Longtime reader James K. (who always has thoughtful things to say, whether he agrees or disagrees with me) fairly questions me for how the hotels that I’ve stayed at over the years have evolved. He points out how I’ve increasingly drifted away from points hotels, which were aspirational for many, and toward hotels that are beyond the price range of what most people are willing or able to pay.
This is a valid observation, and I’m not here to gaslight anyone, and to pretend that hasn’t happened. My hotel choices have absolutely evolved over time. So let me talk about that a bit, because I think there’s a bit more to this than some might assume. You might not agree with me, but hopefully you can at least see where I’m coming from, because I think there’s value in these kinds of dialogues.
In this post:
Acknowledging how my hotel choices have evolved
When I first got started in miles & points, I basically exclusively stayed at points hotels, and I know that’s something that many people enjoyed (while others made fun of me for it). That was for a variety of reasons — I thought hotel loyalty programs were incredibly compelling, most points hotels were pretty high quality, and I also couldn’t really afford nicer hotels (especially when I lived in hotels full time… the cost of that adds up!).
Nowadays, I take more of a mixed approach when it comes to the hotels I book and review:
- On review trips (a majority of my travel), I almost exclusively stay at points properties, ranging from limited service airport hotels to luxury city hotels
- When we travel as a family (with our kids), we also stay at points hotels more often than not, though it depends on the trip
- When Ford and I take time to travel alone with one another (a few times per year, since we’re otherwise always with our kids), we’ll typically try to book whatever the best property is that we can, or the hotel that most interests us, whether it’s a points hotel or not (and often it is a points property, for the record)
I know at times people suggest that I almost only stay at super fancy non-points hotels, but that’s simply not the case. For example, in 2025, I had 15 consecutive hotel reviews that were all points properties. I think the fact that I requalified for Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status last year also confirms that I stay at a fair number of points hotels. 😉
I think one thing worth mentioning is that I often write more content about experiences at some non-points properties, and that’s simply because there’s often more to talk about. Like, there’s only so much to talk about when staying at a limited service airport hotel, or at a generic, newly opened Marriott.
Now, let me of course acknowledge that Ford has a travel agency, so there’s no denying that this also creates an incentive to stay at more luxury properties. Travel advisors work on commission, and a commission is higher on a $1,000 per night hotel than on a $100 per night hotel. I’m just being honest. However, there’s a lot more to my evolving hotel choices than that…
Points hotels & loyalty programs have become less compelling
Here’s what’s perhaps the single biggest thing that has caused me to shift away from blindly staying at points hotels. On balance, most hotels have just become so much worse over the years, as they’re charging more and offering less.
Admittedly that’s true across the industry, but it feels like properties belonging to major loyalty programs know that they can get away with the most, since people will stay on the “hamster wheel.” Going back 15+ years:
- Hotel promotions were incredible, and hotel award redemption rates were reasonable; just look at Hyatt’s Faster Free Nights promotion back in the day, where you could earn a free night at any hotel in the world after every two stays… how could someone not take advantage of that?!
- Hotels did a much better job of honoring elite perks, so there was actually more value to staying at points properties
- The major hotel groups just had more brand standards, and actually cared a lot more about guest experience than they do now; for example, we know that all Marriott cares about is room count growth, and the guest experience (or at least lack of consistency) reflects that, as owners find every opportunity to cut costs and increase margins
But seriously, what’s the actual selling point of most luxury points hotels nowadays? For example, take a redemption at the aspirational Waldorf Astoria Maldives. Hilton points have been devalued so bad that it’ll now cost you a million points to redeem there for five nights (that includes the fifth night free), and that assumes you can even find availability, which is hard to come by.
How the heck is anyone supposed to rack up one million Hilton points, only to then basically enter a lottery to get a stay at that hotel (I don’t currently see any five night period for the entire year with availability)?
As another example, until 2021, Marriott Bonvoy capped award nights at 100,000 points per night. How I’m seeing top properties going for well over 200,000 points per night. Again, how is the average “points hacker” expected to efficiently rack up enough points to plan a vacation based on that?
