Many hotel credit cards offer annual free night certificates. (They’re commonly referred to as “anniversary nights” because most don’t trigger until the second year of card membership.) But are they worth the annual fees?
Are These Nights Really “Free”?
Let’s get this out of the way now. Annual free nights can be a great way to ultimately save some money during your travels.
But each of the below credit cards carries an annual fee. So you’re essentially paying for a “discounted” hotel night. For example, if you have the World of Hyatt Credit Card ($95 annual fee) and use it at participating property that costs $100, then you’ve saved some money. But wasted/expired free nights are no good — so make sure to get hotel credit cards whose benefits you’ll actually use and enjoy.
Make sense?
I generally cash in one or two each year to cut costs during weekend mileage runs and stay at decent airport hotels.
If you regularly use the card a lot and redeem the points you earn, however, then you’re likely nullifying those annual fees and really coming out ahead.
IHG Credit Cards
IHG offers a pair of credit cards featuring anniversary nights: the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card and new IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.
- IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: One annual free anniversary night, starting in year two of holding the card. The anniversary night benefit is valid at IHG properties valued at 40,000 points or fewer.
- Complimentary Status: IHG Platinum Elite
- Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full.
- Annual Fee: annual_fees.
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: This card features a great benefit: members receive a free fourth night on award stays of three nights. So you basically redeem three nights’ worth of points — and the fourth night’s room rate (of the same stay) is free.
- IHG gets beaten up a lot. They don’t really have a bunch of luxury. Even some InternContintental hotels are fairly meh. But this card is especially great for families. Why? So many Holiday Inns have pools — which kids love. And the welcome offer comes with enough points to create a good vacation for the family.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.
- IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: One annual free anniversary night, starting in year two of holding the card. The anniversary night benefit is valid at IHG properties valued at 40,000 points or fewer.
- Complimentary Status: IHG Platinum Elite
- Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full
- Annual Fee: annual_fees.
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: Earn 5X on eligible travel, gas stations, select advertising, and restaurant purchases. Plus, this card also features the Fourth Night Free benefit. Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee statement credit up to $100 every four years.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card.
Marriott Credit Cards
Marriott offers the most free hotel night certificate of any major hotel chain. Their Bonvoy loyalty program features credit cards from both American Express and Chase. Plus, one card currently offers three free nights as part of its welcome bonus!
Chase invented the infamous 5/24 rule. American Express limits the number of cards you can hold to five. So if those rules prevent you from getting a Marriott card from one bank, you might be able to still get one from the other issuer.
- card_name (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: Free anniversary night (starting year two of card membership) redeemable at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels valued at 35,000 points or fewer. You can earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60,000 in eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year.
- Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full. (Terms apply.)
- Annual Fee: annual_fees (card_name.)
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: Members earn 15 elite night credits each year of card membership. You earn 6X for each dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 4X at several everyday categories.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more and learn here how to apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: One anniversary night (starting year two of card membership) redeemable at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels valued at 35,000 points or fewer.
- Complimentary Status: Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite
- Current Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within three months of being approved for card membership. (Terms apply.)
- Annual Fee: $95
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: Earn up to 17X per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. (Everything else earns 2X.) But a $95 annual fee for a card awarding you one night at a 35,000 point property is certainly good.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- card_name (Learn how to apply.)
- Free Night Award: One anniversary night after your card renewal month, redeemable at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels valued at 85,000 points or fewer.
- Complimentary Status: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite
- Current Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full (Terms apply.)
- Annual Fee: annual_fees card_name
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: This card is packed with benefits. The first is the fact that your anniversary night can be redeemed at hotels valued up to 85,000 points. It also comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required) and up to $100 in statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre√ application fees.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the card_name
Hilton Credit Card
Only one Hilton card offers an annual free night.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: One free weekend night, starting the first year of card membership.
- Complimentary Status: Hilton Honors Diamond
- Current Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 bonus Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within three months of card membership approval.
- Annual Fee: $450 (Rates and fees.)
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: It’s fairly easy to earn back that $450 annual fee — and come out ahead. (Rates and fees.) First, the card gives members up to $250 in statement credits for purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts. (Terms apply.) Next, cardholders can earn up to $250 in airline fee statement credits (Terms apply. Enrollment and airline selection required). So if you plan to take a trip or two during the course of a year, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card can help you save a few bucks. Plus, the card gives you complimentary Hilton Diamond status. So get ready to enjoy some upgrades!
