The sheer number of hotel loyalty programs can feel overwhelming. Which one should you join? Are they even worth it? And most importantly, which one will actually save you money and give you the best deals?
As a new traveller, your goal isn’t necessarily to achieve a “Lifetime Diamond” status that requires a decade of travel. Your goal is immediate, tangible value. You want free nights you can actually earn, benefits that make your stay better from day one, and simple ways to get the most bang for your buck.
This guide is designed for you. We’ve sifted through countless traveller experiences, crunched the numbers, and analyzed the fine print to rank the major hotel loyalty programs available to Australians, from the absolute best to the ones you might want to skip for now.
Here’s Our Ranking for New Travellers Seeking the Best Deals:
- IHG One Rewards: Best for fast, achievable rewards and a huge Australian footprint.
- Hilton Honors: Best for easy-to-get, high-value mid-tier status.
- Accor Live Limitless (ALL): Best for frequent travellers within Australia and Asia-Pacific.
- Marriott Bonvoy: Best for aspirational travellers, but complex for beginners.
- World of Hyatt: A fantastic program with a very limited Australian presence.
- Wyndham Rewards: Simple and great for budget road trips, but with fewer perks.
#1. IHG One Rewards: The Best All-Rounder for Aussies
Why it’s #1: IHG One Rewards strikes the perfect balance for a new traveller. It has a massive presence in Australia (think Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental), making it easy to find a participating hotel. More importantly, its rewards structure allows you to earn valuable perks and free nights faster than most competitors.
Ready to join? Sign up for IHG One Rewards for free here.
Best For: Families, road trippers, and anyone who wants to see their loyalty pay off with frequent, achievable free nights.
Key Australian Brands: Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, voco, InterContinental, Kimpton.
| The Good (Pros) | The Not-So-Good (Cons) |
| Huge Footprint You’ll find an IHG hotel almost anywhere in Australia, from major cities to regional towns. Milestone Rewards As you stay more, you can choose rewards like food and beverage credits, confirmable suite upgrades, and even an annual lounge membership, giving you luxury perks without top-tier status. Fourth Night Free A major “hack”! When you have an eligible IHG One Rewards credit card, you get the fourth night free when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or more. This significantly stretches the value of your points. Good Point Value Redemptions for brands like Holiday Inn Express offer excellent value, often giving you a free night for a reasonable number of points. | Inconsistent Elite Recognition While the program has improved, recognition for Gold or Platinum Elite status can be hit-or-miss at some properties. Dynamic Pricing The number of points needed for a free night fluctuates with the cash price, which means you can get stung during peak periods. |
The MHP Hack
The fastest way to high value is by purchasing InterContinental Ambassador status for ~$200 USD. This automatically gives you IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status and comes with a complimentary weekend night certificate, which can be worth more than the initial fee when used at a high-end InterContinental hotel in Sydney, Perth or the Gold Coast. Learn more about the Ambassador program here
#2. Hilton Honors: The Gold Standard for Mid-Tier Perks
Why it’s #2: Hilton Honors is incredibly popular for one main reason: its Gold status is both easy to get and packed with value. While many Reddit users complain that top-tier Diamond status has been devalued, Gold remains the sweet spot, offering benefits that other programs reserve for their highest tiers.
Ready to join? Sign up for Hilton Honors for free here.
Best For: Travellers who value daily perks like food and beverage credits and want a reliable mid-tier experience.
Key Australian Brands: Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Curio Collection.
| The Good (Pros) | The Not-So-Good (Cons) |
| Valuable Gold Status Easily obtained via certain credit cards, this tier offers a daily food and beverage credit (or continental breakfast outside the US) and space-available room upgrades. 5th Night Free All Silver, Gold, and Diamond members get the 5th night free when booking a reward stay of five nights or more with points, a fantastic way to save on longer trips. Great Global Coverage While not as dense as IHG or Accor in regional Australia, Hilton has excellent properties in major cities and key international destinations for Aussies like the USA, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Effective Corporate Support As seen in numerous online complaints, if a hotel fails to deliver, contacting the Hilton Honors corporate support team often leads to a satisfactory resolution, including point compensation. | Status Inflation Because Gold and Diamond status are so common, you’re competing with many others for upgrades, which can be rare in popular locations. Inconsistent Benefits As highlighted by travellers, the application of benefits like complimentary water can be inconsistent across franchisee-owned properties. Some hotels strictly adhere to the official terms, while others go above and beyond. |
The MHP Hack
The American Express Platinum Card in Australia often includes complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. This is the single fastest way to unlock high-value benefits without meeting any stay requirements. You can be enjoying room upgrades and food credits on your very first stay.
