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When planning your vacation or getaway, lodging usually takes up a huge portion of your budget. But the right hotel credit card can help reduce that cost by letting you book rooms using not only reward points, but also free night certificates.
Free night awards are valuable benefits for cardholders that can make paying the annual fee for many of the best hotel credit cards worth it without needing to consider the card's other perks. However, the rules for earning and redeeming free night certificates differ depending on the hotel chain and type of certificate.
If you want to learn more about how to earn and use this type of reward, CNBC Select has the details.
What we'll cover
What is a hotel free night certificate and how does it work?
Hotels with credit card free night certificates
Hilton free night certificates
What is a hotel free night certificate and how does it work?
Free night certificates, or free night awards, are rewards you can redeem at no cost for a hotel room. Many major hotel chains offer this type of reward and free night awards are typically earned as a benefit of a branded hotel credit card. Sometimes non-cardholders get a free night certificate as part of a limited-time promotion or as an elite-status benefit.
Credit card free night certificates are typically earned in one of three ways, you can earn free night awards:
- As part of a limited-time welcome bonus offer
- As an ongoing benefit
- When you hit a spending threshold
The rules and restrictions for redeeming free night awards vary by hotel chain and by credit card. Most free night certificates can only be used for hotels that cost a certain number of reward points per night or fall into certain award categories.
In general, you can only use this type of free night when there are standard rooms available for points bookings. And it's essential to pay attention to the certificate's expiration date, which is usually a year from when it's issued.
Hotels with credit card free night certificates
The major hotel chains have loyalty programs that allow you to earn and redeem points for hotel rooms, but only a handful offer free night certificates as a standard benefit with their co-branded credit cards. These chains include:
While these chains offer similar rewards, there are subtle differences between each brand in how you earn and redeem those rewards that you should understand.
Hyatt free night certificates
Hyatt offers free night certificates to elite members as a Milestone Reward and as part of its ongoing Brand Explorer promotion. But the World of Hyatt Credit Card is the only Hyatt card that allows you to earn free night certificates (see rates and fees).
World of Hyatt Credit Card holders receive a free night certificate valid at any category 1-4 hotel every cardmember anniversary. Just keep the card and pay its $95 annual fee and you get a free night. Free nights can be redeemed at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide.
Hilton free night certificates
Hilton has a handful of co-branded cards that offer free night awards, including the:
Hilton free night rewards can be used at nearly any Hilton property as long as there is a standard room available to book with points. However, the Amex Hilton Aspire card is the only one that grants cardholders a Free Night Reward automatically every year after your account anniversary, no spending required. Additionally, cardholders can earn up to two more Free Night Rewards each calendar year by reaching spending thresholds: one after spending $30,000, and another for a total of $60,000 on eligible purchases with the card in the same calendar year.
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card grants you complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status and a Free Night Reward every year.
- Earn up to $889 in statement credits every year
- Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status
- Free Night Reward every year
- High annual fee
- Additional Free Night Rewards have high spending requirements
- Some credits are only earned quarterly or semi-annually, which makes them more complicated to fully maximize
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
- Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in your first year of Card Membership and every year upon Card renewal.
- Card Members can earn 14X Points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of Flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
- Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
- $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
- $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with airlines or via AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $209 per calendar year in statement credits, when you pay for a CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you can earn an additional Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend an additional $30,000 (for a total of $60,000) in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
- $100 Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts properties when you book a 2 night minimum stay with your Card at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page, or call Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757 with the proper booking reference.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
- Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Premium Global Assist® Hotline§ is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and financial referrals. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline. Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
- Points don't expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Card is active and in good standing.
- $550 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Hilton Surpass cardholders can earn a Free Night Reward after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is a solid mid-tier hotel card that offers with statement credits that can easily offset its annual fee.
- Up to $50 in Hilton credit each quarter
- Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status
- High rewards rate for Hilton purchases
- High spending threshold to earn a Free Night Reward
- Hilton credit is earned in quarterly increments
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 and earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status with your Card. Plus, spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global Assist® Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Other terms and conditions apply.
