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One of the best ways to increase the value of travel rewards is to take advantage of award stay promotions. Many major hotel loyalty programs allow you to book multiple nights with points and then offer additional nights for free.
The three biggest programs, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, all offer versions of this profit. Depending on your program, redeem your points for consecutive award nights at the same hotel and you’ll get free of charge either for the fourth or five nights.
This guide will analyse how each program’s free night benefits work, what the rules are, how you can maximize these offers to further extend your points and enjoy a longer stay at no additional cost.
When most consecutive awards stay, IHG, Marriott and Hilton offer free nights.
Details of this perk vary across three programs, but at a high level, to qualify for a free night, you usually have to stay in only a single hotel and use points to cover the entire cost.
As a general rule, this benefit is not applicable when using a free night certificate or point and cash award. If you are eligible for a free night stay, your savings will be displayed directly on the hotel site’s website.
Of the three major hotel programs, IHG’s fourth night-free advantage is the most generous and is tied directly to branded credit cards. To unlock this perk, you must hold one of the following cards:
Using any of these cards, book a 4-straight award night with points and receive a free 4 nights free. This is a greater advantage over Marriott Bonboy and Hilton honors, and will only extend your profit after five nights.
It is worth noting that IHG Elite Status does not provide access to this perk. Credit cards are the only way to get it. There is also no cap on how often you can use the benefits each year. Discounts will automatically be applied when booking online as long as you are logged in to your card-linked IHG account.
Marriott Bonboy members earn the cheapest nights for free when you book five nights with points.
This perk is available to all Bonvoy members and applies to all Bonvoy properties in the standard room with standard awards and point availability rates. There is no limit to the number of free nights you can receive.
To take advantage of this discount, you can simply win at least five nights of awards and the reduction will automatically apply.
To be clear, Marriott covers the cost of the cheapest night, not the actual five nights.
The Hilton’s fifth night’s advantage is a great way to stretch your points, but comes with one important requirement. You must maintain Hilton’s Honorary Elite status. The easiest way to unlock that status is Hilton’s American Express credit card lineup.
All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card is collected independently by CNN highlighted by CNN. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card is no longer available through the emphasis on CNN.
This is how the perks work. Redeem points for a maximum of 20 nights and nights are free for every 5th day. This means that a 10-night stay will earn you points for just 8 nights, while a 20-night stay will earn you points for just 16 nights. If you have booked more than 20 nights, you can maximize your value by splitting your reservation. Please note that this offer only applies to standard room rewards.
Once you have a Hilton credit card that grants you Elite status, simply log in to your Hilton Honor Account when booking and your 5th Night Free will automatically apply.
IHG, Hilton and Marriott process the awards resort fees.
IHG charges resort fees for award stays. Fees are not exempt for free night certificates and points bookings.
Hilton does not charge resort fees for award stays booked using points or free evening certificates. The term Hilton explicitly states, “No resort fee for reward stays booked using all points, or for promotional free night stays (such as issued by credit card partners).”.
Marriott will charge you a resort fee for your award stay, even if you use points or a free night certificate. The conditions for the Marriott are as follows: “The Free Night Awards include all applicable taxes, however Members may be responsible for paying additional mandatory resort fees on participating properties where resort fees apply.”
If you are eligible for the fourth night free of IHG or the fifth night free of charge at Marriott or Hilton, consider adding an additional night to your award booking if it matches your travel schedule.
This is a great way to effectively get 20% or 25% more from your points. Even if you don’t plan on spending an extra night, booking a free night at either end of your stay is a way to ensure early check-in or late check-out without any additional points while earning additional nights towards Hotel Elite Status.
The following FAQ was answered by CNN’s highlighted travel editor and credit card expert Kyle Olsen.
Which hotels offer free 5th nights?
Marriott Bonboy offers free Standard Room Award reservations to all loyalty members every 5th day, and Hilton Honors only benefits for Rewards Reserved Standard Room Reservation Stays for Elite Members (silver or above). Free nights are automatically applied to 5 night stays at participating hotels when you book directly on the respective hotel website using points.
How do I book a Marriott 5 nights for free?
If you want to hold your awards on the Marriott website while logged in to your Bonvoy account, you simply choose 5 nights at the same hotel and redeem your points each night. Discounts apply automatically, so the lowest-point night is free at checkout and no additional code or steps are required. This perk applies only to standard room redemptions paid in points on cash reservations and nights using certificates.
Will Hilton members get their fifth night free?
Hilton Honorary Members – Members with Silver, Gold, or Diamond status will receive 5 nights free when booking standard room reward stays with 5 or more points at participating hotels. This advantage applies automatically during booking as long as your stay is fully paid in points and the member is logged in. Non-elite members are not eligible.
Will a free hotel night with awards count as an evening to IHG One reward, Hilton honors, and Marriott Bonboy Elite status?
Yes, book with a free hotel night, writing points or award certificate. It usually counts as nights towards elite status in IHG One Rewards, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy programs.
As CNN highlights, travel and credit card experts have thoroughly evaluated the hotel’s loyalty program and credit card perks to help readers maximize their rewards. Reduce confusing program terminology by analyzing real-world values, restrictions and strategies. So you can understand exactly what perks like the fourth or fifth nighttime perk work and how to use them.
This article was written by Kyle Olsen, a travel editor and credit card expert who highlighted CNN, which CNN has tested many hotel loyalty programs firsthand. Kyle personally awarded the awards in IHG One rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton honors, giving not only fine printing but also experience explaining practical ways that travelers can further develop their points.
The opinions expressed here are not only the authors, but not the bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entities. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise approved by any of the entities contained in the article.
