Hey there!

Ever dreamt of staying in fancy hotels without spending any dollars? Believe it or not, you can get free hotel rooms! 🏨✨ It’s all about knowing the right tricks.

Imagine taking more vacations and using your money for other fun things instead of paying hotel bills

Whether you’re looking for a luxury resort or a comfy hotel room, the secret is finding those sweet deals and making the most of them.

In this blog, I’ve shared some easy tips and tricks to help you get free or cheaper hotel rooms.

Stick around till the end for some bonus tips!

Also Read: Get Salvation Army Hotel Vouchers Online: Here’s How to Apply

Best Ways To Get Free Hotel Rooms!

1. Sign up for Hotel Loyalty & Reward Programs.

Hotel loyalty or rewards programs offer opportunities for complimentary stays and room upgrades.

By enrolling in these programs, you accumulate points that can be redeemed for free nights, and as you advance through membership tiers, you unlock additional perks like waived resort fees.

Popular programs such as Marriott Hotels, IHG Rewards Club, and Hilton Honors are accessible at no cost, often providing a complimentary night after a designated number of stays or points accrued.

#1: Marriott Bonvoy:

Integrates former Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest programs. With Marriott Bonvoy, you earn 10 points per dollar spent on a room.

Free hotel rooms start at 5,000 points or $55 plus 3,500 points.

#2: IHG Rewards Club:

IHG Rewards Club is a loyalty program from the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

It allows members to earn points for staying at any of IHG’s hotel brands, including InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and more.

These points can be redeemed for free hotel stays, flights, merchandise, and other rewards.

Members enjoy benefits such as exclusive rates, late check-out, and free internet. The program features different tiers (Club, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, and Spire Elite), with higher tiers offering enhanced perks like room upgrades and priority check-in.

The IHG Rewards Club aims to provide a rewarding experience for frequent travellers.

#3. Hilton Honors:

At Hilton Hotels you accumulate approximately 10 points for every dollar spent on a room. Offers members can get exclusive deals and guarantee the lowest rates when booking directly.

Free hotel stays can be redeemed starting from 5,000 reward points.

Many travel booking platforms also feature rewards programs, such as Expedia.

These programs offer valuable benefits such as encouraging frequent booking, thereby maximizing their revenue.

Points can be earned in various ways aside from booking hotel rooms:

• Staying at hotels: Accumulate points based on your nightly stay, varying by hotel and booking rate.
• Promotions: Periodic bonus point offers are available upon registration.
• Partnerships: Earn points through affiliated partners like car rentals or airlines.

Collected points can be redeemed for rewards like free hotel nights. The number of points required for a free night certificate depends on the hotel brand, location, and room rate.

2. Get a Hotel Credit card.

Earn credit points when you stay at the hotel or make purchases like groceries and clothes with 

these hotel rewards cards. Depending on the card, you could get free nights, upgrades, or other perks when you sign up. Here are some examples:

1. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Link – https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/hilton-honors-surpass/

• Intro Offer: 130,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $95.

2. IHG Rewards Club Premier

Link – https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/ihg-rewards-club/premier

• Intro Offer: 150,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $89 annually.

3. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Link – https://www.marriott.com/credit-cards/india-credit-cards.mi

• Intro Offer: 3 free nights after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $95.

4. World of Hyatt Credit Card

Link – https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/rewards/hyatt-credit-card.html

• Intro Offer: 30,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
• Annual Fee: $95.

Each card also includes a free “account anniversary” night annually, giving you a complimentary hotel room.

These perks make these cards great options if you stay at hotels frequently and want to earn rewards for your spending.

3. Join Hotel Referral Programs.

Many hotels offer referral programs incentivising you to spread the word about their property.  You both get rewarded by referring friends or family who book a stay using your code. 

To participate in most referral programs, the friends you refer to usually need to be new customers.

You’ll usually need to provide their name, email, and your loyalty program ID when you sign them up.

