Earn discounts and free stays with the top hotel membership schemes in Dubai
If you’re a regular traveller, for business or pleasure, being signed up to the membership schemes of the world’s top hotel chains is a no brainer. Not only do you benefit from special discounts, you might also build up enough points for free stays. If you’re deciding on what schemes to join, our guide to the best hotel loyalty programs in Dubai has you covered.
Hotel Loyalty Programs in Dubai
With numerous high end hotel chains in Dubai, there is tough competition for the title of the emirate’s best hotel loyalty program. Let’s take a look at the leading contenders.
ALL by Accor
With its range of quality hotels across the city, Accor provides one of the best hotel loyalty programs in Dubai. With ALL, Accor invites members to enjoy excellent bonuses and rewards at various Accor hotels such as Sofitel, Novotel, ibis, Adagio, The Sebel, Grand Mercure and Mövenpick. That’s over 5,000 hotels, from luxury to budget, all around the world.
At 10, 30, or 60 nights every year, you can earn various elite status tiers, which come with additional privileges and perks including complementary breakfast on weekends, as well as dining and spa incentives. To achieve top-tier Diamond membership, you will need to spend around 10,400 euros ($12,480).
Atlantis Circle
Through its loyalty program, Atlantis The Palm is offering UAE residents a 25% discount at all resort restaurants, including celebrity chef restaurants and iconic outlets such as Nobu, Hakkasan, Bread Street Kitchen, Ossiano, Wavehouse and Ronda Locatelli.
Residents who dine at one of Atlantis’ partner restaurants and use the Atlantis Circle mobile app to get a discount, can collect that purchase on the app, according to a three-tiered system. The more they spend, the more points they earn, moving them up the tiers from Blue to Silver to Gold.
Rewards include an annual 30% discount at participating restaurants, daily complimentary access to Atlantis The Palm’s pool and beach for up to four guests, front row seating at Ossiano, a complimentary birthday dinner, VIP Parking, as well as seasonal gifts and hampers once residents reach gold tier (with a spend of AED 35,000 or more). This deal makes the Atlantic Circle one of the top hotel membership schemes in Dubai.
Members will also receive in-resort vouchers, as well as weekly specials and discounts exclusively available to The Atlantis Circle members. Like many discount apps in Dubai, the Atlantis Circle mobile app is free to download on both AppStore and Google Play.
Hilton Honors
Hilton Honors has over 118 million members who can earn and redeem points at more than 6,600 partner properties in 119 countries. You can redeem your points at Hilton hotels in Dubai such as the Double Tree or Hampton by Hilton. Regular members earn 10 points per dollar spent on Hilton purchases (with most brands), but elite members earn bonuses for simply subscribing to a Hilton Honors Surpass Amex or Hilton Honors Aspire Amex credit card. Every year, the latter comes with a free weekend night reward.
Hilton Honors is a rewards program with a four-tiered points system. The first level is Blue, the second is Silver, the third is Gold and the ultimate level is Diamond. Each level has its own set of benefits and as a member progresses from Blue to Silver to Gold to Diamond, they gain in value.
IHG Rewards
IHG Rewards is one of the best hotel loyalty programs for budget travellers, with a collection of 16 brands that include more affordable hotels like Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites. IHG already has around 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries and is still rapidly expanding, with another 1,800 new IHG properties set to open in the next few years.
Members of the this loyalty program can earn and redeem points at a rate of 10 points per dollar across most of IHG’s brands. Depending on the property, award nights range from 10,000 to 70,000 points. If you want to be treated like a VIP, apply for the IHG Rewards Club Premier credit card, which comes with automatic Platinum status, bonus points, room upgrades, and a free night valued up to 40,000 points every year.
Jumeirah One
The Jumeirah Hotel Group’s Jumeirah One is a complimentary loyalty program. When members stay at any Jumeirah hotels in Dubai, they earn Jumeirah One Points, which they can trade for rewards in destinations such as Dubai, the Maldives, Frankfurt, London and Rome.
The world-famous Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah’s flagship hotel, is regularly included in the top 10 rankings of the world’s most spectacular hotels.
The loyalty program at Jumeirah is a three-tiered structure. The quantity of Tier Points you earn every twelve months determines your membership level, from the date of submission to the program or renewal. The initial level of membership is Blue, followed by Silver and finally Gold. Each level has its own set of benefits and as a member progresses from Blue to Silver to Gold their membership value increases. Silver and Gold elite members receive a 50 percent bonus on Jumeirah One Points, which translates to three Jumeirah One Points for every USD dollar spent at any Jumeirah hotel or resort.
