How to Get Free Hotel Rooms: A Complete Guide

Holidays are always magical, and what better way to secure an affordable and dream-like experience than to find free hotel accommodation?

But how to get free hotel rooms exactly? It’s not as difficult as it may sound! This article will take you through the legit ways to book free hotel rooms and save on the most expensive part of your holiday.

How to Get a Hotel Room for Free

Best Ways to Get Free Hotel Rooms

1. Use your hotel rewards points

If you’re a regular traveler, you might have hotel reward points from the hotel chains you frequent. Rewards points are awarded to members of hotel loyalty programs and can be redeemed for free stays, room upgrades, and other benefits like complimentary food, drink, and Wi-Fi. The best thing about using points is that you can often book free rooms at the last minute without any blackout dates!

Most large hotel brands offer such loyalty programs, but independent hotels have also been getting on the trend. Make sure to use this opportunity when you travel for business and earn some extra points to use on your personal holiday!

2. Get a hotel room for free with your frequent flier miles

Another way to get free hotel rooms is by using your frequent flier miles. You can use your miles to book free stays at several hotel chains, including Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. Besides getting a free room, some rewards can include a free car rental, seat upgrades, and more.

Some companies that give the option to redeem miles are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. These airlines usually charge loyalty program members after 12 months and above of frequent flying.

3. Use your credit card points to book free hotel rooms

Another way to get free hotel rooms is by transferring your credit card points to hotel rewards points at a beneficial ratio. In this way, you can exchange the points for rewards such as free stays. You can also use your credit card points to book free flights or redeem them for gift cards and cash.

American Express, Chase, and Citi are some credit card companies that have partnerships with hotels. For example, American Express has partnerships with Marriott, Hilton, and Radisson. Chase partners with Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG, while Citi offers different hotel chain discounts through the Choice and Wyndham rewards programs.

Another great strategy is getting a credit card issued by your hotel chain of choice. Credit cards by the Choice, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham groups enable you to combine your spending and hotel rewards point collection to take advantage of hotel discount offers more easily.

4. Get the best possible promotions and deals

The next way to get free hotel rooms is by taking advantage of the best promotions and deals. Many hotels offer free rooms for a night when you book for certain days. For example, Marriott offers a free extra night when you stay for four nights while using their points rewards program.

Make sure to book your stay directly on the official websites of hotels to get the deals. What’s more, signing up for their newsletters will keep you updated with the latest promotions.

Discover the main facts about discounts and promotions.

5. Become a social media influencer

Being a famous influencer or blogger brings you a lot of perks and benefits, including the occasional free hotel stay. If you have a social media profile with many followers, you could get a free hotel room by promoting your stay.

Many hotels offer free complimentary visits or discounts when you write a review and mention them on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Influencers who receive a complimentary stay should provide a social media report and present it in the best way possible to justify the hotel’s investment.

This could be a win-win option for both sides. By creating engaging content and posting awesome photos, influencers attract new visitors to the property. Many hotels look for these collaborations to promote their brand, so make sure to do your research and pitch to the hotel you’re interested in staying at.

6. Complain about a bad experience at your stay

If you have a bad experience during your stay, you can use this opportunity to get free accommodation for your next trip.

All you need to do is write a complaint letter to the hotel manager about the bad experience. If the management can’t solve your problem, you can take it to the corporate office.

How to Get an Upgrade at a Hotel

One way to upgrade your stay is by making a reservation directly through the hotel’s staff instead of third-party websites. The best ways to do this are to visit the hotel’s official website or make a call. Striking up a conversation and letting the staff know that you’re traveling for a special occasion will increase your chances of getting an upgraded stay.

You can also try arriving early to see if there are any available rooms in a higher category. If the hotel is sold out, the staff may not be able to accommodate you, but it’s worth asking.

Finally, remember to be polite and friendly to the staff—hotels often give upgrades to guests who staff think will be good ambassadors for the brand.