IHG vs. Marriott vs. Hilton Reward Program Overview 

IHG Reward Program Review

What is IHG One Rewards?

IHG One Rewards is the proprietary name of IHG’s loyalty program. Importantly, IHG’s award pricing structure is now 100% dynamic, which means that the reward night prices will fluctuate depending on tons of factors, including the cash price of the hotel, the seasonality of the location, etc.

For the most part, these changes have been beneficial, offering up award nights that were cheaper than in the past. This is similar to Hilton Honors but in contrast to Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.

In general, award nights will generally range from around 10,000 points per night up to more than 100,000 points per night at the most lavish, opulent, and expensive properties.You can also pay partially for a stay with Points & Cash.

IHG Hotel Brands

IHG has a gigantic portfolio of nearly 6,000 properties, which makes it fall just short of Hilton in terms of the number of properties. The brands are generally lumped into 1 of 4 categories: Suites, Essentials, Premium, and Luxury.

Joining IHG One Rewards

Sign up for a free IHG One Rewards membership here. You can start earning points right away.

Pros & Cons Of IHG Rewards Club

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Marriott Reward Program Review

What is Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy is the Marriott hotel company’s loyalty program, allowing you to earn and redeem points for stays at Bonvoy brands including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Sheraton, Westin and Renaissance Hotels.

The Marriott Bonvoy program is one of the largest hotel rewards programs in the world, encompassing 30 brands across price points, from budget-friendly properties to luxurious getaways around the world.

It’s free to join the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, and all members can book hotels at discounted rates, enjoy free Wi-Fi and earn points toward free nights. Once you rise in Marriott Bonvoy status, you’ll get additional Marriott Bonvoy benefits such as late checkout, free breakfast, lounge access and more.

Marriott Hotels Brands

Marriott has a dizzying list of 30unique brands, each of which offers distinctive character and caters to a different clientele (including those that want to bring a pet with them!). The brands vary across the board, ranging from opulent hotels with a dispersed footprint globally to affordable, extended-stay accommodations focused within North America. 

Joining Marriott Bonvo

Register online for a free Marriott Bonvoy account.Signing up is free (but an email address is required), and members earn points redeemable for hotel stays and more.

Pros & Cons of Marriott Bonvoy Program 

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Hilton Rewards Program Review

What is Hilton Honors program?

Hilton Honors is Hilton Hotels’ loyalty program. It’s free to sign up, and when you’re enrolled you can earn Hilton Honors points that you can redeem at any hotel within the Hilton portfolio.

The Hilton Honors program is most advantageous for business and leisure travelers who frequently fly to and stay in major cities in the United States, Europe and Asia. Hilton Honors members can redeem points at more than 6,500 hotels and resorts across 18 different brands in more than 100 countries and territories.

Members get perks such as a guaranteed Hilton Honors discount rate, no resort fees on stays booked with points, free Wi-Fi, and more. Depending on how many nights you stay in Hilton hotels over the course of a year, you may also qualify for Hilton elite status. The three Hilton elite status levels — Silver, Gold and Diamond — unlock progressively nicer perks such as free breakfast, lounge access, room upgrades, and more.

Hilton Hotels Brands

Hilton Honors hotel brands fall under 8 broad categories: Luxury, Lifestyle, Upper Upscale, Upscale, Upscale independent hotels, Upper midscale, Timeshare, Midscale.There are 18 Hilton Honors brands:

Joining Hilton Honors

Sign up for a free Hilton Honors program membership here, and all  benefits start the moment you join.

Pros & Cons of Hilton Honors program

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IHG One Rewards vs. Marriott Bonvoy vs. Hilton Honors: Which One Is Better?

1.Hotel Availability

IHG

More than 6,000 properties fall under the IHG umbrella, which makes it the fifth largest hotel group in the world. More than 4,300 IHG hotels are located in North and South America. Another prominent region is China, which boasts 575 properties.

Marriott

With more than 8,000 properties worldwide, Marriott International is one of the largest hotel groups, second only to Wyndham Hotel Group. More than 5,600 Marriott properties are in the United States, but you’ll also find more than 900 in Asia, about 750 in Europe and more across the Middle East, Australia, Africa and South America.

