How to use your decrepit RV to get free hotel nights
Many travelers are turning to recreational vehicles – better known as RVs – for socially distant travel. Perhaps you've even bought an RV to save travel for your family.
But, RV travel isn't for everyone. Maybe you're regretting your first RV purchase. Or, perhaps you have an old RV in your yard that provided lots of great memories but is simply past its prime.
Whatever the case, if your RV has seen better days, you may want to take advantage of the new Hotels.com RV Rescue promotion. Here's what you need to know about this promotion to put together a competitive entry.
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What you can win
Through this promotion, seven RV owners will win hotel stays through Hotels.com. Specifically, one winner will receive $5,000 in hotel stays, two winners will receive $1,500 in hotel stays and four winners will receive $500 in hotel stays.
The promotion's terms and conditions note that winners will be determined by Aug. 28, 2020. And, if you are a winner, you must reply to an email sent to your account within 48 hours. Finally, Hotels.com gift cards will be paid out to winners by Sep. 30, 2020.
Related: Tips for taking a vacation on a budget
How to enter
Now that you know what you can win, let's consider how to win. First things first: you can only enter this competition if you are a legal U.S. resident who is at least 18 years old.
To submit an entry, you should email the following to RVrescue@hotels.com by Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. CT:
- Photos and/or video of your RV
- Video entries must be no longer than 20 seconds
- You can enter up to five files
- The maximum file size is 10 MB
- Your first and last name and state of residence
- A photocopy of your driver's license or state I.D. will be required if you're selected
- Proof of ownership or rental agreement of the RV shown in the photos and/or video
But, you'll want to highlight just how terrible your RV is in your photos and video. Specifically, winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:
- RV condition or state (the worse the better)
- Submission creativity
- Submission quality
- Fit to theme
And, remember that any content you submit can then be used by Hotels.com for any purpose. Specifically, the promotional page notes that your content may be used on the Hotels.com or Captain Obvious social channels.
I assume that Hotels.com will use submitted content to depict why booking a hotel through Hotels.com is better than owning or renting an RV. So you may want to highlight ways in which your RV failed you on a trip or perhaps even ruined your vacation.
Related: Trip wrecked: 7 ways to prepare for any kind of travel disaster
Other ways to get free hotel nights
Many of us don't have a decrepit RV and hence can't enter this promotion. But, even if you don't have a terrible RV, you can still get free hotel nights. For example, many hotel credit cards offer an annual free night. And, you can use most transferrable credit card rewards to book hotel stays through your credit card's travel portal. Likewise, you can redeem hotel points for free nights in almost every hotel loyalty program.
Finally, there are also many types of online travel agency rewards programs. One such program is Hotels.com Rewards, which allows you to earn a free night every time you stay ten nights.
Related: 5 ways to maximize free hotel night rewards in the new era of COVID-19
Bottom line
If you're creative and have an RV, it's certainly worth sending in an entry for this promotion. For the rest of us, it should be fun to see what content Hotels.com produces from the photos and videos submitted.
If you're looking to try out RVing, I highly recommend relocating a rental RV for $1 a day. Although doing so often requires a lot of driving in a short amount of time, it's a good way to road trip across the U.S. Alternatively, you can rent an RV for full price if you want more time or your schedule doesn't work with a relocation.