And what’s really the selling point of elite status? It’s not like suite upgrades are very common with most major hotel groups, and if it’s breakfast you’re after, nowadays you can book luxury properties through any of a number of programs that offer elite-like perks, including upgrades, room credits, breakfast, etc.
I think there’s another factor that has to be addressed here. While airfare continues to be about as cheap as it has ever been (adjusted for inflation), the same isn’t true of hotels, especially those belonging to major hotel groups.
At least in the United States, I find hotel pricing in many markets to be downright offensive nowadays. So whether it’s a limited service hotel charging $200-300 per night, or a resort charging $1,000 per night, it just sucks when you feel like you pay so much and get so little.
I find that points hotels are largely the worst with this, since it almost feels like brands like Marriott promise owners that they have to deliver very little, with their only concern being getting the best margins.
The “premium leisure” evolution is a real trend
In recent years, we’ve seen a massive shift whereby there are a lot more premium leisure travelers, who are paying for first and business class, staying at luxury hotels, etc. I think some people underestimate that even among value conscious people and the not-super-wealthy, the concept of paying for expensive luxury hotels is increasingly common:fir
- Many people are into miles & points so that they can redeem for first and business class long haul flights, and then have more money to splurge on hotels, so they can have a really great experience
- Americans are notorious for having limited vacation time, so many are willing to splurge on especially nice hotels when they get their two weeks per year off, since it’s basically their “escape” for the year
- Different people spend money in different ways; sure, maybe a family of four is happy spending $2,000 per day to go to Disney (given how expensive tickets, hotels, food, drinks, etc., are), which is a huge amount, while someone who doesn’t have kids may be willing to spend that much to splurge on a special trip elsewhere
- Unfortunately this is my least favorite reason, but the truth is that we have a bit of an affordability crisis, and many younger people feel that it’s just not realistic to save meaningfully, so they’d rather splurge on experiences that they consider to be cool
There are more ways to get deals on independent luxury hotels
I think it’s also important to acknowledge that there are increasingly ways to leverage miles & points to get deals on luxury hotels:
- An increasing number of premium credit cards are offering hotel credits, many of which can most efficiently be used for points hotels
- Programs like Chase Points Boost let members use their points for up to two cents each toward luxury hotels; that means a $900 per night hotel could potentially cost you 45,000 points, the same number of points you’d need if moving points to World of Hyatt for a stay at a top tier property in peak season
- We’ve seen so many new programs offering perks at luxury properties, which can stretch the value of stays further
Yes, I realize the average person isn’t going to be able to constantly stay at luxury properties with their points. However, if someone has an interest in them, there are certainly opportunities to leverage points for stays at some independent hotels.
What’s interesting is how “value” paths have diverged — there are better opportunities than in the past to redeem points for luxury non-points properties, while hotel loyalty program award pricing has largely increased massively over time, and has become less compelling.
I’m passionate about and interested in the hospitality industry
I’m a huge airline and hotel geek. In many cases, I’d like to think that my reviews aren’t just intended to be informational, but also just “hotel porn.” I know that long before I ever stayed at an uber-luxury property, I was mighty curious about what they were like.
It’s the same reason I reviewed TAAG Angola Airlines first class. It’s not because I thought most OMAAT readers would spend money on their insane fares, but instead, it’s because I was curious, and my hope was that others would enjoy reading about it.
Personally, I love reading reviews of unique properties, even if I never intend to stay at them. To me, it’s interesting to see all the things that are being tried in the hotel industry, and the different approaches that different properties take. There’s a much bigger difference in experience between various luxury brands vs. between various Westin properties, for example.
If hotel reviews were just intended to be informational in nature, that would be sort of silly. I mean, there are hundreds of thousands of hotels in the world, and I’m never realistically going to be able to put a dent in reviewing a meaningful percentage of them.
