Fifth Night Free and Other Award-Stay Discounts by Program
Which hotel programs discount longer award stays, how to book so the discount applies, and how it changes the cost per night.
Several hotel programs reward longer award stays with a free night or a discount, most famously “fifth night free”. On a five-night stay, that’s a 20% saving on points, which makes slow travel and longer holidays noticeably cheaper.
Program rules change. Check each program’s current terms before you book.
How longer-stay discounts work
The common pattern is: book a certain number of consecutive award nights in one reservation, and one of them costs no points. The details vary:
- Who qualifies: all members in some programs, only elite members or cardholders in others.
- Which nights: usually standard award rooms booked entirely with points.
- How the discount appears: sometimes as one free night, sometimes as a lower total.
Which programs offer them
When checked in November 2026, the big four handled it like this:
- Marriott Bonvoy: stay five award nights, pay for four, for all members.
- Hilton Honors: fifth night free on standard room reward stays for elite members. Check which tiers qualify before you book.
- IHG One Rewards: fourth night free on reward stays for holders of IHG’s co-branded credit cards.
- World of Hyatt: no equivalent benefit.
Because the rules change, check each program’s own award terms before planning around them. Look for:
- The number of nights needed.
- Eligibility, such as status or holding a co-branded card.
- Whether it repeats on longer stays, such as two free nights on ten.
Booking so the discount applies
- Book all the nights in one reservation.
- Use points for every night, not points and cash.
- Book standard award rooms, unless the terms say otherwise.
- Check the total before you confirm. The discount should show in the points price.
Cost per night
A worked example, with illustrative numbers. A hotel costs 30,000 points a night.
- Four nights: 120,000 points, or 30,000 a night.
- Five nights with the fifth free: 120,000 points, or 24,000 a night.
If you were going to stay four nights anyway, adding a fifth costs no extra points, just the cost of being away one more day.
Longer stays
On a ten-night stay, programs that repeat the benefit may make two nights free. For slow travel, that adds up: a month at a mid-priced hotel could save several nights’ worth of points. Compare that with a monthly rental before deciding, since longer stays often favour apartments.
For using certificates on long stays, see free-night certificates, and to compare programs, see hotel loyalty programs compared.
Common questions
Which hotel programs offer the fifth night free? Marriott (all members) and Hilton (elite members), and IHG offers the fourth night free to its cardholders. Hyatt doesn’t.
Do I need status for the fifth night free? In some programs, yes; in others, no. Check the terms.
Does the fifth night free work with points and cash? Usually not. It generally applies to stays booked entirely with points.
What if I cancel one night of a five-night award? You may lose the free night, since the stay would no longer qualify.
This guide is general information. Check each program’s official terms before you book.