a free night at low-mid category hotels. Used the sign up bonus for a night at an SFO hotel and two nights at the JW in San Francisco for a short vacation trip shortly after getting it. I used the free night after the first year, then closed the card quickly to get another Chase card. It isn't worth holding for the free night in my mind, compared to churning for the bonus.

I hold the SPG card for the stay/night credit and spend, I get over 3 cents per point on SPG redemptions with frequency (at places I'd pay to stay at, so I'm not just making numbers up). Citi Hilton Reserve, I'll likely keep a year as I've already spent enough to get the annual certificate.

IHG card is a definite keeper, $49 annual fee for a free night at any IHG hotel? Even Holiday Inns are rarely under $49! I can find an Intercontinental to use it at for sure.

Fairmont I want to get, purely to go to the Fairmont Lake Louise or the Fairmont Banff Springs.

Still haven't had the Hyatt card, but since Hyatt points can be generated with UR, it is down my list of priorities. The major miles and points bloggers love Hyatt, I personally like SPG more as I find most Hyatts to be overpriced.

The Citi Hilton fee-free can be had every 90 days, as long as you're not too busy getting more AA Exec cards .

 

[asthejoeflies]

Ditto IHG card. The free night can get you like $300 of value for $49 annual fee.

 

[rhinodh]

The only Hotel CC I currently have is the SPG.

Next churn I would like to get Club Carlson and maybe IHG if I have room.

I do like Hyatt points as a transfer from Ultimate Rewards. I use those just as much or more than SPG points.

 

[Miles to the Wild]

I have IHG for the $49 annual hotel night, Club Carlson for the annual points and last night free benefit and SPG for transferability to many airlines. Otherwise I am not actively chasing hotel points as I prefer to use Pointshound or Rocketmiles to get miles on a wider choice of hotels and not be stuck with only chain hotels.

 

[JeffB]

I just got my first hotel card SPG but do have the Chase UR card. I was able to transfer points to Hyatt last year and saved $1200 on a hotel in Toronto for 21,000 points. I was very happy with those savings.

 

[Alex1432]

I keep the IHG card for the free night. SPG card because I do redeem at their hotels that provides a great value. But like everything it is highly dependent on where you want to redeem and for what. I find redeeming for $150 hotels is not worth the trouble, but its worth it when you get to $400 hotels.

 

[Cacinda Maloney]

Club Carlson and SPG are my hotel loyalty programs of choice. For SPG, i need their transfer partners for the additional 5000 pts and for club carlson, they seem to so easy to obtain.

 

[saianel]

I'm glad I'm in like with the majority! Thanks for y'all feedback!

 

[tmount]

I think you have to consider all the factors though. Hotel points are quite worth it if you have status. I can stay at a top tier Hyatt (think Park Hyatt Tokyo) for 30k (not as good as deal as it used to be) Hyatt Gold Passport points, burn a Suite Upgrade, and have a view of Mount Fuji, and get free breakfast every day, and (at least I had) a couple of rounds of free drinks in the evening.

Just take a look: http://saverocity.com/taggingmiles/saturday-special-park-hyatt-tokyo-hotel-review/

Now don't get me wrong - hotel awards take a lot of points. But there are sweet spots that really make them worthwhile. Hong Kong, where hotels regularly go for ~$330+ can be had for $100 USD and 7,500 Hyatt Gold Passport points. And I used to burn 30k Marriott Points for the JW Marriott Hong Kong (that regularly went for $600+ a night). But again, the key is the status, which I think amplifies the values of hotel points.

 

[Matt]

You and your status - I'm happy with being a HH gold, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold and Kimpton Inner Circle. And not spending a dime other than at the DO this time around.

 

[tmount]

Right - I'll give you that, but we maintain status from vacations where we don't mind paying (part of the budget), and work travel. Maybe we go a bit out of our way to stay at Hyatts or Marriotts, but not entirely. We'll stay at SPG or Hiltons if it makes sense.

 

[KennyBSAT]

I think that for most people, hotel rewards programs are worth taking advantage of, and loyalty programs are not. Of course it's all one program, but if you begin your booking with the approach "I'll look at all the options and choose the best one, regardless of how I pay for it" instead of "which Hyatt (or SPG or whatever) is closest to where I want to be, I gotta stay there for next year's status" your travel will be a lot more interesting. And you may find your hotel points are often worth a lot less than you had thought. Just my opinion, and probably doesn't apply to anyone with a lot of business stays paid for by someone else.

