How to Use Canadian Credit Card Rewards for Hotel Stays: A Comprehensive Guide

You can use credit cards to pay your bills, fund your morning cup of coffee, and book your flights, earning you plenty of points along the way. But what do you do with those rewards once you pocket them?

In this article, we’ll reveal how to use Canadian credit card rewards for hotel bookings, proving that these financial tools can be extremely beneficial for accommodations as well.

Below, we’ve broken down how you can use each eligible loyalty program to secure your next stay. 

Marriott Bonvoy

Let’s begin with the most obvious hotel-branded loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy. 

The most valuable way to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points is by transferring them to hotel partners, giving you an average value of 0.86 cents per point. 

Not only do these points cover stays themselves, but they can also be redeemed towards amenities and experiences (including dining, cocktails, golf, or spa), room and hotel upgrades (for better views and larger suites at select hotels and resorts), and complimentary nights (when you redeem your points for five consecutive nights). 

To use your Marriott Bonvoy points to book a hotel stay, input your desired destination and travel dates into the hotel redemption portal. Your search will uncover all available properties and point rates per stay.

Eligible hotel partners include: 

• Luxury stays: Edition, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, St Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott (note that these stays can render more point value)
• Premium stays: Marriott, Sheraton, The Marriott Vacation Clubs, Delta Hotels, Westin, Meridien, Renaissance Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels, Gaylord Hotels, MGM Collection
• Select stays: Courtyard, Four Points, Springhill Suites, Fairfield, AC Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Moxy Hotels, Protea Hotels, City Express by Marriott, Four Points Flex by Sheraton
• Longer stays: Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Element, Marriott Executive Apartments, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy

When booking your stay, you can opt to pay using:

• Only Points: booking your hotel stay using the preselected “Use Points / Awards” option
• Cash + Points: stretching your points by using the “Cash + Points” feature to split the cost when available
• PointSavers: search for bookings listed with the PointSavers option to receive a discounted rate – select the “Flexible dates” filter to find the best point deals available

Popular credit cards from this loyalty program include the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. 

American Express Membership Rewards

Another lucrative rewards program for hotel stays is the American Express Membership Rewards Program. 

While the top redemption category for this loyalty program is transfers to airline partners, transfers to hotel partners are a close second with a value of about 1.66 cents per point.

There are two hotel partners to transfer to: Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. Courtesy of our points calculator, we’ll include this transfer table to break down point values for each partner:

To transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points:

1. Select your American Express travel partner of choice from the official Amex portal.
2. Hit the “Transfer my Points” button under the selected option.
3. Log in to your account and enter the amount of points you’d like to transfer, you might need to sign up for the partner program in question as well.
4. After you’re all enrolled, review your transfer information and note that all points transferred are non-refundable. Once you transfer your points, you forfeit any insurance coverage offered by your Amex card since you are no longer redeeming for travel directly through the American Express Membership Rewards program.
5. Confirm your transfer request.

The top credit cards in the American Express Membership Rewards program are: 

• The American Express Cobalt Card
• The American Express Platinum Card
• The American Express Gold Rewards Card
• The American Express Green Card 

Scene+ Points

One of the Scene+ loyalty program’s top redemption categories is travel, offering an average value of 1 cent per point. 

Within this redemption category, you can use your Scene+ points to cover hotel stays booked through Scene+ Travel, powered by Expedia.

To secure your booking, simply:

1. Log in to the Scene+ mobile app or website
2. Click “Rewards”
3. Select “Travel” to browse your options
4. Hit “Apply Points to Travel” and complete your purchases using a Scene+ credit card

The best credit cards for the Scene+ loyalty program are: 

• The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Privilege Card
• The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card
• The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card
• The Scotiabank Platinum American Express Card

Aeroplan Points

Aside from categories like Aeroplan flights and car rentals, you can also use your Aeroplan points for travel bookings with a value of around 0.8 cents per point.

This travel category includes hotel stays which allows you to redeem your Aeroplan points at partner hotels.

Partner hotels include:

• Fairmont
• Holiday Inn
• Shangri-La
• Candlewood Suites
• Le Germain Hotels
• Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and more

To optimize your points on your next hotel stay, Aeroplan has a HotelSavers program that saves members up to 30% on bookings made at select hotel partners. To take advantage of these offers, look for red HotelSavers tags when you make your booking.

The HotelSavers Program is broken up into categories that indicate the estimated number of points per night for a standard room.

Here are the estimates we pulled from our points calculator:

Note that these values may vary based on season, location, availability, and the number of guests on the booking.

Travellers can choose whether they cover the entire cost of their stay using points or split the cost between points and cash.

The best credit cards for the Air Canada Aeroplan loyalty program are:

• The American Express Cobalt Card (while technically not an Aeroplan credit card, Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio)
• The American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
• The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
• The CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card

BMO Rewards

Travel is one of the top redemption categories for BMO Rewards, which encompasses hotel stays among flights, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises and more.

