60+ best places to use a Hilton Free Night Certificate worldwide

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Hilton has possibly the most flexible and easy to use free night certificates of any major hotel chain. You can use them for a standard room at almost any Hilton property worldwide, regardless of what the nightly cost is in cash or points. Originally, these certs were only applicable towards weekend stays, but during the pandemic, Hilton made them available for use any day of the week, a change that was made permanent in 2022.

Some of my most memorable hotel stays of the last few years have involved Hilton free night certificates. Last year, my wife and I were finally able to go to the marvelous Zemi Beach House in Anguilla, perched by itself on a stunning stretch of Caribbean beach on which we could sometimes walk for a mile without seeing another soul. A couple of years before that, we spent an idyllic week at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, where we swam with whale sharks and watched reef sharks swim beneath our overwater plunge pool. There’s many more great opportunities out there.

This post aims to serve as resource for folks looking for ideas on the best places to use their free night certificates. Outside of a couple of historic properties, each hotel in this list has a Tripadvisor and/or Google reviews rating of 4.5 or above. I also didn’t include any properties whose standard rooms price below 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Most of the comments included below come from readers and/or members of our Frequent Milers Insiders group while the unattributed ones are mine. We will update this page regularly to include new opinions, bottom line reviews and additional properties.

This post has been updated with addition properties, reviews and updated pricing.
a deck with chairs and umbrellas on a sunny day
Overwater bungalow – Conrad Maldives

How to earn Hilton free night certificates

Both Hilton credit cards below offer various paths to free night certificates. These certs are highly valuable since they can be used at almost any Hilton property in the world. However, these certificates can only be used for a standard room reward…regardless of the points price, they cannot be used towards a Premium Room Reward. It also should be noted that standard room award availability can be very hard to find at some properties.

Hilton Aspire

Earns at least one free night every year. The first certificate is awarded 8-12 weeks after approval. Additional free nights after $30K and $60K spend in a calendar year.

Card Offer and Details
175K Points + free night certificate ⓘ Friend-Referral
175K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Free night certificate every year - first certificate is awarded 8-12 weeks after approval. Terms apply.
(Offer Expires 1/8/2025)
$550 Annual Fee
Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy.
FM Mini Review: This card is loaded with valuable perks that are more than worth the card's annual fee if you stay in Hilton resorts at least twice per year.
Earning rate: ✦ 14X Hilton spend ✦ 7X US restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, select car rental companies ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases ✦ Terms & Limitations Apply.
Base: 3X (1.44%)
Travel: 7X (3.36%)
Dine: 7X (3.36%)
Brand: 14X (6.72%)
Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Big spend bonus: Additional free night awards after $30K and $60K spend in calendar year
Noteworthy perks: ✦Annual Free Night Reward every year upon renewal ✦ Free Diamond Status ✦ Up to $400 Hilton Resort Credit per calendar year ($200 semi-annually) ✦ $200 Flight Credit ($50 per quarter for purchases directly with airlines or via Amex Travel) ✦ $199 CLEAR (R) Plus fee credit per calendar year ✦ $100 on-property credit w/ Aspire Card package ✦ Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees

Hilton Surpass

Earns a free night after $15K spend each calendar year.

Card Offer and Details
165K points ⓘ Affiliate
165K points after $3K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply.
(Offer Expires 1/8/2025)
$150 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: (Expired 7/31/24) 130K points + free night certificate after $3K spend within the first 6 months.
FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Those who want Diamond status may be better off with the Aspire card.
Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 6X U.S. restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 4X U.S. Online Retail Purchases ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases
Base: 3X (1.44%)
Dine: 6X (2.88%)
Gas: 6X (2.88%)
Grocery: 6X (2.88%)
Shop: 4X (1.92%)
Brand: 12X (5.76%)
Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees.
Big spend bonus:
✦ Free night award after $15K spend in calendar year ✦ Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend ✦ Terms apply
Noteworthy perks: Free Gold status. Diamond status w/ $40K spend. ✦ Up to $200 in Hilton credits ($50 per quarter) ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees)
a large rock formation with houses and a lake
Boulder Scottsdale (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Using Hilton Free Night Certificates for Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties

Hilton’s new-ish partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is one of the most exciting ways to use both Hilton points and free night certificates. There are now over 400 participating SLH hotels that can be booked through Hilton Honors and many of them are are drool-worthy destinations and which would be out of reach for most people when booking with cash. Like Hilton’s own properties, SLH hotels and resorts max out at 150,000 points per night, but many of them have cash rates that go well over $1,000/night.

That creates a conundrum for this post, however: pretty much ALL SLH properties are excellent places to use a free night certificate. Listing all 400 of them would quickly make this post an unwieldy behemoth that would cause finger cramps when paging through it. Because of this, we’re going to limit the listings primarily to Hilton’s own brands, but will add SLH hotels that we’ve actually stayed at or that are recommended by readers as we come across them.