For example, I’m happy reviewing Moxy properties, but usually the bottom line boils down to “well, it was what you’d expect from a Moxy.” Meanwhile for unique luxury properties, they’re often just totally different than I was expecting, and I enjoy that. Just to give a couple of examples:
- I always wondered what it would be like to stay at the iconic Burj Al Arab Dubai, and it wasn’t at all what I was expecting; I figured it would just be a “luxury factory” relying on its reputation, rather than an actually amazing experience (even if the decor is… a choice)
- Prior to five years ago, I had never even heard of the Airelles brand, but I’m convinced it’s the best hospitality company there is, so it’s nice to experience such a pleasant surprise
Maybe I don’t convey it sufficiently sometimes, but I genuinely get giddy when I get to stay at a new (to me) type of luxury property. That’s not because I’m desperate to be doted over (I’m an introvert, I get no satisfaction out of feeling special or whatever). It’s also not because I want to see-and-be-seen (again… I’m an introvert). It’s also not because I want to show off on social media.
Instead, it’s because I genuinely love learning about what different properties offer, and how wildly different experiences can be. Let me honest — I typically stay at properties for one or two nights, and those stays often aren’t actually relaxing. I’m running around trying to take pictures of every possible corner of the property while respecting the privacy of others (so I’m basically photographing most spaces at 4AM), and often that takes lots of repeat visits of the same place.
I also recognize what incredibly complex operations hotels are, and the amount of effort that goes into orchestrating a frictionless and memorable stay. I almost view a good hotel stay as an amazing choreographed performance, and I don’t take for granted the people who make it happen. Meanwhile at other properties, I can’t help but be dismayed by the complete lack of effort, even for easy things.
Bottom line
I want to acknowledge that over the years I’ve certainly started staying at more non-points properties, and I understand that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t take anyone in the OMAAT community for granted, and I don’t want to pretend there hasn’t been any sort of a shift.
However, I did want to explain the factors at play here. The reality is that I continue to stay at many points properties, and a majority of my reviews continue to be of those hotels. That being said, the value just isn’t there like it used to be, between the degradation of elite benefits, award points inflation, fewer promotions for earning points, and a reduction in the quality of service and amenities at many of these properties. If you were playing the points hotel game 15 years ago and now, it really is one mighty sad decline.
At the same time, we are seeing a shift whereby more people are staying at more expensive properties, including many people splurging, who aren’t necessarily uber-wealthy. It’s just a function of how people choose to spend their disposable income.
Even if someone would never consider staying at one of these properties, my hope is that there are enough hotel nerds out there who just enjoy reading about these kinds of experiences. I know that even before I stayed at any uber-luxury property, I was still very interested in what they were like, and the innovation in the hospitality industry.
Anyway, as always, I appreciate those who read, and I also appreciate feedback, even if it’s critical. I’ll continue reviewing points properties, and hopefully find as decent of a mix as possible. As I mentioned, a majority of my travel is review trips, and on those journeys I exclusively stay at points properties.
This is a slight tangent, but the US hotel market is so crazy that domestic trips typically don't financial sense for me anymore. An international flight can be a couple hundred dollars more than a domestic one, but a domestic hotel will be that much more every single night than many international ones.
Summary: Rich guy stays at expensive hotel. Sometimes they are a tax write off, sometimes not.
I really dont see how any of this needs to be justified in a long post tho.
> and often it is a points property
Four points property, that is (j/k)
Thanks for responding to my comment with this very fair and reasoned article. The thrust of my comment was basically "Are you aware of this change in your own behavior" and you have answered the question well.
For the record, I also agree that points hotels have become far less rewarding (though that's partly because I now have a family of 4 and the overwhelming majority of non-American hotels don't have base level rooms which...
Thanks for responding to my comment with this very fair and reasoned article. The thrust of my comment was basically "Are you aware of this change in your own behavior" and you have answered the question well.
For the record, I also agree that points hotels have become far less rewarding (though that's partly because I now have a family of 4 and the overwhelming majority of non-American hotels don't have base level rooms which fit 4) and I am more likely to just choose the nice-looking local place in Hanoi for $250 a night rather than redeem IHG points for connecting rooms at double the cost.
