How hotel comparison works in LiveSimpli
LiveSimpli shows you cash rates and award night costs on the same screen for four hotel loyalty programs. This page explains what you're looking at, where the numbers come from, and what the tool intentionally does not do.
What the comparison shows
Search a city and dates on the hotel search page. For each result you'll see:
- The cash rate for that property and those dates (sourced from Amadeus Hotels)
- The award night cost in points for each supported loyalty program
- The implied CPP for each program — what the redemption is worth in cents per point, for that specific stay
- How that implied CPP compares to our illustrative baseline for the program
The goal is to give you the inputs for a decision — not to make the decision for you. Whether a redemption makes sense depends on your specific situation, your alternative uses for those points, and factors like flexibility and status benefits that we don't model.
Data sources
Cash rates
Cash rates come from Amadeus Hotels, retrieved at search time. These are live rates from hotel and OTA channels — not averages or cached data. Rates change frequently; what you see reflects availability at the moment of your search.
Award night costs
Award costs (points required) are sourced from each program's published award schedules or dynamic pricing:
- World of Hyatt — fixed category system (5-tier structure after the May 2026 restructure). Award costs are published by category and are the same across dates for a given property.
- Marriott Bonvoy — dynamic pricing. Award costs vary by date and property. The points shown reflect actual pricing for your searched dates.
- Hilton Honors — dynamic pricing. Same approach as Marriott — date-specific award cost for the specific property.
- IHG One Rewards — dynamic pricing. Points required vary by date and property.
CPP baselines
The CPP (cents per point) comparison uses illustrative baselines from our published methodology. Current baselines:
| Program | Illustrative baseline | Pricing type |
|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt | 2.10¢ per point | Fixed categories (5-tier system, updated May 2026) |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 0.75¢ per point | Dynamic — varies by date and property |
| Hilton Honors | 0.55¢ per point | Dynamic — varies by date and property |
| IHG One Rewards | 0.65¢ per point | Dynamic — varies by date and property |
These baselines are illustrative planning references, not a guarantee of value you will receive. Your redemption value depends on the specific property, dates, room type, and what else you could do with those points.
What's not included
A few things that affect real-world value but aren't in the comparison:
- Resort fees. Many hotel award nights still carry mandatory resort fees even when the room is “free.” These vary by property and are not reflected in the cash rate shown. Add the resort fee to both sides of your comparison when evaluating a resort stay.
- Elite benefits. If you have status that provides suite upgrades, breakfast, or other benefits on award nights, those benefits add value not captured in the cash vs. points comparison.
- Transfer bonuses. If you're transferring points from a credit card program, transfer bonuses change the effective cost. Calculate your actual point cost after any bonus before comparing.
- Award availability. LiveSimpli shows what the redemption would be worth if standard award space is available. We do not guarantee that space exists — check availability directly with the loyalty program before counting on a specific redemption.
- Co-branded card benefits. Some cards provide free night certificates, 5th night free, or other stacking benefits on award stays. These change the math and are outside the scope of this tool.
How to use the comparison
- Search a city or area and select your dates on the hotel search page.
- Find a property you're interested in. Look at the implied CPP next to each program — does it beat the illustrative baseline?
- Consider the context: cash price trend on your dates, flexibility requirements, whether you're at a resort (add the resort fee), and your alternative uses for those points.
- If the redemption looks good, go directly to the loyalty program to confirm standard award availability and complete the booking.
Not financial advice. LiveSimpli is a math tool. Nothing on this page or in the comparison constitutes a recommendation to redeem your points or make any financial decision. CPP baselines are illustrative and for informational purposes only. Past redemption values do not predict future award pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Where does LiveSimpli get hotel cash rates?
Cash rates are sourced from Amadeus Hotels at search time. Amadeus aggregates rates from hotels and major OTA channels. The rates shown are live at the time of your search — not cached averages.
Where do the award night costs come from?
Award night costs (the points required) are sourced from each loyalty program's published award rates or category schedules. For programs with dynamic pricing (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors), the points required reflect the actual award cost for your specific dates and property. For programs with fixed categories (World of Hyatt after the May 2026 restructure), the cost reflects the published category for that property.
What are the CPP baselines and where do they come from?
CPP (cents per point) baselines are illustrative reference figures from LiveSimpli's open methodology. Current baselines: World of Hyatt 2.10¢, Marriott Bonvoy 0.75¢, Hilton Honors 0.55¢, IHG One Rewards 0.65¢. These represent a typical achievable value for each program, not the maximum possible. They are not a guarantee of value you will receive. See livesimpli.app/learn/how-we-value-points for the full methodology.
Does the comparison include resort fees?
No. Resort fees vary by property and stay and are not included in the cash rate or the award comparison. Award nights often still carry resort fees even when the room itself is 'free.' If you're comparing a resort, add the property's resort fee to both sides of the comparison to make an accurate assessment.
Can I book through LiveSimpli?
No. LiveSimpli is a comparison tool, not a booking engine. To book a cash rate, go directly to the hotel or an OTA. To book an award night, go directly to the loyalty program's booking portal. LiveSimpli shows you whether the redemption makes sense for your specific stay — the booking happens elsewhere.
Does LiveSimpli guarantee award availability?
No. Award availability changes in real time. Seeing a comparison result does not mean standard award space will be available when you attempt to book. LiveSimpli shows you what the redemption would be worth if space is available — confirming availability and completing the booking is done directly with the loyalty program.
Which loyalty programs are supported?
Currently: World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG One Rewards. These four cover the majority of hotel award redemptions in North America. Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges, and Accor Live Limitless are on the roadmap.