Why Booking Hotel Awards Early Matters More Than Ever

Most travelers understand why booking airline awards early matters. Award seats can disappear quickly, especially during peak travel periods.

What fewer travelers realize is that hotel awards are changing just as rapidly.

In recent years, we have observed significant increases in award pricing across various hotel loyalty programs, frequently without corresponding rises in cash rates. In many instances, rooms remain available; however, the points required for redemption have increased substantially.

The lesson is simple: earning points matters, but protecting the value of the points you already have may matter even more.

If you read our related article on why booking early matters in award travel, this hotel-focused strategy is the natural next step.

The examples below span Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt properties, illustrating how different hotel programs have responded to dynamic pricing.

Real-world examples from our own trips illustrate why booking hotel awards early matters. While some programs saw dramatic increases in award pricing, others remained relatively stable.

The Shift Toward Dynamic Hotel Pricing

Historically, hotel programs relied on fixed award charts. Today, programs have switched to dynamic pricing models. Unlike airlines, hotels often do not remove award availability altogether. Instead, they increase the number of points required.

For travelers using Marriott, Hilton, and IHG points, this has made early planning increasingly important.

Banff: Planning Before Earning

We did not apply for Marriott cards and then search for a use for the certificates. We identified Banff first, then pursued the certificates specifically to book the trip.

The day the certificates were posted, we booked five nights at the Moxy Banff. Today, peak summer award nights are either unavailable or significantly harder to secure.

The best use of a free night certificate is often identified before you earn it.

We have used this same thinking in our broader Banff planning, including our examples of family travel rewards in Banff and a separate Banff trip using points and free nights.

London & Paris: Hotel Award Inflation

For our 2023 Europe trip, we booked IHG properties in London and Paris during the fall of 2022. Looking at similar hotels and travel periods today, those same properties require two to three times as many points as we originally used.

Nothing about the hotel experience has improved. The difference is simply the number of points required to book the same stay.

This became one of the lessons we carried into our broader Europe planning, including our 48th anniversary trip to London, Bruges, and Paris.

St. Regis Venice: Same Hotel, More Points

We redeemed 239,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for two nights at the St. Regis Venice. Cash pricing was approximately $1,979 per night.

Similar dates next year price at approximately 317,000 Marriott points for the same two-night stay, an increase of 78,000 points.

The View Lugano: The Cost of Waiting

When we booked The View Lugano, standard rooms were available for 110,000 Hilton points per night. Today, similar rooms frequently price around 150,000 points per night when available.

Over a six-night stay, the difference is approximately 200,000 additional Hilton points, equivalent to another large welcome bonus.

Why Hotels Can Matter More Than Flights

Travelers spend enormous amounts of time chasing airline awards while overlooking hotel costs.

For families and longer trips, lodging can easily exceed airfare. A 40,000-point increase on a flight may be frustrating. A 40,000-point increase per night across a five-night hotel stay can completely change the economics of a trip.

This is one reason we often focus on hotel strategy before worrying about maximizing airline redemption values.

The travel rewards community frequently emphasizes cents-per-point calculations when evaluating award bookings. While CPP can be a useful comparison tool, it is only one measure of value.

Travelers spend months chasing an extra half-cent per point in redemption value while overlooking the fact that hotel pricing increased 30%, 50%, or even 100% during the same period. In those situations, booking early often creates more real-world value than optimizing a spreadsheet calculation.

We view award points as a tool to help us take trips we want to take, not as an investment asset that needs to achieve a specific return.

Hotel and airline programs regularly sell points for 1.5 to 2.5 cents each during promotions. While that does not determine the true value of every redemption, it does provide a useful reality check when evaluating extremely high CPP valuations.

Points are most valuable when they let you book a trip you want to take. Flexibility, availability, and convenience usually outweigh the importance of optimizing theoretical value.

Why Hyatt Remains Different

Unlike Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, Hyatt still relies primarily on award categories rather than fully dynamic pricing. Our stay at Andaz Amsterdam required 29,000 points per night. Similar dates today price at 30,000 points.

