Mar 14, 19, 8:27 am
Last edit by: rrgg
Expiration: The 12 month expiration date on a certificate means you must reserve and complete the stay by the expiration date. You can't reserve something beyond the 12 month period. You can't extend the expiration date. (Some exceptions starting with this post.)
Eligible Dates: A certificate can be used for a Standard Room Award any day of the week. (Old policy limited them to Fri, Sat, Sun).
Other Notes:
Eligible Dates: A certificate can be used for a Standard Room Award any day of the week. (Old policy limited them to Fri, Sat, Sun).
Other Notes:
- If you earned a free night from a credit card and cancel the card, the free night certificate remains intact.
- If you cancel a reservation made with a free night certificate, the certificate becomes available right away.
- After making a reservation with a free night certificate, you'll get an email that says you booked a Standard Room Award. It will also show the points value, but no points will actually be deducted.
- The free night from the Aspire card arrives by email within 2 months of being approved and anniversary date, and the free night from spend on the Aspire/Business/Surpass arrives within a week or sooner of reaching the spending threshold. This is irrespective of your card statement date. If you upgrade from another Hilton Amex to the Aspire, the free night may post more quickly.
- Available, reserved and used certificates can be seen midway through the My Account page (https://www.hilton.com/en/hilton-hon...st/my-account/)
- If you're waiting for a free night certificate to arrive, Hilton reps say it does not help to make a points reservation and then swap it later. The reason is they have to cancel the old points reservation one and make a new reservation. The old one can't just be edited to change the payment to a FNC.
- From the Hilton email regarding a special 2020 policy on some certificates, "For all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, we are extending the expiration date through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021). There is no need for you to do anything, as your certificate(s) are being automatically updated in our systems. We hope this adjustment gives you some additional flexibility for your travels
Consolidated "Free Night Certificate Questions & Experiences" thread
Jul 18, 18, 5:06 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,244
Consolidated "Free Night Certificate Questions & Experiences" thread
If I have points but not the free weekend night certificate yet, can I book a standard room with points and then convert it to the certificate when I receive it, or will Hilton not let me do that?
Jul 18, 18, 8:24 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,244
Jul 18, 18, 8:36 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Dia; Marriott Amb; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit; SLH Indulged
Posts: 4,622
I did with no issues. However on the day I converted the points to the free weekend night, there were still standard awards available on that night so it would have been surprising if it did not work. The real question is whether you can convert a points booking to a free weekend night if standard awards are no longer available.
Jul 19, 18, 8:28 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,244
I did with no issues. However on the day I converted the points to the free weekend night, there were still standard awards available on that night so it would have been surprising if it did not work. The real question is whether you can convert a points booking to a free weekend night if standard awards are no longer available.
Jul 19, 18, 10:56 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K; BA Silver; AA G
Posts: 14,980
In the past standard rewards still need to be available in order to do this. See these recent threads(among others)
Replacing one night points booking with certificate?
Will HH let us swap points stay for a CC free night?
swap points booking for cert booking?
Replacing one night points booking with certificate?
Will HH let us swap points stay for a CC free night?
swap points booking for cert booking?
Jul 19, 18, 1:29 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,244
In the past standard rewards still need to be available in order to do this. See these recent threads(among others)
Replacing one night points booking with certificate?
Will HH let us swap points stay for a CC free night?
swap points booking for cert booking?
Replacing one night points booking with certificate?
Will HH let us swap points stay for a CC free night?
swap points booking for cert booking?
Jul 19, 18, 4:31 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: IAH
Programs: HH Diamond, Bonvoy something
Posts: 121
To piggyback on the thread title, does a weekend night certificate redemption combined/followed with a paid stay result in no points earned on the paid stay? I recall reading that concerning nights redeemed with points followed by paid stays, but have not confirmed certs operate the same.
Jul 19, 18, 4:34 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K; BA Silver; AA G
Posts: 14,980
To piggyback on the thread title, does a weekend night certificate redemption combined/followed with a paid stay result in no points earned on the paid stay? I recall reading that concerning nights redeemed with points followed by paid stays, but have not confirmed certs operate the same.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28289014-post12.html
Points and free night certs stays do not prevent you from earning points "for every eligible U.S. dollar (or other currency equivalent) charged to an individual Member's hotel bill ("eligible folio") for stays at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio."
http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/t...rual_of_points
Last edited by jerry a. laska; Jul 19, 18 at 4:52 pm
Jul 19, 18, 5:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: IAH
Programs: HH Diamond, Bonvoy something
Posts: 121
No, this changed in 2017. See:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28289014-post12.html
Points and free night certs stays do not prevent you from earning points "for every eligible U.S. dollar (or other currency equivalent) charged to an individual Member's hotel bill ("eligible folio") for stays at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio."
Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28289014-post12.html
Points and free night certs stays do not prevent you from earning points "for every eligible U.S. dollar (or other currency equivalent) charged to an individual Member's hotel bill ("eligible folio") for stays at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio."
Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions
Jul 19, 18, 5:17 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,496
Jul 19, 18, 5:49 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: IAH
Programs: HH Diamond, Bonvoy something
Posts: 121
Large number of properties available. Excluded list can be found at this link: http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/p...nd-reward.html
Jul 24, 18, 11:03 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 42
Adding another question to the discussion -- can you combine a stay using points and a certificate? As an example, an eight night stay at a hotel when one night would cost 50,000 points, configured as follows:
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
Jul 24, 18, 11:28 am
#14
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: Hilton credit card Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,631
Adding another question to the discussion -- can you combine a stay using points and a certificate? As an example, an eight night stay at a hotel when one night would cost 50,000 points, configured as follows:
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
Jul 24, 18, 11:36 am
#15
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,038
Adding another question to the discussion -- can you combine a stay using points and a certificate? As an example, an eight night stay at a hotel when one night would cost 50,000 points, configured as follows:
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
Monday-Friday -- five free nights using points (200,000 points, four night's worth, fifth night free, diamond status "bonus")
Saturday -- free weekend night based on 15K spend (free night certificate already awarded)
Sunday-Monday -- two additional nights, 100,000 points
Eight nights, 300,000 points. Is this valid? How would I book this?
Thanks for any help.
An easier thing I have done is simply reserve one night with cash. So, 4 nights at the Conrad HK, I do 3 nights with points and one weekend night with cash (separate reservation). Then when I get the weekend night cert, I simply call and they use that to pay for it. It has to be for a standard room. On my last visit at the Conrad, I was still upgraded to the Exec Floor as a Hilton Gold member for all nights.
I did it this year at the Curio Reichshoff Hamburg. I did 3 award night reservation, then called and had one night switched to a weekend cert night. The points were reinstated. It ended up being a separate reservation and a little more work.
It seemed easier to make a one night cash reservation as part of a longer stay, and then have the cert used to pay for it.
