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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, IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the no-annual-fee IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card (see rates and fees).
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card is a no-annual-fee hotel card that can be worth holding onto if you occasionally book stays with IHG.
- 4th night free benefit on reward stays of four or more consecutive nights
- Automatic Silver Elite Status
- No annual fee
- No annual free night reward
- Less rewarding for spending because IHG points are less valuable than other travel rewards
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 80,000 Bonus Points
- No Annual Fee
- Earn up to 17 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get the 4th Night Free
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card's benefits are easy to maximize, which makes this card a solid option if you stay at IHG properties semi-regularly.
- Free night reward every year (after your first card anniversary)
- Automatic IHG One Platinum status
- Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck® statement credit worth up to $120 every four years
- Certain benefits have high spending requirements to unlock, like IHG One Diamond status and the annual statement credit and bonus points perk
- Has an annual fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
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 credit card that gives you high-level elite status, dining credits and a free night 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 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 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $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 Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Free Night Award: 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®. 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 Marriott, 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.
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 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.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $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.
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 100,000 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 Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- 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 to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit
- 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
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase TravelSM. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority PassTM Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance 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 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.
