Hotels.com has announced it will roll out updates to its Australian loyalty program between 6 July 2026 and 5 August 2026.
The biggest change is the end of earning loyalty stamps for completed stays. In their place, members will start collecting Hotels.comCash, a new digital rewards currency that can be used toward future bookings. While the mechanism is changing, it will still work out to a 10% return on the value of your bookings.
The other main changes relate to the tier levels. From the changeover, you will only need make half the nights to gain silver or gold status. In addition, there is an additional platinum level on the way.
Hotels.Com Reward Changes
Introducing Hotels.ComCash
At the moment, you collect stamps for each night you stay on bookings made through Hotels.com. Once you collect 10 stamps, you are eligible for a free night. The maximum value is the free night is the average rate of each of your ten paid stay. Effectively, this means that you could get a night worth 10% of what you have spent.
Under the new system, it is the mechanics of the system that will change. Instead of earning stamps, you will earn Hotels.comCash at a rate of 10% of your booking. Instead of earning stamps, once you have stayed 10 nights, you will become eligible to spend your Hotels.comCash.
While the value is the same, it looks as though there will be greater flexibility in the new system. You can choose how much Hotels.comCash to use, and apply it across multiple nights. Any remaining balance stays in your account for a future stay. This compares to the current stamp system, where any excess value is basically lost.
Expiry
Your available Hotels.comCash won’t expire as long as you make an eligible booking or use Hotels.comCash at least once every 18 months after transitioning to Upgraded Hotels.com Rewards. Pending Hotels.comCash earned from nights stayed also remains active if you make an eligible booking at least once within 12 months.
Membership Levels
Hotels.com is set to overhaul its loyalty program with changes to membership tiers, including the launch of a new Platinum level, the highest status in the program. Since Platinum will use the same qualification criteria as the existing Gold tier, Hotels.com is lowering the requirements for both Silver and Gold status. you will now need 50% fewer nights to reach these levels, making elite benefits more accessible. The comparison table below highlights the updated qualification criteria.
| Membership Level | Current Qualification | New Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Member | Join as a member | Join as a member |
| Silver | 10 stamps each year for Silver | 5 nights each year for Silver |
| Gold | 30 stamps each year for Gold | 15 nights each year for Gold |
| Platinum | 30 nights each year for Platinum |
While they have not specifically said what you will get for being platinum, it is worth noting that this progression is in line with the Expedia oneKey program. It is possible that they will be aligning this part of the membership.
Other Changes
Hotels.com will be making a number of other changes at the same time:
- Hotels.Com will no longer be offering Hotel Price Guarantee or Hotel Price Guarantee Plus.
- If your rewards don’t cover the full cost of your booking, you must pay the rest with a credit or debit card.
- Tier status in the updated Hotels.com Rewards program will now be calculated on a calendar‑year basis, from 1 January to 31 December, rather than on your individual membership year starting from the date you joined.
Final Words
The transition from the traditional Hotels.com Rewards program has been less straightforward than expected. Initially, it appeared that all users would be moved to the Expedia OneKey program. However, early feedback from regions where OneKey launched showed that the rollout was not well received. As a result, some features now suggest that Hotels.com may be adopting a customised version of OneKey rather than a full migration.
Instead of shifting everyone to OneKey, Hotels.com is now rolling out an enhanced version of the Hotels.com Rewards program. In several countries that were originally transitioned to OneKey, members have already been moved back to a refreshed Hotels.com Rewards system. Current indications point to a gradual, region‑by‑region rollout, especially in markets still using the legacy “stamp”‑based rewards structure.
