Hotel chains offer free nights on extended award stays

Research

Emily Thompson Credit cards editor | The Points Guy

By Sky Industry News

Dec 20, 2024

Redeeming points for hotel stays can be an effective way to save on travel expenses. Several major hotel chains offer promotions where guests can receive a fourth or fifth night free when booking award stays using points.

Three prominent hotel programs provide this benefit: Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG One Rewards. To qualify, travelers must book four or five consecutive nights at the same hotel using points. This offer does not apply to free night certificates or points-and-cash awards. The discount is applied automatically during the booking process.

Marriott Bonvoy offers a "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" promotion, granting a fifth night free when booking four consecutive nights with points. This benefit is available to all members and applies to every fifth night without limitation across all Bonvoy properties. However, if nightly rates vary during the stay, Marriott will cover the least expensive night instead of the actual fifth night.

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Hilton Honors provides a similar perk with its fifth-night-free offer on reward stays of up to 20 nights. However, this benefit is exclusive to Hilton Honors elite members (Silver status and above). Achieving Silver status can be done by holding a no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card or other cobranded credit cards.

IHG One Rewards offers perhaps the most generous deal with its fourth-night-free reward. This benefit requires holding one of several specific IHG credit cards and allows unlimited use annually on eligible bookings.

These promotions enable travelers to extend their vacations without additional point costs while also contributing toward qualifying for elite status in these programs.