Hotels you like to stay at while on the road

[roadman65]

Sometimes rewards clubs can help you especially when traveling in a market where the hotel room rates are astronomical in prices.  You have to look at the pros as well as the cons.

[agentsteel53]

how exactly do you go about giving fake info to a motel?  they always ask to see my ID.

how did John Lennon ever get away with signing in as "Joe Ramone"?

[corco]

At least with Hilton what you do is make your HHonors account with fake info. At check in, you would need to show your HHonors card to prove you're actually the person the reservation is intended for (sorry Duke), and then they'd want a picture ID to match the credit card. The property-level system would have your actual information, but all corporate sees is the name your HHonors account is registered under and they'd have the ability to see the last four digits of your credit card and have the ability to initiate refund requests, but they'd have no ability to see the full credit card number or associated name and the final refund request is processed through property level accounts payable.

The only people who would know who you are are front desk folks and management that actively try to check (in the Hilton system it's a couple screens deep from "this is who this person is registered as" to "this is the name on their credit card")- every other person on and off property would know you only as your alias.

[formulanone]

how exactly do you go about giving fake info to a motel?  they always ask to see my ID.

I was wondering this, too...I guess many of our fellow roadgeeks are afraid to arouse suspicion.

You can't rent a car without a photo id, and boarding a plane is also more difficult (but not impossible) without a picture id. Maybe some hotels/motels don't ask for your ID if you didn't have a reservation, which I think I've done twice...many, many years ago.

[hbelkins]

You can't rent a car without a photo id, and boarding a plane is also more difficult (but not impossible) without a picture id. Maybe some hotels/motels don't ask for your ID if you didn't have a reservation, which I think I've done twice...many, many years ago.

Yet even mention needing a photo ID to vote, and... (ducking)

My Wyndham Rewards card has a Days Inn logo on it.

I've run into good and bad establishments of just about every brand, which is why I now read TripAdvisor religiously. I can overlook a lot of bad reviews from people who are obviously hotel/motel snobs ("Avoid this place at all costs. The TVs aren't LCD flat panel." Well, I've got news for you, my televisions at home are still tube-type TVs and will stay that way until they quit working, and I'm perfectly OK with that.)

My encounters with Knights Inn (Ashland, Ky.) and America's Best Value (Watertown, N.Y., which was the most reasonably-priced place in town when I went to the meet there a few years ago) were good. And I've generally had good luck with EconoLodge, although the one in Terre Haute, Ind. is a dump. Conversely, I have not been impressed with the two HI Express units where I stayed. While generally clean, they weren't nice enough in my eyes for the price I was paying. Most Motel 6 units get terrible reviews, but I've stayed at a couple that were pretty nice.

Someone else mentioned the Super 8 buildings. It's easy to tell a unit that was built as a Super 8. Same for most Red Roof Inns, although there's a former Red Roof in Florence, Ky. that is now a Comfort Inn.

I wish that most motels/hotels listed whether they are interior or exterior entrance, as sometimes it's not always easy to tell from the photos. Since I prefer being able to park right outside my door, that is usually the determining factor in where I stay if on a trip if prices are not an issue.

[oscar]

Conversely, I have not been impressed with the two HI Express units where I stayed. While generally clean, they weren't nice enough in my eyes for the price I was paying. Most Motel 6 units get terrible reviews, but I've stayed at a couple that were pretty nice.

Motel 6s do tend to bring out the "motel snobs" on TripAdvisor, with unreasonable expectations about what you can get for the price.  I discount the ratings there, unless nobody has anything nice to say about a particular property, *and* there are specific and important complaints among the negative reviews.  That happened with the Motel 6 I'd planned to stay at on my way to this year's Portsmouth NH meet, so I switched to one to the west (which might've been a former Hampton Inn, or at least that's where they got some of their towels).