In the meantime, we’ll simply say that SLH properties, in general, represent one of the best uses of Hilton Free Night Certificates.

Hermitage Bay, Antigua, is one of many aspirational hotels bookable with Hilton points thanks to the partnership between Hilton and SLH.

Best Uses for Hilton Free Night Certificates in the U.S.

(in parentheses is standard room points price/peak season cash price; $=less than $500/night, $$=$500-1000/night, $$$=$1000+/night)

Arizona

California

  • Conrad Los Angeles (90,000/$-$$)
  • Hilton Santa Monica (80,000/$)
  • Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection (95,000/$-$$)
    • “I don’t recommend the Hotel Del Coronado. We had an expiring cert so decided to use it up locally. They had opened a restaurant that we wanted to try. It was excellent. Otherwise, the stay was a disappointment. Our room was tight and parking was expensive. My memory says parking was somewhere between $40 and $50. The room was sufficiently disappointing that we went home.” – reader Carol
    • “I am glad I am not the only one who thinks the same about Hotel Del Coronado. I have stayed there 4 times for an 5 nights each time before and after Hilton took it under their umbrella. Yes, it’s a historic hotel and it truly is amazing…but I was in an “updated” premium room with a huge balcony/terrace with direct view of the famous red roof and pool. The view was spectacular and the bathroom was nice…but the room was just average and kinda musty. I was given the option to pay for an upgrade to this room each time and I took it, only for the view. The last time I was there was 2018 so maybe they updated since. Especially at those prices. I do love historic hotels and maybe I should have stayed in the main building.” – reader PJ
  • Oceana Santa Monica (105,000/$$$)
    • “$1300 and up plus resort fees. FNC or points is beyond value to be ocean front on Santa Monica.” – reader Carmelita
    • “Nice little LXR boutique in Santa Monica, suite upgrade over a weekend, fairly expensive for F/B but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Very comfortable and had a peekaboo view of the Pacific.” – reader Robert
    • “It’s a small, relaxed property, with spacious, comfortable rooms and an elegant feel; walking up to the lovely, ivy-strewn exterior feels like you’re entering a private club. That said, if I was paying $900 or 105,000 points per night to stay here, I couldn’t help but be underwhelmed; it feels like a hip, stylized renovation of an older motel. While I wouldn’t call it a destination to seek out, it was nice for a short getaway, and a decent place to burn some free night certificates.” – Read our full Bottom Line Review
  • Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (120,000/$$$)
    • “The best Hilton option in California IMO. Great rooms and views, excellent service. The food prices are through the roof, but my P2 enjoyed spotting NY celebrities at breakfast, ymmv. The rooftop pool is very nice and for guests only. Recommend uberring (using your Amex coupons) rather than renting a car and paying the steep valet prices.” – reader Brendan
  • Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach (95,000/$$)
    • This is a very nice and well run resort.  We had a nice stay, but this style of resort isn’t really my thing: it’s very large (~400 guest rooms) and too perfectly manicured for my tastes.  Everything at the resort, including the surrounding Dana Point area, was Disney-like perfect, but I prefer the more rugged beauty found in nature (like in Big Sur, for example).  Still, the Waldorf Astoria resort (which used to be a St. Regis) did a great job of doing what they do (i.e. catering to the rich who like this sort of thing).” – Read our full Bottom Line Review here
a beach with a building and a pool
Hotel del Coronado (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Florida

Georgia

a man and woman standing in a pool with palm trees and a pink sky
Grand Wailea (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Hawaii

  • Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (110,000/$$-$$$)
    • “It’s got a fantastic pool complex, a nice beach and on the Wailea beach path/trail. That one night by itself paid for the full year’s AF on the Hilton card.” – reader James
    • “I was going to be in Maui on vacation anyway and space opened up at Grand Wailea. It’s got a fantastic pool complex, a nice beach and on the Wailea beach path/trail. That one night by itself paid for the full year’s AF on the Hilton card.” – reader James

Illinois

  • Waldorf Astoria Chicago (95,000/$$)
    • “Fabulous hotel. We got upgrade to a suite, but base level room is also lovely. Id recommend it in the winter because every room has a beautiful fireplace. Spa, gym, pool are as nice as you can imagine!” – reader Vincent
a living room with a couch and a table
Conrad New York Midtown (Image courtesy of Hilton)

New York

  • Conrad New York Downtown (90,000/$-$$)
    • “I’ve used 2 expiring FNC at the Conrad New York City Downtown (midtown was not available) and had terrible service experiences. These were a few years apart and under different management, but the lackluster stays were pretty consistent especially with the F&B in the restaurant. Follow up complaints went unanswered so took it to Hilton Corp. customer service. Midtown was unavailable so was stuck with this one. Never again…probably the most disappointing Conrad out there.” – reader matthewsf
    • “I had the opposite experience, actually. Stayed at Downtown for my birthday in December. Staff was great, and the food in the bar wasn’t bad at all. Locations wasn’t ideal but it worked for us. We spent a lot of time in LES & Brooklyn, and the huge Revel credits they honored meant we had free Tesla rides everywhere, even to JFK from the hotel!” – reader veeRob

South Carolina

Utah

Washington, D.C.

