Hotel loyalty programs
Hotel points are simpler than airline miles — but only some programs publish a fixed chart you can plan around. Here's how the major programs price a free night, and which give the most predictable value. Compare any night with the hotel points vs cash tool.
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Hotel points, explained
- How do hotel points differ from airline miles?
- Hotel points usually buy a free night rather than a flight, and the maths is simpler: compare the points cost of a night against its cash rate. The catch is that only some programs publish a fixed category chart you can plan around — others price award nights dynamically, tied to the cash rate.
- What's a fixed category chart vs dynamic pricing?
- A category chart slots each hotel into a tier with a set points-per-night price, so you know the cost before you book. Dynamic pricing means the points cost moves with the cash rate, with no fixed number — you have to check each night individually.
- How do I know if a hotel redemption is good value?
- Divide the cash rate (minus any taxes you'd still pay on points) by the points required to get a cents-per-point figure, then compare it to what those points cost you to earn. Our hotel points vs cash tool does this for any night.