How to add a hotel loyalty number to an OTA booking

How do you add a loyalty number to an OTA booking?

Add the number as early as the booking allows and repeat it at the desk. Marriott Bonvoy's rules make the membership number part of the earning conditions for Qualifying Charges: the member provides the number at the time of reservation or at check-in, stays in one of the reserved rooms as the registered guest, and pays for the charges. [1]

The name on the reservation matters as much as the number. IHG One Rewards awards points and Qualifying Night credit only to the member whose name and membership number are on the reservation record, and requires the account name to match the member's legal photo identification. [4]

Some bookings need the number written onto the reservation itself. IHG says members who book through the Iberostar website, Iberostar Contact Center or IberostarPro must add their IHG One Rewards membership number to the booking so that it is identified as a Qualifying Stay. [4] In the other direction, IHG automatically relates a booking to a member's account when the reservation is made through IHG Customer Care, IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app or directly with a hotel and carries identifiable information such as a phone number or email address, even if the number was missing at booking. [4]

Keep the hotel folio. Hilton Honors asks members claiming missing credit to submit a request with a legible copy of the folio, and warns that inadequate or altered documentation may lead to denial. [2]

Which programmes credit a stay booked through an OTA?

Each programme answers this in its own terms. The Hilton Honors programme terms carry an effective date of 15 July 2026, and the Marriott Bonvoy programme rules are dated October 2026. [2] [1]

Hilton Honors. The definition of a Stay specifically excludes third-party website bookings, irrespective of the rate paid, and "opaque" channel bookings where the brand may not be known at the time of purchase. [2] To earn points or elite tier credit, a member must be a registered, paying and staying guest at a participating hotel and meet the other conditions in the terms. [2]

IHG One Rewards. Points are awarded for Qualifying Stays booked through IHG Customer Care, IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app, the IHG WeChat mini program, the Iberostar channels, directly at a hotel, or through Authorized Travel Agents — a category that excludes online travel agents such as Expedia.com and booking.com. [4] Online travel agency and third-party channel bookings appear in the programme's list of non-qualifying rates. [4] At InterContinental Alliance Resorts, members must book through IHG Customer Care, IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app or the IHG WeChat mini program to be eligible for points. [4]

Marriott Bonvoy. Earning on a stay depends on the charges qualifying and on the member being the registered guest who pays, with the membership number supplied at reservation or check-in. [1]

Which elite benefits need an eligible channel?

Hilton Honors ties on-property benefits to the booking channel. Complimentary standard WiFi, MyWay benefits such as snacks and beverages or a daily food and beverage credit, and space-available upgrades require a confirmed reservation made through an official Hilton brand or Hilton Honors website, the Hilton reservations and customer care phone line, the Hilton Honors or Hilton mobile app, directly at a hotel in the portfolio, or through an IATA-accredited retail travel agent booking through a Hilton channel or Amadeus, Apollo/Galileo, Worldspan or SABRE. [2] On-property benefits are not awarded for reservations booked through a non-Hilton-direct booking channel, a non-designated GDS, a third-party website or any other channel. [2]

IHG One Rewards takes a similar line: most benefits are available only to members who book through IHG's websites, the IHG One Rewards app, the IHG WeChat mini program, IHG Customer Care, the Iberostar channels, or directly with an IHG branded hotel. [4] On most non-qualifying rates a member does not earn points on the room rate and does not enjoy member benefits. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Room rate versus incidentals. IHG One Rewards withholds points on the room rate and member benefits on most non-qualifying rates, but still awards points on other eligible charges. [4] Hilton Honors excludes not only the stay but folio charges incurred during an ineligible stay. [2]
• No-shows and late cancellations. IHG does not award points or Qualifying Night credit for no-shows, or for rooms cancelled after the hotel's cancellation time, even if the room is paid in full. [4] Hilton does not award points, eligible spend, stay or night credit for no-show situations. [2]
• Several rooms on one trip. IHG members may earn points on eligible charges for up to nine rooms used with their own stay at the same hotel, provided the membership number is recorded on each reservation or the charges appear on the member's room bill. [4] Hilton awards base points for up to four rooms per stay when all eligible spend is paid on one folio, but stay and night credit toward elite status are given for one room only. [2]
• Bookings for someone else. At IHG, assigning your own membership number to reservations without the booking guest's permission is listed among the grounds on which the programme may revoke points and cancel an account. [4]
• Group bookings at IHG. Members staying as part of a group booking are entitled to their on-property tier benefits, but points are not earned on a group rate unless the member individually pays the hotel for their own room and it is not settled through the group's master account. [4]
• Claim deadlines. Marriott Bonvoy missing-credit requests must be received within one year of the activity. [1] Hilton Honors requests must reach Hilton Reservations and Customer Care within six months of the date of activity. [2] IHG will not make point or stay adjustments more than 90 days after the statement date. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Does adding my loyalty number to an OTA booking earn stay credit?

Not automatically. Hilton Honors excludes third-party website bookings from its definition of a Stay, and IHG One Rewards lists online travel agency bookings among its non-qualifying rates. [2] [4] Marriott Bonvoy requires the membership number at reservation or check-in, the member as registered guest and the member paying the charges for Qualifying Charges to count. [1]

Can I still earn points on spending at the hotel?

At IHG, members on most non-qualifying rates still earn points on eligible charges even though the room rate does not earn. [4] Hilton excludes folio charges incurred during an ineligible stay. [2]

Will I get breakfast, lounge access or an upgrade on an OTA booking?

Hilton says on-property benefits are not awarded for reservations booked through a third-party website or another non-Hilton-direct channel. [2] IHG makes most benefits available only on bookings made through IHG channels or directly with the hotel. [4]

How long do I have to claim a missing stay?

Marriott Bonvoy accepts missing-credit requests within one year of the activity, Hilton Honors requires them within six months with a copy of the folio, and IHG will not adjust points or stays more than 90 days after the statement date. [1] [2] [4]

Can I put my number on a booking made for a friend?

IHG awards points and Qualifying Night credit only to the member whose name and membership number are on the reservation record, and it lists assigning your own number to reservations without the booking guest's permission as a programme violation. [4]

Related pages

Checklist: hotel missing stay credit checklist. Guide: elite benefits on OTA bookings. Terms: direct booking requirement, frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including World of Hyatt, Accor ALL and Wyndham Rewards, are not covered here.

1. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
2. Hilton Honors Member Rewards terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
3. IHG One Rewards membership terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026