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title: "Best Hotel Loyalty Programme for Luxury Stays 2026 (Ranked)"
description: "Five hotel loyalty programmes scored on what a luxury night actually costs in points. Real redemptions, honest point values and the one programme I keep."
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                "text": "World of Hyatt, for anyone whose goal is a genuine luxury room rather than a large points balance. A Category 8 night costs 40,000 points and covers properties such as Park Hyatt Tokyo and Alila Ventana Big Sur, which sell for well over $1,200 in high season. Marriott Bonvoy has the far bigger luxury portfolio through Ritz Carlton, St Regis, Edition and Luxury Collection, so it wins on choice. Hilton Honors earns fast but redeems poorly at the top end."
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                "text": "I value Hyatt points at about 1.7 cents each, Marriott Bonvoy at about 0.8 cents, IHG One Rewards at about 0.6 cents and Hilton Honors at about 0.45 cents. Those are my own numbers from redemptions I have made and paid for since 2019, not published rates. The practical result is that 100,000 Hyatt points buy roughly the same luxury night as 250,000 Bonvoy points or 400,000 Hilton points."
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                "text": "Joining is free in all five programmes covered here. The cost sits in the credit card you use to earn quickly. A Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant runs $650 a year in the United States, a World of Hyatt card $95, a Hilton Honors Aspire $550 and an American Express Platinum $895. If you never hold a card, you earn only on paid stays and the maths takes years to reach a luxury redemption."
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                "text": "For a single luxury night at a five star property, usually yes. Fine Hotels and Resorts pays the cash rate but adds a room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, guaranteed 4pm check out and noon arrival. On a $900 room at Le Bristol Paris I have measured about $280 of that as real value. Points are better when the cash rate spikes above $1,500, which is when redemption value climbs and cash value collapses."
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                "text": "Budget 40,000 Hyatt points for Category 8, 85,000 to 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a peak night at a Ritz Carlton or St Regis, 120,000 to 150,000 Hilton Honors points for a Waldorf Astoria and 70,000 to 100,000 IHG One Rewards points for an InterContinental or Six Senses. Marriott and Hilton both use dynamic pricing now, so the same room can move by 40 percent between two dates in the same month."
              }
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              "name": "Which elite status is worth chasing for luxury travel?",
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                "@type": "Answer",
                "text": "Hyatt Globalist, at 60 qualifying nights. It gives suite upgrades that clear more often than any rival, free parking, free breakfast and a genuine 4pm check out that front desks honour. Marriott Titanium at 75 nights delivers less on upgrades but opens a much wider set of properties. Hilton Diamond is the easiest to hold through a card and the weakest at the top of the portfolio."
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                "@type": "Answer",
                "text": "Yes, and the ratio decides everything. Chase Ultimate Rewards moves to World of Hyatt at 1 to 1, which is the single best transfer in the market. American Express Membership Rewards moves to Hilton at 1 to 2 and to Marriott at 1 to 1. Capital One moves to Wyndham and Choice at 1 to 1. I only transfer once a specific award night is confirmed and held, because transfers are permanent."
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                "text": "Only through a card sign up bonus. Earning a Category 8 Hyatt night from paid stays alone takes about eight nights at $400 a night, which most once a year travellers will never reach. A single Chase or Amex welcome bonus can cover two nights at a top property immediately. For that reader I would take Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits on a cash booking rather than build a balance slowly."
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[Luxury Hotel Compare Indep · Editorial · 2026 ](/)

Destinations

Guides

[Airalo eSIM Review](/airalo-esim)[Priority Pass Review](/airport-lounges)[Best Luxury Luggage](/suitcases)

[Book Via Booking.com](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3Dluxury%2Bhotels)

In this guide

-   [The Verdict at a Glance](#glance)
-   [Marriott Bonvoy](#bonvoy)
-   [World of Hyatt](#hyatt)
-   [Hilton Honors](#hilton)
-   [Amex Platinum FHR and Hotel Collection](#fhr)
-   [IHG One Rewards](#ihg)
-   [Which Programme Actually Gets You into Luxury Hotels](#pick)
-   [Frequently Asked Questions](#faq-heading)
-   [Keep reading](#related-guides-heading)
-   [Hyatt on Value, Bonvoy on Reach](#verdict)

Guide facts

Author

Jack Williamson

Programmes Scored

5

Best Point Value

3.1c

Top Luxury Night

40,000 pts

Top Score

9.1 / 10

Last updated

Updated August 2026

Compare live rates for your dates.

