There’s a new hotel loyalty program for travelers who prefer to stay in independent hotels. Stash Hotel Rewards launched last month with 65 boutique hotels, historic inns, resorts and other independent hotels in the U.S. Members can earn five points per $1 spent on eligible room rates at member properties and points never expire. When you’re ready to redeem points, search for a hotel on the Web site to see how many points are required for the night you want to stay. There are no blackout dates and the points required per night vary based on the hotel, seasonality, occupancy and other factors.

For example, a stay at Cedarbrook Lodge in Seattle, Wash. starts at 10,000 points and a stay at the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Calif. starts at 11,415 points. Points earned are based on the room rate only and do not include incidental charges such as meals and drinks. Participating hotels include one-of-a-kind upscale and luxury hotels with a star rating of 3 to 3.5 or above. For more information, visit http://www.stashrewards.com – Check out our interview with Stash Rewards Founder and CEO, Jeff Low, in this issue of InsideFlyer and in next month’s Program at a Glance, we will look more closely at the program.