Making the Most of Your Hilton Free Night Certificate
Hilton Free Night Certificates- How to Make the Most of Them.
Are you dreaming of a lavish hotel stay without breaking the bank? Enter Hilton Free Night Certificates. These coveted vouchers are a valuable perk offered by the Hilton Honors loyalty program through Hilton credit cards, providing members with complimentary nights at select Hilton properties worldwide. Note: Marriott Bonvoy and Hyatt Rewards also offer a version of free night certificates.
Earning Hilton Free Night Certificates
The only way to earn a free night reward certificate from Hilton is through its' co-branded credit cards. Hilton Free Night Certificates are rewards granted to Hilton Honors members with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. The Amex Surpass card grants a free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. The American Express Aspire card grants a free night certificate every year automatically. Occasionally, American Express may sweeten the deal by offering free night certificates as part of a credit card welcome bonus. Free night certificates have an expiration date of approximately one year. You can see your available free night certificates and their expiration dates in your Hilton Honors account. The Hilton Aspire card does have a high annual fee, however, it can be a great value since it does have a lot of offerings, including the annual free night certificate. The Hilton Surpass card has a lower annual fee than the Aspire card. To learn more about which Hilton card is right for you check out our post.
How to Use Hilton Free Nights
Hilton Free Night Certificates are only valid for a standard room reward. They can't be used for upgraded accommodations — which will be noted as "Premium Room Rewards" when searching on Hilton's website. There are no blackout dates, however, a standard room has to be available to use the certificate. During busy times of the year, a standard room may be listed as a premium room, meaning you cannot use the free night certificates. To book, simply reach out to Hilton Honors directly. Note that free night certificates cannot be applied towards Hilton's 5th-night-free benefit for points bookings. To learn even more about Hilton Free Night Certificates check out our post. Pre-covid, free night certificates were only available to be used for weekend stays, however, they now can be used any night of the week.
Maximizing the Value of Hilton Free Night
Since free night certificates do not count towards a 5th night free, the best ways to use them are either on their own or if you are staying for more than 5 nights. For example, if you are having a one-night stay, a great option is to use a free night certificate. If you are staying for 3 nights you can either use all free night certificates if you have enough, or use the free night certificate for part of your stay and pay cash for the rest. It is most points effective not to use points for stays that are not a multiple of 5 nights, since you get the 5th night free on points bookings. However, there are times for more expensive hotel stays that I really do not want to spend the cash, so I do use points even if it is not a multiple of 5 nights. To earn more than one free night certificate, you can have more than one Hilton Credit Card. For instance, I have the Surpass and the Aspire and my husband has both cards as well. This gives us the potential to earn 4 free night certificates.
Elevate Your Travel with Hilton Free Night Certificates
Hilton free night certificates offer a gateway to luxury, allowing you to indulge in dreamy getaways without fretting over costs or Hilton Honors points. Simply identify your desired Hilton property, ensure standard room availability, and contact Hilton to secure your reservation. For instance, our annual tradition involves redeeming free night certificates at the Conrad New York Midtown during the bustling holiday season. Every December, the kids and I spend a few nights in New York City using our Hilton certificates.
Looking at the reservation options below, you can see that the standard room is available, meaning you can use a free night award certificate for that room. A standard room at Conrad New York Midtown for these dates would normally be 95,000 Hilton points or a cash rate of $823. For me, that would be a good use of a free night certificate at a luxury Hilton Hotel. Even better they allow dogs and there is no pet fee, which is a perk for us. Resort fees are waived for rooms booked on points. The $35 destination charge for this hotel does not get added for stays booked fully on awards and you still get the $35 food and beverage credits. We usually use this for room service for breakfast. More about this hotel in a later post. I had to play around with the dates to find a date in December that had standard award rooms available as this is a busy travel time in NYC. The closer to Christmas, the harder it will be to find one. The day of the week matters as well, with prime weekends being harder to find a standard award room.
Hilton Free Night awards can make for an excellent luxury trip for you. They can be used at some of the best Hilton properties like Hotel Del Coronado, Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. To take advantage, check out the best hotels in your desired locations. To learn more about the Hilton Honors program check out "Overview of the Hilton Honors Program".
Remember not to overspend when earning travel rewards points and free night certificates. Your credit score matters in your ability to obtain new travel credit cards. Also, remember to check all card details before applying for a card.