But $250 a night isn't $2,000 a night. The part that I guess bothered me the most is that you've become something of a cheerleader for these ultra-luxury hotels, and then recently you started dumping on points hotels, and I am NOT saying you're just lording it over the rest of us because I have been reading you for 15 years and I think you're a genuine person. If you write that you're over the moon about Capella or Airelles or Four Seasons I believe that you are. But it did feel a little, I don't know, haughty? Hence my comment.
Overall though, your response is well taken. Thank you!
The travel on points game has indeed been on a “sad decline” for many years. However, the last 3 years have bought us to a ridiculous low. In both value and costs. I will be exiting once I empty my balances this year.
I’m sure value will return in in about 4 years.
This is a great post. You've hit on several key themes that mirror my recent travel habits.
1) Points hotels are so homogenized that you can barely tell them apart - Westin, Marriott, Courtyard, etc. Bland walls, minimalist interiors, and basic rectangular shapes can only get someone so excited. Given the chance, I'd rather stay at an older property that opened in the 80s or 90s as the layout and amenities will usually give...
This is a great post. You've hit on several key themes that mirror my recent travel habits.
1) Points hotels are so homogenized that you can barely tell them apart - Westin, Marriott, Courtyard, etc. Bland walls, minimalist interiors, and basic rectangular shapes can only get someone so excited. Given the chance, I'd rather stay at an older property that opened in the 80s or 90s as the layout and amenities will usually give it more flare.
2) Hotel points are not only not super valuable but when you do get to use them it's for the most garbage room type. You can't really pay more for a better room type like you used to (some exceptions). That 2nd floor room that faces the trash cans for 150,000 points is just so alluring...
3) Status doesn't give you much. Back when club lounges and upgrades were a thing status meant something. Now it's some more useless points and a garbage breakfast of powdered eggs.
Increasingly, I'm seeing more people with status yet becoming more disloyal. I think airlines and hotels are shooting themselves for taking their programs to the extremes or not innovating. If upgrades are hard to come by then figure something else to offer. I'd much rather have 4 guaranteed upgrades at booking to domestic first than unlimited upgrades that never occur or never space. Or a 50% off voucher for upgrading to comfort or first. As time goes on, or whenever we hit the next big economic shock. These companies that banked on loyalty for years will start to feel real pain when their members don't start returning.
Forget decor or furnishings, which I agree have been cheapened even at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton level hotels, I think by "homogenized" what you really me is the soft-product differences in Before Covid times that separated a Fairfield from a Courtyard from a Marriott from a JW Marriott have largely. If a Marriott or Sheraton doesn't have a full-service, all-day restaurant, doesn't have bellmen, and doesn't offer daily housekeeping for all guests, how is...
Forget decor or furnishings, which I agree have been cheapened even at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton level hotels, I think by "homogenized" what you really me is the soft-product differences in Before Covid times that separated a Fairfield from a Courtyard from a Marriott from a JW Marriott have largely. If a Marriott or Sheraton doesn't have a full-service, all-day restaurant, doesn't have bellmen, and doesn't offer daily housekeeping for all guests, how is it any different than a Fairfield?
Very well said, and I think this sums it up nicely:
"I think one thing worth mentioning is that I often write more content about experiences at some non-points properties, and that’s simply because there’s often more to talk about. Like, there’s only so much to talk about when staying at a limited service airport hotel, or at a generic, newly opened Marriott."
But that's where the blog goes wrong in my opinion. I get the point of hotel p0rn, but, in terms of places where I'd actually want to stay, I would much rather read about a family-run independent 4-star boutique hotel than yet another Marriott...And there should be a fair bit of content when it comes write about those hotels because there's a lot more variation both by the individual nature of the hotels and the...
But that's where the blog goes wrong in my opinion. I get the point of hotel p0rn, but, in terms of places where I'd actually want to stay, I would much rather read about a family-run independent 4-star boutique hotel than yet another Marriott...And there should be a fair bit of content when it comes write about those hotels because there's a lot more variation both by the individual nature of the hotels and the differences in the type of clientele they mostly work with. But they rarely, if ever, get featured here.
