Choosing a hotel loyalty program can be a game changer if you are traveling for business. While leisure travelers often earn most of their points through credit card spending, business travelers typically earn rewards from paid hotel stays.
Business travelers tend to be reimbursed by their employer or client and often prefer to book directly with a hotel to accumulate additional reward points and elite status. Ultimately, this can lead to free room stays, upgraded suites, waived resort fees and other added perks.
To help you save money and earn rewards, we analyzed the top four hotel loyalty programs for business travelers to identify the most beneficial ones. This guide will help business travelers navigate the process of selecting the most suitable hotel program.
Maximizing a hotel loyalty program and credit card
By considering elite status and credit card partnerships, you can see how many points per dollar you can earn from your stay. From there, it’s simple to calculate your return in points using TPG’s latest monthly valuations.
Related: The best hotel rewards programs in the world
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors rewards you with 10 base points for every dollar spent within the Hilton portfolio. However, stays at some brands like Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton hotels earn only 5 base points per dollar spent on the room rate and other eligible room charges (i.e., telephone calls and room service).
To maximize your earnings, you can use a Hilton cobranded credit card, which offers bonus points for these purchases and provides enhanced earning rates through automatic Hilton Honors elite status. Despite Hilton points being valued at 0.6 cents each by TPG, this can still offer you a valuable return.
At the lowest level, the Hilton Honors American Express Card has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers 7 points per dollar at participating Hilton hotels and resorts (terms apply). The card also includes Silver elite status (with an upgrade to Gold status when you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year). Here’s how your hotel stay translates to earnings:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Silver status: 2
- Bonus points from credit card: 7
- Total points per dollar spent: 19
- Return per dollar spent: 11.4%
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The next card is the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, which now has a $150 annual fee (see rates and fees) after the card’s recent overhaul. This card earns 12 points per dollar spent within the Hilton portfolio and comes with automatic Gold status (with an upgrade to Diamond by spending $40,000 on the card in a calendar year). Here’s how that translates to earnings:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Gold status: 8
- Bonus points from credit card: 12
- Total points per dollar spent: 30
- Return per dollar spent: 18%
(Note that you’ll also enjoy Hilton Gold status on The Platinum Card® from American Express after enrolling, but it only offers 1 point per dollar spent on hotel stays.)
If you reach Diamond status, this boosts your earning rate to 32 points per dollar spent, a return of 19.2%.
Finally, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card now has a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees) after being overhauled; it offers you 14 points per dollar at hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio plus complimentary top-tier Diamond status (terms apply). With this status, you’ll earn a 100% bonus on paid Hilton stays, resulting in this lucrative earning rate:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Diamond status: 10
- Bonus points from credit card: 14
- Total points per dollar spent: 34
- Return per dollar spent: 20.4%
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: 8 ways to maximize Hilton Honors redemptions
World of Hyatt
World of Hyatt is another popular hotel program known for its highly valuable points, which we currently value at 1.7 cents apiece. General members earn 5 base points for every eligible dollar spent for Hyatt stays and experiences, including restaurants and spas. By holding the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you earn 4 points per dollar you spend with your card at Hyatt properties, which means you can earn a total of 9 bonus points.
Plus, you’ll get complimentary Hyatt Discoverist status which provides an additional 10% bonus on eligible purchases. This translates to the following earning opportunities:
- Base points per dollar spent: 5
- Bonus points with Discoverist status: 0.5
- Bonus points from credit card: 4
- Total points per dollar spent: 9.5
- Return per dollar spent: 17.1%
If you reach Explorist status (after 30 nights or 50,000 base points), you’ll earn a 20% bonus on eligible purchases. Here’s how that changes your earnings:
- Base points per dollar spent: 5
- Bonus points with Explorist status: 1
- Bonus points from credit card: 4
- Total points per dollar spent: 10
- Return per dollar spent: 18%
Finally, top-tier Globalist status (after 60 nights or 100,000 base points) will earn a 30% bonus on eligible purchases. Here are your base point earnings:
- Base points per dollar spent: 5
- Bonus points with Globalist status: 1.5
- Bonus points from credit card: 4
- Total points per dollar spent: 10.5
- Return per dollar spent: 18.9%
Related: 5 easy ways to maximize Hyatt award redemptions
IHG One Rewards
IHG One Rewards, similar to Hilton Honors, provides elite members with a generous amount of points. However, these points have a value of only 0.5 cents, which is lower than other programs. For regular members, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent at most IHG properties and 5 points per dollar at brands like Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
In the analysis below, we’ll consider the earnings at a rate of 10 base points per dollar, but if you frequently stay at brands that earn just 5 base points per dollar, you’ll want to adjust your calculations accordingly.
