Mathewgain

There's a growing breed of traveler who no longer wants a hotel room - they want a home away from home, complete with a separate living area, a kitchenette, and enough square footage to unpack for a week without living out of a suitcase.

Asia's luxury hotel scene is unlike anywhere else on earth: overwater villas in the Maldives, rooftop infinity pools in Bangkok, ryokan-style suites in Kyoto, and colonial-era grandeur in Mumbai.

For travelers who prefer a design-forward boutique property over a cookie-cutter chain room, loyalty programs have long felt like an afterthought.

Every year, thousands of travelers sit through a timeshare presentation promising decades of guaranteed vacations, only to later discover that a well-chosen loyalty program might have delivered the same lifestyle without the -sized commitment.