*when it comes to writing
I think this is a fair statement. If you’re going to be paying cash vs points, this is certainly an option.
I'm one of those people who loves reading your reviews mostly because I am just a curious aviation and travel geek. The section for your last point perfectly describes me, and it is why I have read your blog daily for about a decade now. I originally got hooked on your airline reviews because of the unique airlines you try and how your reviews were written (more adventurous and story-like that happened to be informational,...
I'm one of those people who loves reading your reviews mostly because I am just a curious aviation and travel geek. The section for your last point perfectly describes me, and it is why I have read your blog daily for about a decade now. I originally got hooked on your airline reviews because of the unique airlines you try and how your reviews were written (more adventurous and story-like that happened to be informational, rather than just plain organized informational). I have happened to get use out of your advice and information you present, which has been amazing and I am so grateful for it! But just as much, I love reading about the TAAG-like reviews. And ultra-lux properties fall in the same section for me, and I have enjoyed reading about them the past few years on OMAAT because I am truly curious what they are like.
Now, reading this post, I learned I like your blog because of the airline and hotel porn on it...
As always a very well written article and measured response (kudos to James too). You’ve never “owed anyone” on this blog and have always followed what you enjoy and that’s your right. I’m glad that in this context you take feedback though.
Correct about the franchising of hotels. You never know what you're going to get. Some of these hotel operators are shady "af" (as the kids like to say.) What I look for is something clean, quiet, near a transportation hub (avoiding renting a car). Free breakfast is nice as it's one thing I don't have to think about/plan albeit at the mid tier chains they're all usually the same. Some do have fresh fruit.
Priorities and preferences evolve. Diversity/variety can be a strength. It wouldn't be much of a blog if you just returned to the same beach/lake/mountain/city vacation home every time. If some are critical, whatever, let 'em. Keep doing what you do, regardless.
I think it would be nice if you could be transparent as you are when you book using points and share how much you paid for the actual stay. It is very different when you have a husband who is a travel agent and any of us booking at the same property.
This already happens today — every post has an explainer of how it was booked, what the cost was in cash or points, whether it was booked through FHR/THC/The Edit, whether Ford was hosted or received a travel agent rate ... Not sure what more you want.
Yes and no. The post says "For what it’s worth, our rate was $700 per night" Ok, but was that a rate they paid because of Ford's business and connections/discount code, etc.... or anyone would have paid the same? All I want is to know what regular guests will pay and get in terms of upgrades, perks, etc...
I also think (like the Courtyard in Iceland mysteriously knowing it was the last night of his multi-stage trip) he could do a better job (a) not disclosing travel plans in advance of a trip and (b) covering some of the other chains. I don't like Wyndham or Choice but recognize a lot of people stay at their hotels. Same for Nordic Choice/Strawberry, Radisson outside the US, Accor, etc.
Chain/points-earning hotels, particularly in the United States, are generally awful because of franchising and licensing.
Wyndham and Choice don't even pretend to be hotel companies. They're franchisors. Wyndham had 9,286 hotels across 25 brands at the end of 2024. It didn't manage a single property. Instead, it franchised its 9,286 properties to 6,200 franchisees. In 2024, Choice had 7,586 hotels flagged under 22 brands. It owned a grand total of 12 hotels and managed 13,...
Chain/points-earning hotels, particularly in the United States, are generally awful because of franchising and licensing.
Wyndham and Choice don't even pretend to be hotel companies. They're franchisors. Wyndham had 9,286 hotels across 25 brands at the end of 2024. It didn't manage a single property. Instead, it franchised its 9,286 properties to 6,200 franchisees. In 2024, Choice had 7,586 hotels flagged under 22 brands. It owned a grand total of 12 hotels and managed 13, including 4 of the corporate-owned properties. It's actually kind of odd that Choice doesn't operate all the properties it owns.
In the Before Covid era, Marriott never had the best hotels but it had the most consistent hotels. Flash forward, Marriott's quality within North America has declined immensely because Marriott is increasingly just like Choice and Wyndham: a franchisor with a booking platform. Marriott had 9,361 properties under 30-plus brands in 2024. Of those, only 2,032 were managed by Marriott. The remaining 7,192 properties were franchised or licensed.
