A recent study conducted by WalletHub, a personal-finance website, has named the World of Hyatt as the best hotel loyalty program currently available. The study evaluated the frequent-guest programs of the nine largest hotel chains and found that Hyatt’s program ranked first, followed by Wyndham Rewards in second place and Sonesta Travel Pass in third.
The study considered 21 metrics, including the value of accumulated points, blackout dates, and opportunities for free hotel stays. According to WalletHub’s analyst Cassandra Happe, Hyatt excels in earning policies and redemption options, allowing members to maximize their rewards effectively. With over 1,300 hotels worldwide, Hyatt offers exceptional benefits to its members at all spending levels.
One of the key reasons why Hyatt stands out is its higher rewards value per dollar spent compared to other hotel loyalty programs. Additionally, Hyatt offers superior redemption flexibility, making it the top choice for most travelers. While Wyndham Rewards offers broader geographic coverage than Hyatt, it falls short when it comes to rewards value per dollar spent and redemption flexibility.
Sonesta Travel Pass was noted as offering the highest rewards value per dollar spent among all hotel loyalty programs. Another unique feature of Best Western’s Rewards program is that it does not expire accumulated points due to account inactivity. This makes it a great option for travelers who may not be able to stay at a Best Western property frequently enough to use up their points before they expire.
Joining a hotel loyalty program is free, and joining one of the top five programs – Hyatt, Wyndham, Sonesta, Marriott, or Hilton – can save members an average of 10% in annual hotel spending. However, three of the nine hotel loyalty programs – Marriott Bonvoy
