{"id":217633,"date":"2025-07-22T15:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=217633\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:19:15","slug":"journey-hotel-loyalty-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/hotels\/journey-hotel-loyalty-program\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Journey? A Primer on This New Independent Hotel Loyalty Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to exclusive, boutique-style hotels, there aren\u2019t nearly as many opportunities to earn and use points as you\u2019d find with traditional hotel brands. While some options exist through Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) properties, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/world-of-hyatt\/mr-mrs-smith\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mr & Mrs Smith<\/a>, or programs like <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/credit-cards\/amex-membership-rewards\/amex-fine-hotels-and-resorts\/\" rel=\"noopener\">American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts<\/a>, many independent hotels remain out of reach for points travelers. That\u2019s where the Journey loyalty program comes in.<\/p>\n<p>Journey is a new program built around a collection of luxury hotels, designed to reward members with a unique approach to earning and redeeming points to enhance their stays. Here's what you need to know about it and how it works.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#What_Is_Journey\">What Is Journey?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Earn_and_Redeem_Points_Through_Journey\">How to Earn and Redeem Points Through Journey<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Journey_elite_status_tiers\">Journey elite status tiers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_to_Sign_Up_for_the_Journey_Rewards_Program\">How to Sign Up for the Journey Rewards Program<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2><span id=\"What_Is_Journey\">What Is Journey?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Journey features a collection of over 1,300 luxury hotels and short-term rentals, with plans to expand in the coming months. The platform includes everything from upscale glamping sites and treehouses to ski condos and unique properties like Nihi Sumba in Indonesia. Journey goes beyond traditional hotel brands and leverages AI to enhance the experience for both guests and its hotel partners.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_217635\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/618\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-217635 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.28.55\u202fPM-994x1024.png\" alt=\"Abode Luxury Rentals, Park City, UT\" width=\"600\" height=\"618\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.28.55\u202fPM-994x1024.png 994w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.28.55\u202fPM-291x300.png 291w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.28.55\u202fPM-768x791.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.28.55\u202fPM.png 1338w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Journey<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Earn_and_Redeem_Points_Through_Journey\">How to Earn and Redeem Points Through Journey<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Journey is designed to benefit both guests and property owners by encouraging direct bookings over online travel agency (OTA) reservations. Since properties often pay up to 30% in OTA fees, Journey incentivizes direct bookings by passing those savings on to guests through its rewards structure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>5X points per dollar on direct bookings<\/li>\n<li>1X point per dollar on OTA bookings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Members can also <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/travel\/which-programs-allow-free-points-sharing\/\" rel=\"noopener\">pool points with friends and family<\/a>, making it easier to grow your balance and unlock rewards faster.<\/p>\n<p>While full redemption details are still a bit vague, Journey plans to use \u201cAI-powered analytics to predict guest behavior, preferences, and likelihood of repeat visits\u201d to create a more personalized and engaging experience.<\/p>\n<p>One interesting feature is the ability to use \u201cpending\u201d points. For example, on a $500 direct booking (earning 2,500 points at 5X), you could use a portion of those points to offset some of the cost on that same stay.<\/p>\n<p>Points can also be redeemed to enhance your stay. For instance, you could use points to upgrade your room, book a spa treatment, or enjoy a cocktail \u2014 all without pulling out your wallet. While it\u2019s still unclear if you\u2019ll be able to use points directly to cover room rates, Journey has confirmed a minimum redemption value of 1 cent per point, with the potential for even greater value depending on how you redeem them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/use-points-at-hotels-with-no-rewards-program\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Use Points and Miles at Hotels With No Rewards Program<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Journey_elite_status_tiers\">Journey elite status tiers<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Journey offers six elite tiers, each unlocking additional perks as you earn more points:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Traveler (entry level) \u2013<\/strong> Automatically granted upon signup. Includes 50% pending point utilization, a free trial of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dorsia.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Dorsia<\/a>, and access to Suite Elevation upgrades.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nomad (18,000 points) \u2013<\/strong> Adds a Status Milestone Gift, a \u201cMagical Moment\u201d surprise experience, and a Timeless Stay Award.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Navigator (50,000 points) \u2013<\/strong> Includes waived resort fees, a $20 in-stay experience credit, and an additional Timeless Stay Award.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ambassador (125,000 points) \u2013<\/strong> Adds a LiftUp Award (gift a status upgrade to someone else) and the ability to lock in your current status for the following year.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Legend (250,000 points) \u2013<\/strong> Boosts pending point utilization to 90%, includes a $75 in-stay experience credit, and grants access to a 24\/7 personal concierge.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Icon (500,000 points) \u2013<\/strong> Unlocks 3 Suite Elevation Awards and exclusive VIP experiences, in addition to all previously earned benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_217636\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/626\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-217636 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.31.26\u202fPM-981x1024.png\" alt=\"Journey elite status tracker.\" width=\"600\" height=\"626\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.31.26\u202fPM-981x1024.png 981w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.31.26\u202fPM-287x300.png 287w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.31.26\u202fPM-768x802.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-1.31.26\u202fPM.png 1466w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Journey<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"How_to_Sign_Up_for_the_Journey_Rewards_Program\">How to Sign Up for the Journey Rewards Program<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You can <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.journey.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\">join Journey<\/a> by visiting the official website or downloading the mobile app. Signing up is simple; just enter your name and phone number to get started. You\u2019ll also have the option to share your preferences, home address, and Instagram handle, though these are optional.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019re in, you can start browsing properties and tracking your status.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_218555\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"400\/817\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-218555 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-501x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Journey Booking Widget\" width=\"400\" height=\"817\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-501x1024.jpeg 501w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-147x300.jpeg 147w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-768x1569.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-752x1536.jpeg 752w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198-1003x2048.jpeg 1003w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2198.jpeg 1204w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Journey<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>When you search for a property, Journey will link you directly to the independent hotel\u2019s website to complete your booking. For instance, a stunning five-bedroom house near Joshua Tree National Park is listed for $2,589 for three nights \u2014 or just $173 per night per couple if you split it between 10 friends.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_218554\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"400\/621\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-218554 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204-659x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Alta House reservation via Field Trip\" width=\"400\" height=\"621\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204-659x1024.jpeg 659w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204-193x300.jpeg 193w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204-768x1193.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204-989x1536.jpeg 989w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_2204.jpeg 1192w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><center><em>Credit: Fieldtrip<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/hotels\/best-luxury-brands-for-using-points\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Which Luxury Brands Offer the Best Value for Points?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Journey is aiming to bring a meaningful loyalty experience to independent hotels \u2014 something that hasn\u2019t really existed until now. For travelers who prefer boutique and luxury stays, this opens up a new opportunity to earn and redeem points in ways that you previously couldn't.<\/p>\n<p>While full details on redemptions are still to come, we\u2019ll have a clearer picture of the program\u2019s true value once more information is available. Of course, paying cash for these high-end properties won\u2019t be for everyone. That said, the ability to earn rewards and offset costs at one-of-a-kind hotels around the world is a neat development, especially in a space where points haven\u2019t traditionally played much a role. Journey may just be worth considering for your next unforgettable stay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Journey Rewards is a new loyalty program, aiming to connect luxury independent hotels with travelers in a way that allows users to earn and redeem points at properties that were never possible before. Here&#8217;s what you need to know about this program and how it works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":204522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12068],"tags":[12621,12622,12669],"coauthors":[36490],"class_list":["post-217633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-award-programs","tag-earning-strategy","tag-elite-status","tag-hotels"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217633"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257160,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217633\/revisions\/257160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217633"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=217633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}