Our guide to Donating hotel points to charity

Our guide to…

Donating hotel points to charity

Previously, we looked at the ways in which frequent flyers can transfer unused air miles to charity. Here, we explore some of the main hotel loyalty schemes which allow travellers to donate hotel points to charity organisations. four pillars, with associated charities for each one. Nurture focuses on aiding communities; Sustain is about reducing the brand’s environmental impact; Empower helps to ensure access to opportunities; and Welcome is concerned with advocating for human rights. There are 31 charities included. Members can donate in increments of 2,500 points to World Central Kitchen and Unicef. Marriott Bonvoy will match donations point for point, up to 100 million points this year, for donations to World Central Kitchen, which provides meals and supplies to people in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, and Unicef, which supports 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 o set organisation First Climate, which is working on a carbon reduction project in Madre de Dios, Peru. There is a 3,000-point minimum, with increments of 1,000. To donate, fill in a contact form or call the company. radissonhotels.com

SHANGRI-LA The Golden Circle programme allows you to donate 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. Donations start at 2,000 points (US$40) and cap at 10,000. The group is also running campaigns to raise funds for Make-A-Wish International. shangri-la.com

ACCOR The Accor Live Limitless (ALL) programme lets you convert your points into a donation to 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 people a ected by the conflict in Ukraine). hiltonhonors3.hilton.com

HYATT Members of the World of Hyatt programme can support the American Red Cross in its relief e orts in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. Travellers can donate 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, including 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 WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS Wyndham Rewards’ online shop lets you donate to Save the Children. Donations start at 400 points and cap at 8,000 points. wyndhamhotels.com