Join the program that has hotels you would actually book. If you can't say yet, join all three: Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards and World of Hyatt are each free to join. They differ in network size, in how points are earned and priced, and in how fast unused points expire. Marriott publishes the largest network, IHG prices award nights in points that move with cash rates, and Hyatt has the smallest network but the lowest published starting price for a free night, with a fixed award chart. On earning, Marriott and IHG give 10 points per US dollar at most hotels; Hyatt gives up to 5. Room rates booked on most third-party sites earn nothing at Marriott or IHG, so book direct when points matter.
How big each program is, and who owns what
The three programs belong to three separate companies. Marriott Bonvoy is run by Marriott International, Inc. IHG One Rewards is run by Six Continents Hotels, Inc. and other InterContinental Hotels Group companies. World of Hyatt is run by subsidiaries of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. So no, Hyatt is not part of IHG, and Marriott is not part of IHG either. You open a separate account in each program.
| Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards | World of Hyatt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | Over 10,000 properties (undated corporate page) | 7,109 hotels and 1,048,731 rooms (page dated 21 Sep 2026) | More than 1,500 hotels and all-inclusive properties, as of June 30, 2026 (Hyatt Q2 2026 results, released July 30, 2026) |
| Countries | 148 countries and territories | More than 100 countries | 83 countries |
| Brands | More than 30 | 21 brands | Brands sorted into five portfolios; the pages reviewed give no total |
The counts come from different pages and dates, and "properties" and "hotels" may not be counted the same way, so read the gaps as rough. Marriott's count is the only one without a date.
Which brands sit where:
- Marriott groups its brands as luxury (Edition, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott), full service (Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels, Westin, Le Méridien, Renaissance, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio and others), select service (Courtyard, Four Points, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield, AC Hotels, citizenM, Aloft, Moxy, Protea, Series, City Express, Four Points Express) and longer stays (Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Element, StudioRes, Marriott Executive Apartments, Homes & Villas, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy).
- IHG groups brands as Luxury & Lifestyle (Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo), Premium (voco, Crowne Plaza, Ruby, EVEN, HUALUXE) and Essentials (the Holiday Inn family, Garner and others). Its brand list also includes avid, Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations and Iberostar Beachfront Resorts. Per the member terms, Six Senses, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts and Ruby take part only at participating properties.
- Hyatt, in its February 25, 2026 news release, lists five portfolios: Luxury (Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, Impression by Secrets, The Unbound Collection), Lifestyle (Andaz, Thompson Hotels, The Standard, Dream Hotels and others), Inclusive Collection (Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Secrets, Dreams, Zoëtry and others), Classics (Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric and others) and Essentials (Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, Caption by Hyatt and others).
How you earn points
| Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards | World of Hyatt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard rate | 10 base points per US dollar on qualifying charges | 10 points per US dollar (or local equivalent) at most IHG hotels | Up to 5 Base Points per eligible US dollar on stays, dining, spa and more at participating locations |
| Lower-earning brands | 5 at Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express, Element, Four Points Flex, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Executive Apartments (room rate only), Protea Hotels, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites; 4 at StudioRes, which also gives no elite bonus points or Elite Night Credit; Series by Marriott pays 10 in the US, Canada and Greater China and 5 elsewhere | 5 at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites; 3 at IHG Army Hotels; 2.5 at IHG Branded Residences (voco Residences excepted) | 2.5 Base Points per US dollar on eligible room rates at Hyatt Studios; the pages reviewed give no rate for other brands |
| Non-US currency | Converted to US dollars at a rate Marriott selects | Local currency equivalent | Not stated |
Extras: IHG gives 1,000 points when you enroll during a stay booked through its listed enrollment-bonus channels, including online travel agencies, excluding InterContinental Alliance Resorts (for stays before you join, points can't be credited later). Marriott lets you earn airline miles instead of points, but not both for the same stay.
What counts as an earning stay
Marriott. Qualifying charges are the room at a qualifying rate, plus eligible items charged to your room such as food and beverage at the property, provided you give your membership number at booking or check-in, stay in one of the reserved rooms and pay for the charges; food and beverage at outlets not managed or operated by the property may be excluded. Qualifying rates include most business and leisure rates, including rates on Marriott.com without a discount code, advance-purchase, corporate negotiated and government rates. The following generally do not earn: banquets and meetings, parking, retail and business-center charges, room-rate taxes, mandatory resort charges, late-cancellation and no-show fees, and any award redemption including its cash portion. Qualifying Event Agreements can earn points, and certain taxes and fees in qualifying all-inclusive packages may also earn.
