Originally Posted by pinniped

Hotels want you to book directly with them, not through other sites. That's why some programs require a direct booking to get elite benefits.

Some implement it a little differently. The language may read "book only through our site/app", but in my experience when I've booked through another *major* travel agent (Amex Travel using my corporate code, for example), I've still gotten benefits. I'm never quite clear which 3rd-party-booked sites don't count and which do, other than I assume opaque sites with super-deep-discounts (Priceline) don't. And even then I'm occasionally surprised that I still get *some* benefits.

tl;dr version: want all your bennies and points, book through the hotel's app or website.