The one thing I like about HI Expresses is the plain bagels almost always on the breakfast menu.  That's especially nice in the western states, where the McDonald's don't have bagel sandwiches on their breakfast menu, and there's no Carl's Jr./Hardee's in town to provide the next best thing for me (Frisco sourdough breakfast sandwiches).   As a general rule, a bagel slicer in the breakfast area (so not only will they serve bagels, they aren't pre-sliced) is a good sign.  I've seen them at some lower-priced places too, like the occasional Microtel, Days Inn, or Travelodge (in Marathon ON, which is now an independent).

[Duke87]

On another note, I don't care how much I like an establishment or how frequently I patronize it, I will NEVER sign up for a rewards card from anywhere. I don't want that crap bulking up my wallet, and I don't want to enable anyone to data mine off of me if I can avoid it.

You know you can give fake information right? As long as you swipe a valid credit card at check in it's fine. That's what celebrities and paranoid people do (I know this from working at Hilton). And you get free nights! And room upgrades! My roadgeek budget is quite heavily dependent on getting free nights every once in a while.

I mean, I guess power to you, but that's a fairly unique stance on life.

Fake information doesn't solve the "I don't have spare slot in my wallet for that card" problem. I don't know where people keep all these rewards cards they sign up for, I don't have any of them and I already have a couple more cards and card-like things than I have slots in my wallet, forcing unpleasant doubling-up.

Beyond that, though, I also have the problem that I was raised in an environment where someone soliciting you for something usually equals homeless person begging for change or something similar, and I am well trained on how to avoid and firmly say NO to such people. So, when the cashier asks me "would you like to sign up for a Walgreens card?", in my mind it's the same sort of situation, and to do anything other than curtly say "no thanks" and avoid making eye contact just violates instinct.


As for the benefits... well, problem with a Wyndham card or whatever is that it's only good at hotels owned by that brand. I have allowed myself to sign up for hotels.com, which offers something similar except it doesn't matter what brand you stay at, only that you book it through them. Though I've yet to see if the "rewards" are actually worth anything. My experience with the rewards program on my credit card has given me a high dose of skepticism about such things.

[realjd]

You can't rent a car without a photo id, and boarding a plane is also more difficult (but not impossible) without a picture id. Maybe some hotels/motels don't ask for your ID if you didn't have a reservation, which I think I've done twice...many, many years ago.

Yet even mention needing a photo ID to vote, and... (ducking)

My Wyndham Rewards card has a Days Inn logo on it.

I've run into good and bad establishments of just about every brand, which is why I now read TripAdvisor religiously. I can overlook a lot of bad reviews from people who are obviously hotel/motel snobs ("Avoid this place at all costs. The TVs aren't LCD flat panel." Well, I've got news for you, my televisions at home are still tube-type TVs and will stay that way until they quit working, and I'm perfectly OK with that.)

My encounters with Knights Inn (Ashland, Ky.) and America's Best Value (Watertown, N.Y., which was the most reasonably-priced place in town when I went to the meet there a few years ago) were good. And I've generally had good luck with EconoLodge, although the one in Terre Haute, Ind. is a dump. Conversely, I have not been impressed with the two HI Express units where I stayed. While generally clean, they weren't nice enough in my eyes for the price I was paying. Most Motel 6 units get terrible reviews, but I've stayed at a couple that were pretty nice.

Someone else mentioned the Super 8 buildings. It's easy to tell a unit that was built as a Super 8. Same for most Red Roof Inns, although there's a former Red Roof in Florence, Ky. that is now a Comfort Inn.

I wish that most motels/hotels listed whether they are interior or exterior entrance, as sometimes it's not always easy to tell from the photos. Since I prefer being able to park right outside my door, that is usually the determining factor in where I stay if on a trip if prices are not an issue.

With Holiday Inn Express, part of what you're paying for is brand consistency. A stellar Super 8 may match HIE in terms of amenities but even a bad HIE is going to be miles better than a bad Super 8.

