5 Hotel Loyalty Programs That Are Definitely Not Worth It, According To WalletHub

No matter where you travel, you have to figure out where you're going to stay. With so many hotel chains available, it's hard to determine which one is best for your needs. Thankfully, most bigger chains have a loyalty reward program, so the more you travel and book, the more you save — and the better perks you can get. For example, Choice Hotels is a budget-friendly brand with the best loyalty program for frequent travelers. Unfortunately, not all loyalty programs are created equal, and some of them are almost not worth the effort for the rewards you get.

To help you avoid wasting time and effort on a less-than-desirable program, we're breaking down the rankings organized by WalletHub. These rankings pay attention to elements like hotel availability, redemption volatility, and overall value for different types of travelers. If you're looking to start earning rewards on your hotel stays, avoid these five at all costs. If you're already a member of one of these programs, you might want to start shopping around for an alternative. Let's dive in.

If there's one thing that Hilton Honors has going for it, it is the abundance of properties available within the program. For example, for those who love glamping, they can get points by booking vintage Airstream getaways at iconic U.S. destinations. Unfortunately, those points don't go very far, meaning you have to accumulate a lot of them to travel anywhere for cheap. Also, according to WalletHub, even buying points outright is not a great option, as the value is far less than what you're paying. Or, to put it another way, it's better to just spend money on a hotel room than convert them to Hilton Honors points first.

That said, joining this program isn't exactly worthless, so it's far from the worst hotel rewards option. For example, points take a long time to expire, there's little booking volatility, and it's easy to book rooms both last-minute and in advance. Also, because Hilton has so many properties available, you don't feel like you're getting the bottom of the barrel when booking a room with rewards.

Overall, if you're already a fan of Hilton and book Hilton hotels regularly, it might make sense to join the Hilton Honors program. However, don't expect to get free or greatly reduced rooms anytime soon.

For a while, the Marriott Bonvoy reward program was highly worth it, in large part because Marriott is the hotel chain with the best-rated customer service. However, according to members on Reddit, the program has declined significantly in recent years, making users feel like they should cancel and switch to something better. According to this thread, the property selection has been reduced, and it costs more points to get lower-quality hotel rooms than before.

Even WalletHub's ranking system doesn't put Marriott in top-tier status, although it's a step above some of the others on this list. According to data, while Marriott has extensive coverage around the world, the points are just not as valuable anymore. While the exchange rate isn't as bad as it is for Hilton Honors, it is far behind other programs like Wyndham Rewards or World of Hyatt.

Another issue is that points can expire after two years, so infrequent travelers may not even be able to take advantage of their earnings. Also, if you're someone who loves gaining elite status, it's almost impossible to do without signing up for a Marriott credit card, which may not be feasible or ideal for some travelers. Overall, while some people can make Marriott Bonvoy work for them, it's probably better to sign up for a different program instead.

The Sonesta Travel Pass is one of the smaller and more recent hotel loyalty programs, serving countries like the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Chile, Colombia, and St. Maarten, the Caribbean island with a famous beach next to its airport.

Because of its newness, Sonesta's program is relatively limited, especially when compared to a powerhouse like Hilton Honors. The Pass only services a handful of countries, and even then, you can only travel to a few cities in each country. While the selection might improve over time, right now it's only worth it for those who travel a lot to the areas included within the program. Sonesta makes it easy to achieve top-tier status, and if you get enough points, you can book an all-inclusive resort for free.

Unfortunately, almost everything else about the Travel Pass leaves much to be desired. The booking process is relatively slow and complex, making it harder to find hotels and trips where you can redeem your rewards. It's also hard to find clear information about specific perks and benefits, so you don't always know what you can get or what you're supposed to get with different bookings.

On the surface, the Best Western loyalty program has some impressive perks. The points never expire, and you can use free rooms toward your elite status, which itself has a wide variety of advantages. Plus, Best Western is a relatively large hotel chain with properties around the world, so chances are you can find something on your next vacation, although the options are likely limited if you travel to some of the more remote corners of the globe. For example, the chain doesn't operate in Bolivia, so if you want to explore the country's wildly affordable and breathtaking wine region, you'll have to find another hotel option.

Despite these benefits, the program as a whole lags far behind the rest. Part of the problem is that the points are not very valuable, so it takes a while to earn enough for a heavily discounted or free room. According to WalletHub, this program is less valuable than other programs, including Drury Hotels, so it's really only designed for those who prefer Best Western properties, not those looking for an all-around great loyalty program.

Even earning Best Western points is difficult, as the best way to get them is to book a room or rent a car with a partner company like Alamo, National, or Enterprise. While getting a Best Western credit card can help you earn more points, you shouldn't have to sign up for a card to get the best deals.

If you're a heavy domestic traveler, you may come across Drury properties on occasion. Drury now has a rewards program that offers a decent exchange rate when converting points to discounted hotel stays. Plus, members get a discount even without points, so there's a double bonus for signing up. In fact, the Drury Plaza Hotel in Orlando makes one of America's top vacation destinations more affordable.

However, if you're not already a huge fan of Drury Hotels, there's no other reason to sign up for this loyalty program. First, Drury is a domestic company with no properties outside of the United States. So, if you want to travel abroad, you'll need a separate rewards system to earn points and get discounts. Second, even compared to other domestic hotel chains, Drury has fewer properties, so you're limited to where you can travel within the country.

Another issue with the Drury Rewards Program is that points expire after 36 months. While three years might seem like a long time, that really depends on how often you travel. If you can only take one big vacation per year, you might not use up all of your points in time. Finally, Drury offers the same exchange rate for all members, meaning there is no elite status. So, even if you are a loyal member, you don't get extra perks or benefits the more you use the system.

WalletHub dug into the top nine hotel loyalty programs and offered empirical data to show whether they provide sufficient value to members. Beyond this particular roundup, we looked at other reviews of these programs to determine whether they're worth the hype or not.

Overall, the factors that carried the most influence were the selection of properties, the value of rewards points, and ease of use. Some programs, like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, have an abundance of hotels but low-value points, meaning you have to spend and travel a lot to get more bang for your buck. Compared to other high-ranking programs, such as Choice Hotels and Wyndham Rewards, Hilton and Marriott fall short.

Finally, these rankings are based on diverse travel habits. Not everyone can travel internationally, but a hotel reward program should have options for those looking to venture overseas.