How does Hotels.com Rewards work?

Who is the Hotels.com Rewards program for?

***June 2026 update: In the United States, Hotels.com Rewards was replaced by One Key (OneKeyCash, 2% back) as of July 6, 2023. But the global shift to OneKeyCash has rolled back: according to the Hotels.com Rewards page for Canada, the « collect 10 nights, get 1 reward night » model described below is still offered in Canada in 2026. The structure varies by country and changed recently; check the current terms in your account before booking.***

Hotels.com belongs to the Expedia Group, one of the world’s largest online travel companies. Expedia Group owns and operates several travel brands, including Expedia, Vrbo, Orbitz, Travelocity, Hotwire, and many others.

The Hotels.com website is aimed primarily at occasional travellers:

don’t earn enough nights to get a status with a hotel program like Marriott Bonvoy
want to book the hotels of their choice
are interested in collecting rewards
switch between Airbnb rentals and hotels

Booking, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, etc.: which hotel booking sites are there, and which should you choose?

There are now many sites for booking hotel nights other than Hotels.com. Here are the main ones:

Booking.com: like Hotels.com, this Dutch platform offers a very wide range of accommodations at all price points. It offers low prices and a policy of refunding the difference to customers who find a lower rate elsewhere. Customers can get even more discounts and services by joining Booking.com’s Genius program.
Expedia: this American site offers hotel reservations, flights, car rentals, and vacation packages. So it’s all in one. It belongs to the same Hotels.com group and, therefore, offers similar services. Its rewards program is called Expedia Rewards, and earns points for every booking.
Agoda: this Asian platform offers hotels, apartments and resorts at competitive prices. Its service is responsive, and like its competitors, the platform offers unbeatable prices and refunds the difference if a lower rate is found elsewhere. The Agoda VIP loyalty program offers exclusive discounts and benefits to regular members.
Trip.com: this more recent platform is also Asian but more complete in its services: accommodation, flights, trains, car rentals. Members can accumulate credits that can be exchanged for discounts on future bookings.

We could name many more. Take a good look at the extra services on offer before booking your accommodation or trip.

How the Hotels.com Rewards program works

How to earn Hotels.com Rewards nights?

The Hotels.com Rewards program is very simple. Log in to your account and book your stay. You earn one stamp for every night you stay in over a million establishments worldwide. This can be for:

10 one-night stays
A single stay of 10 nights
For several stays up to 10 nights

You can earn several free nights in your Hotels.com Rewards account and use them whenever you want.

It is not mandatory to use your free night on your 11th night.

You must be over 18 to register and have a valid e-mail address. Your membership year runs for 12 months from the registration date and is renewed annually on the same date.

How does Hotels.com Rewards work? - Hotels Com Rewards

When do we receive the stamps on our Hotels.com Rewards account, and is there an expiration date?

Stamps are credited to your account 72 hours after your departure. Stamps remain valid in your account for 12 months after the date on which you accumulated a stamp or redeemed a reward night.

How does Hotels.com Rewards work? - Villa

However, you earn stamps if you :

Used a discount code
Did not stay in the hotel
Have used a free night
or if the hotel booked had a special promotion

What types of accommodation are available on Hotels.com?

When you search on Hotels.com, you’ll find accommodation in a variety of categories and price ranges:

Hotels: worldwide hotel chains, from 1- and 2-star budget hotels to 3- and 4-star mid-range and 5-star luxury hotels;
Youth hostels at very affordable prices;
Vacation properties such as apartments, cabins, bungalows or villas for short-term rental;
Bed & Breakfast for more intimate, romantic stays;
Resorts where everything is included;
Unusual accommodations for out-of-the-ordinary experiences.

The value of Hotels.com Rewards nights

The value of your reward night is equivalent to the average cost of your 10 paid nights (excluding fees and taxes).

For example:

Night	Value
1	$100
2	$120
3	$80
4	$200
5	$400
6	$150
7	$60
8	$90
9	$110
10	$140
Total	1 450 $
Free night value	145 $

So you can stay in any types of hotels, from a hostel to a 5-star hotel: in the end, your reward night will have a 10% value of your ten nights.

How does Hotels.com Rewards work? - The Interior Of The

How to use Hotels.com Rewards nights?

