Vrbo, Expedia and Hotels.com Join Forces to Launch New Hotel Rewards Program

A brand new rewards program from the Expedia Hotels Group is putting a new spin on loyalty that may shake up the hotel industry. The program — called One Key — will offer a unique way for Vrbo, Expedia or Hotels.com users to earn rewards.

While its redemption options are limited, One Key opens the door to earning loyalty points on types of stays that typically aren't covered by loyalty programs. For example, members will earn points on vacation villas and condominiums rented through any of these platforms. Also, members will earn rewards on other types of travel outside of lodging, including airfare, rental cars and more. Even better, One Key rewards can be earned on top of the rewards you can earn with a travel credit card.

Read on to learn all about Expedia's One Key program, how it will work and what will happen to the current rewards programs from Expedia.com and Hotels.com.

How the new One Key program will work

Once it's up and running in "mid-2023," One Key will be the combined loyalty program for Vrbo, Expedia and Hotels.com. The new program will bring these previously separate loyalty programs under a single umbrella.

One Key will be free to join, and will offer rewards on all types of travel booked through the three platforms. Users will earn rewards on eligible flights, car rentals, hotels, vacation rentals and more. The program will include other benefits, like special member pricing and travel perks that will vary by the booking.

Here's an overview of how the rewards program will work once it's available:

Members who make prepaid travel bookings will receive their OneKeyCash in their loyalty accounts three days after the trip is complete. For non-paid trips and for all Vrbo bookings,rewards may take up to 90 days to transfer.

Also, the program member who makes the booking will earn the OneKeyCash regardless of who is on the trip. This makes One Key different from many loyalty programs, where each member in the booking receives separate rewards.

One Key loyalty tiers

Like any good loyalty program, One Key also has elite status tiers. To reach each level of hotel status, you'll need to complete a number of "trip elements," which can include any of the following:

Trip elements must be worth $25 USD or more to qualify.

Redeeming One Key rewards

OneKey rewards will only be redeemable for eligible bookings on any of the participating travel platforms. Also, a few other rules will apply:

These rules create some obstacles to using One Key rewards, especially for flights. In fact, many members may find it difficult, and nearly impossible to earn rewards strictly on flying. Given the low rewards rate for flights, you would need to spend $20,000 on eligible non-airfare bookings to earn enough rewards to cover a $400 flight through the platform.

Pros and cons for current Expedia and Hotels.com members

As mentioned, the One Key program will replace the former rewards programs from Expedia (Expedia Rewards) and Hotels.com (Hotels.com Rewards).

Some members of these programs may find the One Key program less rewarding. For example, the current Hotels.com Rewards program offers a free hotel night (worth $110) for every 10 nights you stay. Assuming you spend around $200 per night on hotel bookings, you would need to book around 28 nights with the new One Key program to earn enough points to cover a $110 hotel night.

Also, rewards will only be good for "pay now" travel bookings through these platforms. This may be limiting for members who prefer not to commit to hotel stays and car rentals until closer to the date.

However, One Key will definitely open the door to earning rewards on more types of travel bookings. In fact, it will be the first loyalty program to offer rewards for Vrbo vacation rental bookings — which is especially noteworthy since Vrbo's biggest competitor, Airbnb, doesn't have a loyalty program.

Families may also enjoy the fact that the person who makes the travel bookings earns all the rewards and elite status points. This should enable a single family member to more quickly reach elite status and earn enough points for an award night.

Will new rewards cards launch with the program?

Since no announcements have been made, we'll have to wait and see if the premier of this new program is followed by the launch of new co-branded credit cards. Hotels.com has a co-branded card that will almost certainly need to be discontinued or updated to align with the new One Key program.

Either way, any credit cardholder will be able to earn One Key rewards on top of other rewards, including credit card rewards and airline miles. And since the program is free to join, it's worth applying and giving it a try.