This guide compares the hotel loyalty programmes that cover luxury brands: Marriott Bonvoy (Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis), World of Hyatt (Park Hyatt, Alila), Hilton Honors (Waldorf Astoria, Conrad), IHG One Rewards (Six Senses, Regent), ALL Accor (Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel) and Leaders Club (The Leading Hotels of the World). It also covers Four Seasons, Aman and Rosewood, which run no points programme, and American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, which adds similar benefits at hotels outside the chains.
Tier rules, benefits and award prices are taken from each programme’s own pages, read on 9 October 2026. Where a programme publishes no award chart, the points prices quoted are dated figures from the named publication.
Hotel rewards programmes compared for luxury stays
| Programme | Luxury brands | Top tier earned by staying | Tier with suite upgrades | Breakfast or lounge | Award pricing | Standard room at a top property |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt | Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, The Unbound Collection | Globalist: 60 nights or 100,000 Base Points | Globalist (standard suites, at check-in) | Globalist: club access or breakfast | Published chart, 8 categories, 5 price levels | 35,000 to 75,000 points (Category 8) |
| Marriott Bonvoy | The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, W, JW Marriott | Ambassador: 100 nights and US$23,000 spend | Platinum, 50 nights (select suites, at arrival) | Platinum: lounge and breakfast at brands with lounges | Dynamic, no chart | Up to 220,000 points (St. Regis Maldives, July 2026) |
| Hilton Honors | Waldorf Astoria, LXR, Conrad | Diamond Reserve: 80 nights or 40 stays, and US$18,000 spend | Diamond, 50 nights (up to a one-bedroom suite) | Gold: food and beverage credit or continental breakfast; Diamond: executive lounge | Dynamic, standard and premium room rewards | 250,000 points (Waldorf Astoria Maldives, standard room reward, April 2026) |
| IHG One Rewards | Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection | Diamond Elite: 70 nights or 120,000 points | Platinum and Diamond (upgrades, suites not specified) | Diamond: breakfast as one welcome amenity choice | Dynamic, from 5,000 points | Not published; see the IHG section |
| ALL Accor | Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel | Diamond: 26,000 Status points | Platinum: Suite Night Upgrades (60 nights or 14,000 Status points) | Platinum: lounge (breakfast in Asia-Pacific only); Diamond: weekend breakfast worldwide, Fairmont Gold | Fixed value: 2,000 points = €40 | Priced in euros, not by category |
| Leaders Club | 400+ independent hotels in The Leading Hotels of the World | Sterling: US$5,000 room spend | None (pre-arrival upgrades exclude suites) | Club: daily continental breakfast for two | 1 point per US$1; free nights from around 4,000 points | Shown per room on LHW.com |
| Four Seasons, Aman, Rosewood | Own brands only | No points programme | Not applicable | Through adviser programmes; Aman also through Fine Hotels + Resorts | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Which programme is best for luxury hotels
This is our assessment, based on the published tier rules and award prices above.
- For points value at the top end: World of Hyatt. It is the only one of the big five with a published award chart in October 2026. A standard room at Hyatt’s most expensive category costs at most 75,000 points a night. Marriott’s highest nightly prices in The Points Guy’s July 2026 sample ranged from 140,000 to 220,000 points at Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis and EDITION hotels.
- For elite benefits at fewer nights: Hyatt Globalist (60 nights) or Marriott Platinum (50 nights). Both include suite upgrades when available and either breakfast or lounge access. Hilton Diamond (50 nights) gives upgrades up to a one-bedroom suite and executive lounge access.
- For guaranteed suites: Hilton Diamond Reserve. It is the only top tier here whose suite upgrade can be confirmed at booking (one Confirmable Upgrade Reward, a second at 120 nights). It needs 80 nights or 40 stays plus US$18,000.
- For Raffles, Fairmont and Sofitel: ALL Accor. Points have a fixed cash value, so there is no award availability to hunt for.
