If you hold Velocity Frequent Flyer points and need a hotel, the program offers several ways to earn and redeem, from its main booking portal powered by Rocket Travel to direct partnerships with chains such as IHG, Choice Hotels and TFE Hotels. This guide compares the earn rates, redemption methods and geographic quirks of each option, drawing on official program terms as of early 2026 and independent analysis from specialist travel sites. The goal is to help you decide which booking route best suits your trip — whether you are maximising earn on a business stay in Australia or looking to redeem points on a holiday.
Last checked: 2026-07-18
Compare the lowest rates and guest reviews. Many options with free cancellation.Check rates
Bundle flight + hotel and compare deals and rewards in one place.Check ratesThis link contains affiliate advertising. Prices and availability may change on the destination site.
Program name: Velocity Frequent Flyer · Owner: Virgin Australia · Hotel earn rate (standard): 3 Velocity Points per AUD
If you hold Velocity Frequent Flyer points and need a hotel, the program offers several ways to earn and redeem, from its main booking portal powered by Rocket Travel to direct partnerships with chains such as IHG, Choice Hotels and TFE Hotels. This guide compares the earn rates, redemption methods and geographic quirks of each option, drawing on official program terms as of early 2026 and independent analysis from specialist travel sites. The goal is to help you decide which booking route best suits your trip — whether you are maximising earn on a business stay in Australia or looking to redeem points on a holiday.
spent · Primary hotel booking partner: Hotels by Hopper · Another hotel partner: TFE Hotels (Australia & New Zealand) · Redemption method: Pay with Points or Points+Pay on eligible bookingsHow we researched this
Last checked: 2026-07-18.
Sources reviewed: official program websites (Velocity Frequent Flyer, IHG, TFE Hotels, Choice Hotels), travel loyalty media (Point Hacks, Flight Hacks, pointsHQ), consumer travel magazines (Australian Traveller) and Virgin Australia newsroom announcements.
We did not conduct on-site hotel inspections or staff interviews, and we did not verify real-time points value for every possible booking.
Summary: How Velocity Points work for hotels
- 3 Velocity Points per AUD$1 spent on eligible hotel bookings via the Velocity / Virgin Australia portal (Velocity Frequent Flyer)
- TFE Hotels: 3 Points per dollar at Adina, Vibe, Rendezvous; 2 Points per dollar at Travelodge (TFE Hotels)
- Choice Hotels: 3 Points per AUD$1 in Australia/New Zealand; flat 600 Points per stay overseas (Velocity Frequent Flyer)
- Points+Pay allowed on eligible bookings via Velocity portal; Points earned only on the cash portion (Velocity Frequent Flyer)
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Program name | Velocity Frequent Flyer |
| Owner | Virgin Australia |
| Hotel earn rate (standard) | 3 Velocity Points per AUD$1 spent |
| Primary hotel booking partner | Hotels by Hopper (powered by Rocket Travel) |
| Another direct partner | TFE Hotels (Australia & New Zealand) |
| Redemption method | Pay with Points or Points+Pay on eligible bookings |
What hotels can I use Velocity Points for?
Velocity members have two main paths to book hotels with their points: the program’s own booking portal on the Virgin Australia website (powered by Rocket Travel and branded under Hotels by Hopper) and direct hotel partners where you earn Velocity Points by quoting your membership number at check-in or when booking. The portal covers a wide inventory of eligible properties globally, while the direct partners — including IHG, Choice Hotels and TFE Hotels — offer defined earn structures that often vary between Australia/New Zealand and the rest of the world.
Hotels by Hopper: The primary booking platform
The standard earn rate for hotel bookings through the Velocity portal is 3 Velocity Points per AUD$1 spent on all eligible hotels, according to the program’s official Hotels options page. That page also notes that Points may be awarded up to 4–6 weeks after checkout for prepaid bookings, and that Points are not earned on cancelled bookings. For Points+Pay bookings, Velocity Points accrue only on the cash (“+ Pay”) component. The platform replaced Expedia in August 2022, when Virgin Australia switched to Rocket Travel as its technology provider, as reported by Point Hacks.
TFE Hotels partnership
At TFE Hotels — which operates brands such as Adina, Vibe and Rendezvous in Australia and New Zealand — Velocity members earn 3 Points per dollar spent on accommodation, according to the TFE Hotels Velocity partnership page. However, Travelodge properties within the same group earn at a lower rate of 2 Points per dollar. Members must quote their Velocity number at the time of booking or at check-in.
