Essential Tips: Optimize hotel free night certificates by strategizing your credit card applications

Even if you don’t travel often, there are plenty of benefits to acquiring a hotel credit card from your preferred brand. While no-annual-fee hotel credit cards exist, you’ll typically gain more advantages from hotel credit cards that offer an annual complimentary night. In fact, the annual free night can deliver far greater value than the card’s yearly fee.

If you intend to use your free night certificate for a stay at a hotel that’s usually beyond your budget, having several free night awards is beneficial, especially if you plan to stay more than one night. Whether you choose to apply for multiple hotel credit cards with free nights or opt to have a travel buddy sign up for the same card to accompany you, it’s crucial to plan your credit card applications thoughtfully.

Enhance your hotel free night certificates with credit cards

When you apply for a card that offers an annual free night, it typically arrives shortly after your account anniversary. By timing your applications wisely, you could receive multiple free nights around the same period each year, all with similar expiration timelines (usually 12 months from issuance). The more these overlap, the longer you have to use them at a single location instead of needing to spend them on multiple one-night visits.

In 2021, my husband and I redeemed three Hilton free night certificates at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and two at the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa in 2023. Using just one free night at either Maldives resort wouldn’t have made much sense, especially since even standard award nights are pricey if you redeem Hilton Honors points. Hilton free night certificates are particularly valuable because they can be used at nearly any Hilton property, regardless of the award night price, as long as standard award availability exists.

You can obtain Hilton free night certificates through the following cards:

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Upon opening this card, you will receive one free night, plus an additional free night each year at account renewal. Cardholders can earn a second free night by spending $30,000 within a calendar year, and a third by spending $60,000.
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Cardholders can earn a free night certificate after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases during a calendar year.

The details for the Hilton Aspire card have been gathered independently by Dinogo. The information presented on this page has not been verified or supplied by the card issuer.

Several Marriott Bonvoy credit cards also provide opportunities to earn free night awards. Therefore, even if you prefer to travel alone, you can strategically time your applications to accumulate multiple free night awards around the same period each year.

For instance, if you hold both the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you would receive one free night award for a stay at a property with a redemption level of up to 35,000 points after the anniversary of each card. (Note that some hotels may charge resort fees). We have utilized several Marriott free night awards for multi-night stays at various hotels that we wouldn't have booked using cash, including Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa.

Be aware that Bonvoy Business Amex cardholders can also earn an additional free night award (up to 35,000 points per night) after spending $60,000 within a calendar year (resort fees may be applicable).

Lastly, there's the World of Hyatt Credit Card, which offers a free night valid at Category 1-4 properties upon renewal. Additionally, you can earn another free night by spending $15,000 in a calendar year. If you time your purchases to reach the $15,000 threshold around your card anniversary, you can combine your free nights for a two-night stay.

Many hotel credit cards with annual fees below $100 provide an annual free night, so be sure to consider the hotel credit cards you currently hold before applying for a new one. You might also want to partner with your favorite travel companion and apply for new cards simultaneously. This way, you can enjoy multiple free night awards with matching expiration dates as you plan your trips for the years ahead.

Further reading:

• 7 top hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night
• Here are the best Hyatt Category 4 hotels, according to Globalists
• My top 3 recommendations for the best cobranded hotel credit card