How many points will I earn on a hotel stay? A comparison of the major brands

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Have you ever wondered how many points per night you can earn on a hotel stay? Well ... the answer is, "It varies".

The answer to how many points you will earn depends on things like what hotel brand you're visiting, your status with that brand's rewards program, the credit you use and also how much you spend.

It's a lot, right? To simplify the process, today we'll look at how many points you will earn at a hotel by comparing all the major hotel programs. At the end, we'll also compare those earnings across the brands to see which program is actually providing the most value through points earnings on hotel stays.

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Accor Live Limitless

Accor Live Limitless is the loyalty program of Accor hotels — the largest hospitality company in Europe and the sixth-largest in the world. Accor Live Limitless includes brands like Ibis, Fairmont, Mövenpick, Novotel, Sofitel, Swissôtel and more.

The earning chart is published here. Note that these values are reward points earned per 10 euros spent. That's roughly $10.70 in spending to earn the values in the chart below.

Since Accor owns Onefinestay, you also can earn 1 point per 1 euro spent on these stays.

Related: Hotel or home rental? These major hotel brands want to be both

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors is the loyalty program of brands like Conrad, Waldorf Astoria, Embassy Suites and numerous brands that include Hilton in the name to make it easy.

The earning chart is published here. These numbers are points earned per $1 spent:

Also, note that Home2 properties in China earn 10 points per dollar spent.

Boost your earnings with a co-branded credit card

American Express issues multiple Hilton co-branded credit cards. In addition to the points earnings outlined above, you can earn Hilton points by using one of these credit cards to pay for your stay.

The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

InterContinental Hotels Group

InterContinental runs the IHG One Rewards program, which was recently refreshed and re-launched. This program includes hotel brands like InterContinental, Kimpton, Six Senses, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and more.

The earning chart is published here. These numbers are points earned per $1 spent:

Boost your earnings with a co-branded credit card

There are several IHG co-branded credit cards, all of which are issued by Chase. In addition to the points earnings outlined above, you can earn IHG points by using on of these credit cards to pay for your stay.

Marriott Bonvoy

Bonvoy is the rewards program of Marriott hotels. This encompasses brands like Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Le Meridien, Westin, Sheraton, Protea and more.

The earning chart is published here. These numbers are points earned per $1 spent:

Earnings apply to all charges at all brands except Marriott Executive Apartments. Here, you will earn only on room rate charges.

Boost your earnings with a co-branded credit card

There are several Marriott co-branded credit cards, with some issued by Chase and others issued by American Express. In addition to the points earnings outlined above, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points by using one of these credit cards to pay for your stay.

The information for the Ritz-Carlton credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is the loyalty program of Hyatt hotels. It covers brands like Andaz, Alila, Thompson Hotels, Miraval, Unbound, Joie de Vivre, numerous brands with 'Hyatt' in the name and the recent addition of AMR Collection.

The earning chart is published here. These numbers are points earned per $1 spent:

It includes all Hyatt properties, Small Luxury Hotels of the World and MGM Resorts if crediting your stay to World of Hyatt instead of MGM Rewards.

Boost your earnings with a co-branded credit card

There are two Hyatt co-branded credit cards, including a personal and small business card issued by Chase. In addition to the points earnings outlined above, you can earn World of Hyatt points by using on of these credit cards to pay for your stay.

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards is the loyalty program of Wyndham Hotels Group. It includes brands like Days Inn, Howard Johnson, La Quinta, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge and TRYP, plus several brands with "Wyndham" in the name.

The earning chart is published here. These numbers are points earned per $1 spent:

It includes all Wyndham properties and Caesars Rewards properties when crediting your stay to Wyndham Rewards. Note that you will be awarded a minimum of 1,000 points per stay with Wyndham Rewards.

Boost your earnings with a co-branded credit card

There are three Wyndham co-branded credit cards, all issued by Barclays. In addition to the points earnings outlined above, you can earn Wyndham Rewards points by using one of these credit cards to pay for your stay.

The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparison of earnings and what they're worth

Quickly scrolling through the charts above, you'll see 25... 10... 5. It looks like 25 is the biggest number, so that's the best value, right? Not necessarily.

More than just answering "how many points will I earn on a hotel stay?" we should answer the question "what are these points worth?" For this, we'll use TPG's latest monthly valuations.

Now, let's look at how many points you'll earn per $1 spent (including converting Accor's earning rates into dollars) and what those points are worth. That will give a better picture of what you're actually earning on your hotel stays.

So, which program is the most rewarding?

At the lowest membership level, it's Wyndham Rewards. The program offers a full 11 cents of value per $1 spent on stays. At the highest membership level, Marriott Bonvoy is the most rewarding. It provides 14 cents worth of points per $1 spent by Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite members.

Bottom line

In math class, 10 is always bigger than 5. In the world of hotel points, 10 points aren't necessarily worth more than 5 points.

As we look at how many points you will earn on a hotel stay, the real value of those points plays an important role. So does the status you hold in the respective programs. Members with higher elite status will earn more points per $1 spent, and this can sway the value of a loyalty program.

The one thing this chart can't account for is your travel style and intended destinations. Just because Wyndham Rewards offers the best value in points for members with no status doesn't mean it fits your family's travel style or where you want to go this year. Take your travel plans into account, and then see which program can be most rewarding for your upcoming trips.