[Check rates](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3Dluxury%20hotels)

![A long timber reception desk under a curved brass wall, with leather armchairs to one side](/images/guides/hotel-loyalty-programmes/hero-reception-desk-wide-1600w.webp)

POINTS · HOTEL LOYALTY · 2026

# The Best Hotel Loyalty Programme for Luxury Stays in 2026 

Five programmes scored on one question: what does a genuine luxury night cost you in points?

By Jack Williamson · Updated August 2026 · 13 min read 

Prices and policies last verified 24 August 2026 by Jack Williamson.

In one paragraph.  A hotel loyalty programme converts paid nights and card spend into free rooms and status benefits, and the five that matter for luxury travel are Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards and Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts. I hold status in three of them. Only Hyatt still prices its best rooms honestly.

Quick Answer

**Top pick: World of Hyatt.** World of Hyatt gives the best return at the top of the market because a Category 8 night is fixed at 40,000 points. I booked Park Hyatt Tokyo in March 2026 for 40,000 points against a cash rate of $1,240, which is 3.1 cents a point. Marriott Bonvoy owns the bigger luxury portfolio, and Hilton Honors earns fastest, but neither redeems anywhere near that.

[At A Glance](#glance)[Bonvoy](#bonvoy)[Hyatt](#hyatt)[Hilton](#hilton)[Amex FHR](#fhr)[IHG](#ihg)[Which To Pick](#pick)[Check rates ↗](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3DLuxury%2520hotels)

Programmes Scored

5

Best Point Value

3.1c

Top Luxury Night

40,000 pts

Top Score

9.1 / 10

Last Updated: August 2026 Reviewed by [Jack Williamson](/about)· Luxury Travel Editor 

Updated August 2026 by Jack Williamson. Programme rates and award charts last verified 24 August 2026 against live award availability.

I have booked luxury award nights in all five of these programmes since 2019, and one number keeps deciding it. Park Hyatt Tokyo at 40,000 points against a $1,240 room is a redemption no other programme can match on a repeatable basis. Everything below is built around that test rather than around earning rates, which are the part of loyalty marketing designed to look generous.

01 

## The Verdict at a Glance

Five programmes, scored on what they do at the top of their portfolio rather than at an airport hotel on a Tuesday. Elite tiers, earning rates and the cost of one night at the best property each programme owns.

Hotel loyalty programmes compared for luxury stays, 2026

Hotel loyalty programmes compared for luxury stays, 2026

Programme

Programme Cost

Points Earning Rate

Category 8 Luxury Night

Top Elite Benefit

LHC Score

Best For

Marriott Bonvoy

Free to join, $650 card

10 points per $1

85,000 to 120,000 pts 

Titanium suite upgrades at 75 nights

8.5 

Choice of luxury brands

World of Hyatt

Free to join, $95 card

5 points per $1

40,000 pts fixed 

Globalist suite upgrades and 4pm check out

9.1 

Award value at the top

Hilton Honors

Free to join, $550 card

10 points per $1

120,000 to 150,000 pts 

Diamond breakfast and executive lounge

6.8 

Fast earning, resort stays

Amex Platinum FHR

$895 a year

5 points per $1 on travel

Cash rate plus benefits 

$100 credit, upgrade, 4pm check out

8.3 

One off five star bookings

IHG One Rewards

Free to join, $99 card

10 points per $1

70,000 to 100,000 pts 

Diamond upgrades, fourth night free

7.4 

InterContinental and Six Senses

Scores are mine, based on award bookings I have made and paid for. Programme rates and award charts last verified 24 August 2026.

02 

## Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is the largest luxury portfolio any traveller can reach with points. Ritz Carlton, St Regis, Edition, Luxury Collection, W and JW Marriott sit inside one currency, which means a single balance can put you in a suite in Venice, a beach villa in Bali or a townhouse in Rome. Nothing else in the market has that reach, and reach is worth real money when you travel to places the smaller programmes never reached.

The problem is what Marriott did to pricing. The fixed award chart went in 2022 and dynamic pricing replaced it, so an award night now tracks the cash rate rather than a category. My own redemption at [The St Regis Rome](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fit%2Fthe-st-regis-rome.html) in May 2026 cost 96,000 points for a Deluxe room selling at USD$840 which works out at 0.88 cents a point. That is a fair result. Two weeks later the same room was 134,000 points because a conference had moved into the city, and at that price I would have paid cash.

Where Bonvoy still repays loyalty is the fifth night free on any award booking of five nights or more. Booked properly that turns a 96,000 point night into an effective 76,800, and it is the single reason I keep a Bonvoy balance for longer trips rather than weekends. Titanium status at 75 nights brings suite upgrades that clear perhaps one time in three at luxury properties, which is honest rather than impressive.

