Traveling frequently comes with a myriad of opportunities to enhance your stays, especially through hotel loyalty membership programs. These programs offer a range of benefits that can significantly improve your travel experience, from late check-outs and room upgrades to complimentary breakfasts and exclusive amenities. By becoming a member, you can access these perks and elevate your journey in countless ways.
The benefits associated with each tier in these loyalty programs are dynamic and evolve over time. The details provided below are based on the latest information available. At Luxury Nirvana, we are committed to keeping this post updated to ensure you have access to the most current details.
Achieving elite status across various hotel brands can be challenging, given the sheer number of stays required annually. However, one effective way to attain elite status in many of these popular loyalty programs is through the right credit card. Certain credit cards automatically grant you the necessary status, allowing you to enjoy elite benefits such as late check-outs and room upgrades without the need to accumulate stays in multiple hotels.
By leveraging these hotel loyalty membership programs and the right credit cards, you can transform your travel experiences and enjoy a world of exclusive advantages.
1
Marriott Bonvoy
30 hotel & resort brands including collection brands
Photo: st-regis.marriott.com
Marriott Bonvoy emerged as the world’s largest loyalty program following the merger of Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Encompassing 30 hotel and resort brands, Marriott Bonvoy offers a diverse range of accommodations from luxury to economy.
Within the Marriott portfolio, there are 6 luxury brands and 11 premium brands.
Membership Tiers
Member
Silver Elite
Gold Elite
Platinum Elite
Titanium Elite
Ambassador Elite
As of today, while Ambassador Elite is the highest status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, it shares most benefits with Titanium Elite, with the exception of two unique perks: Your24 and Ambassador Service.
- Your24: Offers the flexibility to choose a 24-hour check-in and checkout time.
- Ambassador Service: Provides personal assistance with stays.
However, based on our research, the Ambassador Service may not be highly valuable as it does not assign a specific individual for assistance.
For those in the USA, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card by American Express grants Platinum Elite status, which is the highest tier achievable through a credit card. Additionally, the Amex Platinum charge card, issued globally, provides Gold Elite status and extends benefits across several other hotel brands.
In India, Marriott has partnered with HDFC to launch the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card on the Diners Club network. However, this card only offers Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status, which is just one level above the basic member status.
2
Hilton Honors
18 hotel & resort brands including collection brands
Hilton Honors, the loyalty membership program for Hilton hotels, is quite similar to Marriott Bonvoy but features only four tiers. The top-tier status in Hilton Honors can be achieved with just 42 nights of stay, whereas in Marriott Bonvoy, a minimum of 100 nights is required to reach the highest tier.
Membership Tiers
Member
Silver
Gold
Diamond
In the USA, obtaining the top-tier (Diamond) status in the Hilton Honors loyalty program is straightforward with the Hilton Honors Aspire card from American Express. Alternatively, acquiring an Amex Platinum charge card, available globally, grants Gold status.
3
IHG One Rewards
17Â hotel & resort brands including collection brands
PHOTO: sixsenses.com
IHG has 6 luxury and 4 premium hotels and collections brands in its portfolio. It is relatively small compared to Marriott and Hilton in terms of the number of hotels and resorts in the portfolio.Â
IHG also has an Intercontinental Ambassador program (an exclusive program for Intercontinental Hotel & Resort properties) which elevates one to the platinum elite status of IHG One Rewards. This can be joined with a fee of USD 200 per annum.
Membership Tiers
Club
Silver Elite
Gold Elite
Platinum Elite
Diamond Elite
In the USA, one can get the IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase bank which is a world-elite MasterCard that comes with the Platinum Elite status benefit. We couldn’t find any other cards across the globe which would provide status benefits in IHG One loyalty membership program.
4
ALL - Accor Live Limitless
40+Â hotel & resort brands including collection brands
Accor Live Limitless program has a large number of brands in its portfolio with the majority of them being either luxury or premium brands.
Membership Tiers
Classic
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
One can buy the Accor Plus membership which would provide one with a Silver status membership. In France, ALL has launched cards in partnership with BNP Paribas and Visa. ALL-Visa Ultimate is the top tier card in this offering which comes with several benefits like complimentary breakfast at some of the luxury brand hotels and room upgrades.
5
World of Hyatt
26Â hotel & resort brands including collection brands
Having a World of Hyatt membership one can get MGM Rewards Status through the status match which is can provide benefits at MGM Hotels Resorts.Â
Membership Tiers
Member
Discoverist
Explorist
Globalist
If one is from the USA, in partnership with Chase Bank, Hyatt provides a co-branded credit card with which one can get Discoverist status along with a few nights depending on the card.
6
GHA Discovery
38Â hotel & resort brands including collection brands
PHOTO:Â kempinski.com
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is considered to be the largest alliance of independent hotel brands and their loyalty membership program called GHA Discovery provides benefits at very well known luxury brands like Anantara, Kempinski and other 36 hotel brands.
Membership Tiers
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Titanium
For avid travelers or those planning luxury stays worldwide, we highly recommend enrolling in the listed loyalty membership programs. Additionally, consider acquiring credit cards that confer high-tier status in these programs to maximize benefits during your stays.
Given the varying availability of hotel brands in different destinations, diversifying your loyalty memberships is advisable. Register for multiple programs and attain elite status through credit cards to ensure flexibility.
Explore Luxury Nirvana’s compilation of luxury and premium hotel brands worldwide on our Luxury Hotels & Resorts page. Stay tuned for our upcoming publication featuring selected independent luxury hotel brands and collections with loyalty membership programs.
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