Tip: Get a Fifth Night Free on Many Hotel Award Redemptions

Dec. 09, 2016

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2 min read

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Redeeming your points toward a well-deserved trip can be a great feeling, especially knowing that you'll be creating memories to last a lifetime. The legacy hotel brands we've come to love (for the most part), such as Marriott, Starwood and Hilton, all have great redemption opportunities and all share a common benefit that many forget when planning their trips.

With the three programs, if you redeem for a four-night stay, you can get the fifth night for free — no extra points or cash required (aside from possible taxes and fees). Make sure to check that there's availability for the five consecutive nights before you plan to take advantage of this complimentary benefit.

By remembering this simple trick, you can be enjoying these views in Bora Bora for even longer. Image courtesy of St. Regis Bora Bora.

Here's some more program-specific information to make sure you're able to take advantage of this benefit:

Marriott allows you to get a free fifth night if you've redeemed your points for four nights. If you're staying at a Marriott property longer, such as 10 nights, you'd only have to redeem for 8 nights — your fifth and tenth nights are covered.
Starwood is also a great option — you'll get the fifth consecutive night for free after redeeming for four nights. This applies only to SPG Category 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 properties, so be sure your property is eligible before redeeming.
Lastly, Hilton also offers the fifth night free — but it gets complicated. Unlike what Marriott and Starwood offer, you have to be an elite member to get the fifth night free on award redemptions (though it's easy to get Gold status for free). Furthermore, Hilton bases the free night on peak and off-peak seasonal pricing, which makes this option somewhat less attractive. You can find the full terms here.

For more information on Fifth Night Free benefits, check out this post.

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