 

[tmount]

I think that for most people, hotel rewards programs are worth taking advantage of, and loyalty programs are not. Of course it's all one program, but if you begin your booking with the approach "I'll look at all the options and choose the best one, regardless of how I pay for it" instead of "which Hyatt (or SPG or whatever) is closest to where I want to be, I gotta stay there for next year's status" your travel will be a lot more interesting. And you may find your hotel points are often worth a lot less than you had thought. Just my opinion, and probably doesn't apply to anyone with a lot of business stays paid for by someone else.

I completely agree - I'm in the minority here. My wife travels under my rewards numbers (and back when she and I both traveled, we racked in the points). That said, we don't only stay at Hyatts and Marriotts. In fact, we're planning a trip to Bora Bora next year and are looking at Hiltons, SPGs, or IHGs. I guess my feeling is - if I've got status (which, albeit, we get from 80% work travel), then I'm going to favor those hotels because I'm going to get more bang for my buck. I'm never staying at a hotel just for the points.

 

[smittytabb]

OK, I am a big fan of hotel points. I think they have more value in many ways than most. I have found a way to leverage status with most of the groups and I stay an average of 25 to 30 or so free nights a year across multiple chains. I think having points in all of them is valuable because you are not limited. BTW, @tmount I just returned from Tahiti and the IHGs there are pretty much fabulous across the board.

 

[El Ingeniero]

It depends on what you're looking for. I travel 2 or 3 times a year at most. I can barely afford $60/night if I go someplace.

But low and mid tier Hyatt and SPG awards can be my bread and butter from now on. 7 nights in a Cat 1 SPG is 19K points ... I can MS that in 2 or 3 months no problem. SPG Nights and Flights has awesome potential to: 60K or 70K points for 7 nights in a Cat. 3 or 4 and 50K AA points; again 6 months earning at most.

Hyatt points are ridiculously easy to earn via Chase too. I just transferred 100K UR to Hyatt.

 

[Vikaz]

I prefer Hyatt points because I've had good experiences at their properties and mainly travel within the US. The Hyatt card may be worthwhile if you are planning a special trip. The 2 free nights are good at any Hyatt, so many people use them at the top tier Hyatts which can get very pricey. I recently picked up a Citi Hilton HHonors card to get the Hilton Gold status, which can then be used to qualify for a Diamond challenge with Hyatt.

 

[John B]

I made the decision to commit to the Hilton Brand about as soon as I graduated college. While I understand that there are plenty of arguments against brand loyalty in general, and sound point value arguments with HH specifically, the service I've gotten has been spectacular consistently. I use the Citi HHonors Reserve as the main card for all household purchases every year until we meet the 40K spending gate for Diamond Status. It works well and means I pay for actual hotel rooms only about 25% of the time we recreationally travel. I've even gotten some great upgrades with the Diamond Status. We stayed 5 nights in a Corner Suite on points around Christmas of last year at the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing. Between the Suite, the legit combination buffet and made to order breakfast, wi-fi, and the nightly receptions, I got value well into the thousands. That is pretty good considering I never paid interest on the cc and I had only actually stayed at a Hilton Family Hotel twice that calender year (due to spending most the year in a country short on quality hotel options).

All that being said, I do find myself wanting to stray from the fold every once in a while and check out the competition. However, the status is nice and if it can be had for simply using a cc to buy the things I would buy anyways, it is worth it. Granted, you all probably know much more about the opportunity cost I am giving up by using a cc for hotel points and not other options. I've still got much to learn.

 

[smittytabb]

It depends on what you're looking for. I travel 2 or 3 times a year at most. I can barely afford $60/night if I go someplace.

But low and mid tier Hyatt and SPG awards can be my bread and butter from now on. 7 nights in a Cat 1 SPG is 19K points ... I can MS that in 2 or 3 months no problem. SPG Nights and Flights has awesome potential to: 60K or 70K points for 7 nights in a Cat. 3 or 4 and 50K AA points; again 6 months earning at most.

Hyatt points are ridiculously easy to earn via Chase too. I just transferred 100K UR to Hyatt.

So true. I used 99K to stay in a suite for three nights at the Park Hyatt Tokyo (old redemption rates) and several more K to stay for free at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto and Hakone Spa on the same trip. I agree!

 

[El Ingeniero]

All that being said, I do find myself wanting to stray from the fold every once in a while and check out the competition. However, the status is nice and if it can be had for simply using a cc to buy the things I would buy anyways, it is worth it. Granted, you all probably know much more about the opportunity cost I am giving up by using a cc for hotel points and not other options. I've still got much to learn.

