Firstly, I would love to collect the points. In a previous life I did and was Platinum at Marriott and Gold at Hilton, and Gold at United; it was great and made a world of difference.

It's different with the "business guys" because they rarely stay at rates that we stay at. Also, from my experience, business travelers are capable of choosing where they stay, and pay with a company credit card, or file an expense report later. This gives them the buying power and the hotels reward that. We are left out of that equation. Buying power is key. Loyalty is what's being rewarded. We aren't loyal, we simply do what we're told.

Hotels could give a rats a$$ if we are away from home. They certainly aren't going to give away free stays, gifts, upgrades, breakfasts, lounge access to crew members staying on minimum rates. If I was a hotel owner I certainly wouldn't.

That all said, hotels still do make plenty of money off our contracted rates, otherwise they wouldn't negotiate them, especially in off-season tourist towns.