Hilton

Falling behind Marriott, Hilton has more than 6,500 properties in 119 countries. Like Marriott, Hilton’s brands range from luxury, such as the Waldorf Astoria, to budget, such as the Hampton by Hilton. There are 18 different brands within Hilton’s portfolio.

Winner: Marriott

Marriott has about 2,000 more properties than IHG  and Hilton, and offers more brands. The more brands, the more price points and styles there are to accommodate different types of travelers or trips.

2.Loyalty Programs Difference

Earning points

Members in all 3 reward  programs earn points on the base room rate plus any eligible room charges. Of course, if you have elite status in either program, you’ll earn more bonus points. To earn points, guests need to make a reservation via a hotel’s own channel (online, phone, etc.) instead of using a third-party booking website.

How to Earn IHG Rewards Points

IHG Rewards Club members earn points when they make purchases through IHG or its affiliates. The following list gives a breakdown of which types of transactions are eligible for points, as well as how many points you’ll receive.

IHG Rewards Club offers these ways to earn points:

How to Earn Marriott Points?

Marriott Rewards members earn points on certain purchases made through the chain. As you’ll see below, exactly which types of transactions accrue points and the number of points you’ll receive per dollar spent depend on the particular Marriott-owned brand you’re shacking up with.

Marriott Bonvoy offers these ways to earn points:

How to Earn Hilton Points?

Hilton Honors members earn points when they make certain types of purchases through the hotel chain. As you’ll see below, exactly which types of transactions accrue points and the number of points you’ll receive per dollar spent depend on which Hilton-owned brand you’re staying with.

Hilton Honors offers these ways to earn points:

Winner: Tie

Loyalty programs and rewards are often connected because you likely want to join a program so you can earn points or miles.

Redeeming points

Earning points is nice, but how you can actually redeem those points is where you typically find the value in a loyalty program.

How to Redeem IHG Rewards Points

Clik here to see how to use IHG Points.

How to Redeem Marriott Points?

Marriott Bonvoy offers these ways to redeem points:

Clik here to see how to use Marriott Points.

How to Redeem Hilton Points?

Hilton Honors offers these ways to redeem points:

Clik here to see how to use Hilton Points.

Winner: Marriott

Both Marriott and Hilton award nights typically start at 5,000 points per night and stay at an IHG Hotel, starting at 10,000 points. However, certain Marriott nights could start at 4,000 points per night through PointSaver deals.

Points worth

How Much Are IHG Rewards Points Worth?

IHG Rewards Club points are worth 0.78 cents each on average, according to WalletHub’s research. The average IHG Rewards Club point value is almost the same for both weekday and weekend reservations.

How much are Marriott Bonvoy points worth?

Marriott Bonvoy points are typically worth about 0.8 cents per point according to travel experts. You could potentially get more (or less) value from your points depending on how you use them. Using points for award stays at luxury Marriott properties can often result in an above-average value for your points. 

How much are Hilton Honors points worth?

Hilton Honors points are typically worth about 0.6 cents per point according to general sentiment from travel and points experts. However, it’s possible to get more value from your points depending on how you redeem them. 

Winner: Marriott

3.Membership Levels

IHG Elite Status

How to earn IHG elite status?

You can earn IHG elite status in one of three ways:

• Complete enough elite qualifying nights within a calendar year.

• Accumulate enough elite qualifying points within a calendar year.

• Have the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card, which comes with IHG Platinum Elite status, or the IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card, which comes with Silver elite status.

• Purchase InterContinental Ambassador membership ($200 annually), which comes with automatic IHG Platinum Elite status.

Here’s the breakdown.

IHG One Rewards membership level and benefits at every tier

These are the benefits you can receive for the different IHG elite status tiers:

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status

How to earn Marriott elite status？

（1）Earn Marriott status through eligible nights

You can earn the first four levels (Silver through Titanium) by staying enough qualifying nights per calendar year. Here’s the breakdown.