I'd MS that Hilton Reserve at grocery stores for 40K, that should bring in roughly 200K points and your Diamond Status at a cost of $480, but then I don't travel like you do.

 

[spokaneflyer]

I stick with Marriott these days - employer's preference - and am trying to pull in enough points to at least hit Gold for Life with them. We retire in 4 years and I want the concierge room in my geezer years.

 

[smittytabb]

The only Hotel CC I have is the Chase Marriott. The free night was eh. Cat 1-4, same with the Marriott Silver status (weak). Though the 70k was decent.
Almost enough for a two night stay at the Ritz Carlton Toronto. (Tier 3, 50K per day)

Though from there... The annual fee isn't worth it.
I've been super impressed with the Residence Inn Fairfax City location (stayed too many times)... It's what got me hooked on Marriott locations. Unfortunately. Points wise... It's a let down.

Hyatt seems to be very decent (trying my luck with Hyatt now). Almost Hyatt Platinum.
Hilton... eh. Points are WAY too high for redemption.

Not to sound Palinesque, but "all of them". I am most loyal to Hyatt and Marriott, but I have credit cards for every major chain and do collect them all. It gives me lots of flexibility!

 

[inflightmeal]

I have two Hilton cards and a SPG Amex. Ended up using Starpoints for AA transfer. Cashing in a ton of HHonor points in Italy and England next month I know they arent worth a lot but thankfully they didnt cost a lot.

 

[Brandon]

Club Carlson is my favorite by far! With two credit cards (which I plan on keeping) that keep giving me a ton of points and the free night on redemptions is amazing in their international properties.

I collect other points mainly through credit cards sign-ups, but those are just fillers for my app cycles. I'm hoarding a ton of SPG points and may use them for hotels or might use them as transfers for airline miles. Surprisingly I haven't dabbled in Hyatt...

Usually when I travel, I prefer smaller brand hotels or an apartment rental. Getting into the hotel points has made me use those to stay at the larger brand hotels, and I'm not complaining.... When it's free, I'll take it. Club Carlson is usually my go to card for spending for hotels as I find their redemptions the most rewarding!

 

[YoungBubbie]

I'm a big supporter of Marriott. For me their customer service has been superb in trying to make their guests happy.

We do not travel for work so any points I get are from leisure or credit cards. From the points opening 2 cards we took a wonderful trip to the JW in Costa Rica. We used the free certificate staying overnight in Miami due to the connecting flight from our frequent flyer award tickets. We were able to MS my husband to Marriott gold this year.

With Marriots great LNF guarantee we were able to get very reasonable rates and have been racking up the points for the next big trip.

Last year I was able to achieve Marriott Platinum through a challenge which also gave me United silver. I'm definitely going to miss that this year, but it was nice while it lasted.

 

[lancemahn]

Club Carlson is the only card I'd gladly pay a fee on for hotels, but I do also hold the SPG card because of their transfer partners.

The others, Hyatt, and Hilton with the 2 free nights make the start of nice trip, to which you can bolt on an additional free night or two for a luxury break.

Currently lining up 4xredbirds and will have SW Companion in Jan (aka 2014+2015 BOGO'S)...... SO, looking for a couple cards for accommodations given the monthly MS potential.. Historically did B&B's, even Hostels going back to the 4 months Eurotour. Have the Hyatt, and with wife need a home for 4 nights by March. Although, I have heard of 'extensions' on request, so, keeping that in mind. Looking at SPG, have gotten Choice offers. Mostly interested in Int'l. Current thoughts welcome!
L

 

[smittytabb]

Currently lining up 4xredbirds and will have SW Companion in Jan (aka 2014+2015 BOGO'S)...... SO, looking for a couple cards for accommodations given the monthly MS potential.. Historically did B&B's, even Hostels going back to the 4 months Eurotour. Have the Hyatt, and with wife need a home for 4 nights by March. Although, I have heard of 'extensions' on request, so, keeping that in mind. Looking at SPG, have gotten Choice offers. Mostly interested in Int'l. Current thoughts welcome!
L

Where will your stays be? Int'l is so broad. Narrowing it down could help. Club Carlson is great for Northern Europe especially. If you need four nights back to back you each could get the card and get two two night stays for the price of two one night stays. I continue to hold a credit card from all the major chains - IHG, Hilton (Reserve), Marriott, Hyatt, Club Carlson, SPG. I find compelling reasons to keep them all. SPG I use almost exclusively for airline transfer points. It really depends on where you want to stay and where you are traveling. I travel a lot and I like the flexibility of having points and status at lots of places. I lived out of a backpack for 9 months many years ago staying in hostels too. And before I got into this game as deep, I used to stay at boutique hotels and B & Bs more. I still also use my Arrival + or CSP if I am booking through a third party for a hotel not affiliated with a chain and use PointsHound, Booking.com, TravelPony or RocketMiles.

