Travelling can be a big part of your budget, especially when it comes to accommodation. Fortunately, there are strategies for saving on hotels with points, whether at major hotel chains like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, or even at some independent hotels that accept points or offer attractive promotions.
In this article, we’ll explain how to maximize your loyalty points for free or low-cost hotel nights, while exploring all the options for different needs and preferences, from hotel chains to independent establishments.
With so many different ways to earn points, it’s pretty easy to quickly earn lots of points for free hotel nights!
And unlike Airbnb rentals (check out the Airbnb strategy here), which can come with surprises (good or bad), all hotels around the world are carefully reviewed by travellers through comments left on various sites like Tripadvisor.
If you do your homework before you book, you should be confident of the quality of the hotel for your trip!
For families who are used to booking through Airbnb for comfort reasons (especially for access to a kitchen), you should know that some chains, such as Marriott Bonvoy’s Residence Inn / TownePlace Suites, offer real apartments with kitchens!
Choosing a hotel over an Airbnb can directly impact the quality of your stay. Here are the main advantages to consider when opting for a hotel, especially if you want the best value for money:
Yes, it’s entirely possible to use your points to book hotel nights, whether in large international chains like Marriott or Hilton, or in independent hotels. This flexibility allows travellers to choose accommodations that suit their style and budget.
In large chains, loyalty programs often offer options to book free nights using your points, sometimes even with promotions that include a free night after a certain number of nights booked. Independent hotels, although not affiliated to chains, are sometimes accessible via platforms such as HotelSavers Aeroplan or third-party booking portals associated with points programs such as Expedia for TD.
If you don’t have enough points to cover the cost of an entire reservation, several programs offer hybrid solutions combining points and cash. This allows you to use your points even with a limited balance. In addition, co-branded credit cards linked to hotel chains can help you quickly accumulate the points you need for your stays.
Before redeeming your points, it’s a good idea to assess their value. If cash rates are very low for a given night, it may be preferable to save your points for future use, when their value will be greater.
In Canada, Marriott Bonvoy is the most advantageous loyalty program for earning free hotel nights at chain properties. Several credit cards allow you to accumulate Marriott Bonvoy points on a daily basis or through welcome bonuses.
Secondly, Hilton Honors is highly accessible, as it’s easy to accumulate points that can be transferred to this program.
Finally, platforms such as Expedia, Booking.com and others offer their own loyalty programs. Combined with various types of credit card rewards, they offer savings on independent hotels.
Marriott Bonvoy has over 8,000 hotels worldwide. Depending on the hotel’s price range, you can get a free night for as little as 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
You’ll find a complete map of all these hotels in this article, exclusive to Milesopedia. Along with the version for Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Canada. This allows you to estimate how many points you’ll need for your future trip.
The rate distribution across their 30 different brands clearly shows that these are not ONLY luxury hotels: they are hotels suitable for all travellers!
For example, we set up a trip to South Africa paid for entirely with Marriott Bonvoy points obtained via the 2 linked credit cards!
The loyalty program has its own special features that you should be aware of, such as the possibility of staying 5 nights for the price of 4 for any stay paid for with points! This results in a 20% saving, which is quite substantial.
The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program is simply one of the best programs available in Canada for free nights anywhere in the world.
Hilton Honors includes more than 7,000 hotels worldwide, offering a wide range of options to suit every type of traveller. Whether you’re looking for a budget or luxury hotel, Hilton Honors allows you to book a free night for as little as 5,000 points, depending on the hotel category.
Just like Marriott Bonvoy, you get the 5th night free when you pay for the first four in points!
Hilton currently has 21 different brands in its portfolio, offering a variety of hotel experiences to meet the diverse needs of travellers.
For example, we stayed at the Capital Hilton DC Hotel in Washington, D.C., an iconic hotel of the chain, which we found both convenient and comfortable. This hotel is close to the city’s main attractions and offers excellent service, while allowing you to use Hilton Honors points to reduce the cost of your stay.
Members are also entitled to a free breakfast as soon as they reach Gold status, and this benefit is offered free of charge with the American Express Platinum Card®.
Independent hotels often offer a unique, more personalized experience than the big chains. Whether it’s a boutique hotel in the heart of a big city or a family-run inn in a more remote destination, these establishments can be an excellent option for travellers looking to get off the beaten track.
However, saving money on independent hotels requires a different approach to that used for large chains. Here are some strategies for reducing your costs while enjoying an authentic experience:
HotelSavers Aeroplan is a points-based hotel reservation platform launched by Aeroplan, Air Canada’s frequent flyer program. It gives members access to a selection of establishments worldwide, with price categories ranging from 10,000 to 105,000 points per night.
In general, it is more advantageous to use Aeroplan points for flights, but HotelSavers can be a convenient solution for those who wish to use them for hotel stays too. What’s more, the platform offers a wide variety of establishments, including independent hotels not available in other loyalty programs.
Aeroplan’s HotelSavers offers a flexible and diversified solution for using your points, even if it requires some thought to maximize their value. Milesopedia gives a value of 2¢ per Aeroplan point when redeemed for flights, whereas it’s more realistic to get between 1¢ and 1.5¢ for hotel bookings.
Here are the best credit card offers Aeroplan:
Now that we’ve had a brief overview of the different loyalty programs, we can turn our attention to credit cards that earn points to save on hotel nights.
In Canada, two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards issued by American Express allow you to quickly and directly earn many Marriott Bonvoy points.
When you sign up for either of these credit cards, you can earn a welcome bonus in Marriott Bonvoy points. If you sign up for both credit cards, you can earn both welcome bonuses!
If you are a couple – or with a travel companion – you can earn 4 welcome bonuses in Marriott Bonvoy points!
If you need more points, you can get them with American Express Membership Rewards cards:
The American Express Cobalt® Card is particularly attractive, as it allows you to earn 5 points / dollar (i.e. 6 Marriott Bonvoy points) on many everyday purchases:
You can then transfer Membership Rewards points from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy at a rate of 1:1.2 (5:6 if you prefer).
In Canada, there are no credit cards that earn Hilton Honors points, but you can easily do so with any American Express credit card that earns privilege points. These transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:1 ratio.
With a American Express Cobalt® Card you’ll earn 5 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants.
You can also choose to take out an American Hilton Honors credit card if you stay at this chain often enough.
The best credit cards and points programs for saving on independent hotels give cash back or travel points applicable to any travel expense, redeemable as a statement credit.
The following travel points programs can be used:
Many credit cards associated with these programs offer generous welcome bonuses. The CIBC Aventura and TD Rewards programs allow you to quickly earn points as soon as you get your card, provided you meet the required spending to unlock the bonuses.
For simple long-term accumulation and use, the Scene+ program stands out. With cards like the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Card or the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, you can book the accommodation of your choice without restrictions linked to specific chains. Points accumulate quickly and are easy to redeem: 1,000 points are equivalent to $10 in statement credit, with a very accessible minimum threshold for redemptions.
Browse our guide to booking independent hotels and our many tutorials to find out how to get the best value for your points on your next trip:
Optimizing the accumulation and use of your loyalty points for hotel stays can turn your trips into memorable experiences while saving you substantial amounts. By applying the strategies presented, such as carefully selecting loyalty programs, planning, and taking advantage of promotions, you will maximize the value of your points.
In this way, you can make the most of your stay while preserving your budget. Don’t forget that each program has its own specifics; a thorough understanding and proactive management of your points are essential to get the most out of them. By adopting these practices, you’ll be able to travel more frequently and comfortably, while keeping your expenses under control.
Savings are here:
