gray_morgan•7d agoTop Commenter

I rolled my eyes at hostel loyalty programs until I got a free night in Lisbon for 15 bucks.

After staying at the same chain of hostels 12 times across Europe, I signed up for their points card on a whim and that free night in Lisbon saved me 40 euros, so has anyone else actually gotten real value from one of these?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_jones316d ago

Wait, are you saying you paid 15 bucks for the membership and that got you a free night? Or you paid 15 bucks total for the room after using points? Because those are two totally different things. I stayed at a hostel chain in Asia like 8 times and their rewards program was basically a free drink at the bar and a lousy keychain. But if you actually saved 40 euros off a 15 dollar investment, that's a solid win in my book. I still think most of these programs are a gimmick to get you to book direct though.

foster.jordan6d ago

Honestly @drew_jones31 I used to think the same way about these programs, but this one actually changed my mind. The $15 got me the membership, and then I stacked it with some points I had leftover from a trip earlier in the year, so the room ended up being basically free after the discount. It wasn't just a free drink or a keychain, it saved me like 38 euros on a night that would've been 55 normally. Still think most are gimmicks but this one worked out.

troy_price6d ago

Noticed the same pattern with gym memberships, honestly. People join up thinking they'll get some crazy deal but it's usually just a discount on a smoothie or a free towel. The ones that actually work out are the quiet ones where you stack little things over time, like mileage or hotel points. Feels like most reward programs are designed to feel good in the moment but leave you wondering what you actually got later.