 

[Marshallonmoney]

I LOVE Hyatt. I am a Hyatt Diamond, and have been for the last two years. I am writing this from the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, Co. Room costs 1500/nt during Christmas, plus free breakfast that costs anywhere from 50 to 100/day for two plus tip. Cost me 22K points per night (old rate - now 30K/nt). Earn UR points and transfer to Hyatt. Points cost about .01 and get anywhere from 2 to 8 cents value when redeem. If can't get at least 1.5 cents, I pay cash for room. Buy Hyatt GCs when they have 10% off, use Amex card giving 5% back, so get 15% discount when pay for room because use GCs. They have the sale going on now thru 12/31. See this link for explanation. http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2014/11/03/hyatt-gift-cards-10-off-and-free-shipping-to-come/
Should get the checks since they can be used anywhere in the world. GCs are only good in the US, Canada and Caribbean. Hyatt has the best status and easiest to get Diamond. Only need either 25 stays OR 50 nights. Caution - you only get one stay credit no matter how many nights you stay AND checking out and then back in for sequential nights stays at the same Hyatt, only gets you one stay credit. Cost anywhere from 5K to 30K for one night, depending on level of Hotel. Also started cash and points redemptions this year which gives you one stay credit per stay, plus how ever many nights you are there. When get Chase Hyatt, get two free nights at ANY Hyatt in the world. My wife and I stayed at the Park Hyatt in Milan. Room was 800/nt plus free BF, that was in range of 50-100 plus tip. Only downside of Hyatts - there aren't many compared to other chains.

I also have CC card - great value for 2nd nite free, SPG for airline transfers, IHG & Choice and HH. Have used all in our travels. Nice to have a choice of hotels in the locations we go to. Choice is GREAT for foreign travel. We have gotten rooms in Rome and Venice for 8K points/nt! IHG has a lot of properties all over the world. Last trip we took, we used Hyatt, Hilton and IHG points for stays. With IHG you have Platinum status (their highest) just by getting the Chase CC.

 

[lancemahn]

Where will your stays be? Int'l is so broad. Narrowing it down could help. Club Carlson is great for Northern Europe especially. If you need four nights back to back you each could get the card and get two two night stays for the price of two one night stays. I continue to hold a credit card from all the major chains - IHG, Hilton (Reserve), Marriott, Hyatt, Club Carlson, SPG. I find compelling reasons to keep them all. SPG I use almost exclusively for airline transfer points. It really depends on where you want to stay and where you are traveling. I travel a lot and I like the flexibility of having points and status at lots of places. I lived out of a backpack for 9 months many years ago staying in hostels too. And before I got into this game as deep, I used to stay at boutique hotels and B & Bs more. I still also use my Arrival + or CSP if I am booking through a third party for a hotel not affiliated with a chain and use PointsHound, Booking.com, TravelPony or RocketMiles.

Re: INternational, we did 3 wks in Thailand earlier this year following a general route NomadicMatt was on. We were hoping to hit something involving south and central america, ideally figuring out layover options to max the trip. (incidentally are there 'optimal' routings anywhere using points that might include Machu Pichu, Easter Island, Costa Rica...as an example)? Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[lancemahn]

I LOVE Hyatt. I am a Hyatt Diamond, and have been for the last two years. I am writing this from the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, Co. Room costs 1500/nt during Christmas, plus free breakfast that costs anywhere from 50 to 100/day for two plus tip. Cost me 22K points per night (old rate - now 30K/nt). Earn UR points and transfer to Hyatt. Points cost about .01 and get anywhere from 2 to 8 cents value when redeem. If can't get at least 1.5 cents, I pay cash for room. Buy Hyatt GCs when they have 10% off, use Amex card giving 5% back, so get 15% discount when pay for room because use GCs. They have the sale going on now thru 12/31. See this link for explanation. http://loyaltytraveler.boardingarea.com/2014/11/03/hyatt-gift-cards-10-off-and-free-shipping-to-come/
Should get the checks since they can be used anywhere in the world. GCs are only good in the US, Canada and Caribbean. Hyatt has the best status and easiest to get Diamond. Only need either 25 stays OR 50 nights. Caution - you only get one stay credit no matter how many nights you stay AND checking out and then back in for sequential nights stays at the same Hyatt, only gets you one stay credit. Cost anywhere from 5K to 30K for one night, depending on level of Hotel. Also started cash and points redemptions this year which gives you one stay credit per stay, plus how ever many nights you are there. When get Chase Hyatt, get two free nights at ANY Hyatt in the world. My wife and I stayed at the Park Hyatt in Milan. Room was 800/nt plus free BF, that was in range of 50-100 plus tip. Only downside of Hyatts - there aren't many compared to other chains.

