No one enjoys overpaying for their hotel stay. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, getting the most value out of your hotel points and rewards can make a big difference in your overall travel experience. That’s why the idea of getting a fourth or fifth night free when redeeming points for hotel stays is so appealing to many travelers.
While you may be familiar with some of the more well-known hotel benefits, such as the Citi Prestige’s complimentary fourth-night-free hotel benefit, there are actually several other options available to travelers looking to maximize their hotel points and rewards. In this guide, we’ll discuss three major hotel loyalty programs that offer a fourth or fifth night free to select travelers on award stays, and provide you with all the information you need to take advantage of these valuable benefits.
Marriott Bonvoy ‘Stay for 5, Pay for 4’
One of the most well-known hotel loyalty programs that offers a fourth or fifth night free benefit is Marriott Bonvoy. All Marriott Bonvoy members automatically enjoy the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit when redeeming points for five consecutive nights under one reservation at the same hotel. This benefit gives you the lowest point-value night free for every five consecutive nights for which you redeem Marriott points, and is automatically applied during booking if your stay is eligible.
One of the great things about the Marriott Bonvoy “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit is that you can get multiple benefits on the same reservation. So, if you redeemed Marriott points for a 10-night stay, the two lowest point-value nights across your entire stay would cost you zero points. Additionally, you can book paid nights or free night awards in the same reservation you use the benefit, and nights booked with cash or free night awards don’t count toward the five-night requirement for the benefit.
Hilton Honors fifth night free on reward stays
Another major hotel loyalty program that offers a fifth night free benefit is Hilton Honors. Hilton Honors members with elite status get every fifth night free when booking standard room reward stays with points. Paid stays, premium room reward stays, and points and money reward stays aren’t eligible for this benefit.
You’ll effectively pay zero points for nights five, 10, 15, and 20 of your stay if you redeem Hilton points for a stay of 20 nights. There isn’t a cap on how frequently you can use this perk, but you’ll only get up to four free nights per stay. You can earn Hilton elite status by meeting annual night, stay, or base point requirements, or by holding certain Hilton credit cards that offer complimentary elite status as a cardmember perk.
IHG One Rewards fourth-night-free reward
Finally, cardholders of select IHG credit cards have access to the fourth-night-free reward perk. This benefit automatically drops the cost of every fourth night on a standard room reward night stay of four or more consecutive nights to zero. You can use this benefit on as many IHG One Rewards stays as you’d like, and it can be a great way to maximize the value of your IHG points and rewards.
In conclusion, getting a fourth or fifth night free when redeeming points for hotel stays can be a valuable benefit for travelers looking to maximize their hotel points and rewards. By taking advantage of these benefits offered by major hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and IHG One Rewards, you can stretch your points further and get more value out of your hotel stays. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, these benefits can help you save money and make the most of your travel experience.