The Park Hyatt Zurich remains at the same 45,000 points per night we paid. This predictability is one reason travelers continue to value Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt.

Travelers who want to understand Hyatt's current award pricing structure can review the official World of Hyatt free nights and upgrades information.

Why Wyndham Is Getting More Attention

Wyndham offers something increasingly rare: simplicity and predictability. Award pricing peaks at 30,000 points per night. Cardholders receive a 10% discount, reducing the maximum cost to 27,000 points.

With Wells Fargo's 1:2 transfer ratio, this booking requires only 13,500 Wells Fargo points. Wells Fargo also allows exact-point transfers rather than forcing transfers in 1,000-point increments, helping travelers avoid stranded point balances.

Wyndham is also more interesting than many travelers realize because the program includes several higher-end and resort-style redemption options. Upgraded Points has a helpful guide to luxury Wyndham hotels bookable with points.

For travelers trying to understand Wells Fargo's growing transfer partner ecosystem, The Points Guy has a useful overview of Wells Fargo transfer partners.

Choice Hotels: The Overlooked Value Program

Choice Hotels are often overlooked because travelers tend to associate the brand with budget accommodations. However, Choice has built a useful international footprint, particularly in Scandinavia and parts of Japan.

Choice is also a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards at a 1:1.5 ratio, meaning 20,000 Citi points become 30,000 Choice points. Combined with Wells Fargo transfer options, Choice can offer substantial value for practical travelers.

For travelers with either Citi ThankYou Rewards or Wells Fargo Rewards, Choice has quietly become one of the more accessible international hotel programs.

Travelers interested in exploring potential Choice sweet spots can review this Upgraded Points guide to redeeming Choice Privileges points.

The Most Valuable Travel Skill May Not Be Earning Points

Welcome bonuses, transfer bonuses, and spending strategies all matter. But one of the most valuable skills may simply be recognizing good opportunities and booking them before pricing changes.

Our Banff, Venice, Lugano, London, and Paris examples all point to the same conclusion: waiting rarely creates better value.

Practical Strategy

1. Book flights when award space becomes available.
2. Immediately secure fully refundable hotel reservations.
3. Continue monitoring for better opportunities.
4. Rebook if pricing improves.
5. Avoid assuming today's award pricing will still exist tomorrow.

Book a good redemption when you find it, then continue looking for a better one.

Final Thoughts

One lesson we have learned repeatedly is that the best hotel strategy is not always about finding the highest cents-per-point redemption.

Sometimes it is about recognizing a good opportunity, booking it early, and protecting yourself from future pricing changes.

Our experiences in Banff, London, Paris, Venice, Lugano, Amsterdam, and Zurich all point to the same conclusion: hotel award pricing is becoming increasingly dynamic.

Travelers who plan ahead often preserve both availability and value. Travelers who wait may find themselves paying significantly more points for the exact same experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do hotel award prices increase after you book?

In most cases, no. Once your reservation is confirmed, major hotel programs generally honor the award rate you booked. If pricing later increases, your reservation remains unchanged. If pricing decreases, you may be able to rebook at the lower rate depending on the program and cancellation policy.

Why should I book hotel awards early?

Booking early helps lock in both availability and pricing. While airlines often remove award seats entirely, hotel programs increasingly keep rooms available but raise the number of points required. Early booking helps protect against future increases.

Which hotel loyalty programs have more predictable award pricing?

Hyatt remains one of the more predictable major hotel programs because many properties still use category-based award pricing. Wyndham and Choice can also offer more predictable-value opportunities in certain situations. Marriott, Hilton, and IHG have largely moved toward more dynamic pricing models where award costs fluctuate based on demand.

Are cents-per-point calculations always reliable?

Cents-per-point calculations can be useful, but they should not be the only factor in a booking decision. Availability, flexibility, convenience, and the ability to actually take the trip often matter more than achieving the highest theoretical redemption value.

Should I book a good hotel redemption or wait for a better one?

Our experience has been that good redemptions often become more expensive over time. A practical strategy is to book a refundable award when you find a good option, then continue monitoring for better pricing or availability.