It’s easy to use your Hotels.com Rewards nights. You can apply them as a deduction on eligible establishments. To find them, filter your search by selecting:

« Exchanging reward nights »,
« Pay online »,
« Apply a voucher or use a reward night. »

However, the only condition is that the cost of the night you are about to book is greater than or equal to the value of your free night.

If the cost is lower, you can apply your free night but the difference will be lost. If it’s higher, you pay the difference.

In addition, the reward night does not cover taxes and other fees the establishment charges during your reward night.

Finally, the value of several free nights cannot be used to cover the cost of one expensive night.

Hotels.com Rewards Status

The Hotels.com Rewards program has three status levels:

Status	Stamps	Conditions
Rewards Member	0 – 9 stamps	Upon enrollment in the program
Rewards Silver Member	10 – 29 étampes	Book and stay 10 to 29 nights during the year
and Rewards Gold Member	30 stamps or more	Book and stay 30 nights or more during your current membership year

Benefits of Hotels.com Rewards status

Here is the summary of the benefits offered according to your Hotels.com Rewards status:

Benefits	Rewards	Silver	Gold
Secret or members-only prices	♦	♦	♦
Collect 10 stamps, get 1 reward night	♦	♦	♦
Free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, spa vouchers in VIP Access establishments		♦	♦
Priority customer service		♦	♦
Price Guarantee Plus		♦	♦
VIP free room upgrades and more			♦
Early arrival			♦
Late Departure			♦
Free status upgrade to Review Preferred Plus			♦

VIP Access Advantage

Hotels.com Rewards Silver and Gold Members have VIP Access advantage. In fact, participating establishments have a VIP icon.

VIP Access properties have been highly rated for excellent service. You will benefit from free Wi-Fi as well as, in some establishments:

free breakfast
spa vouchers
complimentary room upgrade (Gold member)

How does Hotels.com Rewards work? - Hotel

Price Guarantee Plus benefit

Hotels.com Rewards members are eligible for Hotels.com Price Guarantee Plus.

If you find a lower price for the same hotel room booked with Hotels.com, submit a claim up to 24 hours prior to the start date of your stay. Then Hotels.com will refund the difference.

Hotels.com Gift cards

You can combine Hotels.com into one. You can collect a stamp, bringing you closer to your free night, even if you pay with a Hotels.com gift card.

In addition, Hotels.com gift cards can be obtained through promotions from certain rewards programs (such as RBC Rewards).

Alternatively, you can find gift cards on Rakuten.ca or at many places such as grocery stores, drugstores, convenience stores or gas stations.

If you have a card that earns you extra grocery discounts, Hotels.com gift cards are available at many IGAs. Similarly, with the American Express Cobalt^MD Card, you can earn 5 points per dollar when you buy a Hotels.com gift card in a grocery store.

With this trick, it’s a great way to earn more rewards points with your credit card .

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuation: $255Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 15,000 points

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

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.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
5xConvenience
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas & EV
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Redeem travel points for Hotels.com bookings

Hotels.com is recognized by all rewards programs offering travel points as a travel agency. You will be able to use your points to save on your reservations made on the site.

For example with:

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite +* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offer Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026	Apply NowCompare
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offer Up to 15,000 points	Apply NowCompare
SponsoredScotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offer Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026	Apply NowCompare

By logging in and registering with Hotels.com, you can accumulate stamps in your account. Follow these simple steps:

Open the site at www.hotels.com
You can access the login page by clicking on the « Login » or « Connect » button at the top right of the home page.
Enter your login details by entering your e-mail address and password in the appropriate fields. If you have used another connection method, such as Google or Facebook, click on the corresponding icon and follow the instructions to connect via these services.
Click on the « Login » button

Hotels.com also has an application. You can download it on the platform of your choice and benefit from a 10% discount on your reservations via the app.

Bottom Line

Hotels.com Rewards program is straightforward. This program is for occasional travellers who do not necessarily book in a branded-hotel or who wish to be free to choose the hotel they want.

And of course, enrolling in the Hotels.com Rewards program is free.

Finally, in our opinion, the best credit card to use for Hotels.com is the American Express Cobalt^® Card:

More points for your grocery store purchases (such as the purchase of Hotels.com gift cards)
2 points per dollar for your travel purchases (including on Hotels.com)
You can apply your travel points to Hotels.com bookings
Reliable travel insurance
No minimum income required