Malaysian travellers now have another way to gain value from hotel spending. BonusLink has launched BonusLink Travel Malaysia, a hotel booking platform that allows members to earn Points when booking accommodation and use existing Points towards their stays.

The service is available through the BLINK app and BonusLink website. Members can earn up to 12 BonusLink Points for every RM1 spent on completed hotel bookings, depending on the applicable earning rate.

Beyond adding another feature to a loyalty programme, the launch reflects how travel and everyday rewards are becoming more closely connected. Hotel spending can now generate Points that members may later use across BonusLink’s wider rewards network.

Turning Hotel Spending Into Everyday Rewards

Travel can involve relatively large purchases, especially for families planning holidays or longer trips. BonusLink is using that spending pattern to give members an opportunity to accumulate Points faster.

At the maximum stated rate, a RM1,000 completed hotel booking could generate 12,000 BonusLink Points. According to the company, that would be equivalent to RM120 in rewards value.

Members can also use their existing Points to offset the cost of a hotel booking, either partly or in full.

This creates a two-way rewards model. Travellers can redeem Points when paying for accommodation, while eligible completed bookings can generate more Points for future use.

Bruno Araujo, Chief Executive Officer, BonusLink during his speech at BonusLink Redemption Event at Pavilion Bukit Jalil

More Than One Million Accommodation Options

BonusLink Travel offers access to more than one million accommodation options worldwide. The selection includes international hotel groups such as Marriott, Hyatt and Sheraton, as well as boutique properties and family-oriented resorts.

The company said early booking activity has shown interest in destinations including Bangkok, Da Nang, Bali, Istanbul and New York. Kuala Lumpur has also appeared among destinations attracting bookings.

These early patterns suggest Malaysian travel demand is spread across both regional destinations and longer-haul markets. For the hospitality sector, platforms that combine booking with loyalty benefits may also influence how travellers compare the overall value of accommodation.

Bringing Travel and Daily Spending Closer Together

One notable part of the model is that Points earned from travel do not have to be spent on another trip.

BonusLink says members can use their Points across its broader ecosystem for rewards, vouchers and everyday savings. This includes using Points towards petrol at Shell.

Rossnan Cheong, Chief Commercial Officer of BonusLink, said hotel bookings can help members build their Points balances more quickly because travel is often one of the larger expenses people plan during the year.

The approach reflects a wider shift in loyalty programmes. Rather than keeping rewards within a single spending category, platforms are increasingly looking for ways to connect higher-value purchases with more routine household spending.

For consumers, that can make loyalty benefits more practical. The value generated during a holiday, for example, may later help with an everyday expense after the traveller returns home.

(From left to right) Rossnan Cheong, Chief Commercial Officer, and Bruno Araujo, Chief Executive Officer of BonusLink, officially launch the BonusLink Travel Platform during the Redemption Event at Pavilion Bukit Jalil.

BonusLink Broadens Its Rewards Ecosystem

BonusLink Chief Executive Officer Bruno Araujo said the company wants members to have more opportunities to earn meaningful quantities of Points through spending they already plan to make.

The travel platform builds on an ecosystem that already spans areas such as fuel, retail, banking and other consumer services.

This broader approach matters as Malaysian consumers become more comfortable managing payments, rewards and bookings through digital platforms.

For loyalty providers, travel is also a useful category because accommodation purchases tend to be higher in value than many everyday transactions. Connecting those purchases to a wider rewards network can give consumers another reason to consider loyalty benefits when making travel decisions.

Launch Supported by Kuala Lumpur Roadshow

The launch was introduced alongside the BonusLink Roadshow at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, held from September 3 to 6, 2026.

The four-day event brought together participating partners including AmBank, Parkson, Shell, GlobalPark, Laifen, Perodua and SHARP. Visitors could explore redemption options, activities and offers covering sectors ranging from banking and retail to fuel, healthcare and travel.

BonusLink also offered selected redemption items at discounts of up to 90%, alongside vouchers and a lucky draw for qualifying members.

While these promotions were limited to the event, the wider development is the addition of accommodation bookings as another part of the BonusLink ecosystem.

(From left to right) Mr Krishna Shanmugam, Head of Business Development, Edisijuta Parking Sdn Bhd; Mohamad Pahlavi Zakaria, Manager, Sales Planning, Perodua Malaysia; Mr Cheong Chee Wai, Managing Director, Retail Banking; Mr Law Boon Eng, Chief Executive Officer, Parkson Malaysia; Rossnan Cheong, Chief Commercial Officer, BonusLink; Bruno Araujo, Chief Executive Officer, BonusLink; and Mr Zairi Dzuljastri, General Manager, Mobility & Convenience, Shell Malaysia.

Why This Matters for Malaysia’s Travel Economy

Digital travel platforms are changing how consumers assess a trip. Price and location remain important, but rewards, payment flexibility and benefits linked to other spending categories can increasingly shape booking decisions.

BonusLink Travel brings that model into an established Malaysian loyalty ecosystem.

For consumers, the immediate benefit is greater flexibility in how Points are earned and used. For the hospitality and travel sectors, it creates another digital channel connecting Malaysian travellers with domestic and international accommodation.

It also shows how loyalty programmes are moving beyond simple point collection. They are increasingly becoming platforms linking different parts of consumer spending.

Looking Ahead

The longer-term impact of BonusLink Travel will depend on how frequently members use the service and whether travellers see enough value in connecting hotel bookings with everyday rewards.

Still, the launch points to a broader development in Malaysia’s consumer economy. Travel, digital services and loyalty programmes are becoming more closely linked, giving consumers more ways to carry value from one type of spending into another.

For Malaysian travellers, that could make a hotel booking useful beyond the trip itself.