If you’re not booking through hotel loyalty programs, you’re missing out on great deals and leaving money on the table. These programs offer free upgrades, complimentary breakfast, access to exclusive lounges and even
Accor Live Limitless: Most valuable hotel points
Accor’s portfolio includes over 5,000 properties in 110-plus countries, with many upscale and luxury options. Points in the Accor Live Limitless program are the most valuable — and straightforward — of all the major hotel rewards currencies. For every 1,000 points you redeem, you’ll get 20 euros (roughly $23 at the time of writing) off your hotel bill. That comes out to a value of just over 2 cents per point.
Although the simplicity of this program may appeal to many travelers, there are two areas in which ALL underdelivers: The vast majority of its properties are concentrated in Europe and Asia, and it does not offer a cobranded credit card to help you earn points quickly.
You can transfer Bilt points to ALL at a less-than-ideal 3:2 ratio; Capital One miles and Citi points transfer at a ratio of 2:1, and Amex Membership Rewards points transfer at a rate of 3:1. Still, Accor can be a great place to earn hotel points if you primarily travel in Asia or Europe.
The program has four levels of elite status, with top-tier Diamond status offering free breakfast on weekends (or every day in the Asia-Pacific region), Suite Night Upgrades and executive lounge access. You’ll also find brand-specific benefits at each status tier, such as complimentary bike rentals at Fairmont properties.
Accor Live Limitless is good for travelers who:
- Travel to Europe and/or Asia often
- Want a huge selection of luxury properties
- Prefer a straightforward points redemption process
Related: Accor’s first Orient Express train through Italy now open for reservations
Choice Privileges: Best for no-frills stays
With nearly 7,500 properties worldwide, including Radisson Rewards Americas hotels, Choice’s footprint rivals that of better-known loyalty programs like Hilton and Marriott. However, the Choice Privileges program can serve you similarly to Wyndham Rewards in that its participating hotels are more prolific in smaller towns.
Choice Privileges is famously valuable for anyone staying in Scandinavia, as its award rates remain extremely reasonable despite the region’s often costly hotels. And in 2025, the program expanded its award booking window from 100 days to 50 weeks — bringing it more in line with the other programs on this list.
In terms of earning points, Choice offers two cobranded credit cards. You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles to Choice at a 1:1 ratio; Citi ThankYou Rewards points transfer at a 1:1.5 rate, and Wells Fargo Rewards points transfer at a 1:2 ratio.
Historically, Choice Privileges elite status has offered few perks. There are limited room upgrades and only a handful of brands offer complimentary breakfast to top-tier elite members.
Choice Privileges is best for travelers who:
- Collect Citi or Wells Fargo points
- Are road warriors
- Travel to Scandinavia and small-town America
- Aren’t concerned about free stays in luxury hotels
- Don’t value extensive elite status perks
Related: The ultimate guide to redeeming Choice points
Best Western Rewards: Best for free breakfast
With around 4,300 hotels in over 100 countries and territories, ranging from budget to boutique, Best Western’s portfolio is in the middle of the pack. The Best Western Rewards program doesn’t get much attention in the points and miles world, partly because it offers only two credit cards and has no transferable rewards currency partners, but it’s worth exploring if you often stay at Best Western properties.
One of the highlights is Best Western’s status match program, which makes it easy to earn top-tier elite status if you have even mid-tier status with a competing hotel chain. However, as with Choice Privileges, Best Western’s elite status tiers offer relatively small benefits.
Best Western Rewards is good for travelers who:
- Want free breakfast without elite status
- Don’t care about free luxury hotel stays
- Don’t earn points with any of the major credit card rewards programs
Related: The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Radisson Rewards: Best for Radisson loyalists
Radisson Rewards used to be an incredible loyalty program, but many changes, including a move to dynamic pricing, have stripped much of its value over the years.
The good news is that since Choice Hotels acquired Radisson’s Americas operation in 2022, you can earn and redeem Choice points at these hotels. The rest of Radisson’s portfolio still uses the Radisson Rewards program.
This international bent means Radisson Rewards no longer offers a cobranded credit card in the U.S. and has no transfer partners. You can only earn these points by staying at Radisson hotels outside of the Americas. This has made it difficult for many U.S.-based travelers to get much value from Radisson Rewards.
Radisson Rewards is good for travelers who:
- Frequently stay at Radisson properties
- Mostly travel to destinations outside of the Americas
Related: TPG’s favorite hotels in Latin America
I Prefer Hotel Rewards: Best for fans of boutique hotels
Though it does not offer as big a portfolio as major hotel brands like Hilton and Marriott, I Prefer Hotel Rewards is great for travelers who want to stay at a luxury boutique property. If a historically preserved hotel, an independent premium boutique property or a former castle-turned-resort is how you want to vacation, I Prefer Hotel Rewards should be on your radar.
Unfortunately, not every property is available to book with I Prefer points. While it is harder to earn I Prefer points compared to other hotel loyalty programs, Capital One miles, Bilt points and Citi ThankYou Rewards points transfer to I Prefer Hotel Rewards at a rate of 1:2.
Therefore, some great deals can be found with these issuer transfer ratios.
I Prefer Hotel Rewards is best for travelers who:
- Want to stay at boutique destinations
- Mostly travel to Europe
- Hold eligible Capital One, Bilt or Citi cards to transfer rewards points
Bottom line
A hotel can be far more than a place to rest your head. Hotel loyalty programs can dramatically enhance your vacation — and even make it practically free.
We encourage TPG readers to sign up for all hotel loyalty programs, as there’s generally no cost to join, and register for hotel promotions. Even if you don’t think you’ll stay at a certain hotel chain, circumstances may dictate otherwise, and you’ll be glad you enrolled beforehand. You don’t have to limit yourself to a single program, either; there are benefits to using multiple hotel programs.
Whichever program(s) you end up using, be sure to understand when your hotel points expire and how to keep them active.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.