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Hotel dining rewards programs are a fantastic way to earn bonus points and miles through your everyday spending. Even better, many of these dining programs offer new member bonuses just for signing up and completing basic tasks.
In this article, we'll dig into the hotel dining programs that currently offer new member bonuses.
Page Contents
Choice Eat & Earn Program: 1,500 Bonus Points
Choice Hotels is the newest hotel chain to create a dining program. It used to have the lowest bonus of 500 points, but that was increased to 1,500 points on July 10, 2023. Now it's one of the best offers for new members — second to Marriott.
- Sign up for the Choice Eat & Earn Program before January 7, 2024.
- Link a debit and/or credit card and pay with that card at the restaurant.
- Spend at least $25 (including tax and tip) in one dining trip at any participating restaurant, bar, or club within 30 days of joining the program.
- Complete an online review within 30 days of your visit.
- Earn 1,500 bonus points.
Members also can earn a paltry 10 points every time they dine and leave a review. Last summer, there was a promotion to earn 50 points per review. We'll see if that comes back this year.
Hilton Honors Dining Program: Reduced to 500 Bonus Points
The Hilton Honors Dining program's new member bonus is very similar to what's offered by airline dining programs. Spend $25 after joining, leave a review, and earn bonus points.
- Sign up for the Hilton Honor Dining Program before January 6, 2024.
- Link a debit and/or credit card and pay with that card at the restaurant.
- Spend at least $25 (including tax and tip) in one visit at any participating restaurant, bar, or club within 30 days of joining the program.
- Complete an online review within 30 days of your visit.
- Earn 500 bonus points (was 1,000 previously).
Related: Best Rewards Cards for Dining and Restaurants
IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn Program: 1,000 Bonus Points
- Sign up for the IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn Program before January 6, 2024.
- Link a debit and/or credit card and pay with that card.
- Spend at least $30 (including tax and tip) in one visit at any participating restaurant, bar, or club within 30 days of joining the program.
- Remain opted-in to promotional emails.
- Complete an online review within 30 days of your visit.
- Earn 1,000 bonus points.
General Terms and Conditions for New Member Bonuses
- Remain opted-in to receive emails from the program with a valid, deliverable email address to receive higher bonus points. However, Choice does not yet have a subscription plan.
- Some participating restaurants only offer bonus points on certain days of the week, with a limited amount of spending per month, or a limited number of visits, so check your dining rewards program website for details.
- These offers may not be combined with other dining program offers.
- You must book your meal through the hotel dining programs. Third-party apps and delivery services are ineligible.
How Hotel Dining Programs Work
The basic premise of each of these programs is the same: You can sign up for the program and accumulate bonus points each time you spend money at a restaurant with your linked card. If you stay subscribed to the email list, you'll receive more points.
If you make more than 11 purchases in one calendar year, you will move up to VIP status and obtain even more points. That being said, the hotel dining programs do vary a little with their specific rewards.
Choice Eat & Earn Dining Program
All Eat & Earn members, regardless of subscription or elite status, will earn five Choice Privileges points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. When dining in, points are earned on the entire bill, including tax and tip. When ordering online, you can earn points on the subtotal before tax, tip, and other fees.
Marriott Eat Around Town Dining Program
- Regular Marriott Bonvoy members get four points per dollar spent.
- Marriott Bonvoy members with the Elite status (Ambassador, Titanium, Platinum, Gold, or Silver) will receive six points for each eligible dollar spent.
- Marriott will sometimes offer bonus points through a Marriott Eat Around Town promotion.
Hilton Honors Dining Program
- Unsubscribed members earn two points per dollar spent.
- Subscribed members earn five points per dollar spent.
- VIP members earn eight points per dollar spent.
IHG One Rewards Dining Program
- Unsubscribed members earn one point per dollar spent.
- Subscribed members earn five points per dollar spent.
- VIP members earn eight points per dollar spent.
Our Take
People spend an increasing amount of money at restaurants each year. If you're not a member of these hotel dining programs yet, now is the perfect time to join some of them and start reaping your rewards. While the bonuses can seem small, every little bit helps to reach those elite statuses and free nights — or to receive some extra cash-back!
Note that you don't need to use a hotel-branded credit card with these programs. Any credit card will work as long as it's linked to the program and used at the restaurant. Also, there aren't any extra bonus points if you have elite status with that hotel program or if you use a specific card, such as with the airline dining programs. Just make sure to use the credit card that gets you the best rewards on dining.
Your best option might be the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which you can use to earn 7X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants. Otherwise, the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card gives you 4X back on dining with an $0 annual fee. The American Express® Gold Card also gives 4X back when dining at restaurants worldwide, but it comes with a $250 annual fee.
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Another great scoop – thanks for passing along the particulars of this promo! Will be very helpful in racking up MORE Marriott points, which I find very useful! 🙂
Can you use the same credit card you’ve enrolled in an airline dining program? I tried to use the same card in both the United and American Airlines dining programs and wasn’t allowed to do that. Do the hotel programs use the same program?
Many of the hotel dining programs are powered by Rewards Network. They prevent you from getting credit for more than one of the programs they manage for the same CC transaction.
This post is a good resource on which programs can potentially be stacked.
The article says Marriot Bonvoy members get 4 points for dollar spent. I just signed up and it says “You are ready to start earning 3 points per dollar at Eat Around Town.” Anyone know why? Did they decrease the number of points since the articles publication?
