Wyndham Beats Marriott for the #1 Hotel Rewards Program of 2026

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts just knocked Marriott International out of the #1 spot in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 hotel rewards rankings — and the reason comes down to something travelers are clearly reacting to: devaluation. I talked with senior travel editor Elizabeth Von Tersch about this year's rewards rankings, plus a brand new list for road warriors. A few numbers worth knowing: Wyndham held onto its category-based point system while Marriott's dynamic pricing model saw a 20% devaluation. Plus, Sonesta International Hotels cracked the top five for the first time — and it earns guests free nights almost twice as fast as some of the bigger names. On the business travel side, Marriott and Hilton go head to head for the top two spots, and the deciding factor isn't the one you'd expect. We also dig into why hotel loyalty programs are starting to look a lot more like airline programs — and what that means for how you earn your next free night. Full rankings and methodology here: https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/travel-rewards/?src=usn_pr Want the weekly roundup of news, videos, and what you might've missed from #NoVacancyNews? Text HOTEL to 66866.