22 Top EARNING Hotel Affiliate Programs In 2021: Get Paid To Travel!
There are many ways for travel bloggers to make money, but affiliate marketing continues to be one of the best ways to monetize travel blogs.
If you’re looking for the best hotel affiliate program for travel bloggers, you’ve come to the right place. Today we’re sharing the top 22 affiliate programs for hotels that you can join to add another revenue stream to your travel blog.
The Best Hotel Affiliate Programs
The tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The potential is huge when it comes to making money from affiliate marketing, but finding the right hotel affiliate program to join is key.
There are a few things you should look out for when choosing affiliate programs to promote:
- Cookie Duration – How long the click on your affiliate link is tracked for
- Commission Rate – The percentage of commission you will receive from each sale that is made via your affiliate link
- EPC – The average earnings per click for the affiliate program
These three things will tell you if joining and promoting an affiliate program is worth your time, so pay attention to these stats.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is one of the oldest hotel booking platforms around. It is loved and trusted by hundreds of customers around the world.
They offer hotels, all-inclusive resorts, B&B’s, and even condos, so there is something for everyone here. They have booking access for over 1 million properties in 200 countries. No matter which area of the world you are blogging about, you will be able to find a hotels.com affiliate link that you can share with your audience.
The best thing about promoting the Hotels.com affiliate program is that it’s a trusted household name. If one of your readers clicks the link and likes what’s on offer, they will feel comfortable going ahead and making a booking, resulting in higher conversion rates for you.
Their program is run through CJ Affiliate, so if you are already signed up to this platform you can join their program there.
Travelocity Affiliate Program
Travelocity is a travel booking site that makes it easy for anyone to book hotels, flights, cars, package holidays, cruises, and experiences. This means there is a good chance that any booking made through this site will be high-value. In other words, more commission for you!
Because they have such a wide range of travel-related offerings, their commission rate is a little more complicated.
You can earn:
- $2 per airline ticket sale
- 4% on pre-paid hotels
- 3% for customers who pay at the hotel
- 2% on car rentals
- $30 flat commission for cruise bookings
- 3% commission for package holidays
This program is a great one-stop shop for anyone who wants to promote anything travel-related. Their long cookie duration means that even if someone takes a while to confirm their booking, you will still get your commission.
Commission: Up to 4%
InterContinental Hotel Group
The InterContinental Hotel Group is a large group of luxury hotels and resorts around the world. Its sheer size of iconic landmark hotels and resorts makes it the perfect affiliate program for luxury lifestyle bloggers and travel bloggers.
They include some of the most well-known hotel brands in the world, including, Regent, Hualuxe, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, and Candlewood Suites. As well as their luxury offerings, they also offer a range of budget hotels including Avid and Holiday Inn.
Booking.com Affiliate Program
Booking.com is another one-stop-shot for booking hotels, flights, package holidays, car rentals, and more. This makes it one of the best hotel affiliate programs around, resulting in a high EPC and conversion rate.
They are a trusted brand used around the world, so no matter where you are, you will be able to make money using the booking.com affiliate program.
They have an enormous range of places to stay, so when it comes to booking hotels, there is something for everyone in every budget.
Accor Hotels
The Accor Hotels affiliate program is one of the best hotel affiliate programs around. With over 22 different brands under their belt, including big names like Mercure, IBIS, and Novotel, and great commission rates, it’s no wonder this affiliate program is so popular.
The commission rates of up to 10% and have average conversion rates of around 5.4%. Their average order value is over $250, so there’s great earning potential here.
Anantara Hotels
Anantara’s rage of hotels expands across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. They have a streamlined online booking system which makes it easy to book extraordinary destinations around the world in minutes.
It’s free to join the Anantara Affiliate Programme, and you have the opportunity to earn commission on every completed booking made through their website
Their affiliate program is run and managed through Affilired, where you can choose an affiliate network to join and promote Anantara. Affilired’s partner affiliate networks include Shareasale, Affiliate Window, Webgains, TradeTracker, and Glopss.
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels had over 6300 hotels and resorts in over 35 countries. They cater to a wide range of budgets from economy to luxury, so there’s something for everyone here.
If you join the Choice Hotels affiliate program, you will have access to all of the links, badges, and widgets you need to successfully promote the program. Their program is run through Commission Junction, which is easy to sign up to and is a great way to add another revenue stream to your blog.
Derby Hotels Collection
Derby Hotels Collection encompasses a group of boutique and luxury hotels in Barcelona, Madrid, London, and Paris. Each of their hotels houses a unique art collection, making the hotels a destination in their own right, and an ideal choice for art and culture lovers.
This is the best hotel affiliate program for any travel bloggers who are into culture and heritage. Almost all of the hotels are housed in unique emblematic buildings that have been lovingly restored to become luxury hotels.
You can join their affiliate program via Shareasale or Tradetracker, so it’s super easy to start making money.
NH Hotel Group
NH Hotel group could bell be the best hotel affiliate program in the industry. They offer an outstanding commission rate of 10% on post-click sales, as well as a welcome promo that offers 12% on post-click sales for the first three months after you join the program.
They have a portfolio of over 350 hotels in 28 different countries throughout America and Europe. All of their hotels are in centric locations making them perfect for business and leisure travel.