For instance, in the Marriott Bonvoy referral program, you can earn up to 50,000 points by referring others. That’s equivalent to around $350 in value.

Here are five hotel referral programs available in the USA:

• Marriott Bonvoy Referral Program: Earn points when friends join and complete a stay. (Join here)
• Hilton Honors Referral Program: Get bonus points when referred friends join and stay. ( Join here )
• IHG Rewards Club Ambassador Referral Program: Both referrer and referee earn bonus points for new enrollments and stays. (Join here)
• Best Western Rewards Referral Program: Gain bonus points when referrals join and stay. (Join here)
• Radisson Rewards Referral Program: Earn points when referred friends join and complete their first stay. (Join here)

4. Use a Third-party website to Book Hotels & Get Rewards.

Websites like Hotels.com reward frequent users with free nights after a certain number of booked stays.

Additionally, some offer cashback programs that can significantly reduce accommodation costs.

For example, Hotels.com gives you a free night after you book 10 nights through their site, calculating the free night’s value based on the average cost of your 10 bookings.

Expedia rewards you with 2 points for every $1 you spend on hotels, which you can redeem at 140 points per $1.

Some third-party booking sites also offer price matching.

For instance, Choice Hotels will either give you a $50 gift card or cover your room (depending on where you live) if you find a lower rate for the same room on another site after booking through them.

You can use the gift card for an extra night or repeat this strategy to have the price guarantee cover your room cost multiple times.

Top Websites for Booking Hotels and Earning Rewards in the USA, UK, and Canada

1. Hotels.com

Earn one free night for every 10 nights booked. Offers member pricing with an average 15% discount and a price match guarantee.

Join here 👉 : https://in.hotels.com/hotel-rewards-pillar/hotelscomrewards.html

2. Expedia

Bundles flights, hotels, and car rentals. Offers a price guarantee and rewards for frequent use.

Join here 👉 : https://www.expedia.com/welcome-one-key

3. Choice Hotels –

The Choice Hotels rewards program, Choice Privileges, allows members to earn points through hotel stays, dining, and activities, Members can redeem points for free nights, airline miles, gift cards, and more.

The program also offers status levels from Gold to Diamond, with benefits including bonus points, exclusive discounts, and potential room upgrades.

Join here 👉 – https://www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges

4. Booking.com

Features a wide range of accommodation types. The Genius Loyalty Program offers discounts and free breakfast for frequent users. Includes a price-match guarantee.

Join here 👉 : https://www.booking.com/genius.html

5. Orbitz

Earn Orbucks rewards (5% back on app bookings, 3% on desktop). Provides price guarantees and exclusive deals.

Join here 👉 https://www.orbitz.com/justlikethat

6. Priceline

Known for Express Deals and Pricebreakers offering significant discounts. The VIP program includes best price guarantees and exclusive discounts.

Join here 👉 : https://www.priceline.com/vip

7. Agoda

Especially strong for bookings in Asia. Earn 4-7% back in points with each booking and access exclusive member discounts.

Join here 👉 : https://www.agoda.com/airasiarewards?ds=eoiYu5rj%2FeMJiZMg

5. Ask for a Discount or Free Stay Directly From the Hotels Staffs

Hotels often include this deal in their rewards program, but if you’re not a member, you should still ask about getting a free night with a 3-5 night stay.

For example, Four Seasons offers a free 4th night and free breakfast at some locations when you book a 3-night stay online.

Usually, you’ll need to call the hotel and speak to the general manager to try to get a free night instead of booking online.

When you call, mention that you plan to book 3 or 4 nights (or more) and ask if they can offer a free 4th or 5th night.

They might say you need to join the rewards program to get this benefit (like IHG One, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy offer), but sometimes you might find someone willing to give you the deal without joining.

It’s always worth asking

6. Social Media Influencers: Review & Get Free Stays

To get free hotel stays as an influencer, you need to show hotels why you’re valuable to them and how your review can impact their image.