Earning is straightforward at 10 points per dollar on paid stays, plus transfers from American Express Membership Rewards at 1 to 1. If your travel spreads across many cities and many brands, Bonvoy is the programme that will actually have a hotel where you are going. Just accept that you are paying for choice rather than for value. For the properties I would spend points on, read my [Paris luxury hotel rankings](/destinations/paris) and my [Rome guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-rome).

![A hand holding a black hotel key card in a quiet ground floor lounge](/images/guides/hotel-loyalty-programmes/key-card-1200w.webp)

The moment loyalty either pays or does not: what the front desk hands you at check in.

03 

## World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is small, and that is exactly why it works. Around 1,400 hotels against Marriott's 9,000 means Hyatt cannot afford to price its best rooms dynamically, so Category 1 to Category 8 still runs on a published chart. Category 8 is fixed at 40,000 points a night off peak and 45,000 at peak, and that band holds Park Hyatt Tokyo, Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme, Alila Ventana Big Sur and the Hyatt run Miraval resorts.

My best redemption of 2026 was [Park Hyatt Tokyo](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Fpark-hyatt-tokyo.html) in March, a Park Deluxe King at 40,000 points against a cash rate of $1,240. That is 3.1 cents a point, roughly four times what a Hilton point returns, and I have repeated the pattern at Park Hyatt Sydney and Alila Ventana. When people ask me which balance to build, this is the answer, and the reason is arithmetic rather than affection.

Globalist status at 60 qualifying nights is the strongest elite tier in hotels. Suite upgrades clear on confirmed award nights, breakfast is included rather than credited, parking is free on award stays and a 4pm check out is honoured without a negotiation at the desk. I have had Globalist for three years and the upgrade rate at Park Hyatt properties sits around one time in two, which no rival matches.

Two real drawbacks. Coverage is thin outside the United States, Japan and a handful of European capitals, so Hyatt will not be an option in half the places you want to go. Earning is slow at 5 base points per dollar. The fix is Chase Ultimate Rewards transferring at 1 to 1, which is the best transfer partnership in the market and effectively turns any Chase card into a Hyatt earning card. For Hyatt's strongest city, see my [Tokyo hotel rankings](/destinations/tokyo), where [Aman Tokyo](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Faman-tokyo.html) sits above Park Hyatt on service and below it on value.

Before you fly

#### Priority Pass

Lounge access at 1,600+ lounges in 148 countries, from $99 a year.

[See Priority Pass plans →](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=60243&awinaffid=2811492)

04 

## Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors earns faster than any programme in this comparison and returns less than any of them. Base earning is 10 points per dollar, elite bonuses push that to 20, and the Amex Hilton cards add another layer, so a $500 stay can produce 10,000 points before a single bonus offer. That balance builds quickly enough to feel like progress.

Then you try to spend it at the top of the portfolio. A standard king at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives sat at 150,000 points a night when I checked in August 2026 against a cash rate of $1,450, which works out at 0.96 cents a point on a very high cash figure. That looks respectable until you notice the same programme prices a mid range Hampton at 0.4 cents. Hilton has no award chart, no cap and no obligation to price consistently, and the balance you built quickly then buys slowly.

What Hilton does well is the fifth night free on award bookings and Diamond status through the Aspire card without staying a single night. That combination is genuinely useful at resorts, where a five night Conrad or Waldorf stay with breakfast for two and a free night can outperform a Bonvoy equivalent. I use Hilton points for beach weeks and never for city stays.

The point value is the reason for the score. At about 0.45 cents, a 100,000 point balance is worth roughly $450 in practice, and 100,000 Hyatt points are worth about $1,700 to me. If you fly a lot for work and your company pays for Hilton nights, keep earning and spend at resorts. If you are building a balance deliberately, build it somewhere else. My [Maldives resort rankings](/destinations/maldives) cover where a Hilton balance goes furthest.

05 

## Amex Platinum FHR and Hotel Collection

Fine Hotels and Resorts is not a loyalty programme and I include it because for luxury stays it beats most of them. You book a five star hotel through American Express Travel at the same cash rate you would pay anywhere, and the booking arrives with a room upgrade on arrival, daily breakfast for two, a property credit of about $100, guaranteed 4pm check out and noon check in when available. The Hotel Collection sits below it with a $100 credit on stays of two nights or more.

I measured it properly at [Le Bristol Paris](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Ffr%2Fle-bristol.html) in June 2026. Cash rate $940, upgrade from a Superior to a Deluxe worth about $150, breakfast for two at $76, a $100 dining credit used at the bar, and a 4pm departure that saved a day room. Call it $280 of value on a night I was paying for anyway, and it repeats on every eligible booking rather than once a year.

