How to use small orphan amounts of frequent flyer miles and hotel points – Part 1

I thought it was time to revise and update the lists we first published in 2012 about the best way to use up small amounts of miles and points.

What I want to explore is ‘What is the smallest or most optimum small reward, and how can you ‘top-off’ an account?’.  Please join in the discussion with your ideas in the Comments section, and I will add in any additional ideas.

Today I will look at hotel loyalty schemes.  Part 2, coming soon, will look at some airline and shopping schemes.  Click on the links below to read relevant Head for Points articles on the topic mentioned.

In all cases below except Accor, there is a formal ‘buy points’ option you can use to get to the points total you need for a redemption.  This page (click) has links to the ‘buy points’ pages of the major airline and hotel schemes.  However, I try to find more creative ideas that don’t involve spending money.

How to use up Accor Live Limitless points

Our article on what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

• EXPIRY RULES – You can check the Accor Live Limitless expiry rules here
• SPEND – You require 1,000 points before you can redeem Accor points for credit towards a hotel booking.  1,000 points get you a €20 saving.
• SPEND – You can transfer Accor points into airline miles. Transfers to airline miles require a minimum of 2,000 points but for Avios you need 3,000 points (Iberia, at 1:1) or 4,000 points (BA, at 2:1).
• SPEND – You can transfer Accor Live Limitless points into Club Eurostar points
• SPEND – You can use 2,000 points for a €20 Hertz car rental credit
• SPEND – Accor’s ‘Limitless Experiences’ rewards have some low cost redemptions, including tickets for Accor’s new ALL Terrace at OVO Wembley Arena
• TOP-UP – You can earn points from the ClubOpinions market research scheme
• TOP-UP – You can earn points from the eRewards market research scheme
• TOP-UP – Various airlines allow you to transfer your miles INTO Accor Live Limitless, including Finnair and Qatar Airways
• TOP-UP – You can earn Accor points when flying on Qatar Airways as well as transferring Avios into Accor
• TOP-UP – You can earn Accor points when flying on Air France KLM as well as transferring Flying Blue frequent flyer miles into Accor
• TOP-UP – You can transfer Club Eurostar points into Accor Live Limitless
• TOP-UP – You can credit a Europcar car rental to Accor
• TOP-UP – You can credit a Hertz car rental to Accor
• TOP-UP – You can earn Accor points by crediting Bicester Village shopping
• TOP-UP – Note that there is no Accor UK credit card or UK credit card partnership

How to use up Hilton Honors points

Our article on what Hilton Honors points are worth is here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th August 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Hilton Honors Plus debit card is TRIPLED to 30,000 Hilton Honors points. You will also receive Gold Elite status in Hilton Honors for as long as you hold the card. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.

• EXPIRY RULES – You can check the expiry rules of Hilton Honors points in this article
• SPEND – Remember that ‘Points & Money’ bookings can be booked from as few as 5,000 points, so you can use up a small number of points to save money on your next stay. You get just over 0.2p per point.
• SPEND – Transfers to airline miles are available from 10,000 Hilton Honors points
• SPEND – You can transfer points to another person for free, using the points pooling option
• SPEND – You can donate points to charity
• TOP-UP – You can apply for one of the two new Hilton Honors debit cards, both of which come with a sign-up bonus
• TOP-UP – You can top-up from American Express Membership Rewards (1:2).  The 20,000 Amex points sign-up bonus offered with the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card would get you 40,000 Hilton Honors points.
• TOP-UP – You can top-up from Virgin Flying Club / Virgin Points (2:3) transfers
• TOP-UP – You can credit an Alamo, Enterprise or National car rental
• TOP-UP – You can top-off an account by turning Marriott Bonvoy points into Hilton Honors points by transferring via Virgin Flying Club, although there is a big loss of value on the way.  For example, 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points gets you 25,000 Virgin Points which gets you 37,500 Hilton points.
• TOP-UP – You can top-off an account by turning Tesco Clubcard points into Hilton Honors points by transferring via Virgin Flying Club

How to use up IHG One Rewards points

Our article on what IHG One Rewards points are worth is here.

