Key Highlights: Accumulate elite nights on award stays with these hotel loyalty programs

Achieving hotel elite status comes with numerous advantages to enhance your next visit, such as room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout, bonus points, and complimentary breakfast. These benefits can be particularly significant for top-tier elite members, who enjoy far more perks than nonmembers in most loyalty programs.

You might already be aware that hotel points can be redeemed for complimentary nights, and if you have status in that program, you can benefit from your perks during your stay, whether booked with cash or points.

Keep in mind that when you reserve through a third-party accommodation site like Booking.com, you typically won't be able to use your status benefits and won't earn elite night stays from that reservation. Hotels prefer you book directly to avoid paying commissions to third parties, resulting in fewer perks for indirect bookings.

Did you know that earning free nights with hotel points in the following programs also contributes to your status level, just like cash bookings with the hotel?

• Choice Privileges
• Hilton Honors
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt
• Wyndham Rewards

This can be particularly useful if you aim to achieve or maintain a specific elite status by year-end while having plenty of points but limited cash.

Consider a "mattress run" by using points at a budget-friendly property within the program to secure the necessary elite nights for timely status. This will involve minimal cash outlay aside from your chosen point redemption.

In summary

Accumulating elite night credits is a beneficial method for well-known hotel programs to assist you in achieving your elite status ambitions. You can relax knowing that both cash payments and point redemptions will contribute to your status with the programs mentioned above. This is quite different from many airline loyalty programs, where award tickets typically do not accumulate elite status tier points or qualification dollars (with a few exceptions).

Additionally, remember World of Hyatt's distinctive Brand Explorer promotion, which allows you to earn a complimentary Category 1-4 night for every five different Hyatt brands you experience. There’s no deadline to complete these stays, giving you years to fulfill the challenge. If you’re visiting areas with several Hyatt brands, it’s quite easy to rack up multiple free nights by selecting different brands for your stays.