If you have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, you’ll earn an additional 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying stays and eligible charges at IHG properties when you use your card. Cardholders will also earn automatic Platinum Elite status, which earns another 60% bonus on top of the base points. Here’s the resulting haul of points for your IHG stays:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Platinum status: 6
- Bonus points from credit card: 10
- Total points per dollar spent: 26
- Return per dollar spent: 13%
Once you reach 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualified points (or by spending $40,000) each year, you’ll reach top-tier Diamond Elite status. This gives you a 100% bonus on base spending:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Diamond status: 10
- Bonus points from credit card: 10
- Total points per dollar spent: 30
- Return per dollar spent: 15%
Related: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy rewards members with 10 points per dollar spent on all qualifying charges across their portfolio. Unfortunately, long-term stay hotels — including Element, TownePlace Suites, Residence Inn and Protea Hotels — only award 5 points per dollar. This rate also applies to vacation rentals booked with Homes and Villas by Marriott International.
Additionally, you can earn points when staying at Marriott Executive Apartments. However, you’ll earn just 2.5 points per dollar spent and one elite night credit for every three nights you stay.
Marriott has several credit cards with elite status, including the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. We value each Marriott point at 0.84 cents apiece.
The Boundless card comes with Silver Elite status (enrollment is required), and you earn 6 points per dollar with the card at Marriott properties:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Silver Elite status: 1
- Bonus points from credit card: 6
- Total points per dollar spent: 17
- Return per dollar spent: 14.28%
If you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year with the Bonvoy Boundless card, you’ll become a Gold Elite member. This status is also granted automatically to those with the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card and the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card (no longer available to new applicants). All of these cards earn 6 points per dollar at Marriott properties, so with the 25% bonus for Gold members, here’s how your earnings break down:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Gold Elite status: 2.5
- Bonus points from credit card: 6
- Total points per dollar spent: 18.5
- Return per dollar spent: 15.54%
(Again, it’s worth noting that the Amex Platinum includes Marriott Gold status after enrollment — but you’ll only earn 1 point per dollar on hotel purchases.)
The information for the Ritz-Carlton Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Brilliant card comes with Platinum Elite status (enrollment is required), and you earn 6 points per dollar with the card at Marriott properties:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Platinum Elite status: 5
- Bonus points from credit card: 6
- Total points per dollar spent: 21
- Return per dollar spent: 17.64%
Finally, you can earn Titanium Elite with 75 qualifying nights, which offers a 75% bonus on stays, resulting in the following earning rates with any of the above cards:
- Base points per dollar spent: 10
- Bonus points with Titanium Elite status: 7.5
- Bonus points from credit card: 6
- Total points per dollar spent: 23.5
- Return per dollar spent: 19.74%
Related: How much are Marriott Bonvoy points worth 1 year after removing award charts?