• EXPIRY RULES – You can check the expiry rules for IHG One Rewards points in this article
• SPEND – ‘Cash and Points’ means that you need fewer miles than you think to book an award – you can buy additional points during the booking process
• SPEND – Airline mile redemptions are available from 10,000 points
• SPEND – Plenty of UK High Street retailer gift cards are on offer from £5 per 4,500 points
• SPEND –  The IHG Digital Rewards catalogue has downloadable magazines, newspapers, books, games and movies from 600 points
• SPEND – You can pay $5 per 1,000 to transfer orphan IHG One Rewards points to a third party – this is not a great deal compared to buying points during a 100% bonus offer at $6.25 per 1,000. Diamond members can transfer IHG points for free.
• TOP-UP – You can top-up with Virgin Flying Club / Virgin Points (10,000 Virgin Points minimum, 1:1 rate)
• TOP-UP – You earn points by booking restaurants via the IHG / OpenTable portal
• TOP-UP – You earn points by renting a car from Hertz via the IHG portal
• TOP-UP – Note that there is no current IHG One Rewards UK credit card

How to use up Marriott Bonvoy points

Our article on what Marriott Bonvoy points are worth is here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 15th July 2025, the sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is TRIPLED to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This would convert into 25,000 Avios or into 40 other airline schemes. It would also get you at least £300 of Marriott hotel stays based on our 0.5p per point low-end valuation. Other T&C apply and remain unchanged. Click here for our full card review and click here to apply.

• EXPIRY RULES – You can check the expiry rules for Marriott Bonvoy in this article
• SPEND – Marriott Moments lets you redeem points for tickets to cultural and sporting events, including Marriott’s VIP suite at The O2 in Greenwich
• SPEND – You can transfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for FREE to another person each year – this can now be done online
• SPEND – You can donate 2,500+ points to charity
• SPEND – You can transfer Marriott points to 39 different airlines – the most airline partners of any hotel loyalty scheme
• SPEND – You can transfer Marriott points to Hilton Honors or IHG One Rewards by routing via Virgin Flying Club, albeit with a loss of value
• SPEND – PointSaver awards and ‘cash and points’ awards mean that you may need fewer than you think for a redemption – although there are very few of these on offer
• SPEND – You can get Marriott to book a cash flight ticket for you via their flight booking service
• SPEND – You can redeem points for a cash credit when staying at a Marriott hotel
• SPEND – You can, from Summer 2025, transfer Marriott Bonvoy points into Nectar points – details coming soon
• TOP-UP – You can convert American Express Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy at 2:3.  The 20,000 Amex points sign-up bonus offered with the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card would get you 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
• TOP-UP – You could get the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card which comes with a sign-up bonus of 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and earns 2 points per £1 spent (you also get 15 elite nights each year towards Bonvoy status)
• TOP-UP – You can credit a Hertz car rental to Marriott
• TOP-UP – nine different airlines allow you to transfer their miles into Marriott Bonvoy points

How to use up Radisson Rewards points

Our article on what Radisson Rewards points are worth is here.

• EXPIRY RULES – You can check the Radisson Rewards expiry rules in this article
• SPEND – Airline transfers, including Avios, are available from just 2,000 points (200 miles)
• SPEND – You can redeem points for a cash discount off your next stay (roughly 0.15p per point) – this article explains how to get over 0.2p per Radisson point
• SPEND – Radisson Rewards has a number of charity partners on their website who accept donations of points.  The minimum donation is 3,000 points.
• SPEND – You can redeem 160,000 Radisson points for a Priority Pass Standard Plus card, worth £229, which includes 10 free airport lounge visits
• SPEND – You can transfer your Radisson Rewards points for free to another person
• TOP-UP – You can top-off an account with American Express Membership Rewards points at 1:3, with no minimum transfer.  The 20,000 Amex points sign-up bonus offered with the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card would get you 60,000 Radisson Rewards points.
• TOP-UP – You earn 3,000 bonus Radisson Rewards points for your first booking via the app
• TOP-UP – You can credit car rentals from SIXT and Europcar to Radisson Rewards
• TOP-UP – Note that there is no Radisson Rewards UK credit card

How to use up World of Hyatt points

Our article on what World of Hyatt points are worth is here.

My preferred small Hyatt reward is the 6,000 points per night suite upgrade.  You can also upgrade to Club rooms using points for a small premium.

Hyatt has ‘cash and points’ awards at half of the usual points price so you may have enough for a reward after all.  You can also buy Hyatt points.  Airline transfers are from 5,000 points.

You can use 1,000 points for a $10 dining or spa credit at a Hyatt hotel – you do not need to be a guest to do this.  This is surprisingly good value at the higher levels, eg $1,000 of credit for 65,000 Hyatt points. Another option is to use 6,000 points for a one-day Avis car hire redemption.

You can use points for the FIND ‘experiences’ redemptions although the UK selection is weak.

Accounts can be topped up by crediting an Avis car rental to Hyatt.

You can merge your Hyatt points with those of your partner but both accounts need to have had a cash stay in the previous 12 months.

Hyatt is not an American Express Membership Rewards partner.

The World of Hyatt expiry rules are summarised here.

In Part 2 of this article, coming soon, we will look at how to use small amounts of points in some airline and shopping programmes.