This means sharing your hotel experiences on your blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, or any other platform where you have a good amount of followers.

Here’s a simple guide to getting free hotel stays as a blogger or influencer:

1. Know Your Value: Hotels want to reach new customers, so it’s important to show them how many people will see your posts about their hotel.
2. Match Your Content: Make sure your posts fit the hotel’s style and message.
3. Contact Hotels: Email the hotel’s marketing or PR department and explain how your posts can help them get more attention and customers.
4. Set Clear Terms: Be clear about what you will do for them (like how many posts or videos you will make) and what you expect in return (a free stay).

7. Become a Travel agent. 

If you often travel with groups, becoming a travel agent can be a wise decision. Travel agents receive industry discounts and can earn commissions on bookings.

To become a travel agent, you’ll need accreditation, typically from a reputable program that provides essential industry knowledge.

Here’s how you can get the benefit:

1. Access to discounts – Travel agents can access special rates not available to the public, leading to substantial savings when travelling with a group.
2. Earn commissions – By booking for multiple people, you can earn commissions from hotels, sometimes offsetting the cost of your stay.

While this role offers perks, it also requires managing travel details professionally and responsibly for others.

It’s not just about getting discounts; it’s about ensuring your group has excellent travel experiences.

8. Complain Politely to Get Discounts or Free Stays. 

If you have a bad experience at a hotel, share your feedback. Speak to the front desk and clearly explain your complaint, including the date and names of any staff involved.

Be polite. Instead of demanding a free stay, see what the staff offers you—it could be a discount, an upgrade, or a voucher for a free room.

Don’t make a complaint just to get a free room, as it could cause trouble for a staff member.

Bonus Tip

You can earn gift cards and various rewards by completing paid online surveys, and you can use these gift cards to get a free hotel stay.

Here’s how it works: by answering online surveys, you can earn gift cards for accommodations like Hotels.com, Marriott Hotels, Holiday Inn, or even a Visa gift card that you can use anywhere.

Collect these gift cards until you have enough to book your desired hotel.

To begin, find a survey site you trust. Some of my favourites are:

• Swagbucks
• American Consumer Opinion
• Branded Surveys
• Survey Junkie
• InboxDollars

We suggest signing up for all the survey sites to get as many surveys as possible, which will 

earn you more gift cards.

You can also use other apps like Fetch Rewards and Ibotta to get free gift cards.

At GatherXP, we regularly receive gift cards. Recently, we logged into several accounts we use, redeemed our points, and got $275 in free gift cards.

We prefer to wait until we have a lot of points before redeeming them all at once.

It does require some patience, so an overnight free hotel stay isn’t immediate. However, as you 

continue to complete surveys, your collection of gift cards will grow.

FAQ:

Q1. Is it possible to get a free night at a hotel?

You can enjoy a free night at a hotel through various loyalty programs. These programs reward you with points that can be redeemed for complimentary stays.

Additionally, some programs offer a free night after a certain number of paid stays or as a sign-up bonus.

Q2. Do influencers stay at hotels for free?

Sometimes, yes.  Travel influencers with substantial followings can leverage their reach for complimentary stays in exchange for promotion. However, transparency and adherence to hotel policies are crucial.

Q3. How do I request freebies from a hotel?

When requesting freebies, being polite and professional is key.

You can briefly explain your situation to the hotel management and inquire about potential discounts, special offers, or freebies.

To maintain their image, the hotel will likely provide you with something.

Q4. What are the best hotel loyalty programs?

The best hotel loyalty program majorly depends on your travel habits, needs and preferences. 

• World of Hyatt: High-value points (2.3 cents each), perks like free breakfast.
• Marriott Bonvoy: Largest network (8,000+ properties), various credit cards.
• Hilton Honors: Points worth 0.5 cents each, bonus point opportunities.

Also consider IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards, and Choice Privileges for budget or independent hotel stays.

Related Post: Free Hotel Voucher Programs for Homeless & Those in Need: How to Apply