A while back, Rick mentioned that he was short on hotel points. I’m sure he’s not alone. Hotel points can be tough to accrue in some programs, like Starwood Preferred Guest, which has just two credit cards offering one-time sign-up bonuses. With programs that offer limited earning potential, it becomes even more important to stretch points further. Thankfully, several programs offer a fifth night free redemption, which can really come in handy. Simply book five nights on points and redeem points for four. On a top-tier category award, that can present a saving of up to 95,000 points!
Not every hotel loyalty program offers this perk, however, and even the ones that do impose some restrictions. Below is an outline of the three programs that offer fifth night free award redemptions as well as the rules regarding the redemption:
1. Hilton. Hilton Honors offers a couple of options when it comes to discounted award redemptions. The program’s fifth night free is available to Silver, Gold and Diamond members. Gold status is instantly awarded to Citi Hilton Honors Reserve and American Express Surpass cardholders, while Silver is offered to those with a Citi Hilton Honors Visa Signature card. The fifth night free benefit applies to upwards of 20 consecutive nights, meaning you can get up to five free nights per stay!
Aside from fifth night free, Hilton Honors also offers discounted AXON awards to those with an American Express issued Hilton Honors card (i.e. Amex Hilton Surpass). In some cases, it may make more sense to redeem an AXON award than the fifth night free. This Flyertalk thread outlines all of the factors you should consider when making that decision.
2. Marriott. Marriott Rewards Club has nine hotel categories with redemption levels ranging from 6,000 – 45,000 points per night. The fifth night free perk applies to every hotel category, which is a nice plus.
Marriott’s award prices are pretty inflated, especially considering their points are earned at a rate of one point per $1 either through the co-branded Marriott card or transferred in through the much more valuable Ultimate Rewards program. Thus, the fifth night free perk doesn’t lend the program much value unless you are utilizing a generous credit card sign-up bonus. There are programs that make it much easier to earn free nights than Marriott, so you are often better off channeling your spending onto their co-branded credit cards.
3. Starwood. Starwood’s fifth night free redemption is probably the most well known. What makes Starwood’s fifth night free different is that it does not apply to all seven of Starwood’s hotel categories. Instead, only hotel Categories 3-7 qualify for the fifth night free. Standard redemption rates within these categories range from 7,000-35,000 points per night. Considering the large number of great hotels available in the mid-tier category, there are plenty of opportunities to put the fifth night free benefit to use.
All of these programs have their pros and cons, but each of them will serve a purpose at some point in your travel plans. When the next big sign-up bonus comes along and you have a stash of Marriott or Hilton Points to burn, it may just take a bit more spend to turn four nights into five!
*Terms and restrictions apply.
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Delta® Reserve for Business
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Spend
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0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
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