（2）Earn elite status through credit cards

Does spending a quarter of the year in hotels sound daunting? There’s an easier way. Several credit cards, including Marriott's own branded cards, provide complimentary elite status. This status is identical to what you’d get if you earned it the hard way.

Marriott status levels and benefits at every tier

These are the main benefits you can receive in the Marriott Bonvoy program depending on your elite status level:

Hilton Honors elite status

How to earn Hilton elite status?

You earn Hilton status in any of these ways:

• Earning enough qualifying nights per calendar year at a Hilton property.

• Earning enough qualifying stays per calendar year at a Hilton property.

• Earning enough qualifying base points per calendar year at a Hilton property.

• Having a Hilton credit card that offers automatic elite status as a benefit.

Honors status levels and benefits at every tier

Hilton Honors offers four elite status levels, ranging from member to Diamond. The higher your status, the more benefits you'll get when staying at Hilton properties. 

Best elite status offerings: Marriott Bonvoy

Hotel elite status can come with some money-saving and experience-boosting benefits including room upgrades, late checkout and breakfast. Not all programs are created equally. Marriott’s larger portfolio makes it easy to earn and benefit from its elite status program, which comes with slightly more valuable points, according to NerdWallet’s calculations.

4.Hotel Credit Card

IHG credit cards

There are two co-branded IHG credit cards, the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee) and the IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card ($0 annual fee).Even though your options are more limited with IHG, the credit card's welcome bonus still turns heads.

IHG Rewards Credit Card Offers Compared:

Marriott credit cards

Marriott offers six credit card options, including five personal cards and one business card. All these cards can help you earn bonus Marriott points, but you’ll find more travel benefits on the cards with the higher annual fees. Marriott partners with both Chase and American Express for its credit cards.

Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Offers Compared:

Hilton credit cards

You might want to consider applying for a Hilton credit card if you have at least good credit and you stay at hotels in the Hilton portfolio at least a few times each year. There are a few different Hilton credit cards to pick from, though. You can find a comparison of the current offers below.

Hilton Honors Credit Card Offers Compared:

Winner for best hotel credit card: Hilton Honors

Thanks to a variety of credit cards between these three loyalty brands, there are plenty of points on the horizon rewarding you for everyday spending. Hilton Honors wins the prize thanks to its ability to award the highest elite status after credit card approval.

5.Transfer Partners

If you want to pad your IHG, Marriott or Hilton hotel points, consider transferring rewards to your account from a transfer partner. ALL IHG, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors partner with other loyalty programs to allow an exchange of rewards points.

IHG

There are 38 partners allow transfers to IHG Reward Program.Let’s look at some transfer examples:

• 5:1 ratio (the rate for the majority of partners) — Transfer 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to United and earn 2,000 United MileagePlus miles.

• 40:1 ratio - Transfer 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to Air Miles and earn 250 Air Miles.

• 250:1 ratio - Transfer 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to EL AL Matmid and earn 40 EL AL Matmid points.

• 400:1 ratio - Transfer 10,000 IHG One Rewards points to Air New Zealand Airpoints and earn up with 25 Airpoints.

Marriott

These partners allow transfers to Marriott Bonvoy:

• Amex Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio

• Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio

• Diners Club International Club Rewards at 1.25:1.5 ratio

Hilton 

These partners allow transfers to Hilton Honors:

• American Express Membership Rewards points – Transfer American points to Hilton at a ratio of 1 Amex point to 2 Hilton points (and watch for occasional transfer bonuses)

• Hawaiian Airlines miles – Transfer Hawaiian Airlines miles to Hilton at a 1:1.5 ratio. 

• Virgin Atlantic miles – Transfer Virgin Atlantic miles at a 1:1.5 ratio to Hilton points. 

Winner: IHG

Overall, IHG has more flexibility because it partners with all American Express and Chase and Airline Transfer Partners.

IHG Rewards Club vs. Hilton Honors vs. Marriott Bonvoy Full Comparison Chart

How to Choose the Best Hotel Reward Program?

For IHG Rewards Club Members

• The best way to redeem IHG Rewards Club points is for IHG stays. Points are worth 0.78 cents apiece that way.