IHG. Most business and leisure rates qualify, including Advance Saver, Best Flexible, negotiated and government rates. Qualifying stays booked through IHG's websites, the IHG One Rewards app, the IHG WeChat mini program, IHG Customer Care, Iberostar's listed channels, directly with the hotel or through Authorized Travel Agents earn points. For bookings through IHG Customer Care, IHG's websites, the IHG One Rewards app or directly with an IHG hotel, IHG links the booking automatically if it carries a phone number or email linked to your account. On a Reward Night you earn nothing on the room, but food and beverage, phone, laundry and in-room movies can still earn.
Hyatt. Only nights when you stay at a participating location and pay an eligible rate, or redeem a free night award, count toward tier status, and only Base Points (not Bonus Points) count. The pages reviewed don't list which rates are eligible. Check the World of Hyatt terms for that list.
Third-party bookings
- Marriott: a stay booked through a tour operator, an online travel channel or another third-party channel is a Non-Qualifying Rate. The terms still treat a Qualifying Rate booked through a travel agent, meeting planner, wholesaler or other approved source as qualifying. So are group rates where you don't pay the hotel directly, tour-operator, wholesale, crew and package rates, complimentary rooms, and rooms paid with a voucher or third-party award. These stays earn no points and no tier benefits.
- IHG: online travel agencies and other third-party channels are Non-Qualifying Rates, along with hotel-provided complimentary rooms, the airline passenger rate after travel delays and tour-operator rates. On most of them you earn no points on the room rate and get no member benefits. The exception is "Authorized Travel Agents", platforms with a direct distribution agreement with IHG that names their nights as Qualifying Stays; IHG Member Rates on those platforms qualify. Enrolling during an online-travel-agency stay still earns the 1,000-point enrollment bonus, except at InterContinental Alliance Resorts.
- Hyatt: the pages reviewed don't say how third-party bookings are treated.
How redemption works
| Marriott Bonvoy | IHG One Rewards | World of Hyatt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you can use points for | Stays at participating properties, Moments experiences, flights and other services and merchandise; Free Night Awards can also be used for stays; no exchange for cash, prizes or credit | Reward Nights, Points & Cash, plus travel, shopping and giving back (options vary by country); conversion to airline miles | Free nights; Milestone Rewards and Brand Explorer are separate ways to earn awards, including a Brand Explorer free night after stays at five different Hyatt brands |
| Free night starts at | Not stated in the pages reviewed | 5,000 points a night (page says "as of November 2022") | 3,500 points, off-peak |
| Pricing | Marriott may raise or lower points required at any time (terms, section 1.7.c); the terms text reviewed breaks off before the per-night amounts | Variable: changes daily with room cost, Best Flexible Rate and demand; the price is locked in when you book | Fixed published chart. From May 2026 it goes from three to five levels within each of eight categories |
| Cancelling | If you cancel a guaranteed award stay outside the permitted period, the hotel charges its cancellation fee to your card and the points are re-deposited | Refunded in points only. On Points & Cash, the cash part is nonrefundable and all points, including bought ones, go back to you. At Six Senses, cancelling late or not showing up forfeits the points or voids the Free Night certificate | Not stated |
| Points expiry | All points forfeited after 24 consecutive months with no earning, redeeming, buying or converting | Club members: 12 months without activity. Elite members: points never expire | No exact points-expiry rule on the Hyatt pages cited here; check the World of Hyatt terms. Awards such as Free Night and Suite Upgrade expire as set out in the terms |
Details worth knowing:
- Marriott. Award stays are subject to availability and must be booked through Marriott channels. Gifting or receiving points doesn't count as activity, and converting points to miles does. Lifetime Elite accounts are not currently affected by the expiry rule. Points forfeited after 24 months can't be reinstated.
- IHG. Reward Nights have no blackout dates for any tier, including the base Club level. Points & Cash lets you buy the missing points at booking. You need at least 5,000 points to use Points & Cash or redeem a Reward Night.
- Hyatt. The February 25, 2026 news release says the new levels are Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper and Top, that pricing stays fixed rather than dynamic, and that only a limited number of hotels would move a limited number of nights into Upper and Top in 2026, with broader adoption in later years. Hotel categories are reviewed once a year and changes are announced in April. The release also said members would be able to share points digitally later in 2026 and that Explorists, Globalists, Lifetime Globalists and World of Hyatt credit cardmembers would get early access to award availability; the Hyatt pages cited here don't say whether either has launched. At all-inclusive resorts covered by Hyatt's separate All-inclusive Award Chart, free night awards are based on double occupancy. At Hyatt Studios, points can't be used for Club, Standard Suite or Premium Suite awards. The Brand Explorer award works only at Category 1 to 4 hotels.
Before you redeem, price the same stay in cash on the same dates and compare it with the points required. None of the three programs sets a cash value for a point, so work the comparison out per booking.
