The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
News
I have 13 free night certificates that expire by Jan. 3 – here’s how I’m using them
Carly HelfandDirector of points, miles and credit card content
Carly has been writing about points, miles and credit cards since 2017, freelancing for outlets including Condé Nast Traveler and Business Insider before joining the TPG staff in 2025. She is passionate about helping people optimize their points and miles strategy to achieve their individual travel goals and firmly believes that as long as you understand what your points can do, there's no such thing as a bad redemption.
November 10, 2021 • 9 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
The article shares strategies for maximizing hotel free night certificates accumulated during the pandemic, highlighting how to use them for high-value stays.
It details the flexibility of certain certificates, such as those that can be redeemed at nearly any property in a hotel group, and how pandemic-era changes expanded their usability.
Examples include redeeming certificates at luxury resorts, timing bookings to secure award availability and combining certificates for longer stays.
The author emphasizes the importance of flexibility and persistence, as hotel award availability and certificate expiration dates can impact redemption options.
What to consider
Award availability for hotel stays can fluctuate, so checking frequently and being flexible with dates increases chances of success.
Some certificates are only valid for properties below a certain points threshold or category, which can limit options during peak pricing periods.
Certificates may have expiration dates, but extensions or changes to terms can occur, especially in response to unusual circumstances like the pandemic.
What you'll miss from the article
A step-by-step look at how to combine multiple free night certificates, navigate award calendars and choose properties for maximum value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Between March 2020 and my COVID-19 vaccination in May 2021, the closest I got to travel was cranking up the heat in my apartment, putting beach towels down on the pullout couch, turning on some ocean sounds and making frozen margaritas (which, yes, is a thing I actually did).
But with a handful of hotel credit cards that earn annual free night certificates in my husband and my wallets, we amassed quite a collection of certificates while staying home. With just a few months left to go in 2021, I found myself making plans for eight of them — that is until my dad informed me he also had five expiring certificates he wouldn’t be using, bringing the grand total to 13.
Here’s how I’m putting them to use.
Hilton free weekend night certificates: 3
Infiniti pool and jacuzzi at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal (Image courtesy of Hilton)
To me, Hilton free weekend night certificates are the holy grail of free night certificates. The reason? They apply to nearly every hotel in the Hilton portfolio, not just those below a certain award tier or points threshold. During the pandemic, Hilton also removed the weekend restriction, making these certificates good for any night of the week.
I usually try to go big with these certificates, redeeming them at a fancy resort or one that’s particularly pricey over my desired dates. Some of my past redemptions include Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea and a Christmas-week stay at the newly renovated, adults-only side of the Hilton Puerto Vallarta, an all-inclusive property.
There, standard rooms go for 120,000 points per night instead of the 95,000-point ceiling for most Hilton properties, but I had certificates expiring Jan. 3, 2022, from myself, my fiancé and my dad to work with.
Initially, I could only find availability for two nights over my desired December dates, which I jumped on for the chance to experience a stay that would have been completely unaffordable for me at $5,145.60, including taxes and fees. I kept checking back until I found space the days before and after my initial reservation, eventually locking in a four-night stay with my three expiring certificates and the fourth certificate with an expiration date next December.
My fiancé and I will each receive new free night certificates in 2022 for holding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, so I felt good burning one well ahead of its deadline to extend an aspirational stay.
Because four nights still felt a little short for a trip all the way from our home base of Portland, Oregon, I transferred some Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt to book a stay directly afterward at another Cabo hotel on my list — The Cape, a Thompson Hotel.
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Note: Marriott announced a couple of weeks ago that it would extend free night certificates set to expire between Jan. 3 and June 29 until June 30, 2022, but by that point, I had already made plans for my Marriott certificates and decided to keep them rather than plan new trips for next year.
Last October, Chase offered five free night certificates, good on stays pricing at 50,000 points per night or less, as a sign-up bonus for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card after meeting minimum spend requirements. Because Marriott cards have strict eligibility rules that span across products from both Chase and Amex, I was restricted from earning the bonus, but my fiancé wasn’t. The Marriott Boundless is currently offering 100,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
From the moment he took out the card, my plan was for us to use the certificates to stay at Koloa Landing at Poipu, a member of Marriott’s Autograph Collection on the island of Kauai. There was just one issue: the hotel is a Category 7 property, meaning it charges 50,000 points per night during off-peak dates only, with standard nights going for 60,000 and peak dates hitting 70,000.
Luckily, I eventually managed to find not just five, but six consecutive nights priced at 50,000 points. I threw in an annual up-to 50,000-point certificate of my own, a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card perk that at the time was also set to expire Jan. 3, and locked in back-to-back bookings.
Marriott 35,000-point certificates: 2
(Photo by VDB Photos/Shutterstock.com)
As a holder of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card from Chase (no longer available to new applicants), I had two up-to 35,000-point Marriott certificates originally set to expire on Jan. 3, 2022, which I used this summer on a road trip home from Jackson, Wyoming and a stay at the Newark Airport Marriott before a friend’s wedding. But my dad, who has the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless from Chase, also had two that wound up in my possession.
At that point, I was already planning a two-night trip up to Seattle to see a concert, so I filtered my hotel options accordingly.
Seattle has several options that fit the certificates’ 35,000-point cutoff, but as is true in most cities, you can often get more bang for your buck if you look outside city limits. In the past, I’ve found staying in neighboring Bellevue to be a great option since we drive up from Portland and have access to our car throughout the trip.
In this case, rather than opting for a Courtyard, Moxy, Residence Inn or Four Points by Sheraton downtown, I went for the Seattle Marriott Bellevue for a slightly more upscale experience. Plus, it's just a short jaunt from Bellevue to Seattle.
The information for the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
With all this time planned away from home throughout the remainder of the year, I’m using the last two free nights — Category 1-4 certificates that my dad received as a World of Hyatt Credit Card from Chase cardholder — for a staycation in Portland at the Hyatt Centric Portland Downtown.
The property has a boutique feel and the perfect location for exploring Portland’s Pearl District and Pioneer Square neighborhoods, along with all the shopping, dining and entertainment options they have to offer. It'll be a great getaway, even if it's close to home.
Bottom line
Many of us are sitting on more free night certificates than ever thanks to COVID-19-related extensions. Whether you’ve planned for your certificates well in advance or need to make some last-minute reservations as I did, there are still great redemptions to be found both near and far from home.
But remember, hotel award availability changes constantly — so if at first you don’t succeed, check again! It also helps if you're flexible with your dates and can travel during lower-demand times. This is especially true with Marriott certificates, as peak pricing could make it a property too expensive to book with a certificate.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