For people on the road as much as myself and formulanone, brand loyalty comes into play also. I'm IHG Platinum. When I stay at an IHG property, I routinely get free drinks, room upgrades, executive floor access, and other perks. Keeping my reward points within one brand also let's me do things like get three free nights in the penthouse rooms at the Holiday Inn in downtown Sydney without paying a dime. In exchange for the perks, I'll pay moderately more typically to stay in an IHG property. The same goes for airlines. I'll gladly pay more to fly Delta because as Platinum, I get free checked bags, early boarding, preferential rebooking with weather and mechanical issues cause delays, and more often than not, a free first class upgrade.

Of course traveling for work, company travel rules trump all.

[corco]

Fake information doesn't solve the "I don't have spare slot in my wallet for that card" problem. I don't know where people keep all these rewards cards they sign up for, I don't have any of them and I already have a couple more cards and card-like things than I have slots in my wallet, forcing unpleasant doubling-up.

I pick my rewards programs carefully. I don't sign up for rewards programs at stores I rarely shop at, or where benefits aren't there. In the case of something like hotels or rental cars or airlines, though, the MO is to build brand loyalty, and they do that through generous loyalty programs. I don't carry the cards in my wallet either- every hotel/etc can easily look up your rewards number when you give them your name.

As for the benefits... well, problem with a Wyndham card or whatever is that it's only good at hotels owned by that brand. I have allowed myself to sign up for hotels.com, which offers something similar except it doesn't matter what brand you stay at, only that you book it through them.

The thing that's nice about Wyndham, and why I suspect a lot of roadgeeks use their rewards, is that they're everywhere.

Third party booking through hotels.com or any other site...it works 95% of the time, but that 5% that it doesn't (mainly your trip plans change at the last second) (you were hoping for a specific bed type and booked at the default "run of house" rate that leaves you in whatever room you got stuck in) (added fees often make it more expensive than booking directly through the hotel) prompts me to avoid it always. Third party bookings leave you with very little leverage to talk to the hotel, because you give hotels.com your money, and then hotels.com gives the property some negotiated rate that's less than rack. Since you're not giving the hotel as much money, you're more likely to get bumped to the shitty room on a sellout night. If you need to cancel at the last minute, there's two middle men to jump through and it's all but impossible (the hotel has to refund to the booking agency, who has to give you a refund. I was under strict orders not to ever do this, since there's no guarantee the booking agency is passing the money back to you), where if you can talk to the property directly and have a good story, it's almost always doable. Brand loyalty is the name of the game, and when you book through hotels.com you're considered "price loyal," which is why you can't earn loyalty points at whatever hotel you've booked at when you go through that channel. 

Okay, like for instance tonight I'm staying at the Hampton Inn in Billings. The hilton.com rate is $114 a night. The hotels.com rate is $149 a night. Tomorrow I'm staying at the Super 8 in Ogallala. The wyndhamrewards.com rate is $63.27 (with 2000 bonus points! That's about 1/5 of a free night). Hotels.com's non-refundable rate is $65.48. If I want to be able to cancel, like with the Wyndham rate, it's $76.94. With AAA, you can lower those rates even further by booking through the property directly.

And it makes sense- typically, would you rather do business through a middleman or directly with somebody? There's a transaction cost involved with having a middleman- in this case the hotel gets less money and you pay more money.

[txstateends]

Why do there need to be so many different brands within the same group?

Short answer: different levels of service/different consumer markets

Longer answer: corporate conglomerates bought up a lot of independent hotel chains in the 80's & 90's.

Anybody know of a list of brands sorted by corporate owner? I've stayed in just about every brand hotel there is and I can't keep them straight!

