How to Get Free Hotel Rooms

Exchange good reviews for a free stay.

Ask for 1-2 free nights and offer to post 4-5 incredible reviews. This strategy works better if you have a large social media following. However, it’s worth a shot even if you’re not an influencer. The secret is to target the right hotel chains. Go for a small- to medium-sized hotel, preferably abroad. Foreign hotels will be more open to your reviews because it’s harder for them to market themselves in your country. Contact the hotel and say something like, “I’m a small travel blogger looking to stay in Bali and promote local hotels like yours. Would you be willing to provide me with a free room on the 29th? In exchange, I’d post rave reviews on all my social media accounts as well as sites like Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Facebook.” Aim for an audience of 2000 followers/subscribers/unique viewers per month to boost your odds at a free stay.

Join a hotel loyalty program.

Loyalty programs reward you for staying with the same hotel chain. The benefit of hotel loyalty programs is that they’re usually free to join! As you repeatedly book stays, you’ll accumulate loyalty points, which you can redeem for free nights. You may also get perks like free wifi, complimentary food and drink, and upgraded rooms. Two of the most popular loyalty programs are Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. For example, at Hilton hotels, you earn about 10 points per dollar spent on a room. You can get free hotel rooms starting at 5,000 rewards points. Likewise, with Marriott Bonvoy, you earn 10 points per dollar spent on a room, and free hotel rooms start at 5,000 rewards points or $55 plus 3,500 points.

Use a hotel credit card.

Hotel credit cards let you earn points towards a free stay. You’ll get rewarded with points when you stay with the hotel, as well as when you make purchases on other things like groceries, clothes, and more. Depending on the hotel, they might even offer free nights, free upgrades, or other benefits as part of the intro offer when you sign up for the card. Check out some popular hotel rewards cards below. All of them offer a free “account anniversary” night where you get 1 free hotel room annually: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: 130,000 points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership and an annual fee of $95. IHG Rewards Club Premier: 150,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, $0 annual fee for the first year, then $89 each year. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: 3 free nights after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months and an annual fee of $95. World of Hyatt: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months and an annual fee of $95.

Redeem offers from third-party booking sites.

Choose this strategy for more flexibility in switching between hotel brands. Third-party booking sites often offer points or special promotions. For instance, Hotels.com offers a free night after you book 10 nights through their site. Expedia offers 2 rewards points for every $1 you spend on hotels. You can redeem your points at a rate of 140 points per $1. Hotels.com averages the value of your 10 bookings to determine the value of your free hotel night.

Book through a site with a best price guarantee.

Some third-party booking sites will refund you if you find a lower rate elsewhere. For instance, Choice Hotels will give you a $50 gift card or comp your room (depending on where you live) if you book a room through them but find another site offering an identical room at the same hotel for a lower price. Take your gift card and apply it to an extra night, or try this strategy multiple times to basically let their price guarantee pay for your room!

Earn points through online shopping portals.

Get rewards points for shopping with a hotel's retail partner. Online shopping portals let hotels list all their partners in one place. You can choose a retailer, click through to that retailer’s website, and make a purchase. In the process, the hotel will typically give you 1-2 points per dollar you spend. Choice Hotels and Wyndham Hotels are two prominent chains that offer shopping portals.

Swap frequent flier miles for hotel points.

If you aren't a hotel loyalty program member, use frequent flier points instead. You can also use this strategy during peak travel times when it's tough to use your flier points to book a flight. American, United, JetBlue, and Southwest allow you to use frequent flyer miles for hotel rooms. Frequent flyer miles are valued at about $0.01 per mile.

Choose airlines that’ll pay for stopover rooms.

Some airlines offer free hotel rooms for flights with long international connections. This service is called STPC (stopover paid by carrier). Not all airlines make it obvious that they offer STPC, so be sure to ask about free rooms when you book an international flight with a 6-24 hour stopover. STPC is usually only available for business or first-class passengers. Airlines that offer STPC include Air Canada, China Southern, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Icelandair, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Thai Airways, TAP Portugal, and Turkish Airlines.

Participate in referral programs.

Invite your friends to stay at your preferred hotel chain and get rewarded! To qualify for most referral programs, the people you’re inviting must be first-time customers. You’ll typically input their name, email address, and your loyalty program ID. For example, with the Marriott Bonvoy referral program, you can earn up to 50,000 points through referrals. That’s worth about $350.

Complain about a genuinely bad stay.

If you have a bad experience at a hotel, provide feedback. Talk to the front desk and be specific about the nature of your complaint, the date, and the names of any staff involved. Be polite and courteous, and avoid demanding a free stay. Instead, see what the staff offers you–it might be a discount, an upgrade, or a voucher for free rooms. Don’t make up a complaint in order to get a free room. You might get a staff member in trouble.

Tell hotel staff you’re visiting for a special event.

Mention a birthday, anniversary, or another occasion that you’re celebrating. Let the hotel know about your special event when you check-in, or put the event in the “special instructions” or “comments” section when you book your stay. You’re not guaranteed a fully free extra night, but you’ll likely get at least an upgrade. Try this strategy during a travel off-season so that the hotel won’t be totally booked.