Updated with new partners.

I stumbled upon a unique hotel rewards program via US Airways Dividend Miles. VOILÀ Hotel Rewards was created to allow you to earn points at independent hotels and resorts around the globe. While many people prefer to stay at the recognized leaders in the hotel industry (Hilton, Marriott, Intercontinental, to name a few), there are lots more unique and independent hotels located all around the world. These hotels do not traditionally offer rewards programs for their guests. VOILÀ is set out to change that, allowing guests to earn points that be used towards future travel discounts.

Currently the following U.S. hotels are participating in the program. See the list for additional worldwide locations.

United States of America

Lexington Hotel – Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort
Lexington Hotel – Houston Medical Center
Lexington Hotel & Conference Center
Lexington Inn – Brooklyn NY
Lexington Inn & Suites – Daytona Beach
Lexington Inn & Suites – Effingham
Lexington Inn & Suites – Stillwater
Lexington Inn & Suites – Yuba City
Lexington Inn & Suites Billings
Lexington Inn & Suites Chicago West / Elgin
Lexington Inn and Suites – New Prague
Lexington Inn and Suites- Reno Airport
Lexington Inn Hammond
Lexington Inn JFK Airport
Lexington Suites of Jonesboro
Lexington Suites of Wichita Falls
Lions Gate Hotel and Conference Center
St Giles the Court

The program is dominant in Spain, with 64 hotels participating at the time of this article.

Earning points in the VOILÀ Hotel Rewards is pretty generous at 10 points per dollar. After 10 nights within a 12-month period, you are upgraded to Orion status, that grants a 25% bonus. Centaurus status starts at 20 nights, and includes a 50% points bonus.

Once earned, redeeming points looks to be fairly reasonable as well. For as little as 5,000 points, you can redeem for $49 towards a reward night, making the program valued at roughly $0.01 per point.

Is the VOILÀ Hotel Rewards for You?

Honestly, the program looks to be in its infancy and has some room for improvement and to grow. However, one aspect that I really like is the partnership with some North American airlines and their rewards programs.

American Airlines – Redeem VOILÀ Hotel Rewards for American Airlines gift cards.

Delta SkyMiles – VOILÀ Hotel Rewards can be converted into Delta SkyMiles at a 10:1 ratio, starting at a minimum of 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards.

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Earn 700 Flying Blue miles for 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards.

Mexicana Go – Earn 500 Mexicana Go points for 2,500 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards.

Qatar Airways – Convert a minimum of 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards into 1,500 Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qmiles.

Southwest Rapid Rewards – 10,000 VOILÀ points will be exchanged for 1,000 Rapid Rewards Miles

US Airways Dividend Miles – Convert VOILÀ Hotel Rewards into Dividend Miles at a rate of 12:1. The minimum transfer starts at 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards.

Amazon Gift Cards – Exchange 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards into a $25 Amazon gift cards.

American Express Encompass Card – Exchange 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards into a $25 AMEX Encompass gift cards.

Multiplus Fidelidade – 10,000 VOILÀ Hotel Rewards can be converted into 1,250 MultiPlus Points.

You also have the opportunity to convert VOILÀ Hotel Rewards into music and game credits, as well as various charity organizations.

By creating a new VOILÀ Hotel Rewards account, you instantly start out with 1,000 free points. Unfortunately, those can not be instantly transferred into other programs via the above minimum requirements.

The VOILÀ Hotel Rewards does allow you to freely transfer points to family and friends; however, you need to have at least 1 qualifying stay.

Unfortunately, the VOILÀ Hotel Rewards has limited applications for our family because we do not tend to travel internationally yet, and do not stay in the few properties that participate. As the program continues to grow, look for other possible advantages. For now, this could be a beneficial program for those looking to stay in more boutique hotels around the world.

Save Money, Travel More!

Source: InACents

4/24/13- Originally published