Hilton Free Night Rewards are one of the best-value items in the Hilton Honors program, as they can be redeemed a free stay at any Hilton property regardless of the points price, as long as a standard room is available.
There’s great news when it comes to these certificates: they can now be redeemed any day of week, not just on weekends, making them significantly more valuable than before.
Redeem Hilton Free Night Rewards Any Day of the Week
Historically, Hilton Free Night Rewards were only redeemable on weekend nights, which encompassed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.
During the pandemic, Hilton had generously allowed members to redeem Free Night Rewards any day of the week. A policy that was originally launched in 2020, this was quietly extended through 2021 and then 2022.
Indeed, if you first started dabbling with Hilton Honors in the past few years, you’ve probably assumed that Free Night Rewards were always usable any day of the week, when it’s actually just been a prolonged pandemic-related travel perk.
Well, the great news is that Hilton has now decided to make this arrangement permanent going forward: Free Night Rewards will be redeemable on any night of the week.
This has been communicated via Amex US Hilton credit card holders’ monthly statements, which state that the Free Night Reward benefit will be changing accordingly.
Maximize Hilton Free Night Rewards for Amazing Stays
As a reminder, Hilton Free Night Rewards can be earned on the following Amex US Hilton credit cards:
- Amex US Hilton Aspire Card: Annual Free Night Reward just for holding the card + second Free Night Reward for spending $60,000 (USD) in a calendar year
- Amex US Hilton Surpass Card: Free Night Reward upon spending $15,000 (USD) in a calendar year + second Free Night Reward for spending $60,000 (USD) per calendar year
- Amex US Hilton Business Card: Free Night Reward upon spending $15,000 (USD) in a calendar year
Occasionally, there are Free Night Rewards included with the welcome bonuses on these cards as well, or on targeted spend-based promotions for existing cardholders.
Just from the three Amex US Hilton credit cards listed above, it’s possible for a Hilton Honors member to earn three Free Night Rewards per year to use for aspirational stays without having to reach outlandish spending targets.
As Hilton Free Night Awards can now be redeemed for any standard night award regardless of points price, on any day of the week, the best ways to redeem them are naturally towards the most expensive standard awards.
While Hilton properties operate on a dynamic award chart, they still do have an unofficial award structure in which certain properties will cost a fixed amount most of the time.
We can use the following price points for certain hotels as guidelines to judge the value you’re getting from a Hilton Free Night Reward:
- The Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal would otherwise cost 150,000 Hilton Honors points per night
- The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, and other top-tier properties would otherwise cost 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night
- In general, I’d consider using a Free Night Reward for any stay that would otherwise cost 80,000+ Hilton Honors points, which corresponds to a redemption value of $400 (USD) as per our Points Valuations
Keep in mind that Hilton Honors, like Marriott Bonvoy, offers a Fifth Night Free benefit when you book on points. This does not apply if any of the nights are paid for using Free Night certificates.
Therefore, when weighing up whether to use points or certificates, it makes the most sense to redeem Free Night Rewards on one- to three-night stays, or as an extension to a five-night stay booked on Hilton Honors points.
Conclusion
Hilton’s Free Night Rewards are the strongest benefit of the Hilton Honors program and the Amex US suite of Hilton co-branded cards – and they’ve just gotten even stronger.
These Free Night Rewards can be redeemed for any Hilton hotel as long as a standard priced award night is available, with no maximum cap. With this change, these certificates can be redeemed on any day of the week, greatly increasing their flexibility.
I applaud Hilton for making a consumer-friendly move at a time when travel is rebounding at unprecedented rates, and I’d say this change goes a long way in boosting Hilton Honors’s standing among the ranking of the world’s major hotel loyalty programs.
