6 surprising ways to use your on-property credits at hotels
Editor's Note
Depending on which credit cards you have, you may receive a $100 on-property credit during your next hotel stay. Uses of this benefit can vary from hotel to hotel. Moreover, uses of this on-property credit can range from the obvious to the ingenious.
Let's look at some surprising ways to use your on-property credits at hotels, starting with how you can receive this benefit.
What are on-property credits for hotel stays?
Using your on-property credits for food and beverage spending — at the hotel restaurant or through room service — visits to the spa and even parking are common uses of on-property credits. There are three main avenues for receiving on-property credits, explained below.
Through specific programs
The most common way to receive on-property credits with your hotel bookings is to book through a luxury hotel program from a credit card issuer. These include:
- American Express: Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) and The Hotel Collection (THC requires a minimum two-night stay). The Platinum Card® from American Express cardmembers receive up to $600 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $300 biannually) for hotel bookings through these programs, in addition to the up to $100 on-property credit for eligible bookings. Terms apply.
- Capital One: Premier and Lifestyle Collections
- Chase: The Edit by Chase Travel℠
- Citi: Hotel and Luxury Collections
Along with benefits such as room upgrades at check-in (if available), complimentary Wi-Fi and daily breakfast for two (except with The Hotel Collection), another key benefit included with these reservations is the on-property credit.
The Edit bookings promise a unique property amenity or credit valued at $100. This is usually a meal for two people, though other offerings may include a spa treatment or waived green fees for golf at properties with golf courses.
Capital One's Premier Collection includes a $100 experience credit for activities unique to each stay on all bookings. This benefit covers eligible expenses charged to your room, and the use of the credit will vary by property. The Lifestyle Collection includes a $50 experience credit for rooftop drinks, dining at signature hotel restaurants, room service or other activities.
With FHR, you will receive an experience credit at each property valued at $100. This is typically a spending credit for on-property restaurants or spa treatments. On the other hand, THC reservations offer $100 in credits to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities. Terms apply.
These benefits are what you should expect when making reservations through these programs. That's not to say you won't receive other benefits, though. You may receive other perks like late checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi or a separate meal credit.
With a credit card
Those who have the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card can take advantage of up to $400 in statement credits for spending at participating Hilton resorts, available every calendar year (up to $200 semi-annually). You can use the credits on dining, activities, spa treatments and even room rates and taxes, but you can't use these credits toward advance-purchase or nonrefundable rates.
Aspire cardmembers also can receive up to $100 in on-property credits when booking a stay of at least two nights at Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties using the Hilton Honors Aspire Card website or booking on the phone using the code ZZAAP1. With this benefit, you'll receive a credit of up to $100 for incidentals during your stay.
Another example comes from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Cardmembers can receive an on-property credit of up to $100 for eligible incidentals when booking a paid stay of at least two nights at participating Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties. Eligible charges include dining and hotel recreational activities that are not provided by a third party.
Note that enrollment is required in advance for some benefits, and terms apply.
With elite status
Additionally, you may receive benefits from your elite status, depending on the hotel and the rewards program.
This is not guaranteed, but it can happen. If you get free parking and breakfast as status benefits, you could use your on-property credits to cover other expenses during your stay.
Hotel elite status isn't the best way to get an on-property credit, so if that's of great interest to you it may be better to consider a credit card with an on-property credit instead.
Resort fees
No one likes resort fees. These can present a real surprise when you think your hotel room will cost $150 and then receive a bill for $185, thanks to a resort fee or "destination fee" tacked onto your bill.
You can avoid these by redeeming points or free night awards at some hotels, but programs like Marriott Bonvoy still assess resort fees even on award stays at some hotels and resorts.
The good news is that you can often use your on-property spending credits to cover resort fees. Logically, using your credits for resort fees leaves less money to spend on other things, such as activities and meals, but it can soften the sting of unpopular fees in popular destinations like Hawaii and New York City.
If you're not the type to dine at on-property restaurants or take advantage of other hotel amenities, this is a great way to still use your on-property credit.
Pet fees
I've used my on-property credits from a booking with The Hotel Collection to cover pet fees. The Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego honored my World of Hyatt Globalist status on this reservation, meaning they waived the parking fees, gave my wife and me free breakfast every morning and still provided a $100 on-property spending credit.
The fee for two dogs in our room during the weekend? $100.
In addition to receiving up to $600 in per-calendar-year statement credits for booking this hotel using my Amex Platinum Card's annual hotel credit, we were able to erase the pet fees with the spending credit from our reservation.
Taxi rides
When I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, I booked a one-night stay through Fine Hotels + Resorts to use my Amex Platinum Card's up to $600 hotel credits for the calendar year.
Since this property participates in Marriott Bonvoy, they recognized my Titanium Elite status and gave me a complimentary breakfast and dinner. That freed up my $100 on-property credit for other uses.
In addition to covering my lunch at the hotel restaurant, I could charge taxi rides to my room. From the queue of taxis waiting near the hotel's entrance, I could inform the driver of my room number and destination. After dropping me off, the taxi driver charged my ride to my room.
I used this feature a few times for rides around the city to do some sightseeing, and then I erased the charges from my bill at checkout — thanks to the on-property credit of $100 for my reservation.
Related: The best Marriott hotels in the world
Beach chairs and cabanas
If you stay at a hotel with beach chairs or cabanas for rent around the pool or near the ocean, see if you can charge these to your room. You should be able to, as long as they are managed by the property and not a third-party vendor.
If you can charge these to your room, you may be able to cover those purchases with your on-property spending credits.
Of course, the flexibility of your spending credits will be important here. Inquire at check-in whether you can use the credits for everything charged to your room or only for certain purchases.
Resort activities
Similarly, if you can use the on-property spending credits however you'd like, you should be able to apply the credits to any expenses charged to your room. At resorts with an activities desk, you will have additional options.
Ask whether you can use your credits to cover excursions, snorkel rentals, family activities or other on-property activities. If you can use your property credits for anything charged to the room, look for opportunities to charge your family's expenses to your room to cover the fun extras that make your trip more enjoyable.
Related: The best all-inclusive resorts in the world
Buy a round at the bar
When my wife and I stayed at the Canopy by Hilton Sao Paulo Jardins in Brazil, which is part of The Hotel Collection, the hotel provided us with complimentary breakfast and $100 in on-property credit thanks to my Amex Platinum. Because we have friends in the area, we invited them to the hotel's bar one night and charged everyone's drinks to our room.
Fortunately, $100 property credit goes pretty far when converted to Brazilian Reais, and using our on-property credit this way made for a great evening with friends.
Bottom line
We have to eat every day. Thus, using on-property credits to meet this daily necessity will be the first thought for most people. Covering parking fees for your vacation rental car may come next. However, if you have on-property credits during your next hotel stay, there are some less common uses that you should consider.
Using your property credits for cabana rentals, pet fees or fun extras can be a great way to offset the costs of your next vacation. Consider whether using your credits for these things and then eating off-property for a cheaper meal (or using these credits for activities because the hotel provided free meals) could elevate your next hotel stay.
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
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