Best Western:

(the split into 3 brands came in recent years, not sure why they felt like they had to do that, other than to show travelers that there are different styles of hotels within Best Western)

Carlson Rezidor Hotels:


Choice Hotels:


G6 Hospitality:
Motel 6, Studio 6
(for a few years, they were owned by Accor Hotels, they mainly have properties in other overseas markets, much of which in Europe)

Hilton Worldwide:

(Home2 is a new extended-stay brand; Conrad is a chain named for Hilton founder Conrad Hilton and are found mostly outside the US; I'm not sure why Hilton felt like it had to make a chain out of Waldorf-Astoria (to me, there's only 1, in New York City), but they did)

Hyatt Hotels:

(Hyatt House is largely made up of the former Summerfield Suites brand, Hyatt Place is largely made up of the former AmeriSuites brand)

Inter-Continental Hotels Group:

(Hualuxe looks like an all-China chain (by the looks of the website); Even Hotels looks like a new health & wellness-oriented chain that is early in development)

LQ Management, LLC:
La Quinta Inns & Suites
(currently their only brand, but for a time, they owned the Baymont Inns brand before it became part of Wyndham)

Marriott International:

(Gaylord is a recent addition which Marriott now manages (Gaylord, the company, turned it's hotel division into a REIT, and they are the owners of the properties); Edition is a small upscale boutique chain; Autograph is made up of independent hotels/resorts but are affiliated with Marriott; AC is a new chain that started in Europe but Marriott wants to introduce it to the US; Bulgari is a small luxury chain which is a joint venture between Marriott and Bulgari, a luxury goods maker)

Starwood Hotels & Resorts:

(Element is a spinoff brand from Westin that touts itself as environmentally responsible; Luxury Collection is largely made up of local/independent/upscale hotel & resort properties, an example of which is the Joule Hotel in downtown Dallas; Aloft is like a smaller-formatted version of W Hotels; LeMeridien became a part of Starwood in 2005; St. Regis started with the original hotel namesake in New York City, but like Hilton's Waldorf-Astoria brand, Starwood felt like they had to make a chain out of it)

Wyndham Worldwide:

(the corporate parent of this group has grown largely by acquisitions--I'm not sure if there's even one chain that was developed in-house, except for maybe Wingate)

As if the above weren't enough, more hotels are at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Hotel_chains

[1995hoo]

.... I don't carry the cards in my wallet either- every hotel/etc can easily look up your rewards number when you give them your name.

....

Another option is to put the numbers in your phone if you have a smartphone. I've found that to be a good way to deal with some cards I don't use very often. I have the "CardStar" app on my iPhone. Trying to display a barcode for scanning using the app proved worthless, but a cashier can always punch in the number.

[oscar]

.... I don't carry the cards in my wallet either- every hotel/etc can easily look up your rewards number when you give them your name.

....

Another option is to put the numbers in your phone if you have a smartphone. I've found that to be a good way to deal with some cards I don't use very often. I have the "CardStar" app on my iPhone. Trying to display a barcode for scanning using the app proved worthless, but a cashier can always punch in the number.

Or, for the really low-tech option I use, just write down the numbers on a business card-size piece of paper, and periodically replace it as it wears out or the numbers change/expire.

I use that also to remind myself of the license plate #s of my two vehicles, which I sometimes get confused about (such mashing up the first three digits of my car plate, and the last three digits of my truck plate), so I don't have to walk back to the parking lot when the motel clerk asks for my plate #. 

[1995hoo]

.... I don't carry the cards in my wallet either- every hotel/etc can easily look up your rewards number when you give them your name.

....

Another option is to put the numbers in your phone if you have a smartphone. I've found that to be a good way to deal with some cards I don't use very often. I have the "CardStar" app on my iPhone. Trying to display a barcode for scanning using the app proved worthless, but a cashier can always punch in the number.

Or, for the really low-tech option I use, just write down the numbers on a business card-size piece of paper, and periodically replace it as it wears out or the numbers change/expire.

I use that also to remind myself of the license plate #s of my two vehicles, which I sometimes get confused about (such mashing up the first three digits of my car plate, and the last three digits of my truck plate), so I don't have to walk back to the parking lot when the motel clerk asks for my plate #. 

I tried the piece of paper thing once and it didn't work for me because I kept forgetting it was there and throwing it out when I would clean out the various charge slips and ATM receipts and such from my wallet.

