You can now earn loyalty points for global chains at smaller luxury hotels

You can now earn and spend hotel chain reward points at some popular independent properties. That’s because your favorite hotel chain may offer a “hotel collection,” also known as a “soft brand,” that consists of independent hotels that can be booked through a major chain. Preferred Hotel Group, Leading Hotels of the World, and Small Luxury Hotels of the World have marketed individual hotels under an umbrella brand for years. But hotel chains now have their own soft brands that are busily adding luxury properties to their portfolios. They include: Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Starwood’s Luxury Collection, Hilton’s Curio Collection, Radisson’s Quorvus Collection, and Choice Hotels’ Ascend Collection. Look for Best Western to introduce the Premier Collection in 2015, consisting of hotels “that will be required to maintain a TripAdvisor rating of four or above and AAA/CAA rating of Three Diamonds or above.”