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Yes, if you have no activity on your account for 24 months, then your Sonesta Travel Pass points will expire. Per the Sonesta Travel Pass terms and conditions page:
“All Rewards Points expire after 24 months of inactivity from the date of their issuance.”
What Constitutes Activity for Sonesta Travel Pass
What constitutes eligible activity is a little complicated according to the Sonesta Travel Pass FAQ:
“Eligibility activity includes accruing or redeeming Rewards Points and accruing a Qualified Room Night.”
Unsurprisingly, this raises the question of what is a Qualified Room Night. The answer is simple:
“A “Qualified Room Night” is an overnight stay where the reservation is in the Program member’s name, includes the member’s Sonesta Travel Pass ID number, and is booked and paid for at a Qualified Rate.”
Therefore, to prevent your points from expiring, you must have some activity (earning or redeeming) on your account in 24 months. This can include a Qualified Room Night.
Earning Sonesta Travel Pass Points
There are only a few ways to earn Sonesta Travel Pass points:
- Earn 10 points per dollar for stays at eligible Sonesta properties.
- Receive 5X for stays at Sonesta Simply Suites hotels.
- Earn points for everyday spending with the Sonesta World Mastercard®.
Redeeming Sonesta Travel Pass Points
You can redeem Sonesta points for stays. Sonesta categorizes almost all its hotels into nine tiers, although some resort properties are in categories 10 and 11. Redemptions are at the following rates:
- 10,000 points at Tier 1 properties
- 12,500 points at Tier 2 properties
- 15,000 points at Tier 3 properties
- 17,500 points at Tier 4 properties
- 20,000 points at Tier 5 properties
- 22,500 points at Tier 6 properties
- 25,000 points at Tier 7 properties
- 27,500 points at Tier 8 properties
- 30,000 points at Tier 9 properties
- 40,000 points at Tier 10 properties
- 50,000 points at Tier 11 properties
A Big Player In The Making
The last three years have seen Sonesta Travel Pass go from a minnow in the hotel industry to a giant in the making. The brand has seen extraordinary growth since early 2020 — when the brand had around 80 properties worldwide. However, after acquiring Red Lion Properties and some former IHG and Marriott properties, Sonesta has over 1,200 properties worldwide, including a healthy footprint in the U.S. This rapid growth makes it worthwhile to keep an eye on the Sonesta Travel Pass program.
Our Take
The Sonesta Travel Pass program is simple and straightforward, with few of the larger programs' complexities. However, it's been seen as a niche program, due to its tiny size. But that has changed in the last few years. With its new larger footprint and a reasonably generous policy on when Sonesta points expire, the program is definitely worth a closer look — especially for those who want simplicity in their loyalty programs.
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