I've never had any problem remembering license plate numbers for whatever reason, although now it's especially easy since we have personalized plates on all three cars.

[hbelkins]

Check to see if you have any discounts that can be applied on your brand's site. For instance, I get my vehicle and home insurance through Kentucky Farm Bureau, and they have a discount program that gets you 20 percent off a Wyndham or Choice room if you book on the brand site and punch in the discount code. That way you get your points and a decent rate both.

I'm very hesitant to do hotels.com or Priceline or anything like that. It's hard to establish a preference or desire (first floor, non-smoking, etc.) and if you do "Name Your Own Price" you don't even know what property you'll be staying at until you've already paid.

[J N Winkler]

Hasn't it occurred to rewards program participants that there is, at the very least, potential for a Jevons paradox--you save so much through the program that you wind up spending more overall?

[realjd]

Hasn't it occurred to rewards program participants that there is, at the very least, potential for a Jevons paradox--you save so much through the program that you wind up spending more overall?

At least once you get status with a reward program, the benefits must be considered as well as the points.

Jevon's paradox is a concern though, although I've never heard it by that name. Just as maximizing points earning is part of the game, maximizing equivalent value per point is similarly part of the game. Booking a $300 per night Holiday Inn in Manhattan is often the same point redemption rate as a $70 per night Holiday Inn in Omaha. One provides a much better value per point.

Same goes for airline miles. The lowest value per mile is usually domestic coach tickets. The best value per mile is op usually international business class. If I can get a $300 domestic coach ticket for 25k miles or a $3,500 international business class ticket for 100,000 miles, it's apparent which provided the better value.

[corco]

Hasn't it occurred to rewards program participants that there is, at the very least, potential for a Jevons paradox--you save so much through the program that you wind up spending more overall?

I mean, maybe so? As realjd said, the benefits of spending more have their own value, so I try to weigh that as objectively as possible. In any case, my goal is to take as many roadtrips as possible, so as long as the rewards programs aren't causing me to spend beyond my means (they aren't), I'm cool with it.

I'm not gunshy about going off Wyndham or off Hilton if there's a major discrepancy in rate/quality, but between those two chains that's rarely the case- I stayed at an Oak Tree Inn in Fremont, Nebraska a few days before the Wichita meet because there is no Hilton property there and the Wyndham property looked pretty meh for the price. In that case, I forewent the rewards points because it didn't make sense otherwise to accumulate them- if I recall right I would have basically paid $20 to stay at the Wyndham, which would have gotten me 900 points (I think it was $90/night to stay at the Wyndham and $70/night to stay at the better-reviewed Oak Tree), which is about 9% of a free stay, so I would have paid $20 for roughly $9 of rewards points.

On the flipside, I'm staying at a Super 8 in Nebraska tomorrow night and am paying the $63 regular rate with 2000 bonus points, giving me 2,630 points (about 26% of a free night) instead of the $56 AAA rate with no bonus points, which would have given me 560 points. In that case, I'm paying $7 for 21% of a free night, which is well worth the extra expenditure.

[briantroutman]

Hasn't it occurred to rewards program participants that...you wind up spending more overall?

Right, but these rewards programs are really intended for people who aren't spending their own money–in other words, business travelers on the company dime. In fact, for anyone who is spending his or her own money and travels infrequently, the rewards programs are essentially worthless.

To maintain Platinum status with Marriott, for example, you'll need to stay at least 75 nights a year–every year. So at a conservative average nightly rate of $150 (which would be easy to exceed), you're looking at over $11,000 dollars annually–about 1/4 of the median household income in the US. Quite a sum to the average Joe.

And even with that kind of a dollar outlay, getting free nights (or free flights or free car rentals) is rapidly becoming less of an incentive as the programs are making point redemptions closer and closer to impossible. Now, the primary carrot is special treatment–exclusive elite member check-in desks, concierge level rooms, room upgrades, etc.