What you get as a basic member
| Marriott Bonvoy (0 to 9 nights) | IHG One Rewards (Club level) | World of Hyatt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to join | Free | No fee | Free, with no minimum nights or points |
| Member rate | Discount of at least 2% off the property's lowest applicable public rates for non-Premium rooms; advance booking required; not available at some properties (see note below) | Member Rates and member promotions | Hyatt lists "exclusive member rates" among benefits for members who book direct; the discount size isn't stated |
| Wi-Fi | Free standard in-room internet when you book through a Marriott channel, with property exclusions including StudioRes, Atlantis and Postcard Cabins for basic members | Free internet | Not stated in the pages reviewed |
| Other | Mobile check-in and mobile key | Late check-out at 2 PM, subject to availability; points for Reward Nights | Hyatt lists digital key among benefits for members who book direct |
| Points expiry | 24 months' inactivity | 12 months' inactivity | Not stated |
A note on Marriott's member rate: Atlantis (Paradise Island), MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, Design Hotels, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy and Ritz-Carlton Reserve don't offer it. Marriott's terms also list brands that give free internet to all guests, so the Wi-Fi benefit adds nothing there.
For Hyatt, the full list of base-member benefits is not in the pages reviewed. Check the World of Hyatt terms rather than assuming it matches the other two.
Budget and mid-range hotels versus luxury and resorts
Budget, mid-range and longer stays. Marriott's select-service and longer-stay brands, IHG's Essentials brands (Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Garner and others) and Hyatt's Essentials portfolio (Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Studios, Caption by Hyatt and others) all compete here. At Marriott and IHG the standard 10 points per dollar applies to most of these brands. The extended-stay brands earn less: 5 at Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites, 5 at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, and 2.5 at Hyatt Studios. If you expect many lower-priced nights a year, the size of the network near your routes matters more than any single benefit, and Marriott and IHG have the larger published counts.
Luxury and resorts. Marriott lists six luxury brands (Edition, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott) and takes all-inclusive resorts into the program under their own terms. IHG's luxury end is Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo, with Iberostar Beachfront Resorts and Holiday Inn Club Vacations for resort stays. Hyatt's is the Luxury Portfolio plus the Inclusive Collection; Hyatt's own page says seven all-inclusive brands with more than 100 resorts joined World of Hyatt (that page carries no date). Hyatt's headline earn rate is lower ("up to 5"), but its free-night entry price of 3,500 points (off-peak) is also lower, and the two numbers aren't comparable across programs. Judge each program's points against its own earn rate and award prices.
Elite tiers: thresholds only
This article does not compare tier benefits; see our separate elite-status comparison. The night thresholds for each tier, plus Marriott's Ambassador spend requirement:
| Program | Tiers and thresholds |
|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy | Silver Elite 10 nights; Gold Elite 25; Platinum Elite 50; Titanium Elite 75; Ambassador Elite 100+ nights and US$23,000+ qualifying spend per year |
| IHG One Rewards | Silver Elite 10 qualifying nights; Gold Elite 20; Platinum Elite 40; Diamond Elite 70 (calendar year) |
| World of Hyatt | Discoverist 10 qualifying nights; Explorist 30; Globalist 60 (calendar year) |
Sources: Marriott member benefits, IHG membership terms, World of Hyatt tiers and benefits. Three mix-ups to avoid: Marriott Gold has no universal free breakfast (a welcome gift choice of points, breakfast offering or amenity, varying by brand, starts at Platinum); IHG Diamond is 70 nights, not 40; Hyatt Discoverist is 10 nights, not 15.
Which should you choose
Go down the list and stop at the first line that fits.
- You mostly book through online travel agencies or other third-party sites. Marriott and IHG treat most of those rates as non-qualifying, and this guide could not confirm Hyatt's rule. Compare cash totals first. Join a program anyway and use it when the direct rate is close.
- Only one program has a hotel you would book on your next few trips. Join that one. Search each program for your real destinations and dates before you decide.
- Two or three programs have hotels you would book. Pick by how you want points to behave. A fixed published chart points to Hyatt. Award prices that follow cash rates, with Points & Cash to top up, point to IHG. The widest range of brands, from luxury to longer stays, points to Marriott. Where Marriott and IHG both have a hotel, the earn rate is the same 10 points per dollar at most hotels, so the cash price of that stay should decide.
- You aren't sure yet, or you travel a few nights a year. Join all three, book direct, and commit to one only when nights start to add up. Entry elite status is 10 nights at Marriott, 10 at IHG and 10 at Hyatt, so no program asks for more than 10 nights to start. If you travel rarely, note the expiry rules above: 12 months of inactivity for IHG Club points, 24 months at Marriott, and no stated rule for Hyatt points in the pages reviewed.
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