Even though Marriott makes more money off corporate-managed-hotels (the average RevPAR in 2024 was $147.09 at a corporate-managed property vs. $128.23 at franchised and licensed properties), Marriott doesn't want to assume the risk and increased costs, particularly labor costs.
For the other chains, Hilton had 8,447 properties as of the end of 2024. 7,566 of those properties were franchised or licensed. At IHG, 73 percent of its 6,600 hotels in 2024 were franchised or licensed. (IHG doesn't break down exact numbers.)
Hyatt until quite recently has been like the Marriott of Before Covid times. Not the best but the most consistent. I think that's largely still true. The numbers bear it out. Of Hyatt's 1,442 hotels in 2024, it managed 680 of them. If you remove lower-end brands like Hyatt Place and Hyatt House as well as brands like Lindner, the majority of Hyatt properties are Hyatt-managed. The problem is, as Gary Leff has written about, Hyatt is moving more toward the franchising model. That's why the Andaz in Vienna is rebranding as a Hyatt Regency. We've seen the complete erosion of Hyatt brand standards here in the USA with Hyatt Regency where the vast majority of Hyatt Regencies in the USA no longer have a club lounge even though it's a brand standard. Even daily housekeeping, supposedly a brand standard, is no longer enforced at Hyatt Regencies.
Internationally, the standards are higher because the big brands -- especially Marriott -- still prefer to manage properties, especially in Asia and the Middle East. Franchising is common in Europe but not at the level of the United States and Canada.
I think this is all fair!
One thing I would like to see though. You are always upfront about a special or comp rate through Ford. I think your cash reviews would be stronger if you provided a little analysis regarding the location/rate is worth the experience you received.
Agree! The questions of "Would I pay X points or would I pay Z cash to stay here again?" are crucial to all hotel reviews. That's ESPECIALLY true when you get a free upgrade (which often seems to happen on your comped stays through Ford) - "Would I pay the actual cash cost of this room (not just a base room) to stay here again?". Thanks!
Great blog. Thanks, Ben.
I've always viewed the increase in non-profits property reviews as a natural progression/evolution as you got older and obviously have done well with the blog. Anyone complaining about the "lack" of points properties reviews doesn't read the blog regularly (as there are plenty). As a travel advisor myself, I love seeing recent reviews and no one is more thorough than you. I have no problem with you traveling on Ford's...
Great blog. Thanks, Ben.
I've always viewed the increase in non-profits property reviews as a natural progression/evolution as you got older and obviously have done well with the blog. Anyone complaining about the "lack" of points properties reviews doesn't read the blog regularly (as there are plenty). As a travel advisor myself, I love seeing recent reviews and no one is more thorough than you. I have no problem with you traveling on Ford's FAM's and other comped stays as you're always honest about it.
I also agree with your points across the board in this blog. However - can we get a post about how BS the new "Edit" by Chase is?! Good luck finding availability, and if you do, good luck finding a rate that allows you to "easily" get good value out of the $250 credit. I have yet to find a rate that is under $800 per night - and that is looking all over the US, Mexico, and Europe for various upcoming trips. The 2-night min. stay requirement is the cherry on top.
Non-points** properties, in case that wasn't clear. Quite an auto-correct considering the industry. All they care about are profits lol
Good discussion- any longtime reader shouldn't have any issue with this change as you've pointed out the reasons well. Also, people get older and get more money, and want to splurge. Pretty normal stuff.
I think the only way it would turn "bad" is if it became clear you had a bias for a review due to Ford's business or something. I don't think you've ever done that so no issues there IMO
The problem with this type of scenario is that hotels will often pay extra attention to someone who they know can drive business their way and strive to keep them happy during a stay. You may then get a review which is 100% honest and accurate from the reviewer's perspective but at the same time seriously misleading for anyone who relies on it as a prospective customer.
Not only that but the rates a travel agent will get will be very different from the one a regular guest will pay.