So the game is all about amassing points from months and months worth of company-paid hotel stays and redeeming them for a few nights in Paris–if you're lucky. But even if not, you can count on special butt-kissing on your travels. But as for "saving money"–it isn't even part of the equation.

[NE2]

Yet even mention needing to pay to vote, and... (ducking)

Arse.

[Ned Weasel]

[Do you know if the Motel 6 document to which you are referring is still available?

I managed to track it down through the Internet Archive (http://bit.ly/1cHE99O) They don't cite many specific stats or study findings, but since their money is on the line, I would be surprised if they didn't have the data to support their conclusions.

Thank you so much for finding that!  While I still wish that document gave numbers to support its claims, I feel it is the best "case for interior corridors" out of any that I have read.

The issues of energy efficiency and maintenance costs are two of the most important concerns, although that document still doesn't demonstrate interior corridors being safer.  Fewer access points may provide a mechanism for controlling access, but it doesn't guarantee that such access is controlled.  I've stayed in a Motel 6 with interior corridors where the non-lobby entrances were left unlocked.  Even if everyone had to enter through the lobby, it wouldn't be prudent for the desk clerk to question everyone who enters.  Questioning people who enter would not only annoy paying guests, but, depending on whom the clerk decides to question, it could also open the door to claims of discrimination and profiling.  Furthermore, with exterior corridors, there could be more potential witnesses on the outside of the hotel, although that is never a guarantee either.  At any rate, I think the use of security cameras is becoming a standard practice.  I've been to a Motel 6 where I could see the exterior corridors on camera from the front desk.

And if you're interested in highway-bound hotels and motels in general, I highly recommend the book The Motel in America. The authors follow the development of independent motels and chain motor lodges along with the growth of the US and Interstate systems, and they cover the topic of motels with as much detail and enthusiasm as roadgeeks discussing unbuilt freeways.

I remember finding material by Jakle and Sculle when I was doing research in college.  They're written a lot of material on the artifacts of American culture.  I'll definitely check out that book sometime soon.  It seems to be exactly along the lines of what I've been looking for.

What ever happened to the original Fairfield Inn concept?

Marriott's revoking their franchises at renewal–trying to get every last trace of motel-ness out of the entire system. I read an article where the author refers to Fairfield as an "upper midscale mainstay" brand. Apparently, Marriott has no interest in even pretending to serve the "budget" segment anymore.

What's curious about hotel chains' reluctance to be associated with the word "motel" is that there are two distinct, commonly accepted definitions of the term.  By one definition, a motel is differentiated from a hotel by having exterior corridors instead of interior corridors, and the exterior corridors make it a "motel" by providing greater convenience to guests who travel by automobile.  However, by another definition, a motel is simply a limited-service hotel, lacking a restaurant and bar.  I used to thumb through AAA TourBooks, and they used this latter definition of "motel" to distinguish them from hotels with restaurants, bars, and other services.  Note that Motel 6 still refers to its interior-corridor properties as "motels."  By this second definition, a Fairfield Inn with all-interior corridors is still a motel, whether Marriott likes it or not.

[Brandon]

Yet even mention needing to pay to vote, and... (ducking)

Arse.

Who said anything about paying?  The state-issued IDs are free.  Of course, you need one to buy booze, cigs, etc...

[formulanone]

Hasn't it occurred to rewards program participants that...you wind up spending more overall?

Right, but these rewards programs are really intended for people who aren't spending their own money...

Pretty much. But for an economy-grade hotel, getting one free night for 7-10 nights a year is a nice perk.

In fact, for anyone who is spending his or her own money and travels infrequently, the rewards programs are essentially worthless.

This depends on the air route(s) taken and how often per year. I have a relative that amassed about 40,000 miles a year on 5-6 international trips; enough for a free round-trip domestic coach ticket. But if you're only going on domestic routes, that's much tougher...although my job consists of 80-90k actual annual air miles.