I also have CC card - great value for 2nd nite free, SPG for airline transfers, IHG & Choice and HH. Have used all in our travels. Nice to have a choice of hotels in the locations we go to. Choice is GREAT for foreign travel. We have gotten rooms in Rome and Venice for 8K points/nt! IHG has a lot of properties all over the world. Last trip we took, we used Hyatt, Hilton and IHG points for stays. With IHG you have Platinum status (their highest) just by getting the Chase CC.

Aaahh, Beaver Creek, that was where I thought we might use our Hyatt 2x2 nights for getting the card as they expire in March.Was hoping to have a buddy join me skiing, but, got a 'king size bed only' answer when I inquired on booking using award. We'd prefer two beds... ;-) Have you had any luck extending them? Also, if my math is right I could earn 15-20k pts/month with the 4x redbird infrastructure. If you can get a decent room for 8k this could be very helpful! Unless it's an award nite as in the two per card sign up, I am OK with clean and safe for average lodging. Thanks!

 

[smittytabb]

Re: INternational, we did 3 wks in Thailand earlier this year following a general route NomadicMatt was on. We were hoping to hit something involving south and central america, ideally figuring out layover options to max the trip. (incidentally are there 'optimal' routings anywhere using points that might include Machu Pichu, Easter Island, Costa Rica...as an example)? Thanks for your thoughts!

I have been to Easter Island, Machu Pichu and Costa Rica. For a start, there are no hotels with points options at all on Easter Island, not a one. I stayed at a small family-owned guest house, and those kind of places and ultra luxury hotels are the main options there. Machu Pichu I've been to twice and didn't stay at a chain hotel either time and don't recall if there are any in Aguas Calientes. Costa Rica has lots of options. I need to write my review, but I loved the Hyatt Andaz Papagayo. There are other chain resorts there as well. One good resource for Central and South America might be Drew from @Travelisfree. He and his wife Caroline did a major trip in that part of the world recently. He is big on IHG and he probably has some helpful things on his site.

 

[lancemahn]

I have been to Easter Island, Machu Pichu and Costa Rica. For a start, there are no hotels with points options at all on Easter Island, not a one. I stayed at a small family-owned guest house, and those kind of places and ultra luxury hotels are the main options there. Machu Pichu I've been to twice and didn't stay at a chain hotel either time and don't recall if there are any in Aguas Calientes. Costa Rica has lots of options. I need to write my review, but I loved the Hyatt Andaz Papagayo. There are other chain resorts there as well. One good resource for Central and South America might be Drew from @Travelisfree. He and his wife Caroline did a major trip in that part of the world recently. He is big on IHG and he probably has some helpful things on his site.

Thanks SO much, I need to copy your resources and familiarize myself with the different strengths. With the pts resource i can see value in planning ahead more, less freewheeling... especially as we're getting on in years.... ;-) (wife's interjection there).

 

[jmw]

I got a Hyatt card and a Hilton card. I opened both for the free nights and free status. I don't care much for the points. I thought about the Hyatt diamond challenge, but I would have to stay in a less than ideal location and significantly overpay for a room, so I decided not to complete it. No regrets at all on failing the challenge on purpose.

That being said, I don't think hotel points, hotel loyalty programs and hotel rewards are a good value. In almost all places, I can handily beat the chains with airbnb or Priceline NYOP to get my ideal room in the $110/night range, which is a clean and comfortable studio with a stove for cooking in order to avoid eating out expenses, which can be very pricey when on a hotel reward stay. My best priceline NYOP was a 5 star timeshare on Maui over a 3 day holiday weekend for less than $200. Some of the chains have overpriced rooms like Park Hyatt Sydney. It's nice, but it's not $1k nice. Many 4 star hotels in Hong Kong or Tokyo are a lot better than the PHS.

For one night stays and late arrivals, I don't do airbnb due to the hassle. And in the few locations and times where everything is expensive, I'll gladly use the free nights and the points.