Marriot Bonvoy
The world’s largest hotel group operates more than 8,000 locations across 30 brands, including classics like Sheraton and Westin, as well as the posh Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis outposts. At Marriott hotels in Dubai, Marriott Bonvoy members earn 10 points per dollar spent, with award nights ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 points, depending on the hotel and if the stay is during peak or off-peak periods. Consider opening the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex for statement credits on stays, Gold elite status and other luxury advantages, while Chase’s Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is a good alternative for everyday rewards.
Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to an airline partner and booking free award flights or upgrades is a great way to get the most out of them. The list of airline partners is impressive and the Marriott Bonvoy points to miles conversion rate of 3 to 1 is unrivalled. When you convert 60,000 points into miles, you’ll also get a 5,000-mile bonus, resulting in 25,000 airline miles instead of 20,000. This makes it one of the best hotel loyalty programs in Dubai and all over the world.
MyMillennium
MyMillennium is a loyalty program for Millennium, Copthorne and Kingsgate hotel guests. Millennium’s prior loyalty program featured a tiered membership structure similar to that of a regular hotel brand like Hilton or Marriott. But the brand recently decided to reduce complexity and enhance engagement across its whole spectrum of travellers by transitioning to a single-tiered system.
The program’s points will be earned on a revenue-based approach; for every $1 spent on a hotel room (exclusive of taxes), a consumer will earn 10 points in the program. The points collected from that entire block are doubled after 10 nights spent across Millennium locations, providing a significant reward to frequent travellers who stay at a Millenium hotel.
Earned points can then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, including free rooms, upgrades and partner offers, all of which are based on a sliding revenue scale. For example, Millennium freezes point values at a half cent per point, so a $500 hotel night would cost 100,000 points to book.
U by Emaar
U by Emaar is the Emaar Group’s loyalty program. This generous program rewards you when you visit Emaar facilities such as its hotels, entertainment attractions and restaurants. The four-tiered loyalty program is designed to allow its customers to gradually acquire access to a world of benefits and provide its members with better experiences as they go through each tier.
Upoints can be redeemed for discounted hotel stays, spa treatments, restaurants and entertainment at a variety of prominent establishments including Address Hotels & Resorts, Vida Hotels & Resorts, Armani Hotel Dubai, At.Mosphere, Reel Cinemas, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and more!
Members of U by Emaar can earn 1 U point for every 1 AED spent on dining, entertainment and other benefits. These U points can be exchanged for rewards in the areas of lifestyle, leisure and entertainment. Spending on Rove hotels can earn you 2 AED = 1 U point. Along with the points you earn with U by Emaar, you’ll gain access to a variety of discounts, promotions and unique deals based on your tier.
World of Hyatt
With the excellent Hyatt hotels in Dubai and beyond, membership to World of Hyatt is temptingly enticing. At time of writing, Hyatt has approximately 1,000 hotels and resorts in 68 countries, as well as 20 distinct brands such as Andaz, Thompson, Miraval and Park Hyatt. Small Luxury Hotels and M Life have also partnered with the chain, extending their influence even more.
Members of the World of Hyatt gain five points for every dollar spent at Hyatt hotels, plus extra for top members. Award nights, meanwhile, start at 5,000 points a night and go up to 40,000 for the portfolio’s most opulent properties. Members can also use a combination of cash and points to book stays.
The highest tier members of the World of Hyatt receive a free night in a category 1-7 Hyatt hotel and two suite upgrades. The latter is valid for stays of up to 7 nights and does not require you to book anything other than a qualifying rate.
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham Rewards is Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ loyalty program, which includes 20 hotel brands such as Wyndham Grand, La Quinta, Days Inn and Ramada. There are more than 9,000 participating properties in over 80 countries, as well as vacation rentals, club resorts and other partners such as Caesars Rewards hotels.
On stays, members get 10 points every dollar spent, with a 1,000-point minimum. Per night, points can be redeemed in tiers of 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000. That implies the new Wyndham Rewards Earner card’s sign-up incentive of 45,000 points, which comes after spending $1,000 in 90 days, is worth up to six free nights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hotel loyalty programs worth it?
Hotel loyalty programs are best for people who travel on a regular basis. If you are only staying for 5 to 10 nights in a hotel in a year, it’s probably not worth opting for membership.
What are some other loyalty programs worth exploring?
Other loyalty programs in Dubai for hotels and restaurants include Rotana Rewards and Meridien Francs Gourmet Card.
That concludes our guide to the best hotel membership schemes in Dubai. If you are looking for more options, check out our guide on the best 5-star hotels in Dubai.
To avail discount and special offers in retail and dining, check out our list of the best loyalty cards in Dubai. You can also qualify for discounts with these air miles programs in Dubai.
