Issued: July 25, 2007
Contact: Jay Sorensen, 414-961-1939
IdeaWorksCompany.com
Choice Privileges Visa Card from Choice Hotels Offers the
Largest Payback Among Leading Budget Hotel Companies
TripRewards MasterCard offers a good alternative with more hotel locations and no
advance reservation restriction for hotel reward nights.
Frequent flier program members have learned co-branded credit cards offer a reliable
path to faster mileage accumulation. The big three airlines all offer substantial mileage
bonuses and first year fee waivers for their co-branded credit cards. For many
consumers, these cards generate more frequent flier miles than the actual purchase of
airline tickets. This credit card mania has now invaded the lodging sector and its
frequent guest programs.
This report reviews the co-branded credit cards associated with the three largest budget
chains as listed in a ranking of top hotel companies.1 The analysis emphasizes the
reward payback provided by charge activity and does not evaluate the benefits provided
by each program for hotel point accrual. The following tables list the budget brands,
frequent guest program, and co-branded credit card associated with the three largest
budget hotel companies:
Best Western International
Budget Brands
Best Western and Best Western Premier
Loyalty Program
Gold Crown Club International
C0-Branded Card
Best Western MasterCard
Choice Hotels International
Budget Brands
Cambria Suites, Clarion, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites,
MainStay Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, and Suburban
Extended Stay Hotel.
Loyalty Program
Choice Privileges
C0-Branded Card
Choice Privileges Visa
Best Budget Hotel Credit Cards
Page 2
Wyndham Worldwide (formerly Cendant Hotel Group)
Budget Brands
AmeriHost Inn, Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Howard
Johnson, Knights Inn, Ramada Worldwide, Super 8 Motel,
Travelodge, and Wingate Inn by Wyndham.
Loyalty Program
TripRewards
C0-Branded Card
TripRewards MasterCard
These companies are leaders in the budget accommodation cat