Sean O’Neill at Skift put together data on the size of hotel rewards programs.

Marriott has the most members. Hilton has surged and should surpass Marriott next year at current rates. It would have already happened, O’Neill suggests, but Marriott’s deal with MGM helped expand its ranks.

New York EDITION (Marriott)

Hyatt outperforms and so does GHA. Hyatt has grown the most among sizable programs in percentage terms (Sonesta has grown more off of a virtually non-existent starting base of just 1 million members in 2018). Hyatt’s program is actually materially larger than Hilton’s and Marriott’s on a per hotel basis. GHA Discovery is the largest program per room.

Program		# Members		Gain Since 2018		Members/Room
Accor Live Limitless		99 million		54%		116
Choice Privileges		69 million		97%		106
GHA Discovery		29.5 million		117%		210
Hilton Honors		210 million		147%		166
World of Hyatt		54 million		238%		155
IHG One Rewards		145 million		52%		147
Jin Jiang J-Club		199 million		9%		132
Marriott Bonvoy		228 million		82%		133
Wyndham Rewards		114 million		75%		126

The Lyle Hotel D.C. (GHA Discovery)

The huge numbers for hotel loyalty programs doesn’t reflect an interest in their rewards offerings. Instead it’s the simple proposition that to get the chain’s lowest rates, most customers have to join the loyalty program. In some cases to get free wifi, customers have to join the chain’s loyalty program. Members join to avoid paying more.

More interesting than gross membership numbers would be active members, and not just ‘some transaction in the last 18 months’ but a real number for engaged members (‘multiple transactions in the past 18 months’). Hotels don’t share that data.

The ‘number of members’ is really just ‘records in the database.’ The more rooms you have, the more people are booking them, the more sign up for a program usually just to avoid paying extra. A large marketing file is valuable! But it says little about the value of the program. Far more interesting is which programs outperform the size of the chain.

As devalued as their points have become, Marriott Bonvoy is a decent rebate program. There are too many elites, and benefits too unevenly enforced, to be considered a strong recognition program. Still, I rate it above Hilton Honors (except for Hilton’s SLH hotel redemptions, which are a real sweet spot). IHG has too little control over its properties to deliver great benefits, though the formal program has become much-improved.

Real value is found in Hyatt’s elite program: suites that can be confirmed at the time you book your room, full breakfast, and late check-out that’s proactively offered rather than denied (among numerous other benefits).

Park Hyatt D.C.

However, Hyatt’s points aren’t worth as much as they used to be and recent additions have disappointed. You choose Hyatt as a frequent hotel guest earning top status, when their footprint matches your travel needs.

Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Elite Room Service Breakfast

I’ve been enjoying GHA Discovery because though as a looser confederation of brands benefits are less-well guaranteed, there are strong benefits and rebates across a variety of really interesting hotels. I just wish they had a stronger footprint inside the U.S.