Expedia Group, which owns Expedia, Hotels dot com, and vrbo, has launched a new combined rewards program across all these three sites called One Key. In a nutshell, the old Hotels rewards scheme offered 10% return in rewards. The new One Key Cash Rewards scheme will offer a 2% return in OneKeyCash that can be spent across these three websites.
This is bad news for travelers who used to book hotels via hotels dot com and used to enjoy their generous 10% return but in our opinion, this is not bad news if you like to travel at the luxury end of the spectrum of hotels.
Is There An Alternative?
Yes! There is a much better way to book luxury hotels. Book luxury hotels via a Virtuoso, Preferred Partner, Hilton Impressionario, Hyatt price, Marriott Luminous, and Ritz-Carlton stars agent like our own luxury travel concierge and you get free upgrades, free breakfasts, welcome gifts, early check-in, late check-out and more when you book luxury hotels. Brands that offer these benefits include Four Seasons, Aman, Belmond, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, InterContinental, and more. You also get your usual Marriott Bonvoy, Hyatt, Hilton, and other loyalty points and status benefits when you book with our concierge.
These benefits are usually worth more than 10% in rewards. It is also worth noting that booking via an online travel agency like hotels dot com, Expedia, booking dot com, and other online automated booking agencies means that you are automatically allocated a very standard room. The room is unlikely to be upgraded. if you book basic, you will get basic. If you book via a personalized agent like our concierge, you will automatically be allocated the best room in that category with a guarantee of a room upgrade to the next level (subject to availability) on check-in.
You get these upgrades as hotels prefer to receive bookings from agencies like ours rather than the online travel agencies, probably because it is more profitable for them to get bookings from us. So they reward clients who book via specialist agents.
What if I Book Basic Hotels?
If you do not travel in luxury it is still worth dropping our luxury travel concierge just in case we might be able to help you with better rates or benefits. If you like to book budget hotels like Premier Inn, it may be worth booking direct and collecting rewards direct from the hotel brand’s website.
What Has Changed? Hotels dot com used to offer 10% Rewards
Hotels dot com Rewards used to be very rewarding as they gave you a free night whenever you completed 10 nights stay. After 10 nights, you got a credit towards a future booking for the average ex-VAT cost of the 10 nights that you have completed.
This means people who booked on Hotels dot com used to receive 10% back on their hotel spend. Crucially, this 10% could be used as part payment towards future hotel stays so you could top it up if your next hotel stay cost more than the average of your previous hotel stay.
Another advantage of the old scheme was that you could also book for other named travelers such as your family or friends and still get the rewards yourself.
One Key Vs. Old Hotels.com Rewards
Hat tip to HeadForPoints.com on this information. Apparently, One Key will give you a combined loyalty scheme across Hotels dot com, Expedia, and vrbo. So if you book on Hotels dot com, Expedia, and vrbo, all your loyalty points will collect in one pot. This in itself is a huge benefit.
The downside is that instead of 10% rewards with hotels dot com, you will now receive 2% of your ex-VAT spending as OneKeyCash. So instead of 10% worth of rewards on every hotel booking you will, in the future, get 2%, A devaluation of 80%.
You will also earn 2% on apartment/house rentals, activities, packages, car rentals, and cruises booked on Expedia and vrbo. Flight bookings via Expedia will earn just 0.2%.
Do I Lose My Current Hotels dot com Rewards
According to HeadForPoints existing free night awards are not going to be lost. They will be converted into OneKeyCash at their existing value.
The same is true for any existing stamps towards your next free night voucher in your Hotels Rewards account. These will be turned into OneKeyCash based on their existing value.
When is One Key launching?
In the United States One Key launches in 2023. It will then roll out across the rest of the world.
But I have Hotels dot com Rewards Status?
One Key will have its own status program, based on your combined activity across Expedia, Hotels, and vrbo. We would expect that if you have a high-level status this will initially be transferred to the new scheme.
How Do I Spend My OneKeyCash?
OneKeyCash can be used as cash on future stays booked across Hotels, Expedia, and vrbo. Crucially you will also be able to spend your OneKeyCash on flights. So these points are not just useful for hotel stays.
Conclusion
Hotels dot com will lose many customers who liked the 10% rewards on hotel stays. This is a phenomenal devaluation and will be devastating for regular travelers. There are alternative agencies who will be able to offer competitive rates and free benefits such as our luxury travel concierge so while it may be hassle to switch providers, this change may force some travelers to try a new way of booking, which will work out well for some, but less well for budget travelers.
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Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
