IHG vs. Marriott: Which Is Right for You?

IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy are popular hotel loyalty programs. Both have a long list of brands that cover all price points in all corners of the globe. But Marriott comes out ahead in our analysis for its larger geographic footprint, lower fees and superior loyalty program and credit card options.

If you are considering IHG vs. Marriott, here’s what may help you decide which of these global loyalty programs is right for you.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

Geographic presence

Winner for hotel availability: Marriott

Marriott has more hotels in more countries and territories, with more brands than IHG One Rewards. Plain and simple.

Marriott

With nearly 9,100 properties around the world, Marriott International has more than 30 brands in 142 countries and territories. It has even more hotels in the pipeline.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Marriott Bonvoy

IHG

More than 6,000 properties in over 100 countries are part of the IHG umbrella. It also has about 2,000 hotels in the pipeline, which will inch it closer to Marriott’s numbers in the coming years.

» Learn more: Your complete guide to earning IHG Rewards points

Fees

Winner for hotel company with the lowest fees: Marriott

NerdWallet regularly analyzes various metrics to compare hotel brands and help travelers determine which is best for their needs. This review of hotel and resort fees compares them as a percentage of the overall room rate.

Marriott wins because, overall, it charges lower resort fees. Neither of these hotel companies waives resort fees for elite status members or travelers who redeem points the way, for example, World of Hyatt or Hilton Honors does.

Marriott

Marriott deserves credit for charging lower resort fees, which represent 1.9% of the room rate. Still, no one likes a resort fee.

IHG

NerdWallet’s analysis shows IHG’s resort fees represent 3% of the room rate. And no one likes an even higher resort fee!

» Learn more: Are resort fees ever worth it?

Hotel loyalty programs

Winner for loyalty program: Marriott

NerdWallet’s comparison of hotel rewards programs ranks them on a five-star scale that takes into account their award pricing, elite status perks and cost to earn status.

Marriott has a higher score than IHG because it offers a more rewarding elite status program with better perks than IHG, even though it costs more to earn top elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.

Both programs use dynamic pricing when it comes to redeeming points for award nights, which reduces the overall value by pairing award rates with the fluctuation of cash rates. There is different pricing for different dates, depending on demand. Let’s compare the programs.

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy members earn 10 points per $1 spent on eligible hotel charges at most brands.

Marriott Executive Apartments qualify for only 2.5 points per dollar spent.

NerdWallet values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.9 cent each, according to the latest review. Bonus points for elite status members add to the earnings.

Below is NerdWallet’s valuation of each elite status tier based on hotel perks, how much it costs to earn each tier based on the number of nights needed, and the elite earning rates.

» Learn more: The best ways to rack up Marriott Bonvoy points

IHG Rewards

IHG Rewards has a similar earning structure, although its elite status bonuses are different than Marriott Bonvoy’s. Members earn 10 points per dollar on all eligible charges at most IHG brands except for Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites, where they earn 5 points per dollar.

NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.5 cent each. The higher your elite status, the more bonus points you earn per stay. These are the tiers and bonus earnings:

This is the latest NerdWallet valuation for IHG’s elite status tiers, taking into account the perks, elite earning rates and the cost to reach each elite status tier through stays.

» Learn more: The guide to IHG One Rewards

Hotel credit card availability

Winner for best hotel credit card options: Marriott

Marriott has more consumer and small business credit card options than IHG does. And many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards come with automatic elite status (and the opportunity to spend more to boost to a higher tier). IHG cards have a similar option, but they do not lead to the same types of status perks that Marriott cards do.

In addition, Marriott uses two banks to issue its co-branded cards (American Express and Chase). If you’re over the 5/24 card count, you would not be able to qualify for a Chase card.

American Express doesn’t have a similar roadblock for signing up for its cards (although it has its own restrictions). This makes it easier for some people to be approved for a co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit card.

Marriott also has more airline transfer partners than other programs, plus a partnership with United Airlines and Air Canada that awards reciprocal elite status to many members in either program. The ratio is mostly 3:1, but there are bonuses for transferring at least 60,000 points (and even more for United transfers).

IHG

IHG has just three credit card options. And the highest elite status that comes with an IHG card is Platinum, which is only a middle tier with fewer benefits than Marriott’s middle-tier Platinum.

While IHG One Rewards also has transfer deals with airlines, the transfer ratio is 5:1 from IHG to most airlines. This is not something recommended by NerdWallet unless you need to top off an award.

What to consider when choosing between Marriott and IHG

When it comes to which program is better between Marriott and IHG, Marriott is the clear winner due to its stronger property portfolio, more hotel brands, better elite status program and more credit card options. But both brands are noteworthy for their value, especially if IHG better fits your travel patterns than Marriott.