Lodging Discounts Offered by Membership Organizations in the US

by Ryan Vagabundo

Image courtesy of Erika Wittlieb  

A small annual payment to a membership organization can end up saving hundreds of dollars a year for frequent travelers.

Programs such as AAA and AARP come with a variety of hotel discounts at major national chains. If you spend as little as three nights a year in a hotel, the savings can cover the cost of membership for many of these programs. Everything else you save is gravy, not to mention the other discounts and benefits that each of these programs includes.

Here are seven of the nation's biggest programs and what they have to offer.

1) AAA

AAA doesn't have the highest chain discounts across the board, but it does offer the advantage of discounts at a large network of independent hotels and mom-and-pop motels across the nation. The other programs generally only offer discounts with the biggest national chains.

That said, it does have some longstanding discounts with most of the major chains based in the US, though they tend to range from just 10% to 15%. Kimpton seems to be the best one with a discount that can go up to 30%. 

The other major advantage of AAA is that it's open to anyone. You don't have to be a senior, student or veteran. You don't even have to own a vehicle! Annual membership fees vary by state, but usually run around $65 (as of 2024) for the most basic level of car coverage. Motorcycle and RV owners who want their vehicles covered will have to pay an additional fee.

2) AARP

AARP members get at least a 10% discount at a number of different chains -- Best Western, Choice Hotels, and Hilton locations among others. There's also a 10% discount at Motel 6 that comes with free WiFi (for the few locations that are still charging 2.99 or 3.99 per day instead of just including it) and 2 PM late checkout upon request at all Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations. Wyndham seems to offer the best benefit with a varying discount of up to 40% depending on the location.

Certain individual hotels also have their own special AARP discount, such as the Nickelodeon Suites in Orlando and the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. Some Expedia bookings are also eligible for an extra 10% discount.

AARP also has the lowest annual membership dues at only $12 for the first year and $16 after (and there is a discount up to 20% for paying multiple years in advance), but you must be age 50 or older to be eligible.

3) Student Advantage

Student Advantage only has a limited amount of hotel deals -- just 15% off at Choice Hotels properties and up to a 60% discount on bookings through Getaroom. But it has a more robust range of travel options than some of the other programs, with discounts for Amtrak, Greyhound and most of the major rental car chains.

It's also at the lower end of the annual dues at only $22.50, but you must be attending or working at a school at least part time to qualify.

4) Veterans Advantage / WeSalute

Rebranded to "WeSalute" in recent years, the Veterans Advantage program has a good set of discounts with the major hotel chains. Vets get 20% off at Wyndham and Choice Hotels as well as 15% off at Red Roof Inn and 10% off at Kimpton properties among others.

There are only two big limitations to the program. One is that you have to be a military veteran or immediate family member to qualify. The other is the cost. At $60 per year for the best possible price, it's the most expensive of the membership organizations. But it also has the most robust range of discounts and benefits out of all the programs listed here by far. The 40% discount on Greyhound Package Express services might be worth it alone if you do a lot of shipping or sending luggage ahead, and there's also a 20% discount on both Amtrak and Greyhound. They do offer a 30-day trial for $5 and a "month to month" option for $10 per month.

5) American Legion

The American Legion is another option open to veterans and their immediate families. Members get a 20% discount at most Wyndham properties and a 15% discount at all Motel 6 locations among others. Members also have access to a program called Armed Forces Vacation Club that offers weekly condo rentals in various vacation areas for about $300.

The annual membership dues depend on what post you register with, but can range from $15 to $35. Only about half of what Veterans Advantage asks at most, but you lose a significant number of hotel options without a Choice Hotels discount, and the bus and train perks are gone as well. Membership does grant discounts with most of the major car rental chains and Budget's moving truck rentals, however. 

6) Lions Club

If you exclusively stay at Wyndham properties, a Lions Club membership is worthwhile for its 20% discount. Unfortunately the club offers no other hotel discounts, but it does have substantial rental car discounts with Avis, Budget and Hertz. It is also one of the few with international hotel discounts through something called "Hotel Storm." 

Depending on what state you're in, the entry fee is about $25 and annual dues are about $40.

7) National Rifle Association (NRA)

The NRA has a 10% discount with Wyndham properties and a discount with Best Western that varies by location. Protests at chains that gave discounts to NRA members in recent years may have scared some potential partners off from this program, but whatever the case it's one of the weakest of the bunch if you're solely looking for travel benefits.

NRA membership is $45 per year, but there are a number of ways to discount it to $35.

One final option is to check out professional organizations in your field. There's too many to cover here, but hotel chains often have discount deals with organizations for teachers, truckers, airline crew and any other profession that might have reason to travel frequently.