In 2022 I decided to try spending $15,000 on our World of Hyatt card to get an additional free night. It took some work to reach the spending goal before the end of the year, but I did manage to make it by our last statement. I was a bit worried about how I’d use the free night since Hyatt has moved many hotels in major cities to at least category 5, making the free night harder to redeem.
I didn’t want to spend $15K just to get a free night at a Hyatt House worth under $200. Fortunately, I was able to find a great use for the free night at the Grand Hyatt in Washington D.C. where I saved over $450 per night using 2 free night certificates.
Little did I know at the beginning of 2023 that the Hyatt certificates we had would bring such great value. As a result, I decided to make a change and went for the free night offered by the Hilton Surpass AMEX, which required the same $15,000 spending. What makes the Hilton free night more appealing is that it can be used almost anywhere in the world at any Hilton property. Previously, the free night was only valid on weekends (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), but the COVID pandemic led to the removal of this restriction, and Hilton decided to make the change permanent by the end of 2022.
That made it a great time to go for a free night in 2023. Unlike in 2022, I decided to make it easier to reach the spending requirement by giving the Hilton Surpass AMEX to Sharon to use as the primary card in her wallet. It worked out well for us because the card earns 6X Hilton Honors points for purchases at supermarkets, gas stations and restaurants.
It took most of the year but we did finally hit the $15,000 mark last month. AMEX and Hilton let us know that the free night was now in our account.
They also made sure to mention the free night can be used on any night and there are no blackout dates or resort fees.
In addition to the free night, we also earned a minimum of 45,000 Hilton Honors points plus bonus points for gas, grocery and restaurant spending.
I understand that many people might choose to spend their complimentary night at a luxury resort such as Conrad, LXR or Waldorf Astoria, where prices can exceed $1,000 per night. However, that’s not typically our preferred style of travel. I am already planning our stays for 2024 but I’m having difficulty deciding on the best place to use this free night. Although we have a trip to New York coming up, there aren’t many desirable Hilton properties in Manhattan. I will also be traveling to London, which would be a great opportunity to stay at a property that I wouldn’t usually consider, but since it is a solo trip, I would rather save it for when we are traveling together and can splurge on a more luxurious experience.
Where’s the best place you’ve used your Hilton free night?
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6 comments
Hilton London Bankside is a fantastic a bit under the radar property in London.
Last few have used at Waldorf at Disney, two different resorts in Key West (cash rate was $800 – $1000 for those) and the Rome Cavalieri. Definitely try to use them at splurge resorts when travelling with family particularly if only staying 1-3 nights so I either have enough certficates or don’t have to spend too many points to get any additional nights.
I’m using mine next May at the Conrad Midtown, which gets very good reviews in general and in comparison to the Conrad Downtown.
Used latest one at Conrad LA which was a great hotel
I’ve used one at the NYC Conrad Midtown, excellent location and service. Next month I will be using one at the Waldorf Astoria in Amsterdam (using points for a second night) which looks amazing. The trick is finding standard award rooms available at luxury hotels.
I’m about to use my first Hilton certificates on a hotel in London but can’t figure out which hotel to choose.