Hotel Points Value Calculator: Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt

Subtract any taxes or fees you'd still owe on a points booking from the cash price (with taxes), then divide by points required and multiply by 100. Example: a room costs $350 cash with tax. Same room costs 50,000 points + $0 taxes. Cents-per-point = ($350 / 50,000) × 100 = 0.7¢. The formula compares apples to apples: what you'd actually pay in cash vs. what you'd actually pay in points.

The rough industry consensus: 1.5¢/point or more is excellent, 0.8 – 1.5¢ is a reasonable redemption, 0.4 – 0.8¢ is mediocre (pay cash and earn the points instead), under 0.4¢ is bad value. Premium chains like Hyatt typically clear 1.5¢ on aspirational redemptions; Hilton typically lands closer to 0.5 – 0.7¢. The ranges shift over time as chains devalue their programs — calculate every redemption rather than relying on rules of thumb.

Per point, Marriott Bonvoy points historically value around 0.7¢ vs Hilton Honors around 0.5¢ — but the comparison isn't really fair, because Hilton awards far more points per dollar spent. The right way to compare is total return: cents earned per dollar spent at each chain. The only definitive answer is to calculate cents-per-point on the specific redemption you're considering. The calculator above does it for any chain.

Pay cash and earn the points whenever the redemption clears under the chain's published baseline (Marriott < 0.7¢, Hilton < 0.5¢, IHG < 0.5¢, Hyatt < 1.5¢). Paying cash also lets you earn elite-night credits toward status, which points stays usually do not. Use points for: aspirational redemptions on dates when cash rates spike (NYE, college graduation, sold-out cities), award-night certificates that expire, and when you have a stockpile you'd otherwise lose to devaluation.

Every major chain has devalued its program at least once in the past 5 years — same room costs more points after the change. Devaluations show up immediately in cents-per-point calculations: if a 50,000-point room becomes 70,000 points and the cash price stays at $350, your cents-per-point drops from 0.7 to 0.5. The lesson: hold fewer points for shorter periods, redeem aggressively when you have a high-value redemption ready.

In the US, generally no — Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt, and Choice award nights typically waive taxes on the points portion. Mandatory resort fees, parking, and similar add-ons are usually still charged separately and should be entered into the calculator's "taxes / fees still owed" field. Outside the US, VAT-style taxes can sometimes apply to award stays — check the booking terms before redeeming.