
Here we look at whether some of the main hotel loyalty schemes allow you to donate your hotel points to charity.
For airline miles, see
Smart Traveller: How to donate unused frequent flyer miles to charity
Accor
The Accor Live Limitless (ALL) programme lets you convert your points into a donation to the Accor Solidarity, an endowment fund that helps local NGOs in the fight against economic and social exclusion, or the Community Conservation Fund Africa (CCFA) to support projects that help preserve Africa’s endangered wildlife and wilderness areas. The latter requires a minimum donation of 2,000 points (€40). all.accor.com
Best Western
The Best Western Rewards scheme allows guests to donate points to charities including the International Committee of the Red Cross, Kiva and Project Cure. The hotel group also has The Better World Fund, which supports all of its charitable initiatives and allocates funds to programmes with the most critical need. bestwestern.co.uk
Hilton
Hilton Honors has teamed up with Point Worthy to enable you to donate points to a good cause. To take part, you have to open an account on pointworthy.com, which links to your Honors account. Make a donation of at least 3,500 points to one of the charities, which include World Central Kitchen and Project Hope (both of which are helping those in Ukraine). hiltonhonors3.hilton.com
Hyatt
Members of the World of Hyatt programme can support the American Red Cross in its relief efforts in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Travellers can donate points in 1,000-point increments, which the loyalty programme will then convert into US$20 contributions. world.hyatt.com
IHG Hotels and Resorts
IHG Rewards allows you to redeem points within a 12-month period. On the drop-down “shop all” tab, choose “donations”, which includes 15 organisations such as Care International UK, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Ozharvest, and WRAP among others. You can donate 2,500, 5,000 or 10,000 points. ihg.com/rewardsclub
Marriott International
Marriott Bonvoy allows you to donate points as part of its Serve 360 CSR programme, which has four pillars, with associated charities for each one. Nurture focuses on aiding communities, Sustain on reducing the brand’s environmental impact, Empower on ensuring access to opportunities, and Welcome on advocating for human rights. There are 31 charities, including American Red Cross, Clean The World, Prince’s Trust and the NAACP. Members can donate in increments of 2,500 points, from a minimum of 2,500 (US$10) to 125,000 (US$500), to World Central Kitchen and Unicef.
Marriott Bonvoy will also be matching donations point‑for‑point, up to 100 million points this year, for donations to World Central Kitchen, which is providing fresh meals and supplies to people in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, and Unicef, which is supporting the children of Ukraine through improved access to safe water, nutrition, healthcare and education. giving.marriott.com
NH Hotel Group
With NH Rewards you can contribute your reward points to non-governmental organisations. Let NH Hotel Group know how many points you wish to donate and it will transfer the equivalent amount in cash on your behalf. nh-hotels.com/nhrewards
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Rewards enables you to donate points to carbon offset organisation First Climate, which is currently working on a carbon reduction project in Madre de Dios, Peru. There is a 3,000-point minimum, with increments of 1,000, and you can donate by filling in a contact form online or calling the company. radissonhotels.com
Shangri-La
The Golden Circle programme allows you to donate your points to Oxfam Hong Kong and Med Art, a Hong Kong charity that cares for people in psychiatric institutions, prisons and hospices, and the medical needs of orphaned children. You can also donate to the brand’s corporate social responsibility projects. Donations start at 2,000 points (US$40) and cap at 10,000.
The group has also partnered with Make-A-Wish International and will be running three campaigns over the next 12 months to raise funds for the charity. shangri-la.com
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts
Wyndham’s Rewards online shop lets you donate to Save the Children. Donations start at 400 points and cap at 8,000 points. wyndhamhotels.com