That’s concerning! The terms and conditions still read: “Marriott Bonvoy members receive 4 Marriott Bonvoy Points for each eligible USD$1 spent. Marriott Bonvoy members with Elite status (Ambassador, Titanium, Platinum, Gold, or Silver) receive 6 Marriott Bonvoy Points for each eligible USD$1 spent.” So, I wonder which text is out of date…
These bonuses are good for those that still do not have a dining account. I wish they also do this for those who already have existing account.
Marriott is particularly generous I think, but I won’t turn down any of them, every little helps.
Easy way to get a few extra points in your loyalty programs by dining and spending money you’re already spending!
6K marriott points is solid. More points and points worth more than the other 2 programs.
Me encanto la promocion. ….vamos a comer y sumamos un monton de puntos. que seguramente luego se transformaran en millas . Excelente forma de ir sumando!! Me encanto!!. Gracias por la publicacion , ya que sin ella no me hubiera enterado.
Appreciate the reminder, I’ve successfully switched my AmEx from one program to another. We will see if being a new member of a different program will generate the bonus.
It would be great if you could enroll in these programs more than one time. I don’t know if it is possible. If someone knows, please post how to do it! Thank you.
Hey, how do you dis-enroll from these dining programs, so you could re-enroll again and get new bonus points
I’ve never seen any blog on that ever, and I’ve searched.
I think this could be a thing
???
I haven’t seen any reports on that either. As they say, “Be the data point you’d like to see”! I’d love to hear if you can get the new member bonus.
Reviewing the terms of the various programs, most do explicitly say that you can only earn the bonus once. However, once that particular bonus ends, as they all do after a clearly stated expiration date, there is no clear language that says you can’t earn that new bonus as well under its new terms. Report back! 🙂
I’ve struggled to actually receive the points earned from this in the past
After looking at the lists of eligible restaurants and plugging in various zip codes (parts of my state), I think the list has shrunk quite a bit compared to pre-pandemic. Is anyone else seeing that, too?
I am. There used to be a Cheeburger Cheeburger near me and it was awesome. Alas it is no more. 🙁
In terms of points valuation, the 6000 points from Marriott seem the most useful?
My fav part about these programs is how they keep up activity in the account even if we don’t stay at the hotels.
Nice info! I’m a member I hope start winning point!
hope all dining bonus promotions are extended to spending in restaurants outside US too for expats.
This is indeed an overall great way to keep one’s bonus points and miles active and continuing!
Nice info. Im a marriot bonvoy member, Hope we could start earning points again soon!
I like these programs. They are kind of just a set it and forget it, then earn points.
Thanks for this great article. I’m signing it for all three.
Some European hotel chains also offer rewards on their in-house dining premises.
Hotels should actively promote dining rewards at their on-site restaurants too.
Nice! I’m going to aim for all three (brace for the spam newsletters though!)
Hi, do you know if there is any restaurante in Argentina where I can dine and get the award?
Unfortunately these programs are limited to the US for now.
can anyone confirm if posting a review means clicking on marriots automated email for you to rate the restaurant a few days after you dine that? Or do you have to go to marriott eat around the town page, click on the restaurant, and start a review? So far I did 2 clicking on the marriott email they send me, but not sure if that does the trick. Thanks
Hope can take advantage of the programs to earn some bonus and keep miles active.
Friendly constructive criticism with regard to Hilton Honors Dining. The offer is actually significantly better at 5,000 bonus points, and is valid until 30 June 2021. I’ve copied the legalese directly from the signup page below:
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Hilton Honors Dining gives you more ways to be rewarded while supporting your favorite restaurant or bar. For a limited time, join Hilton Honors Dining and earn 5,000 Bonus Points — in addition to earning Bonus Points for every $1 spent at participating restaurants, bars, and clubs. Create your online account by linking your credit and/or debit cards. Then, within the first 30 days:
Dine in or order takeout/delivery from a participating restaurant.
Spend $25 or more.
Complete an online review.
Earn 5,000 Bonus Points.
Members must remain opted in to email to earn this bonus offer.
Not valid on orders placed through third-party online ordering or delivery sites. Pickup and/or delivery may not be available at all restaurants.
This bonus offer is open to all new Hilton Honors Dining members without a dining profile. To qualify, you must (i) set up an online account and link a valid credit and/or debit card beginning March 3, 2021 through June 30, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, (ii) spend at least $25 (including tax and tip) in one dine at any participating restaurant, bar, or club within 30 days of creating your Hilton Honors Dining web account, (iii) pay the check with a credit and/or debit card linked to your Hilton Honors Dining account, (iv) remain opted in to receive emails from Hilton Honors Dining with a valid, deliverable email address, and (v) complete an online review of the restaurant, bar, or club within 30 days of your visit.
Hey! Nice offer. Thanks for the heads up on this one. I’ve updated the post to reflect it.
Using the Hotel rewards dining programs are also a great way to reset the clock on your account’s expiration date periodically. Any miles I get besides that are just gravy really….
I’m surprised they haven’t linked up yet with one of the food delivery Apps…
These dining incentive programmes have never really taken off in Europe. Marriott and IHG have tried, and may still even offer options, however the take up is very little
It becomes easier to take advantage of these bonuses when the businesses are gradually opening up again.
I really hope they keep these offers active for a few months so I can use them.