Generally, you do not earn "Base Points" or elite-qualifying "Night Credits" toward a hotel's own loyalty program (like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, or World of Hyatt) when you book through a third-party Online Travel Agency (OTA) like Expedia. Hotels view these as "discounted" bookings and reserve their own loyalty perks for guests who "Book Direct." Furthermore, many hotels will not honor your existing elite status benefits—such as free breakfast or room upgrades—if the reservation was made via an OTA. However, you aren't left entirely empty-handed; instead, you earn Expedia Rewards points (OneKey points as of the 2024-2026 merger), which can be used as "cash" to discount future bookings across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. In 2026, the only common exception is if you book a "VIP Access" property through Expedia, where you might receive small on-site perks like a free drink or spa credit. If your priority is moving up the ranks of a specific hotel chain's loyalty ladder, you should almost always avoid Expedia and book directly through the hotel's official website or app to ensure your stay "counts" toward your next elite status tier.