Other Velocity hotel partners
Velocity’s direct earn hotel partners page lists Accor, Choice Hotels, IHG, Shangri-La and Virgin Limited Edition alongside TFE Hotels. Choice Hotels and IHG both apply the domestic/international split: 3 Points per dollar spent in Australia and New Zealand, and flat 600 Points per stay internationally, as confirmed by their respective Choice Hotels and IHG partnership pages.
The bottom line: If you are travelling within Australia or New Zealand and stay with a direct partner such as TFE, IHG or Choice, you earn the same 3 Points per dollar as the portal — but you may also earn hotel program points by choosing to earn with the hotel brand instead. The choice is yours at booking.
Who is partnered with Velocity?
Velocity Frequent Flyer is the loyalty program of Virgin Australia, and its hotel partners fall into two categories: the main booking platform (Hotels by Hopper / Rocket Travel) and direct hotel earn partners where you can collect Velocity Points on stays booked directly with the hotel. The direct partners include Accor, Choice Hotels, IHG, Shangri-La, TFE Hotels, Virgin Limited Edition and others, as listed on the Velocity direct earn page.
Key hotel partners
While the portal covers the widest range of hotels globally, the direct partnerships offer a defined earn rate that members can count on. IHG requires Velocity members to also register with IHG One Rewards and select Velocity as their earning preference before check-in, according to IHG’s Velocity partnership page. Choice Hotels members staying in Australia or New Zealand earn 3 Points per dollar; outside those countries, 600 Points per stay. TFE Hotels’ earn rate varies by brand, as noted above.
Other transfer partners
Beyond direct earn, Velocity members can convert hotel loyalty program points into Velocity Points. Australian Traveller reports conversion ratios such as 3 Marriott Bonvoy points equalling 1 Velocity point and 10,000 Hilton Honors points equalling 1,500 Velocity points. Flight Hacks cites an example where 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points convert to 25,000 Velocity Points (20,000 plus a 5,000 bonus). This creates an indirect path for travellers who earn points with multiple programs.
The implication: Booking.com is not listed as a Velocity partner. Velocity’s hotel earning is concentrated within its own portal and a defined set of direct hotel chains, plus transfer options from major hotel loyalty programs.
How much are 500 Velocity Points worth?
500 Velocity Points are worth roughly AUD$5 to AUD$10 depending on the redemption method, based on the program’s typical valuation of about 1 to 2 cents per point for hotel redemptions. The actual value varies: Points+Pay bookings on the Velocity portal apply points at a fixed reduction against the cash price, while Pay with Points may cover the entire stay but often at a lower cents-per-point rate than what you might get on flights.
As a concrete example, if you redeem 500 Points toward a hotel booking and the cash price is AUD$200, the points will reduce that price by approximately AUD$5 to AUD$10. There is no fixed published rate by Velocity for hotel redemptions across all properties, so the value depends on the specific booking.
What to watch: Promotional periods can change the earn landscape dramatically. In May 2026, Velocity ran a triple points promotion on Hopper Hotels bookings, lifting the earn rate to 9 Points per dollar, as reported by Flight Hacks. Platinum Plus members could stack their tier bonus for a combined earn rate of 13.5 Points per dollar during that campaign. Australian Traveller has also described quadruple points promotions (12 Points per dollar) via Rocket Travel in the past.
Is Velocity better than Qantas for hotel bookings?
Comparing Velocity and Qantas Frequent Flyer for hotel stays depends on your priorities: earn rate, redemption flexibility and geographic coverage. Both programs offer a 3 Points per dollar earn rate through their respective hotel booking portals, but the partner structures differ.
Earn rates comparison
Velocity’s standard portal earn rate of 3 Points per AUD$1 matches Qantas’s typical earn rate on its Hotels portal (also 3 Points per dollar). However, Velocity’s direct hotel partners — particularly TFE Hotels, Choice and IHG — offer the same per-dollar rate on domestic stays, while Qantas has a similar set of direct hotel earn partners through Qantas Hotels and the Qantas Business Rewards program. Where Velocity may claim an edge is in the consistency of its direct partner earn: 3 Points per dollar at multiple chains in Australia and New Zealand, with flat rates overseas.