The best part about booking your hotel stay with BMO Rewards is that you can secure your stay through any travel provider.

To make this type of transfer:

1. Book your hotel using your BMO Rewards credit card
2. Sign in to your BMO account and select the “Pay with Points” tab in the drop-down menu
3. Choose the travel purchase you’ve made within the last 90 days
4. Select the number of points you’d like to apply to the chosen transaction
5. Wait about 3-5 business days to see your points turn into a cash credit on your account 

Points used towards this travel-related redemption hold a value of 150 points = $1 or about 0.67 cents per point.

The top credit cards for the BMO Rewards loyalty program include:

• The BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite Card
• The BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege Card
• The BMO Eclipse Rise Visa Card

CIBC Aventura Points

CIBC Aventura points can be redeemed towards travel at 1 cent per point value through the CIBC Rewards Centre. This travel redemption category includes flights, vacation packages, car rentals, cruises, and hotel stays.

To book your hotel using CIBC Aventura points:

1. Log in to CIBC Online Banking
2. Find your Credit Card Account Details page
3. Select a qualifying pending transaction and hit “Redeem with Points.”

The best credit cards for the CIBC Aventura loyalty program are:

• The CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite Card
• The CIBC Aventura Gold Visa Card
• The CIBC Aventura Visa Card

TD Rewards

There are a couple of ways you can redeem your TD Rewards towards hotel stays. For the best value, you can use your points for Travel via Expedia, giving your rewards a value of 0.5 cents per point. 

To make the transaction, redeem your TD Rewards with your TD Rewards credit card online through Expedia for TD. To begin browsing, log in to your TD Rewards Account.

For a value of about 0.4 - 0.5 cents per point, you can also use your TD Rewards to book travel outside of Expedia. This travel redemption category lets you book accommodations through multiple agencies or websites.

In this case, 250 TD Rewards points will be equal to $1 in travel savings for the first $1,200 of any “Book Any Way” travel. If you spend more than $1,200, you’ll receive a rate of 200 points = $1 in travel savings.

To request redemption for eligible travel bookings:

1. Wait until your qualifying transaction appears on your account.
2. When you see the transaction, call TD customer service or make a request through your TD Rewards account within 90 days.
3. To make the request online, open the “Redeem” tab and select “Book Any Way Travel.” Here, you’ll need to provide all necessary information regarding the transaction and then hit submit.
4. When your request is approved, you’ll receive a statement credit that covers the cost of the submitted travel expense.

To collect TD Rewards for your next hotel stay, choose one of the following credit cards:

• The TD First Class Travel Visa Card
• The TD Rewards Visa Card
• The TD Platinum Travel Visa Card

Air Miles

The best way to redeem your Air Miles rewards is towards travel for a value of 18 cents per point.

With Dream Miles, members can book flights, car rentals, vacation packages, cruises, and hotel stays.

Accommodation partners include:

• IHG
• Hilton Hotels & Resorts
• Hyatt Inclusive Collection
• Hyatt Zilara & Ziva
• Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa
• Paraiso de la Bonita
• Sanctuary Cap Cana
• Wyndham Alltra Resorts

Dream Miles can cover 50% or more of your booking, anything extra is covered by cash using your Air Miles credit card.

The best credit cards for Air Miles are the BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard and the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard.

Avios Points

The Avios loyalty program keeps things simple by offering one redemption category: travel with Avios. This redemption category offers an average value of 1.7 cents per point.

As you’ve probably guessed, hotel stays are included in this category. Members can book their stay through Avios Hotels, powered by Expedia. Through this portal, browse more than 300,000 featured properties. You can also upgrade to iconic hotels like the Langham in Boston or The Dorchester in London. 

If you decide to pay with cash instead of Avios, you can collect 10 Avios points for every dollar spent.

The best Avios credit card is the RBC British Airways Visa Infinite Card.

Asia Miles

With Asia Miles, members can redeem for hotel stays at a 0.88 to 1.08 cent per mile value.

Participating accommodation partners and booking platforms include:

• Hotels.com
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• Ibis Hotels
• Grand Mercure Hotels and Apartments
• Angsana Hotels & Resorts
• MGallery Hotels
• Best Western and more

To book your stay, visit the Asia Miles travel rewards redemption site and select the “Hotels” tab to get started.

The top credit cards for Asia Miles are the Neo Cathay World Elite Mastercard and the Neo Cathay World Elite Mastercard Secured.

Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS Rewards 

Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS Rewards also feature travel as a top redemption category with a value of 100 cents per point. Among flights and car rentals, your BONUSDOLLARS can be used towards hotel stays.

To redeem your BONUSDOLLARS for an eligible transaction (which includes travel), simply:

1. Visit AccèsD from a mobile device or computer
2. On the Redeem BONUSDOLLARS page, find the Eligible transactions category and continue
3. Choose the transaction you want to redeem BONUSDOLLARS for (in this case, your eligible hotel stay)
4. Input how many BONUSDOLLARS you’d like to use and review the transfer
5. Once reviewed, hit confirm

The best credit cards for the Desjardins BONUSDOLLARS Rewards program are:

• The Desjardins Cash Back World Elite Mastercard
• The Desjardins Odyssey World Elite Mastercard
• The Desjardins Odyssey Gold Visa

MBNA Rewards 

Like most loyalty programs, the MBNA Rewards program’s top redemption category is travel.

