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Hotel points can save you money on your next family vacation or unlock an opportunity to book luxury accommodations that would normally be way out of your budget. While some travel rewards can be complicated, hotel rewards are simple. As long as they aren't expiring and going to waste, that's a win.
That said, there are simple steps you can take to stretch your points further. If you have hotel rewards that you want to make the most out of, here are three strategies to consider.
How to make the most of your hotel points
Take advantage of your free nights
One of the best ways to squeeze more value from your hotel rewards is by turning them into free nights. Play your (literal) cards right, and you can tack on extra days to your trip without having to pay a penny.
Eligible IHG credit cards, for example, offer a 4th night free on points reservations. This discount applies to every 4th night on the same reservation, so a points stay of eight consecutive nights would get you two free nights. This feature is available with the *IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees).
Many hotel cards also offer free night awards every year or allow you to earn free nights when you hit a spending threshold. The World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees) comes with a free-night certificate (valid at category 1 to 4 hotels) every cardmember anniversary and you'll earn a second free-night certificate after spending $15,000+ on your card in a calendar year. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card grants cardholders a free-night reward (valid at hotels costing up to 85,000 points) every year after the card renewal month.
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
Other co-branded Marriott cards, Hilton cards and IHG credit cards also have free night award benefits.
Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors both offer a free night when you use points to book a 5-night stay.
Marriott's "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" benefit is available to all Marriott Bonvoy members. When you use Marriott points to book a stay of five nights or more, you'll only pay for four nights. This offer extends to longer reservations as well, so you'll receive a free night for every five nights. A 10-night reservation will receive a two-night discount, a 20-night reservation will receive a four-night discount and so on.
Marriott has dynamic award pricing, and your free night will be whichever night costs the fewest points. So this may not end up being a 20% discount. For example, if you book a 5-night stay where four of the nights cost 25,000 points and one night costs 20,000 points, the 20,000-point night is free.
Hilton Honor elite members (any tier) receive the 5th night free on rewards stays of up to 20 nights (up to four nights free). This discount applies when the reservation is for consecutive nights at the same property.
Top off your account with flexible rewards
Many travel credit cards let you transfer points to hotel loyalty programs. This is useful when you don't have enough hotel points to book a reward night or to take advantage of a free-night perk.
The best flexible travel rewards programs transfer to hotels at a 1:1 ratio (unless noted), including:
- American Express Membership Rewards®: Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio), Marriott Bonvoy, Choice Privileges
- Chase Ultimate Rewards®: IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt
- Citi ThankYou® Rewards: Choice Privileges (1:2 ratio)*, Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio), Leaders Club (5:1 ratio), Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:4 ratio), Wyndham Rewards*
- Capital One Rewards: Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards, Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio)
- Wells Fargo Rewards®: Choice Privileges (1:2 ratio)
Occasionally, these programs offer transfer bonuses that typically range from 20% to 50%, which increases the value of these transfers.
Keep in mind that you'll need to have the right credit card to be able to transfer points. For example, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points if you have a card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
These cards also offer additional perks that can apply to hotel stays. The Sapphire Reserve has an annual $300 travel credit (as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year) that can apply to hotel bookings and the Sapphire Preferred offers a $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel credit that applies to hotels you book through Chase TravelSM.
*The transfer ratio for certain Citi ThankYou travel partners varies depending on what Citi credit card.
Be flexible with dates and hotels
Most major hotel chains have adopted some form of dynamic pricing for awards nights. This means a room's price in points can change depending on the season or the day of the week. If you aren't locked into specific dates for your trip, you can stretch your points further by booking on days with cheaper rates.
For example, World of Hyatt has three prices for each category: Off-peak, Standard and Peak. The difference between Off-peak and Peak pricing ranges from 3,000 points to 10,000 points, which is roughly a 28% to 86% increase depending on the category.
Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Choice Privileges and IHG One Rewards price awards dynamically, so comparing prices on different days can help you save points in those programs.
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For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, click here.
Information about IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, World Of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
