How does the Citi Prestige 4th night free benefit work?

The most reliable ways to get free hotel rooms are to use a credit card with hotel rewards, and to join hotels’ free loyalty programs. Plus, you can always ask a hotel to match a better price you’ve found, and checking in late can sometimes lead to free upgrades since the hotel will have a better sense of which rooms won’t be needed. But for fully comped stays, credit cards and loyalty programs are your best bet. … read full answer

With credit cards, there are two paths you can take. If you’re not particularly loyal to any one hotel chain and value flexibility, just get a travel rewards credit card whose points or miles can be redeemed for stays at any hotel. For instance, Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Reserve let you book hotels using rewards on their travel portals.

But if you tend to favor one hotel chain over others, the most efficient way to get free nights is with a co-branded hotel card. You’ll earn the most rewards at the hotel chain in question, redeemable for free nights. And if you join the hotel’s loyalty program, you’ll usually get an extra point or two per dollar spent, on top of what the card gives you.

Here are the best cards to get free hotel rooms:

• Capital One Venture Credit Card: $500 travel statement credit for spending $3,000 within three months of account opening. 2x miles everywhere. Miles can be redeemed for travel statement credits, which includes hotel stays. $95 annual fee.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve: $750 in free travel (including hotel stays) for spending $4,000 in the first three months. $300 annual statement credit for travel purchases, again including hotel reservations. 3 points per $1 on travel and dining (1 point per $1 on all other purchases). Redeem for hotels on Chase’s travel portal, at 1.5 cents per point. $450 annual fee.
• Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card: 50,000 points for making your first purchase, and 35,000 points for spending $2,500 in the first 90 days. 40,000 points every year for renewing your card. 10 points per $1 spent at Carlson hotels (5 everywhere else). Redeem points for free nights, starting at 9,000 points per night. Combine points and cash if you have at least 5,000 points. $75 annual fee.
• IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card: 1 free night every account anniversary. 60,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first three months. 5,000 points for making at least one purchase and adding an authorized user within the first three months. 5 points per $1 at IHG hotels, 2 on gas stations and groceries, 1 everywhere else. Redeem for free nights starting at 10,000 points per night and get 10% back each time you redeem. $0 annual fee for the first year, $49 after that.
• SPG Preferred Credit Card from American Express: 25,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first three months. Up to 5 points per $1 at participating Starwood hotels, 2 at participating Marriott hotels, and 1 everywhere else. Redeem points for free nights starting at 3,000 points per night. $0 annual fee for the first year, $95 after that.

The easiest way to get free hotel rooms is to get a credit card that rewards you with them. That’s because you’ll be earning free stays with every purchase you make, not just on reservations. But you can also earn free nights by joining a hotel’s loyalty program. Every time you book a stay, you’ll earn points that you can redeem for free nights. Similarly, Hotels.com has its own loyalty program. Members get 1 free night for every 10 stays they book on the website.

You can use a Marriott free night certificate to pay for a stay at any category 1-5 Marriott property by logging in to your Marriott Rewards account, making a reservation, and choosing the “e-Certificate(s)” option when you get to the “Confirm Details” section. Watch out, though. You only have 12 months to use a Marriott free night certificate before it expires.… read full answer

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card users receive one of these reward certificates every account anniversary. You may also get a Marriott free night certificate if you spend points to purchase one. Once you have the certificate in hand, though, you’ll need to know the steps for redeeming it.

Here’s how to use a Marriott free night certificate:

1. Log into your Marriott Rewards account.
2. Search for any Category 1-5 hotel and select a booking you’d like.
3. Start your booking. When you get to the “Confirm Details” section, you’ll see any certificates you’ve earned. To use them, select “Attach the e-Certificate(s) below to my reservation.”
4. Finish your booking and confirm the transaction.

Your rewards certificate will now be applied to your booking and you’ll get to enjoy a free night. The process should go smoothly, as long as you remember to redeem within 12 months of your certificate being issued. There are no blackout dates for Marriott free night certificates, for example. But if a problem occurs during your booking, you can always call Marriott Credit Card customer service for help. The number is 800-432-3117.

After being discontinued in August 2018, the Citi Prestige card returned with a new offer in January 2019. The biggest Citi Prestige change that resulted was the card’s bonus rewards rate of 3 points per $1 on airline, hotel and travel agency purchases going to 5 points per $1 on dining and air travel. The old Citi Prestige card’s earning rate of 2 points per $1 on restaurant and entertainment purchases also changed to 3 points per $1 on cruise line and hotel purchases with the new version. And the Prestige card’s $250 air travel credit changed to a $250 general travel credit. All changes were automatically applied to existing cardholders. … read full answer

Other Citi Prestige changes on the horizon include a cell phone protection plan, which goes into effect on May 1, 2019. The plan will cover your cell phone for damage and theft when you charge your phone bill to the Citi Prestige card. Citi has yet to disclose specific coverage amounts.

More changes will follow on September 1, 2019. And they’re not positive. ThankYou points redeemed for air travel will decrease in value from 1.25 cents to 1 cent when redeemed through Citi’s travel portal. Also, the popular 4^th Free Night benefit will be capped to twice a year. And the annual fee will jump from $450 to $495. The fee for authorized users will increase from $50 to $75, too.