- For independent luxury hotels: Leaders Club. Four Seasons, Aman and Rosewood offer no points; benefits there come through travel adviser programmes and, at Aman, Fine Hotels + Resorts.
Marriott Bonvoy
Luxury brands: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels and JW Marriott.
| Tier | Requirement per calendar year | Main benefits for luxury stays |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Elite | 25 nights | 25% bonus points, room upgrades |
| Platinum Elite | 50 nights | 50% bonus points, upgrades including select suites, welcome gift (points, breakfast or amenity), lounge access and breakfast at brands with lounges, 4pm late checkout |
| Titanium Elite | 75 nights | 75% bonus points, 48-hour room guarantee, 75-night Annual Choice Benefit |
| Ambassador Elite | 100 nights and US$23,000 qualifying spend | Dedicated Ambassador, Your24 (choose check-in time and keep the room for 24 hours), US$150 credit per stay at Ritz-Carlton Reserve |
- At The Ritz-Carlton, elite upgrades do not include Club Level access, according to Marriott’s Titanium benefits page (updated 7 August 2026).
- Late checkout at 4pm is subject to availability at resort hotels and does not apply at Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
- Members with 50 elite nights choose an Annual Choice Benefit, which includes five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
Redeeming. Marriott has used dynamic award pricing since 2022, with no published chart. A five-night award stay gets one night free. The Points Guy’s tracking of the highest nightly award prices (8 July 2026) found:
| Property | Highest nightly price, 2025 | Highest nightly price, 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort | 198,000 | 220,000 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto | 152,000 | 168,000 |
| The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort | 138,000 | 168,000 |
| The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort | 136,000 | 166,000 |
| The St. Regis New York | 140,000 | 164,000 |
| The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad | 142,000 | 160,000 |
| The Rome EDITION | 130,000 | 140,000 |
World of Hyatt
Luxury brands: Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, Impression by Secrets and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Hyatt had more than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties at 31 December 2025.
| Tier | Requirement per calendar year | Main benefits for luxury stays |
|---|---|---|
| Discoverist | 10 nights or 25,000 Base Points | Preferred room within the booked type, 2pm late checkout |
| Explorist | 30 nights or 50,000 Base Points | Upgrade excluding suites and club rooms, 72-hour room guarantee |
| Globalist | 60 nights or 100,000 Base Points | Upgrades including standard suites, club access or breakfast, 4pm late checkout, resort fees waived on paid and award stays, free parking on award nights, 48-hour guarantee |
| Lifetime Globalist | 1,000,000 lifetime Base Points | Four Suite Upgrade Awards and one Category 1 to 7 free night a year |
Members earn 5 Base Points per US$1 at most Hyatt hotels, so 100,000 Base Points is about US$20,000 of eligible spend. Milestone Rewards add Suite Upgrade Awards at 40, 50, 60 and every further 10 nights to 140, and a Category 1 to 7 free night at 60 and 100 nights.
Redeeming. Hyatt kept a published chart but moved from three to five price levels per category in May 2026, announced on 25 February 2026. Points per night, October 2026:
| Room type | Category 7 | Category 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Standard room | 25,000 to 55,000 | 35,000 to 75,000 |
| Club room | 34,000 to 64,000 | 45,000 to 85,000 |
| Standard suite | 43,000 to 73,000 | 56,000 to 96,000 |
| Premium suite | 50,000 to 80,000 | 70,000 to 110,000 |
Under the old chart, a Category 8 standard room cost 35,000 to 45,000 points (NerdWallet). Category 8 hotels include Alila Ventana Big Sur; Park Hyatt London River Thames moved from Category 7 to 8 in the 2026 category changes. Standard rooms have no blackout dates.