Redemption flexibility
Both programs allow Points+Pay or full Points redemption on hotel bookings via their portals. Velocity’s Points+Pay earns Points only on the cash portion, which is the same logic Qantas uses. The key difference is that Velocity Points tend to be valued slightly higher than Qantas Points for flight redemptions, but for hotel redemptions the cents-per-point value is similar — roughly 1 to 2 cents per point depending on the booking.
The trade-off: For travellers staying primarily in Australia and New Zealand who want to earn Velocity Points quickly on hotel spend, the direct partner network offers a straightforward 3 Points per dollar without needing to book through an online travel agency. If you travel internationally often, Qantas may have a slightly broader direct partner list for earning at flat rates.
Comparison table: Velocity hotel booking options
| Booking platform | Earn rate | Redemption method | Geographic coverage | Minimum points value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels by Hopper (Virgin Australia) | 3 Points per AUD$1 | Pay with Points or Points+Pay | Global (eligible hotels) | ~AUD$5 per 500 Points |
| Velocity Frequent Flyer direct partners | Up to 3 Points per AUD$1 (domestic); flat 600 Points per stay (international) | Not available; earn only | Australia & New Zealand (per-dollar); global (flat) | N/A (earn only) |
| TFE Hotels (partner) | 3 Points per AUD$1 (Adina, Vibe, Rendezvous); 2 Points per AUD$1 (Travelodge) | Not available; earn only | Australia & New Zealand | N/A (earn only) |
Best for: Who should use which path?
- Travellers who want to earn points: The Velocity portal offers the broadest inventory and a consistent 3 Points per dollar worldwide. Direct partners provide the same earn rate domestically.
- Travellers who want to redeem points: The portal is the only avenue for direct redemption via Pay with Points or Points+Pay. Direct earn partners do not offer redemption.
- Frequent flyers seeking flexible booking: Velocity elite tier bonuses (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum Plus) stack on base earn, potentially lifting the portal earn rate to 4.5+ Points per dollar during promotions, as noted in Virgin Australia’s Pick Your Bonus Offer newsroom release.
- Travellers staying in Australia and New Zealand: Direct partners such as TFE Hotels, IHG and Choice Hotels offer the same per-dollar earn as the portal, plus the convenience of booking directly with the hotel.
Our pick: Points maximisers booking in Australia and New Zealand
For travellers who want to earn as many Velocity Points as possible on hotel stays within Australia and New Zealand, our recommendation is to use direct hotel partners — particularly TFE Hotels, IHG or Choice Hotels — where you earn 3 Points per dollar without needing to go through an online travel agency. This gives you the same earn rate as the Velocity portal, but with the added flexibility of possibly earning hotel program points if you choose to switch your earning preference on a future stay. For international trips, the Velocity portal remains the best option for both earning and redeeming, though the flat 600-Point earn on direct partner stays overseas is a weaker proposition. Watch for promotional periods on the portal, which can multiply your earn rate to 9 or even 12 Points per dollar for limited windows.
velocityfrequentflyer.com, flighthacks.com.au, pointshq.com.au, flighthacks.com.au
To maximize your points earning potential across both flights and hotels, consider pairing your stays with one of the best Velocity credit cards available in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book any hotel with Velocity Points?
You can book eligible hotels through the Velocity portal (Hotels by Hopper), TFE Hotels, and other Velocity direct partners. The portal covers a global inventory, but not all hotels worldwide are available. Direct partners only allow you to earn Points, not redeem them, on stays.
Does booking.com partner with Velocity?
No, booking.com is not listed as a Velocity partner in official program materials. Velocity’s hotel earning is focused on its own portal, direct hotel chains and transfer options from other loyalty programs.
Are Virgin Australia and Velocity the same?
Velocity is the loyalty program of Virgin Australia, but they are separate entities. Virgin Australia owns the Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
Can I transfer points from other programs to Velocity?
Yes, Velocity accepts transfers from several hotel loyalty programs, including Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors. For example, Australian Traveller notes that 10,000 Hilton Honors points convert to 1,500 Velocity Points. The official partner list is available on the Velocity website.
Are there any fees to book hotels with Velocity Points?
Fees depend on the booking platform and property. The Velocity portal does not publish a universal fee schedule. For direct partner stays, standard hotel policies apply; no specific fees tied to Velocity earning are listed in program terms.