Best Hotel Rewards Program in Canada (2026): 7 Compared

2026 has been a pivotal year for the major hotel loyalty programs: World of Hyatt overhauled its award chart in May, Wyndham Rewards did the same in September, and Marriott Bonvoy has been showing signs of a quiet increase in points pricing since July. Accor announced its partnership with American Express. With so many changes happening at once, it is hard to tell which of these programs still genuinely pays off for a Canadian traveller. Here is our data-backed comparison, based on the real value of each program’s point, the perks specific to each one, and how hard it is to earn elite status.

In brief

World of Hyatt still has the most valuable point (2.5¢ CAD), despite a devaluation of up to 67% on its high-end hotels in May 2026.
Wyndham Rewards (1.0¢) and Marriott Bonvoy (0.9¢) follow, in that order.
IHG One Rewards (0.7¢) and Choice Privileges (0.6¢) sit in the middle of the ranking.
Hilton Honors (0.5¢) comes last on point value, but has just relaxed its status thresholds in 2026.
ALL Accor Live Limitless works differently from the other six: each point is worth a fixed, guaranteed amount of about 3.1¢ CAD (2,000 points = €40), with no award chart or blackout dates. Since July 22, 2026, the program has opened up to Canadians through the transfer of American Express Membership Rewards points.
Fastest elite status to earn: Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards (35 to 40 nights for the standard upper tier). Most demanding: IHG One Rewards (70 nights), followed by the new super-elite tiers Marriott Ambassador (100 nights) and Hilton Diamond Reserve (80 nights).
Marriott Bonvoy remains the only program with a direct co-branded credit card in Canada. Since July 2026, World of Hyatt has gained a new way in: the 10 Aeroplan cards (TD, CIBC, American Express) provide access to bonus Hyatt points and complimentary base status. Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy can also be reached through the American Express Membership Rewards transfer, at a 1:1 ratio. Since July 22, 2026, ALL Accor Live Limitless has joined the list of Amex transfer partners, at a ratio of 2 Membership Rewards points to 1 Reward point.

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TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card

TD TD Rewards First-Year Annual Fee Rebate

Annual feeNo annual fee the first year: $0 $139
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$800Annual fee rebated$139Total$939Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $939
Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 6 months: Up to 160,000 points

With the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card, you can earn up to 160,000 TD Rewards Points^† as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year^†:

20,000 TD Rewards Points for the first purchase made with your card^†
140,000 TD Rewards Points when you spend $7,500 within 180 days of account opening^†
A Birthday Bonus of up to 10,000 TD Rewards Points^†

Get an annual TD Travel Credit^† of $100 when you book at Expedia^® For TD, and enjoy your time at the airport with global airport lounge access and 4 complimentary lounge visits with Visa Airport Companion Program (a value of up to $277)^†.

With the TD First Class Travel^® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn:

8 TD Rewards Points^† for every $1 you spend when you book travel through Expedia^® For TD^†
6 TD Rewards Points^† per dollar on your grocery, dining and public transit purchases
4 TD Rewards Points^† per dollar on your recurring bill payments and purchases of streaming services as well as digital games and media
2 TD Rewards Points^† per dollar on all other purchases made with your card

This card also allows you to enjoy a range of travel benefits, including an annual travel credit, complimentary airport lounge visits, and a birthday bonus that boosts your points each year^†.

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^†Terms and conditions apply.

Annual fee

Primary card$139

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

6xGroceries
6xRestaurants
6xTransit
4xBills & recurring payments
4xStreaming
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,430

2nd Year Value$531

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $2,000,000 / 21 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $2,000,000 / 4 days

Trip CancellationUp to $1,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $1,000

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

The real cost of a night, program by program

Here is the value we assign to each point, based on our internal assessments of typical redemptions (standard to high-end nights) and revised periodically.

Program	Point value (CAD)	2026 devaluation	Key takeaway
World of Hyatt	2.5¢	Up to 67% on upper categories (May 2026)	Still the most valuable point despite the steepest percentage drop
Wyndham Rewards	1.0¢	New entry tier at 5,000 points, -33% (Sept. 15, 2026)	Only program with a clear improvement at its entry level
Marriott Bonvoy	0.9¢	Reported increase of 2.4% to 16%, not officially confirmed (July 2026)	Most opaque program, with no published award chart since 2022
IHG One Rewards	0.7¢	No documented one-off devaluation	Dynamic pricing since 2022, erosion hard to measure
Choice Privileges	0.6¢	“New Rewards Experience” revamp under way	Economy chains (Comfort, Quality, Cambria), limited presence in Canada
Hilton Honors	0.5¢	No documented one-off devaluation	100% dynamic, but status thresholds relaxed in 2026
ALL Accor Live Limitless	3.1¢ (fixed, guaranteed rate)	None, fixed rate since the program’s creation	Highest value on paper, but no award chart or sweet spot: each point is worth exactly this amount, at every hotel

This ranking may come as a surprise: Hyatt posted the worst percentage devaluation of all these programs, and yet its point still pays off the most. The reason is simple: at 2.5¢ CAD, a Hyatt point is worth 2.5 to 5 times more than a Hilton or IHG point. Even after losing 67% on its most expensive categories, it still delivers a better return than the other programs in the mid-range and high-end segments.

ALL Accor Live Limitless posts an even higher value on paper (3.1¢ CAD), but the comparison is not entirely fair: the other six programs run on award charts, where a point’s value varies by the night selected, with sweet spots that can multiply that return. At Accor, the rate is fixed: each point is worth exactly 3.1¢, whether for a standard room or a Raffles suite. No upside surprises, but no bad surprises either.

Handing over a key card at a hotel front desk — Each program rewards loyalty differently, from suite upgrades to priority status on arrival.

The perks specific to each program

Point value does not tell the whole story. Each program leans on different perks to keep its members loyal, and for a frequent traveller those often matter more than the exchange rate itself.

Marriott Bonvoy

Five tiers, from Silver (10 nights) to Ambassador (100 nights and US$23,000 in spending). The Platinum tier (50 nights) unlocks a suite upgrade subject to availability, executive lounge access, a 50% points bonus and a guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout. The Titanium tier (75 nights) adds Premier Silver status with United Airlines. Ambassador provides a dedicated representative and the Your24 benefit, which lets you choose your 24-hour check-in and checkout window.

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Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $600
Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months: Up to 70,000 points

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn up to 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.

The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 70,000 point welcome offer is worth about $630, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

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American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.