View source for TravelStrategies: Hotel point values

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{{Page|article|Earn Points|point values}} 

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Different types of reward points have very different values, and this is especially true of hotel points. Some hotel programs (like Hilton) require a large number of points for an award night, making their points worth about {{Value|Hilton}} cents each. Other hotel programs (like Hyatt) require many fewer points for an equivalent hotel, making their points worth over 1.75 cents each. Each Hyatt point is typically worth more than three or four Hilton points. 

But the real truth is that most points don’t have a set value. The value of each type of point is different for different people—depending on how you travel, how you plan to use their points, and how many points you already have. 

<blockquote>
WE assign a value to each type of point so that we can have a conversation about the relative value of different options. But YOU need to adjust these “base” values to reflect your unique situation and travel goals.</blockquote>
 
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<ul class="bulletlist">
<li>'''It is much easier to take advantage of hotel reward programs than frequent flyer programs'''. In general, if there is a regular room available, you can book it with points. And because hotel nights are typically cheaper than frequent flyer tickets, you can reward yourself much more often. </li>

<li>'''Our base values for hotel points are based on what you will often, but not always, be able to get with your points'''. The value you can get from any given type of hotel point varies widely between different trips. 12,000 Hyatt points might get you a room that is worth $140 or a room that is worth $450. We set our values at the high side of what you can get—but not so high that it will be too difficult to find opportunities to get that much from your points. </li>

You won’t be able to receive this much value on every hotel reservation, but you will probably be able to find them frequently enough to burn through whatever hotel points you’ll earn. For special events (when prices go sky high), sweet spots (where the hotel category is set too low), and at the most expensive hotels in the chain, you should be able to get much more value per point than our base values.

<li>'''The value of hotel points varies widely between programs'''. This is primarily due to the vast differences in the number of points each program requires for a night in a similar quality hotel.</li> 

This table shows our base value for each program; along with the number of points it would take for a nice downtown hotel in a big, but not exorbitantly expensive, city; and the number of points for their least and most expensive hotels. 

{{Table|Basic|6in}}
!rowspan = "2"|Program
!rowspan = "2" style="width: .5in;"|Base Value
!colspan = "3"|Required points per night
|-
!style="width: 1in;"|Nice Hotel
!style="width: .75in;"|Least expensive award options
!style="width: 1in;"|Most Expensive
|-
|{{Link|Best Western|Best Western}}
|style="width: .5in;"|'''{{Value|bestwestern}}'''
|24-36,000
|5,000
|36-70,000
|-
|{{Link|Choice|Choice}}
|'''{{Value|choice}}'''
|20-30,000
|6,000
|35-75,000
|-
|{{Link|Hilton|Hilton}}
|'''{{Value|hilton}}'''
|40-50,000
|5,000
|95-120,000
|-
|{{Link|Hyatt|Hyatt}}
|'''{{Value|hyatt}}'''
|8-15,000
|3,500
|30-45,000
|-
|{{Link|IHG|IHG}}
|'''{{Value|ihg}}'''
|25-50,000
|10,000
|70-100,000
|-
|{{Link|Marriott|Marriott}}
|'''{{Value|marriott}}'''
|25-50,000
|5,000
|85-100,000
|-
|{{Link|Radisson|Radisson}}
|'''{{Value|radisson}}'''
|50-70,000
|9,000
|70,000
|-
|{{Link|Wyndham|Wyndham}}
|'''{{Value|wyndham}}'''
|30,000
|7,500
|30,000
{{/Table}}

<li>'''If you want to always use your hotel points and never pay cash, you'll get less value from your points'''. On some trips, comparable hotel rates will be low. Since the points cost for a free night doesn't vary very much, you'll still need to use around the same number of points as you would if prices were higher. Consequently, you'll get less value from your points. We would usually recommend saving your points for future stays, where you are likely to get more value.</li> 

<li>'''If you can frequently stay in lower "category" hotels, your points will be worth more—particularly in certain programs'''. In general, you'll get more value from points at low category hotels, which are often primarily available in less-expensive foreign countries. If you are going to be using your points in this way, you'll get more value from every type of hotel point. It also changes the relative values of points from different programs. For example, for a night at a typical hotel, Hilton points are worth less than Marriott points. But at the cheapest hotels, they can be worth more.</li> 
</ul>

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