Luxury hotel reward programs are often misunderstood, with many travelers not bothering to sign up for one as they feel that the benefits would not make a difference to their stay. However, OROGOLD believes that a majority of reward programs offered by hotel groups can not only save you money during your stay, but will also give you many added perks that will make your trip much more enjoyable.

Points are Easy to Redeem
One of the major problems when it comes to airline loyalty programs is that it can often be hard to redeem points, either because they only offer a small selection of seats for flights, or because of the lengths you have to go through to do so. In comparison, hotel groups have fewer restrictions, and do not blackout any dates for reward nights. The points that you earn with many hotel reward programs never expire, meaning that you can save them for however long you want, and they also allow you to use them for stays at competitor hotels. Many hotels will also accept your points instead of cash for things that you might spend on during your stay, such as room upgrades or meals at the hotel.

Extra Perks During Your Stay
Hotels are constantly offering deals and special bonuses to their reward program members, such as free room service breakfasts and free Wi-Fi. You can also use your membership status, no matter what level it may be at, to enjoy late check-outs, free parking, and other little perks that all make traveling slightly more convenient.

The Best Reward Programs
Although the benefits to joining a reward program are plenty, they all do slightly differ, so it is important to do a bit of research before deciding which one, or more, to join. The Marriott program is one of the most diverse, and covers 18 different brands, including Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance, and also allows points to be redeemed with Delta and United Airlines. The Hilton program covers high end brands such as Conrad and the Waldorf-Astoria, has over 4000 locations in 90 countries, and can be used with 50 different airline and rail partners. The only downside is that you need to use your points at least once a year to stop them from expiring.

If you have already booked your trip, don’t worry, as you can still sign up online to the reward program at the hotel that you have booked, so that you will still be able to collect points for your stay, as well as enjoy member perks. Many hotels also offer credit card programs for their members, allowing you to earn points for money that you spend elsewhere, and these are usually easier to redeem than points earned from airplane credit cards. If the program you join is going to influence your travel in the future, be sure to research into the different programs available, as not only do the choice of destinations differ, but so do the membership perks.