You can use your MBNA Rewards points to book eligible travel arrangements like flights, hotel stays, vacation packages, and rental cars.

For hotel stays specifically, you can collect MBNA Rewards points to cover accommodations at luxury properties around the world. 

For every $100 travel credit (applicable towards eligible hotel stays), you’ll need at least 10,000 MBNA points, that’s a 1 cent per point value.

To search and redeem for hotel stays, log in to your MBNA account. Once you’re there, select “Manage Rewards” then pick “Travel” to be redirected to MBNA’s travel booking platform.

The two best MBNA Rewards credit cards are the MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard and the MBNA Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard.

Meridian Rewards Points

All redemption categories provided by the Meridian Rewards program have the same value of 1 cent per point. This lineup includes travel, which features eligible hotel stays, flights, and vacation packages.

To redeem for qualifying hotel stays (and any redemption category for that matter):

1. Log in to your eZcard account, accessible through Meridian online banking
2. Once logged in, you should be able to see your account information and reward balance
3. To browse redemption opportunities, click the “View Rewards” button in the Account Details tab

The top three Meridian Rewards credit cards are:

• The Meridian Visa Infinite Cash Back Card
• The Meridian Visa Infinite Travel Rewards Card
• The Meridian Visa US Dollar Card

More Rewards Points

Travel tops the redemption categories of the More Rewards loyalty program as well, featuring hotel stays at a 0.43 cent per point value.

You can redeem any amount of More Rewards points towards your eligible hotel stay, with no minimum amount required.

To view your rewards and redemption opportunities, members must log in to their More Rewards account.

You can pay for your booking with points only or a mix of points and your More Rewards credit card. 

To collect More Rewards, apply for the More Rewards RBC Visa Card or the More Rewards RBC Visa Infinite Card.

National Bank À la Carte Rewards 

There are also travel redemption opportunities within the National Bank À La Carte Rewards program, including hotel stays. 

To make a travel reservation through the À la carte Travel Agency, log into rewards.nbc.ca and select the “Travel” tab. Afterwards, select “Book Now” to secure your eligible stay.

Travel redemptions are valued at about 0.8 to 0.9 cents per point.

The best credit card for À La Carte Rewards is the National Bank World Elite Mastercard.

RBC Avion

RBC Avion and RBC Avion Premium both include travel as a redemption category through the Avion Rewards centre, which features hotel stays as a subcategory. 

The big difference between these two RBC loyalty programs are their travel redemption values. RBC Avion points can be redeemed towards travel at a 1.19 cent per point value, whereas RBC Avion Premium points can be redeemed towards travel at a 0.53 cent per point value.

The best credit cards for RBC Avion points are the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege Card and the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card.

The best credit cards for RBC Avion Premium points are the much more affordable RBC ION+ Visa Card and the RBC ION Visa Card.

West Jet

While WestJet Rewards may seem flight-focused, its Travel with WestJet redemption category (valued at 1 cent per point) includes vacation packages that account for hotel stays.

To browse packages and redeem your WestJet Rewards, simply sign in to your WestJet account. 

The best WestJet-branded credit card on the Canadian market is the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it worth using credit card rewards for hotel stays instead of flights?

It depends. Many loyalty programs – like Aeroplan or Amex Membership Rewards – offer better point value when redeemed towards flights. With this in mind, if your goal is to maximize value per point, some rewards are best put towards airfare. That said, if you don’t necessarily intend on flying but still want points for hotel stays, then using credit card rewards for hotel stays instead of flights is absolutely worth it.

Which Canadian credit card program offers the best value for hotel stays?

Generally speaking, Scene+, CIBC Aventura, and MBNA Rewards are all straightforward rewards programs with values of 1 cent per point when redeemed towards hotel stays. This makes them easy to understand and redeem. However, programs like Marriott Bonvoy can offer higher value if you book during PointSaver promotions or use the “Fifth Night Free” perk, and American Express Membership Rewards points have a cent per point value that exceeds 1 cent per point, plus many cards with additional hotel perks. 

What’s a common mistake people make when redeeming hotel rewards?

Many spenders redeem points towards low-value categories like gift cards or merchandise, which can significantly decrease the value of your points. When you stick to redeeming your points towards high-value redemption categories (which are often travel-related), you receive the best value for your points.

How can I stretch my points further for a longer hotel stay?

Keep an eye out for hotel-oriented perks like Marriott Bonvoy’s fifth-free-night benefit, or HotelSavers discounts through programs like Aeroplan. You can also opt into paying with cash and points to split the cost and use points as a discount on multiple stays rather than a full-coverage option on a single stay.