But one big perk with being a high-tier member is that the miles can double with every flight. So in a year with 90k miles, I bank 180k towards flights. So there's quite an incentive to be loyal, but you really have to pay your dues.

Since the company requires a "cheapest-fare within $100" among logical time or distance limits, I get some flexibility to pick my own airline. But sometimes you get whatever's actually flying into that city. A little creative routing and a desire to drive an extra distance pays dividends (nice for county collecting, too).

For folks that take only one or two round trips per year (on most flights, that's actually 50-60% of the  passengers, so I've heard), there's no incentive to bother with a frequent flier program - you couldn't redeem the miles/points for anything. A few of the airlines have offered magazines, because they're supposed to give you something for the 1200 air miles...although the offerings are usually quite slim once Sports Illustrated and National Geographic have been selected. (Why are no car magazines  available? Conspiracy by the airlines?)

People will shop on price, unless it's woefully inconvenient.

And even with that kind of a dollar outlay, getting free nights (or free flights or free car rentals) is rapidly becoming less of an incentive as the programs are making point redemptions closer and closer to impossible.

Car rentals, yes. I get one compact/sub-compact car per weekend, per month on my plan. Which is pointless, because I have a car of my own I'd rather drive...the only advantage would be if I dropped my car off at a repair shop for a weekend, and could pick it up Sunday afternoon. Knowing the car repair industry, very few shops operate that way.

But I'll use my free hotel nights quite liberally; a weekend here or there. Haven't paid for a personal-use hotel stay in three years.

Now, the primary carrot is special treatment–exclusive elite member check-in desks, concierge level rooms, room upgrades, etc.

I'm rare about these, but early check-in and a high floor are the only things I ask for. Occasionally, I'll get a free room upgrade or a small refrigerator for no charge.

So the game is all about amassing points from months and months worth of company-paid hotel stays and redeeming them for a few nights in Paris–if you're lucky. But even if not, you can count on special butt-kissing on your travels. But as for "saving money"–it isn't even part of the equation.

People are going to be loyal to gain rank and appreciation, also because they found a brand and a familiarity they're comfortable with. But most people are going to buy the cheapest airfare, least expensive hotel, and lowest-priced rental car, or whichever is offering some sort of discount...which rarely promotes loyalty.

But yes, the catch is that you aren't likely to save money. It's also fair to say that saving money isn't always the most important thing for some people, if the intangibles are worth it. Time is precious, and getting preferential treatment is also nice. I suppose the the perks and goodwill by the company translate to positive stories that a member tells others,  whereby you get a "promoter" of the brand.

[NE2]

Who said anything about paying?  The state-issued IDs are free.

Bullshit. Getting the required documents to submit is not free.

[corco]

It should also be noted that yeah, Hilton/Starwood/Marriott gear their rewards programs towards business travelers, but for reasonably infrequent leisure travelers Choice/Wyndham still have usable rewards programs- their elite tiers (especially Wyndham's) are a lot less elite but are more geared toward getting travelers as many reward points as possible for redemption use.

I have noticed point inflation with Wyndham over the last couple years (you used to realistically be able to get a free room for 5,000 points but now it's more like 10-12), but if you use your points as soon as you have enough to redeem that should be okay. You'll still get a free night roughly every 7 stays and can increase that further if you follow the promotions carefully (Wyndham does double points sometimes, or pay $5-$10 more for 2000 bonus points, etc)

[realjd]

Another factor not mentioned yet is branded credit cars tied to reward programs. Someone with a Delta Reserve amex can get silver status on spend along ($60k spend in a calendar year earns 30k elite qualifying miles which is silver). Hotel cards are similar. Even someone with infrequent paid travel can often amass large quantities of points and get free stays without actually patronizing a hotel chain or airline.

Non-branded cards usually earn points as well but they often aren't as lucrative as branded cards. For me personally, having the Delta Reserve card is what gets me into the SkyClubs and what bumps me from gold to platinum most years.