Hilton Honors
Luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria, LXR and Conrad. Hilton has lowered the nights needed for Gold and Diamond and added a Diamond Reserve tier.
| Tier | Requirement per calendar year | Main benefits for luxury stays |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 10 nights, 4 stays or US$2,500 | 20% bonus, fifth night free on standard room reward stays |
| Gold | 25 nights, 15 stays or US$6,000 | 80% bonus, upgrades up to executive floor, daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand and region) |
| Diamond | 50 nights, 25 stays or US$11,500 | 100% bonus, upgrades up to a one-bedroom suite, executive lounge, 48-hour room guarantee |
| Diamond Reserve | 80 nights or 40 stays, and US$18,000 | 120% bonus, Confirmable Upgrade Reward up to a suite at booking (stays up to seven nights), guaranteed 4pm late checkout, Premium Club access |
Members earn 10 base points per US$1 at Waldorf Astoria, LXR and Conrad (5 at Home2 Suites, Homewood Suites, Spark, Tru, Apartment Collection and YOTEL).
Redeeming. Hilton prices awards dynamically, with “standard room rewards” and higher “premium room rewards”, and no resort fees on stays paid entirely in points. At the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, The Points Guy (19 April 2026, from searches on 29 March 2026) found standard room rewards at 250,000 points a night on 31 dates over the next 10 to 11 months, about 10.8% of bookable nights. Premium room rewards on other dates cost from 1,155,000 to 3,589,000 points a night. Only standard room rewards accept Hilton free night certificates.
IHG One Rewards
Luxury brands: Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Kimpton and Vignette Collection.
| Tier | Requirement per calendar year | Main benefits for luxury stays |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Elite | 20 nights or 40,000 points | 40% bonus, rollover nights |
| Platinum Elite | 40 nights or 60,000 points | 60% bonus, upgrades and early check-in when available, welcome amenity (points or drink/snack), 72-hour room guarantee, reward night discounts |
| Diamond Elite | 70 nights or 120,000 points | 100% bonus, welcome amenity choice including free breakfast, dedicated Diamond support |
Late checkout is 2pm at every tier, including Diamond. Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton top tiers get 4pm. Milestone Rewards start at 20 nights and continue every 10 nights to 100; the 20-night and 40-night choices include a Confirmable Suite Upgrade, and the 40-night choice includes an annual lounge membership.
Six Senses. Only selected Six Senses properties take part in IHG One Rewards, and The Points Guy notes that points may not be redeemable at Six Senses. InterContinental Ambassador members get daily breakfast for two, a wellness welcome amenity and a one-category upgrade at participating Six Senses hotels.
Redeeming. Reward nights are priced dynamically from 5,000 points. The Points Guy puts the usual range at 5,000 to 250,000 points a night at most IHG hotels. IHG publishes no figure for its top properties.
ALL Accor
Luxury brands include Raffles, Fairmont and Sofitel. More than 4,200 hotels take part.
| Tier | Requirement per calendar year | Main benefits for luxury stays |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | 30 nights or 7,000 Status points | 48% bonus, upgrade to the next room category, early check-in or late checkout |
| Platinum | 60 nights or 14,000 Status points | 76% bonus, two Suite Night Upgrades (more from 18,000 points), lounge access, free breakfast in Asia-Pacific hotels, guaranteed restaurant reservations at Raffles |
| Diamond | 26,000 Status points (no nights route) | 100% bonus, free breakfast at weekends worldwide (daily in Asia-Pacific), ten €10 Dining & Spa Rewards, Fairmont Gold lounge access, 24-hour Raffles butler service in any room type, gift Gold status |
Members earn 25 Status points per €10 at most brands, so Diamond equals about €10,400 of eligible spend. Accor also has an invitation-only tier, Limitless. Room upgrades exclude villas, speciality suites and presidential suites.
Redeeming. Points are used as cash: 2,000 Reward points take €40 off a stay. There is no award chart and no award availability to search, so a Raffles night costs its cash rate in points.