Maximum hotel earnings (without a credit card)
Not all business travelers can choose their credit card while traveling for work. Some companies mandate that all travel expenses must be charged to a corporate card, which means you won’t earn bonus points using a cobranded card at your preferred hotel. If you find yourself in this situation, here is a table outlining the earning rates and overall benefits you can expect at each level of elite status for these four programs.
| Program and status level | Requirements | Total pre-credit card earnings | Value per point | Total return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Silver | 10 nights, 4 stays or 25,000 base points | 12 points/$ | 0.6 cents | 7.2% |
| Hilton Gold | 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 base points | 18 points/$ | 0.6 cents | 10.8% |
| Hilton Diamond | 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 base points | 20 points/$ | 0.6 cents | 12% |
| Hyatt Discoverist | 10 nights, three meetings and events, or 25,000 base points ($5,000 in spending) | 5.5 points/$ | 1.8 cents | 9.9% |
| Hyatt Explorist | 30 nights, 10 meetings and events, or 50,000 base points ($10,000 in spending) | 6 points/$ | 1.8 cents | 10.8% |
| Hyatt Globalist | 60 nights, 20 meetings and events, or 100,000 base points ($20,000 in spending) | 6.5 points/$ | 1.8 cents | 11.7% |
| IHG Silver Elite | 10 qualified nights | 12 points/$ | 0.5 cents | 6% |
| IHG Gold Elite | 20 qualified nights or 40,000 qualified points | 14 points/$ | 0.5 cents | 7% |
| IHG Platinum Elite | 40 qualified nights or 60,000 qualified points | 16 points/$ | 0.5 cents | 8% |
| IHG Diamond Elite | 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualified points | 20 points/$ | 0.5 cents | 10% |
| Marriott Silver Elite | 10 nights per year | 11 points/$ | 0.84 cents | 9.24% |
| Marriott Gold Elite | 25 nights per year | 12.5 points/$ | 0.84 cents | 10.5% |
| Marriott Platinum Elite | 50 nights per year | 15 points/$ | 0.84 cents | 12.6% |
| Marriott Titanium Elite | 75 nights per year | 17.5 points/$ | 0.84 cents | 14.7% |
| Marriott Ambassador Elite | 100 nights per year plus $23,000 in qualifying spending | 17.5 points/$ | 0.84 cents | 14.7% |
Among the four programs considered, Marriott Bonvoy is our top choice. With Titanium and Ambassador Elite, you can expect returns of 14.7% on your stays. Hilton Diamond and Hyatt Globalist follow closely with a 12% and 11.7% return, respectively.
Related: How I’m spending over 5 million Marriott Bonvoy points
Other hotel status considerations
Apart from the rewards structure, there are other important factors to consider as a business traveler when choosing a hotel loyalty program:
- Geographic coverage: While the World of Hyatt program may be valuable, it has fewer than 1,500 properties worldwide; Marriott has more than 8,000. If your business trips take you to various cities, finding a Hyatt property may not always be possible.
- Convenience: If you frequently visit a few specific cities or customer sites, consider the convenience of the hotels in those areas. Even if Marriott offers the most rewards at the top tier, it won’t be beneficial if the nearest property is far from your company’s corporate office.
- Additional perks: Remember that the calculations only consider the value of the reward points earned, not the benefits of the status itself. These perks can include free night stays, complimentary breakfast and upgrades to suites. Take these perks into account when making your decision.
- Promotions: Many hotel programs run frequent promotions, offering bonus points or extra incentives to book incremental stays in their respective portfolios. If one is particularly enticing, that could be enough to book a participating property in that program over another.
Of course, for those very frequent travelers, there’s no reason not to join all of the above programs. You might attend a conference or a wedding in a hotel outside your preferred program, and you should at least earn points in that program. You could even consider a status match or challenge to test the waters with another program. After all, these major chains should be competing for your business — and you may find that the grass is greener with a different one.
Related: How to choose a hotel loyalty program
Bottom line
When selecting a hotel loyalty program, road warriors must consider various factors. We want you to get the maximum return on your travel spend by identifying the hotel program that offers the most valuable rewards for your money.
While there are additional factors to consider, by thoroughly evaluating these hotel programs and their cobranded credit card rewards structures, you can find the optimal combination that suits your needs.
For rates and fees link of the Hilton Honors Surpass Card, click here
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here
For rates and fee of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card, click here
