The Report ranks the best US hotel chains, according to the rewards programmes they offer travellers. To do so, it examined the nine largest US hotel chains’ rewards programmes using 21 key metrics, including the average value of a point, point expiration policies and the volatility of award-night pricing.

It’s best to use hotel rewards programme rankings as a tiebreaker between two similarly priced lodging options

Wyndham Rewards was found to be the best hotel rewards programme, followed by Radisson Rewards, Best Western Rewards, Choice Privileges and Marriott Bonvoy.

WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou commented on how loyalty programmes should factor into travel plans. “It’s best to use hotel rewards programme rankings as a tiebreaker between two similarly priced lodging options. Start by comparison shopping to find the cheapest hotel reservations with the amenities you want. Then, if there are a few options in the same ballpark, you can take their loyalty programmes into account,” he advised travellers. “Of course, things are a bit different for frequent travellers who are in a position to commit to one of several hotel chains for the foreseeable future. In that case, the loyalty programmes and the hotels’ credit cards should be focal points when making your selection.”

Papadimitriou said that travellers may be surprised by the report’s findings, expecting big names such as Hilton and Marriott to lead the way, but pointed out that smaller players in the travel space often provide more incentives because they have to do so in order to compete with bigger names. “That underscores the value in shopping around,” he said.

The full report findings can be accessed here.