Raffles Affiliate Program
Raffles is a group of luxury hotels and resorts in the world’s finest locations. They have over 100 stunning resorts and hotels to choose from, and you will receive a 5% commission from each stay that is booked through your affiliate link.
They use Commission Junction’s affiliate network to manage their affiliate program, under the FRHI hotels and resorts name.
Hilton Hotels
Hilton is one of the most well-known hotel chains in the world. By joining their affiliate program you will have the chance to earn commissions by referring your readers to this well-loved and trusted brand.
They have over 5,600 hotels to choose from situated across 113 countries, so there is something for everyone here.
Marriott Hotels
Marriott owns over 7,000 hotels in 131 countries, under 30 different brands.
No matter where you’re going, you will find a unique collection of premium hotels and experiences suitable for all kinds of travelers.
The affiliate program is free to join, and it will give you access to everything you need to promote the brand and start making money.
Sandals Resorts Affiliate Program
Sandals offer a range of luxury 5-star all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. They are famous for offering romantic vacations for couples and newlyweds and providing a huge range of gourmet dining options and exciting activities.
As well as offering their adult-only resorts, they also have three Beaches resorts which are marketed at families with children. They have one of the highest EPCs in the industry at $137.99, so the earning potential is huge with this affiliate program.
HostelWorld
HostelWorld is a popular hostel booking site for backpackers and young travelers.
It is easy to navigate and use, which is why it’s become such a firm favorite. The booking platform allows you to make reservations from over 36,000 properties in 179 countries.
Avani Hotels and Resorts
Avani offers a range of stylish and fun hotels and resorts that are suitable for families and couples alike.
They have properties around the world in Europe, The Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Australia, so wherever you are in the world, you will be able to find a hotel to recommend to your audience.
Hotel Travel Club
Hotel Travel Club is a members-only hotel and travel booking website that gives members exclusive discounts on hotel stays and holidays.
They offer access to discounted rates at over 800,000 hotels worldwide, with discounts as high as 50%. This is a great affiliate program for budget bloggers and thrifty travel bloggers to promote. You can earn money by promoting the Hotel Travel Club membership program to your audience.
BlueBay Hotels
BlueBay hotels have 13 properties in 7 destinations, ranging from three to five stars. Although it’s one of the smaller hotel chains, they still offer a good earning potential with an average booking value of $1000.
They provide affiliates with a range of promotional codes and offers to use, as well as a dedicated account manager to help them get the best out of the program.
Orbitz Affiliate Program
Orbitz is a travel booking site that enables you to easily book holidays, flights, cars, activities, packages, and more. Their affiliate program is run on Commission Junction, so if you are already a CJ affiliate this will be very easy for you.
Orbitz is a trusted brand, and with over 260,000 bookable properties this is a great way to add another passive income stream to your blog.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is one of the world’s largest travel sites. They host over 795 million reviews and 1.4 million places to stay, so it’s a great affiliate program for travel bloggers.
Unlike some of the other hotel booking sites listed here, with Tripadvisor you still earn a commission even if a user doesn’t end up booking a hotel. You will earn 50% of the commission that Tripadvisor earns when a visitor clicks through to a hotel booking site via Tripadvisor.
Red Roof
Red Roof has more than 650 properties across four brands in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Most of their properties are economy to mid-scale, offering people an affordable option for their vacations.
Red Roof is also well known for being a pet-friendly hotel chain, so pet owners can bring their furry friends at no extra charge.
Intrepid Travel Affiliate Program
Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest provider of small group tours and adventure travel, providing authentic experiences led by locals on all seven continents.
This is a great affiliate program to promote for any travel blogger who loves adventures and likes to go off the beaten track.
Which hotel affiliate program offers the highest commissions?
NH hotels offer the highest commission to their affiliates, with a 10% standard commission.
They have a welcome incentive for new affiliates too, which will give them a 12% commission on all sales made within the first 3 months of joining. They also have a cookie duration of 30 days. If someone clicks your link and doesn’t book until a few weeks later, you won’t lose out on your commission.
How do you make money with hotel affiliate programs?
The best way to make money with hotel affiliate programs is to start your own travel blog. You can then include your affiliate links within your reviews and blog posts, and earn money each time one of your readers makes a booking through one of your affiliate links.
You can also promote hotel affiliate programs on your social media, YouTube channel, and even in emails to your subscribers.
Want to start your own travel blog and start earning commissions from hotel affiliate programs?
Great! An easy way to start your own blog is with Bluehost and WordPress.
The Best Hotel Affiliate Program
Whether you are just getting started out, or you are a seasoned travel blogger, it’s important to join the best hotel affiliate programs. Most hotel affiliate programs are run through affiliate networks like AWIN, Shareasale, or CJ affiliate.
These platforms make it easy to join a variety of different programs under one roof, so all bloggers should think about becoming a member of these affiliate networks.
Some hotel companies have their own in-house affiliate programs which you can join. If this is the case, you should make sure you keep track of all the affiliate programs you have joined, so you can check-in and see how much commission you are making each month.
You can do this using a tool like Afflytics (discussed in this podcast episode with Austin Tuwiner) to keep track of your progress and, more importantly, to make sure you don’t miss out on any payouts!
