Get a Free Hotel Night Every Year With These Credit Cards

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It’s the gift that keeps on giving: Certain credit cards offer an annual free hotel night as a reward to keep cardholders engaged well beyond the initial welcome bonus.

All of these cards offering free hotel nights come with annual fees, ranging from low to high. However, if used wisely, the free night alone can easily outweigh the cost. These cards also come packed with extras like elite status and statement credits, ensuring you get more than your money’s worth. Discover the top credit cards that offer free annual hotel nights and more benefits here.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card was revamped in fall 2022, enhancing perks like its Free Night Award, now worth up to 85,000 points (up from 50,000). This opens the door to luxurious stays at properties such as the St. Regis Venice or the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami. Cardholders can also top off the 85,000-point certificate with Bonvoy points to enjoy stays at high-end hotels like the Prince de Galles in Paris, which costs 103,000 points per night. The update also upgraded members to Platinum Elite Status, offering perks like lounge access, room upgrades, and late checkout.

In addition to the free night, cardholders enjoy statement credits and Priority Pass Select Membership, helping to offset the $650 annual fee. Members can earn up to $300 in dining credits per year ($25 per month) and enjoy access to over 1,300 airport lounges globally with the Priority Pass Select (enrollment required).

New cardholders are enticed with a welcome offer of 150,000 points after spending $6,000 within the first six months. Plus, earn an extra 50,000 points after staying six eligible paid nights at Marriott Bonvoy properties by January 31, 2024. (Offer valid until August 9, 2023.)

IHG® Rewards Premier Cards

Both the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offer annual free hotel nights for a modest $99 annual fee. Each card provides an Anniversary Free Night certificate, worth 40,000 points annually. If a hotel stay exceeds this point value, cardholders can use additional points from their balance to cover the difference.

As of now, IHG Hotels and Resorts encompasses 17 brands, including Intercontinental, Kimpton, Six Senses, and Indigo, with over 6,600 properties worldwide. IHG points can be used across these hotels, subject to availability. IHG’s dynamic award pricing means the points needed depend on factors like the season and the hotel’s cash rate. Typically, 40,000 points will cover a stay priced at $200–$250, far exceeding the annual fee. Both cards also include Platinum Elite status, offering benefits like late checkout, room upgrades, and free Wi-Fi.

The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card currently features a boosted welcome offer of 175,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in the first three months, the card’s highest offer to date. The IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, on the other hand, provides 140,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in the same time frame. You can hold both the personal and business cards to maximize your points and free night certificates for extended stays.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express (annual fee $695, see rates and fees) doesn’t directly offer a free hotel night, but it does provide up to $200 in annual statement credits for prepaid stays within the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) collection, including single-night bookings through Amex Travel. For the Hotel Collection, you’ll need a two-night minimum stay. FHR bookings come with perks akin to elite status, such as room upgrades, late checkout, daily breakfast, and on-site credits, typically worth $100.

Given that some FHR properties cost $200 or less, you can effectively secure a free night. Examples include W Panama, Waldorf Astoria Panama, and InterContinental Vienna, an IHG Hotel. Along with the free night, expect additional perks—one user recently enjoyed a suite upgrade, late checkout, breakfast for two, and a $100 food and beverage credit at InterContinental Vienna.

The $200 hotel credit is just one benefit of the Amex Platinum. Others include up to $200 annually for airline incidentals, $200 in Uber/UberEats credits, $100 at Saks Fifth Avenue, $240 for digital entertainment services like Hulu and Disney+, $300 for Equinox memberships, $155 for Walmart+ membership, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every four years. The card also offers premium lounge access, including Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass lounges. (Enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply.)

The Platinum Card from American Express is currently offering a welcome bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

No hotel credit card matches the rewards of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Each year after your first, you’ll receive an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors, which can be redeemed at properties with standard rooms, even those priced at 150,000 points per night, like the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. (A recent search found rooms for 150,000 points per night or $2,134+ per night in April and October 2023.)

You can also use the Free Night Award at properties with lower point requirements, like 90,000 points per night. For example, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya and Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort had widespread availability in fall 2023 for standard award redemptions. These free stays easily cover the $450 annual fee.

Cardholders get up to $500 in statement credits each year: $250 toward Hilton resort stays (room rates and taxes) and another $250 for airline fee incidentals on a selected airline (enrollment required). Additionally, cardholders automatically receive Hilton Honors Diamond Status, offering benefits like room upgrades and food and beverage credits during their stays. At Conrad and Waldorf properties in the U.S., this includes a $50 daily credit per couple.

New cardholders can also earn a welcome bonus of 150,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of membership.

Takeaways

Welcome bonuses can tempt us into signing up, but it’s the lasting perks that make certain credit cards true long-term winners. Cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, the Platinum Card from American Express, and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offer free hotel stays every year, helping cardholders offset annual fees while enjoying luxury at some of the world's top hotels—without extra cost.

Note that while these offers are accurate at the time of publication, they may change or no longer be available.