Each of the three main hotel loyalty programs – Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and World of Hyatt – have their own version of a free night award certificate, which go by different names.
While free night certificates are not technically free since each one comes with an acquisition cost, they remain one of the most valuable benefits offered by hotel loyalty programs through co-branded credit card membership and/or completing stays at properties.
In this article, we’ll pit the free night certificates available through Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and World of Hyatt against each other to determine which are the most powerful, as well as the opportunities and limitations that come with each one.
Which Hotel Free Night Certificates Are There?
Prior to diving into the analysis, let’s revisit the different types of certificates that are available in each program, and how to earn them in the first place.
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy offers a few versions of Free Night Awards, which range in value depending on which avenue was used to acquire it.
Marriott Free Night Awards can be earned each year either by holding a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card issued in Canada or the United States, or as an Annual Choice Benefit for earning Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status.
In Canada, there are two Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards, with both the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card each offering cardholders one Free Night Award worth 35,000 points each year on the card’s anniversary date, beginning in the second year.
Canadian Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
In the US, there are five co-branded credit cards that offer Free Night Awards just for being a cardholder. These certificates are issued each year on the cardholder anniversary date, with the following values:
Furthermore, you can earn more Free Night Awards of various values by reaching an annual minimum spending threshold on the following US-issued co-branded credit cards:
As mentioned above, if you reach Titanium elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, you can choose a Free Night Award worth 40,000 points as your Marriott Bonvoy Annual Choice Benefit.
To put all this information together more clearly, we’ve created this chart…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Prince of Travel…