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Eye of the Flyer.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers a free weekend night — but you must spend $15,000 each year on the card in order to earn it. (Terms apply. All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected independently by Eye of the Flyer.)
Hyatt Credit Card
- The World of Hyatt Credit Card (learn how to apply)
- Free Night Award: You’ll receive one free night each year (starting the second year of card membership). The award is valid at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort. Keep in mind that Hyatt has a partnership with MGM Resorts/M Life; the World of Hyatt Credit Card‘s free night is redeemable at many of their properties. (Great to help save some money on a Vegas vacation!)
- Complimentary Status: Hyatt Discoverist status. (Receive a complimentary match to MGM Resorts/M Life Pearl status. Manual enrollment required.) Plus, earn an additional free night at any Category 1–4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year.
- Current Welcome Offer: Earn up 60,000 bonus World of Hyatt points. First, earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases during your first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to 30,000 more by earning two bonus points total per $1 spent within the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn one bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent. Got that straight? 🙂
- Annual Fee: $95
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: The World of Hyatt Credit Card can help you achieve higher-tier Hyatt status. You receive five qualifying night credits towards your next tier status every year. Plus, you earn two additional qualifying night credits against your next status tier each time you accrue $5,000 in spending on the card.
- All information about the World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Eye of the Flyer.
- Learn More and How to Apply: Read more now about the The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Wyndham Credit Cards
Two Wyndham credit cards don’t offer free night awards, per se. Rather, they deposit into your account a nominal amount of points which can be redeemed for free nights at certain hotels.
- Wyndham Rewards Earner+ Card
- Free Night Award: 7,500 bonus points after paying your renewal fee. That’s worth one night at many Wyndham properties. But Wyndham itself admits, “A free night can require up to 30,000 points per bedroom at participating properties.”
- Complimentary Status: Wyndham Platinum
- Current Welcome Offer: Earn up to 90,000 bonus points: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of card membership.
- Annual Fee: $75
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: Cardholders can get a 10% discount on award bookings. They also enjoy special card member booking discounts.
- Wyndham Earner Business Card
- Free Night Award: 15,000 bonus points after paying your renewal fee. That’s worth two nights at many Wyndham properties.
- Complimentary Status: Wyndham Diamond
- Current Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 bonus points: Earn 65,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of card membership. Then earn an additional 10,000 bonus points after a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days.
- Annual Fee: $95
- Other Notable Benefits and Points Earnings: Cardholders can get a 10% discount on award bookings. They also enjoy special cardmember booking discounts.
Honorable Mention
Although it doesn’t offer a free night certificate, card_name offers cardholders a yearly $200 statement credit toward hotel bookings made through Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program.
Most participating properties are high-end — with price tags to match.
But you can occasionally find a great deal. I’ve had decent luck in Las Vegas — often getting FHR property rooms for $200 or under for one night. (Read about my FHR stay at Bellagio.) Keep in mind that FHR bookings come with a number of benefits:
- Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
- Daily breakfast for two people ($30 per person or $60 total per room)
- Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
- Noon check-in, when available
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- $100 Food and beverage credit to be used during the stay
Final Approach
Annual free nights can be a great way to save some money while traveling. Make sure to get hotel credit cards whose benefits you’ll actually use and enjoy.
- To see rates and fees for the card_name, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for card_name, please visit this link. Terms apply.
- To see rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, please visit this link. Terms apply.
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Good morning, Chris!
You list “…earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants within the first six months of card membership” as one of the bonus/benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card but when I click on the links provided, I do not find this in the list of benefits described on the landing page.
Thanks for catching that! I updated the post accordingly.
Forgot USBank Radisson cards which give you points annually that can be used towards a free night….similar to Wyndham.
Bottom line – If you get any of these cards just for the free night, they are no bargain (unlike the IHG card, until a couple of years ago). Now, if you are actually traveling and use the co-branded cards at their respective properties, you will find that points earning (and sometimes status) becomes _much_ easier and the cards can help pay for themselves more than the free night.
There’s a Chase Marriott biz card as well with a free 35k night.
Yep. But it’s not open to new applicants, unfortunately.