- Points don't expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is active and in good standing.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
IHG free night certificates
The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) and IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) both award free night certificates to cardholders each year on the card anniversary. These rewards are valid at IHG hotels costing up to 40,000 points per night. And if you want to use your reward to book a more expensive hotel, you can pay the points difference to book the room. For example, you can use the free night award to book a room that costs 50,000 IHG points but you'll need to pay the 10,000-point difference.
Marriott free night certificates
Marriott Bonvoy cards are issued by American Express and Chase, and most of them offer free night awards as a benefit. Occasionally, Marriott cards have limited-time welcome bonus offers that include free night awards. These awards are separate from the free night certificates you can earn as part of the card's standard benefits and may have a different value.
The value of a Marriott free night award varies by card, but all Marriott free night rewards can be topped off with up to 15,000 Marriott points. For example, if your free night reward is valid at Marriott hotels costing up to 35,000 points, you can use it on rooms that cost 50,000 points and pay the 15,000-point difference.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with a free night certificate every year after the card renewal month and this free night is valid at hotels costing up to 85,000 points per night (Certain hotels have resort fees). Mariott Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders can choose a second free night reward as an Brilliant Earned Choice Award after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year (can only earn one per year). Terms apply.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium hotel card that gives you high-level elite status, dining credits and a Free Night Award every year.
- Up to $300 in dining credit every year
- Free Night Award every year worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status
- High annual fee
- Marriott doesn't publish an award chart and the rewards are typically less valuable compared to the top travel cards
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months and an extra 50,000 bonus points after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Earn up to 21X Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 50% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Platinum Elite status.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status, earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 50% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®, such as Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Paris. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,200 airport lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- Trip Cancelled or Interrupted? If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
You can earn a Free Night Award valid for rooms costing up to 50,000 points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card. To qualify for this award, you need to spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card is a mid-tier hotel card that provides elite status and the opportunity to earn a Free Night Award each year.
- 15 Elite Night Credits every year
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status
- Bonus points on paid stays booked directly with Marriott
- No statement credits to offset the high annual fee
- Free Night Award has a high spending requirement
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months and an extra 50,000 bonus points after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®.
- Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Marriott Bonvoy® 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Terms apply. See www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi for more information.
- Earn up to 18.5X Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 25% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Gold Elite status.
- With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year, receive 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- Booking the trip is easy. Avoiding delays is next to impossible. If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up large purchases into monthly installments with a fixed fee. A fixed monthly fee is shown upfront so you'll know exactly how much you'll pay. Plus, you'll still earn rewards for the purchases you plan the way you usually do.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ credit card can be useful if you frequent Marriott hotels and resorts, but it lacks some of the benefits you might expect with a high annual fee, such as statement credit offers.
- Automatic Gold Status and 15 elite night credits annually
- 1,000 bonus points per eligible Marriott stay
- High annual fee
- High spending requirement to earn the annual Free Night award
- Complicated application restrictions
Rewards
- 6X Marriott Bonvoy Points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X Marriott Bonvoy Points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Marriott Bonvoy Points on all other eligible purchases
Balance transfer fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Every year after the account anniversary, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card both grant the card member a Free Night Award valid at hotels costing up to 35,000 points.
Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is useful if you're working toward higher levels of Marriott status because of its bonus elite night credits and the elite credit you can earn from spending with the card.
- Annual free night award every year after your account anniversary
- 15 elite night credits each calendar year and you can earn additional elite night credits through spending
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Complicated application restrictions
- Bonus rewards on grocery, dining and gas purchases have an annual limit
Rewards
- Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent
- Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card
Balance transfer fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card gives business owners the opportunity to earn up to two free night awards every year and bonus points on common business expenses.
- Free Night Award every year you keep the card
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status
- 15 Elite Night Credits every year
- Annual fee is over $100
- Additional Free Night Award has a high spending requirement
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points and a $125 statement credit after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/15/26.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
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Bottom line
Earning and using hotel points isn't the only way to book free hotel rooms. Many hotel credit cards offer free night certificates as an ongoing perk. This benefit alone can often make paying a credit card's annual fee worth it.
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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit cards. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards.
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Read more
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors Aspire card, click here.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, click here.