• Make sure to read IHG reviews & IHG Rewards Club FAQs. Learning from experts and fellow travelers will help you pick up some helpful tips as well as avoid tricks and pitfalls.

• Consider applying for an IHG credit card. The best IHG credit card could save the average person roughly $3,000 over the first two years of use, according to WalletHub’s calculations.

• Avoid buying IHG Rewards Club points, if possible. IHG Rewards Club points cost more to purchase than they are worth when redeemed, on average. However, it could be worth buying a small number if it puts you over the top for a free night.

• Take advantage of status perks. The assorted small perks with which members are rewarded for their financial loyalty can be a big selling point for hotel rewards programs, but they are often forgotten by users as time goes by.

• Compare your hotel options if you’re not wedded to IHG. IHG is not the only worldwide hotel chain with a rewarding loyalty program. 
  

For Marriott Bonvoy Members

• The best way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points is for Marriott stays. Points are worth 0.98 cents apiece that way.

• Make sure to read Marriott reviews & Bonvoy FAQs. Learning from experts and fellow travelers will help you pick up some helpful tips as well as avoid tricks and pitfalls.

• Consider applying for a Marriott credit card. The best Marriott credit card could save the average person roughly $3,000 over the first two years of use.

• Try the Island Approach with your credit cards. The Marriott Card offers competitive earnings on hotel reservations (within the Marriott family). On pretty much everything else, you’ll actually get a lower value. That’s why you should put an everyday rewards card into your wallet as well. 

• Avoid buying Bonvoy points, if possible. Marriott points cost more to purchase than they are worth when redeemed, on average. However, it could be worth buying a small number if it puts you over the top for a free night.

• Pool or transfer points if it makes sense. Marriott allows members to pool their points together for easier redemption. This is especially helpful for family members with individual Marriott Bonvoy memberships who often travel together.
  

• Avoid buying Bonvoy points, if possible. Marriott points cost more to purchase than they are worth when redeemed, on average. However, it could be worth buying a small number if it puts you over the top for a free night.

• Compare your hotel options if you’re not wedded to Marriott. Marriott is not the only worldwide hotel chain with a rewarding loyalty program. 

For Hilton Honors Members

• The best way to redeem Hilton Honors Points is for Hilton stays. Points are worth 0.58 cents apiece that way.

• Make sure to read Hilton reviews & Hilton Honors FAQs. Learning from experts and fellow travelers will help you pick up some helpful tips as well as avoid tricks and pitfalls.

• Consider applying for a Hilton credit card. The best Hilton credit card could save the average person roughly $3,500 over the first two years of use.

• Take advantage of status perks. The assorted small perks with which members are rewarded for their financial loyalty can be a big selling point for hotel rewards programs, but they are often forgotten by users as time goes by.

• Pool or transfer points if it makes sense. Hilton allows members to pool their points together for easier redemption. This is especially helpful for family members with individual Hilton Honors memberships who often travel together.
  

• Compare your hotel options if you’re not wedded to Hilton. Hilton is not the only worldwide hotel chain with a rewarding loyalty program. 

Conclusion: Which is Better?

• IHG One Rewards: IHG’s hotel loyalty program is a favorite for families and business travelers alike. It ranked No. 1 in analysis of best hotel rewards program for families, No. 1 for best overall hotel rewards program and No. 2 for best hotel rewards program for frequent travelers.

• Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott is one of the largest hotel chains, so no matter where you’re headed, it’s likely there’s a Marriott. This allows you to use your Marriott elite status benefits pretty much wherever you go.

• Hilton Honors: Some elite status programs offer free breakfast, but the highest tier of Hilton elite status, Diamond, could theoretically cover every meal of the day thanks to executive-floor lounge access.

It can be difficult to decide between multiple hotel loyalty programs because there’s a lot to consider. You need to know how to earn and redeem points, whether the available properties align with your travel preferences, and how good the elite status benefits are. Fortunately, you’re able to join multiple loyalty programs if you want. This could be beneficial if you travel frequently and want even more options for places to stay worldwide.

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