Leaders Club (The Leading Hotels of the World)
Covers more than 400 independent luxury hotels.
| Level | Requirement | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Club | Membership | Upgrade priority on arrival, daily continental breakfast for two, early check-in and late checkout considerations, Wi-Fi, one pre-arrival upgrade a year after the first paid stay |
| Sterling | US$5,000 room spend in a calendar year | Five pre-arrival upgrades a year, 5% stay bonus |
- Points: 1 per US$1 on qualifying room rates. Free nights start “at around 4,000 points” (the benefits page says 4,500).
- Pre-arrival upgrades are one category and cannot be used to reach or move within a suite category.
- US members can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Leaders Club.
- Benefits apply only to public rates and members’ rates booked through LHW channels or eligible travel advisers.
Four Seasons, Aman and Rosewood
None of the three runs a points programme. Benefits come from the booking channel instead:
- Four Seasons has no loyalty or points programme (One Mile at a Time, February 2026). Its Preferred Partner programme is an invitation-only network of travel consultants.
- Rosewood Elite is an invitation-only programme for luxury travel agencies. Guests booking through a member agency get Rosewood Elite benefits at Rosewood hotels.
- Aman is in Fine Hotels + Resorts: Amex lists breakfast for two, guaranteed 4pm checkout and other benefits at more than 30 Aman properties.
American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts
Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) is available to US Platinum Card members booking through Amex Travel. It covers more than 1,900 properties. Benefits on every stay:
- 12pm check-in and room upgrade on arrival, when available
- guaranteed 4pm checkout
- US$100 credit towards eligible charges (varies by property)
- daily breakfast for two
Amex puts the average value at US$550 per stay, based on 2025 two-night bookings. Platinum Card members receive up to US$300 back twice a year on prepaid FHR or The Hotel Collection bookings. FHR bookings at chain hotels still earn hotel loyalty points and qualifying nights.
How to earn hotel points
- Stays. Base earning per US$1 at luxury brands: Hilton 10 points, Hyatt 5 Base Points. Accor earns 25 points per €10. Elite bonuses add 10% (Hyatt Discoverist) to 120% (Hilton Diamond Reserve).
- Co-branded credit cards. The World of Hyatt Credit Card gives automatic Discoverist status. Card offers and fees change often and are not covered here.
- Transfers. Amex Membership Rewards (US) transfers to Leaders Club.
How to redeem hotel points
- Fifth night free: Marriott (any five-night award stay) and Hilton (Silver and above, standard room rewards).
- Points + Cash: Hyatt charges 50% of the points plus 50% to 70% off the standard rate; Category 8 Points + Cash costs 17,500 to 37,500 points plus cash. Marriott and IHG also offer Cash + Points.
- Suite upgrades: Hyatt Suite Upgrade Awards, Marriott Nightly Upgrade Awards, Accor Suite Night Upgrades, IHG and Hilton confirmable upgrades.
- Free night certificates: Hilton certificates only book standard room rewards. Marriott certificates cap at fixed levels, with up to 25,000 points added on top (The Points Guy, July 2026).
For more ways to stay for less, see how to get free luxury hotel stays and how to get an upgrade at a luxury hotel. For the brands behind these programmes, see the world’s luxury hotel brands.
What changed since this guide was first published
The original guide (March 2022) listed six programmes. Changes in this update:
- Choice Privileges removed. It has no luxury brands.
- Leaders Club, Four Seasons, Aman, Rosewood and Fine Hotels + Resorts added.
- Hilton added Diamond Reserve and cut Gold to 25 nights and Diamond to 50 nights.
- Hyatt moved to five price levels per category in May 2026. Category 8 standard rooms went from 35,000–45,000 to 35,000–75,000 points.
- IHG Rewards Club is now IHG One Rewards, with Milestone Rewards that include confirmable suite upgrades.
- Marriott’s 2022 figures were replaced with dynamic award prices tracked in July 2026.
- Credit card offers removed. The 2022 sign-up bonuses and fees are out of date.