That is why cash beats points more often than points people admit at the luxury end. A Bonvoy night at 96,000 points returns about $850 of room value with no breakfast, no credit and no guaranteed upgrade. The same night paid through [American Express Platinum](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/platinum/) costs real money but arrives with $280 of benefits attached, and your points stay in the account for a redemption that prices better.

The catch is the $895 annual fee and the fact that Fine Hotels and Resorts rates are sometimes higher than the same room on a public site. I check both every time, and roughly one booking in four is cheaper elsewhere, at which point the benefits are not worth the gap. If you already hold the card for lounges, the overlap with lounge networks is covered in my [Priority Pass versus Amex Centurion comparison](/travel-guides/priority-pass-vs-amex-centurion-vs-capital-one-2026).

06 

## IHG One Rewards

IHG One Rewards is easy to dismiss until you look at what sits at the top of the portfolio. Six Senses joined IHG in 2019, Regent came in through the InterContinental group, and both are genuine luxury brands rather than upscale ones. A Six Senses award night is one of the few ways to reach that standard of resort with points at all.

The pricing is the issue. Six Senses properties are frequently excluded from standard award redemption, and the InterContinental flagships price between 70,000 and 100,000 points. I booked the [InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fnl%2Finterconamsterdam.html) at 85,000 points against a USD$560 room in April 2026, which lands around 0.65 cents a point. Respectable, not remarkable.

The fourth night free on award stays for Premier card holders is the feature that rescues the maths, taking a four night booking from 340,000 to 255,000 points. Diamond elite recognition is the weakest of the five programmes and upgrades at InterContinental properties rarely go beyond a higher floor. Hold IHG points if your work travel already runs through Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, and spend them at an InterContinental once a year.

07 

## Which Programme Actually Gets You into Luxury Hotels

The right answer depends far more on how often you travel than on which chart looks best. Four readers, four different programmes.

### The once a year splurge

You take one big trip and you will never earn a luxury award night from paid stays. Take an American Express Platinum, book through Fine Hotels and Resorts, and treat the $280 of benefits per night as the return. If you want points, a single Chase Sapphire welcome bonus transferred to Hyatt at 1 to 1 covers two Category 8 nights immediately, which is faster than any earning strategy.

### The monthly business traveller

Twelve to twenty paid nights a year, usually in cities, often booked by someone else. Marriott Bonvoy is the pragmatic answer because it will have a hotel wherever the meeting is, and 200,000 points a year is a realistic outcome. Push for Titanium if your nights are close to 75, then spend the balance on a five night award booking to capture the free fifth night.

### The family of four

Two rooms or a suite, breakfast for four and a pool. Hilton Honors is the unglamorous but correct choice, because Diamond status through the Aspire card gives breakfast for the whole room, resorts price better than cities in the programme, and the fifth night free makes a week affordable. Hyatt is better value per point but rarely has two connecting rooms where families want them.

### The points hobbyist

You optimise for cents per point and you enjoy the game. World of Hyatt, without hesitation. The fixed Category 8 chart, the Chase transfer at 1 to 1 and Globalist upgrades give you the highest ceiling in the market, and Guest of Honor lets you send those benefits to someone else's stay. Keep a small Bonvoy balance for the cities Hyatt does not cover.

What I actually do

I keep Globalist in World of Hyatt, a working Bonvoy balance for cities Hyatt has never reached, and an American Express Platinum for cash bookings at hotels no programme covers. Three currencies, one purpose each. Chasing status in all five is how people end up loyal to a chain that stopped being loyal to them. If lounges matter as much as rooms, my [Priority Pass review for 2026](/travel-guides/is-priority-pass-worth-it-2026) runs the same maths on airport access.

## Frequently Asked Questions

-   ### Which hotel loyalty programme is best for luxury stays in 2026? 
    
    World of Hyatt, for anyone whose goal is a genuine luxury room rather than a large points balance. A Category 8 night costs 40,000 points and covers properties such as Park Hyatt Tokyo and Alila Ventana Big Sur, which sell for well over $1,200 in high season. Marriott Bonvoy has the far bigger luxury portfolio through Ritz Carlton, St Regis, Edition and Luxury Collection, so it wins on choice. Hilton Honors earns fast but redeems poorly at the top end.
    
-   ### How much are hotel points actually worth? 
    
    I value Hyatt points at about 1.7 cents each, Marriott Bonvoy at about 0.8 cents, IHG One Rewards at about 0.6 cents and Hilton Honors at about 0.45 cents. Those are my own numbers from redemptions I have made and paid for since 2019, not published rates. The practical result is that 100,000 Hyatt points buy roughly the same luxury night as 250,000 Bonvoy points or 400,000 Hilton points.
    
