Best Hotel Rewards Programs: How to Earn Loyalty Points

Although a lot of travalers claim that there is an increasing expense during travels no matter how they cut, they identified plenty of ways card users could save and decrease the lodging costs. One is through joining a few hotel loyalty programs and take advantage of the perks they have to offer.

Earning hotel loyalty points even if you don't travel often, can still rack up hotel rewards points simply by signing up for a hotel rewards credit card and meeting some basic requirements. Doing so will typically get a client hotel loyalty points that can be redeemed for free hotel stays, discounted rates, and perks like free breakfast, free Internet, or room upgrades.

Moreover, signing up for any of these rewards cards means earning points on all of your everyday purchases. And obviously, more points equals more free stays and upgrades.

The most convenient way to earn points is through a top hotel credit card. Although customers don't necessarily need the card to earn hotel points, and they can earn them with frequent paid hotel stays as well. But these cards help them earn points on everyday spending and give them additional point bonuses that they can't get anywhere else.

One of those hotel rewards cards is offered by Starwood. The Starwood Preferred Guest program is allegedly one of the most lucrative hotel loyalty programs out there. Mainly due to the fact that the points earned through the program are so valuable and versatile. Points can be redeemed for room upgrades, suite upgrades, and discounts. It's also important to note that, for every four nights, guests redeem at a Category 3-7 hotel, they get the fifth night free.

As claimed by frequent users, earning the Starwood Preferred Guest points is quite easy once they sign for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express. Meeting the minimum spending requirement of the card will get them a total of 25,000 Starpoints, or 50,000 for a married couple if both partners get the card.

Marriott is another rewards program with plenty of hotel and resort options. Similar to the Starwood Preferred Guest program, Marriott also offers their fifth night free if they book four consecutive nights at one hotel or resort with points, and upgrades may be available for additional points.

Signing up for the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card is also considered by clients as one of the most easiest ways to start building a stash of Marriott points. Guests can also receive an additional free night stay at a Category 1-5 location every year as they keep the card and be automatically enrolled in the program.

In addition, the Club Carlson rewards program offers patrons the opportunity to earn hotel rewards points that can be redeemed for free nights all over the world, both through paid stays and through a co-branded travel credit card.

The easiest known way by users to start racking up Club Carlson points is to sign up on Club Carlson official website for their Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card. This will allow them to earn 50,000 bonus points after their first purchase and another 35,000 points after spending $2,500 on the card within three months.

The InterContinental Hotels Group also offers its own rewards program that allows clients to garner points they can redeem at Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites properties, among others. The IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card makes it easier to earn IHG Rewards points by simply meet the minimum spending requirement to earn a huge sign-up bonus that is worth several free nights at almost any tier IHG property.

But there are other ways to take your points balances even higher. Clients also discovered that by signing up for a credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, this can actually help them top off or even double up the hotel rewards account balances. Clients can actually sign up on Chase official website and go through the benefits of this card.

In the meantime, guests learn that the more hotel points they can earn in a short amount of time, the sooner and longer they can stay for free at their desired destination. In that sense, signing up for more than one card is a win-win.