Three years ago, we reported on major changes to the Hotels.com loyalty program. At the time, it was announced that the existing system of reward nights and stamps would be discontinued. Instead, there was to be just 2% cashback in the form of OneKeyCash.
This system has since been rolled out globally by Expedia and has replaced the Hotels.com Rewards program in many countries. Apparently with modest success. Fortunately, it never fully rolled out across most European markets, and we are now seeing a complete U-turn in several countries.
Via email, Hotels.com has now informed members across Europe about the future of the Rewards program. And the news is surprisingly positive. For most European countries, everything basically remains the same, with just a few minor changes to how it works. You still get a free night after 10 nights, and its value corresponds to the average price of those 10 nights (excluding taxes). This effectively means a 10% cashback in the form of hotel credit.
According to updates on Hotels.com, the program is scheduled to be updated in several European countries (such as Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands) between July 6 and August 5, 2026. While the core 10% offer is returning or staying in these countries, specific transition dates and conditions can vary depending on your home country. For most European members, the transition will bring the following updates:
- As usual, every 11th night is “free”
- Instead of reward nights, you receive a Hotels.comCash credit. The amount is determined by the average price of your 10 stamps
- This credit can be flexibly split across multiple stays (which wasn’t possible before)
- You can now use Hotels.comCash to pay for taxes and fees (for online payments)
- Existing reward nights will be converted into credit. This also applies to partially completed stamp cards, meaning no value is lost
We could only find one negative change: the Price Guarantee (reimbursement of the difference if you find a cheaper rate elsewhere) is being discontinued. However, due to countless exclusions, this was already as pointless as those offered by many major hotel chains.
Different Bonuses Depending on Your Location
The globally planned rollout of Expedia Group’s OneKeyCash has officially failed. Instead, Hotels.com is turning into a patchwork of different regional offers depending on your location. Customers in North America are getting a relatively poor deal, while Europe fares much better. In the future, Hotels.com Rewards will offer:
- USA: 2% cashback
- United Kingdom: £100 credit after 10 stays of at least £75 each
- Rest of Europe (e.g., Spain, Netherlands, Germany): 1 reward night after 10 nights (= 10% back per booking)
- Canada: 1 reward night after 10 nights (= 10% back per booking)
Theoretically, the UK program offers the highest potential return of up to 13.3% cashback (compared to 10% in continental Europe). However, this only applies if your nights average between £75 and £100. The continental European program is much more transparent and fairer, as even cheaper nights earn rewards proportionately.
Our Assessment
It is generally best to book major chain hotels (e.g., IHG, Marriott) directly on their official websites, where you usually find the best rates and earn valuable loyalty points on top. For independent hotels, we usually rely on three main options: Agoda (often via Google Hotels referrals), Booking.com (with its Genius program), and Hotels.com with its rewards stamps.
Honestly, we expected the traditional rewards program to be completely axed at any moment. Fortunately, Expedia seems to have realized that the planned downgrade would have driven away countless loyal customers. It is great to see that the reward rate remains unchanged for European travelers.