#3. Accor Live Limitless (ALL): The Hometown Hero
Why it’s #3: If you travel extensively within Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia-Pacific region, Accor’s footprint is simply unmatched. From budget Ibis hotels to luxurious Sofitel and Peppers resorts, you’re almost guaranteed to find an Accor property. The program is more straightforward than others but can be less rewarding on a pure “points-to-free-night” basis.
Ready to join? Sign up for Accor Live Limitless for free here.
Best For: Domestic business travellers and those who frequently holiday within Australia and Southeast Asia.
Key Australian Brands: Sofitel, Pullman, Peppers, Mantra, Novotel, Mercure, Ibis, Mövenpick.
| The Good (Pros) | The Not-So-Good (Cons) |
| Unbeatable Footprint Accor has the largest network of hotels in Australia by a significant margin. Fixed Point Value Your points have a fixed monetary value (€40 off for every 2,000 Reward points), which makes it easy to understand what your points are worth and use them to get a discount on almost any stay. Suite Night Upgrades Platinum members receive two Suite Night Upgrades upon qualifying, which guarantee a suite booking—a powerful and concrete benefit. Experience Redemptions ALL offers excellent “money-can’t-buy” experiences, particularly for sports fans (like at Accor Stadium) and foodies. | Less Aspirational The fixed-value point system means you can’t get outsized value by redeeming points at luxury properties during peak season, which is a key “hack” in other programs. Earning Can Be Slow The number of points you earn per euro spent can be lower at economy brands like Ibis, making it harder to accumulate a large balance. |
The MHP Hack
Consider the ALL PLUS Voyageur or ALL PLUS ibis paid membership cards. For an annual fee, these cards provide a guaranteed 15-20% discount on stays, which can easily pay for itself if you have a few paid stays planned. The ALL PLUS Voyageur card also comes with 20 Status Nights, fast-tracking you to Silver status. Explore ALL PLUS cards here.
The Other Contenders: Good, But With Caveats
4. Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy is the world’s largest loyalty program, and its portfolio of luxury brands (St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, W Hotels) is unmatched. For a new traveller, however, it can be overwhelmingly complex. Its dynamic award chart, numerous brand variations, and complicated peak/off-peak pricing make it difficult to know if you’re getting a good deal. It’s a great program for seasoned travellers aiming for high-end aspirational stays, but less ideal for a beginner focused on simple, frequent deals.
Sign up for Marriott Bonvoy here.
5. World of Hyatt
Many experts consider World of Hyatt to be the best overall loyalty program for its valuable points, excellent elite benefits, and fantastic customer service. So why is it ranked so low for new Aussie travellers? Its footprint in Australia is tiny, with only a handful of properties in major cities. Unless your travel patterns specifically align with their locations, it’s hard to build and maintain loyalty.
Sign up for World of Hyatt here.
6. Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards is beautifully simple: free nights cost 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points. With a strong presence in the budget segment (Ramada, Super 8, Days Inn), it’s a solid choice for road trippers. However, the elite benefits are weaker than competitors, and the properties generally lack the aspirational pull of the other major chains.
Sign up for Wyndham Rewards here.
FAQs to help you choose
Yes, it’s free to join the main programs to receive member rates and promotional offers. However, try to concentrate your paid stays within one or two programs to build status and points more quickly.
Holding a high-end credit card like the American Express Platinum often grants you instant mid-tier status with programs like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, bypassing the need to stay dozens of nights.
Yes, most programs expire your points after 12 to 24 months of account inactivity. To keep them active, you just need to earn or redeem at least one point, for instance by completing a stay or making a small purchase.
Absolutely. Most programs allow you to book a reward night for a friend or family member. This is often called “gifting an award” and can usually be done by calling the program’s customer service line.
For top-tier luxury, Marriott Bonvoy has the edge with brands like The Ritz-Carlton (Perth, Melbourne) and W Hotels (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane). IHG’s InterContinental and Hyatt’s Park Hyatt properties are also excellent high-end options.
A status match is when a loyalty program grants you elite status based on your existing status with a competitor. These are offered periodically to attract new customers. Check sites like StatusMatcher for current offers.
Almost always, no. To earn points and receive elite status benefits, you must book directly through the hotel’s official website, app, or call centre. This is the most important rule of hotel loyalty!
The American Express Platinum card offers the best range of instant hotel statuses. For earning points directly, co-branded cards (when available) are great, but a flexible rewards card is often a better choice for beginners.
Most major programs use dynamic pricing, so the cost varies. The best way is to search for your desired dates on the program’s website while logged into your account and select the “Pay with Points” option.
Sometimes! If the hotel isn’t fully booked, a polite request at check-in especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary can sometimes result in a complimentary upgrade or a small welcome amenity. It never hurts to ask.