-   ### Do hotel loyalty programmes cost anything to join? 
    
    Joining is free in all five programmes covered here. The cost sits in the credit card you use to earn quickly. A Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant runs $650 a year in the United States, a World of Hyatt card $95, a Hilton Honors Aspire $550 and an American Express Platinum $895. If you never hold a card, you earn only on paid stays and the maths takes years to reach a luxury redemption.
    
-   ### Is Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts better than using points? 
    
    For a single luxury night at a five star property, usually yes. Fine Hotels and Resorts pays the cash rate but adds a room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, guaranteed 4pm check out and noon arrival. On a $900 room at Le Bristol Paris I have measured about $280 of that as real value. Points are better when the cash rate spikes above $1,500, which is when redemption value climbs and cash value collapses.
    
-   ### How many points do I need for a night at a top luxury hotel? 
    
    Budget 40,000 Hyatt points for Category 8, 85,000 to 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a peak night at a Ritz Carlton or St Regis, 120,000 to 150,000 Hilton Honors points for a Waldorf Astoria and 70,000 to 100,000 IHG One Rewards points for an InterContinental or Six Senses. Marriott and Hilton both use dynamic pricing now, so the same room can move by 40 percent between two dates in the same month.
    
-   ### Which elite status is worth chasing for luxury travel? 
    
    Hyatt Globalist, at 60 qualifying nights. It gives suite upgrades that clear more often than any rival, free parking, free breakfast and a genuine 4pm check out that front desks honour. Marriott Titanium at 75 nights delivers less on upgrades but opens a much wider set of properties. Hilton Diamond is the easiest to hold through a card and the weakest at the top of the portfolio.
    
-   ### Can I transfer credit card points into hotel programmes? 
    
    Yes, and the ratio decides everything. Chase Ultimate Rewards moves to World of Hyatt at 1 to 1, which is the single best transfer in the market. American Express Membership Rewards moves to Hilton at 1 to 2 and to Marriott at 1 to 1. Capital One moves to Wyndham and Choice at 1 to 1. I only transfer once a specific award night is confirmed and held, because transfers are permanent.
    
-   ### Do loyalty points still make sense for a once a year luxury trip? 
    
    Only through a card sign up bonus. Earning a Category 8 Hyatt night from paid stays alone takes about eight nights at $400 a night, which most once a year travellers will never reach. A single Chase or Amex welcome bonus can cover two nights at a top property immediately. For that reader I would take Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits on a cash booking rather than build a balance slowly.
    

Related Guides

## Keep reading

[![Priority Pass airport lounge interior](/images/priority-pass-lounge-hero.webp)

### Is Priority Pass Worth It in 2026?

Lounge access tested across 30+ airports.

Read guide →](/travel-guides/is-priority-pass-worth-it-2026) [![Amex Centurion Lounge interior](/images/blog/amex-centurion-lounge.webp)

### Priority Pass vs Centurion vs Capital One

Four lounge networks compared on cost, food and crowding.

Read guide →](/travel-guides/priority-pass-vs-amex-centurion-vs-capital-one-2026) [![Premium travel credit cards](/images/blog/credit-cards-hero.webp)

### Best Credit Cards for Luxury Travel 2026

Lounge access, transfer partners and free-night certs compared.

Read guide → ](/travel-guides/best-credit-cards-luxury-travel-2026)

My Verdict

## Hyatt on Value, Bonvoy on Reach

One programme still sells a $1,240 room for 40,000 points. The other one has a hotel in every city you will ever visit. Pick the problem you actually have.

[Check rates at Park Hyatt Tokyo](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Fpark-hyatt-tokyo.html)[See the 10 best Tokyo hotels](/destinations/tokyo)

This article contains affiliate links. If you book a hotel through my links I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Card issuer links are direct and uncompensated. Neither changes the order of the programmes above.

In This Guide

-   [›  Verdict At A Glance](#glance)
-   [›  Marriott Bonvoy](#bonvoy)
-   [›  World of Hyatt](#hyatt)
-   [›  Hilton Honors](#hilton)
-   [›  Amex FHR](#fhr)
-   [›  IHG One Rewards](#ihg)
-   [›  Which To Pick](#pick)
-   [›  FAQs](#faq)

Best Value Redemption

#### World of Hyatt — 9.1 / 10

Category 8 fixed at 40,000 points. Park Hyatt Tokyo returned 3.1 cents a point in March 2026.

[Check rates →](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Fpark-hyatt-tokyo.html)

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