Best Uses for Hilton Free Night Certs outside the U.S.

a restaurant with tables and chairs on a beach
Zemi Beach House Anguilla

Mexico and the Caribbean

a building on a beach surrounded by trees
Mango House Seychelles – (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Africa and Middle East

a hotel with a pool and trees
Ryoku Kyoto (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Asia

a table and chairs on a deck with a lake and mountains in the background
Hilton Lake Como (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Australia / New Zealand

  • Eichardt’s Private Hotel, SLH (130,000/$$$)
    • “A gem which begins with the location. As you exit the front door, straight ahead is the beautiful Lake Wakatipu with dramatic mountain views beyond. To the right are Queenstown’s shops, restaurants, boat docks, and the Skyline Gondola. To the left are the Queenstown Gardens featuring a gorgeous lakefront path. Inside, the suites are large and luxurious, and the restaurant offers breathtaking lake views.” – Read our full Bottom Line Review here

Europe

a room with a table and chairs
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam (Image courtesy of Hilton)

Frequently Asked Questions

What properties can a free night certificate be used for?

The value of a free night certificate is not limited, and can be used at almost any Hilton property worldwide. However, these certificates can only be used for a standard room reward. Keep in mind that at some of the most popular properties, like the Conrad Bora Bora and Waldorf Astoria Maldives, standard room rewards can sometimes be very difficult to find…but they do exist.

Can Hilton free night certificates be used any time?

In years past, credit card free night certificates were limited to weekend night use, but that changed during the pandemic (initially on a temporary basis and then eventually it became a permanent change). Now Hilton free night certificates can be used any night of the week, so long as there’s a standard room award available. This additional flexibility makes them significantly more valuable.

What’s the best way to find standard award nights?

If you want to find periods where you can book nights at the standard award rate, Hilton makes that easy. When selecting your dates, choose any period but also select the ‘My Dates are Flexible’ check box. a screenshot of a calendarThen, under “special rates,” click the box that says “use points.”

a screenshot of a survey

On the search results screen, click ‘View Available Dates’ and the booking calendar will show you a monthly calendar displaying the nightly cost for the property that you choose. Many starting dates go for more than the standard cost per night due to Premium Room Rewards being the only option available, but you’ll be able to see the days where there is a standard room award.

How do I find Hilton free night certificates in my account?

Free night certificates can now be found on your main account dashboard when you log in at Hilton.com. You simply need to sign in and go to “My Account”. You may need to scroll down to find the section where free night certificates are displayed, including certificate numbers and expiration dates. This can be very handy as you will need the certificate number to book a reservation with your certificate.

a screenshot of a contact us

Can I extend an expiring Hilton free night certificate?

Hilton free night certificates are valid for one year from date of issuance. The stay must be completed by the expiration date on the certificate (the expiration date is not just a “book by” date but rather a “consume by” date).

However, in 2022 we began receiving reports of some members getting extensions to free night certificates. Length of extensions have varied from a couple of weeks to a couple of months depending on the agent and situation. If you have a use in mind for your certificates beyond their current expiration dates, it may be worth calling to ask for an extension. More details can be found in this post: Got an expiring Hilton free night certificate? Maybe it can be extended (YMMV).

Reader Suggestions?

Have you stayed in any Hilton that’s a great value with a free night certificate and which you’d recommend?  Have you stayed in any of these properties that we don’t have comments for (or that we do)? This post will grow and be updated based on readers who contribute their thoughts and experiences.  Please comment below!

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[…] 60+ best places to use a Hilton Free Night Certificate worldwide […]

Matt

I got great value for my Hilton FNC at the Conrad Algarve in Portugal this past summer. Nightly rates were over 700 Euros. Included breakfast as a Diamond was incredible as well. Diamond status also allowed access to the thermal pools/rooms in the spa which we often had to ourselves during our stay despite the hotel being fairly busy in July. Such a beautiful property!

Luke

Can’t agree with Matt enough of the Conrad Algarve. We have stayed at several of the hotels on this list and this one trumps them all. Staff knew our name upon arrival. Service is the best I have ever received. Take advantage while it is still not well known.

Pam

Happy holidays, Tim. Since you also previously enjoyed the Zemi brand, there is a new one opening 3.15.25 in the DR: Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection.

It is oceanfront & something else promising, “Club Azure and bungalow guests have access to additional dining options and a rooftop pool.” Maybe like a Griffin Club or Napua Tower situations?

The resort is bookable with 100k Standard Room FNCs AND eligible for the $200 Aspire credit.

Last edited 12 days ago by Pam
Raul

Didn’t see there but knew it was a good option, hermitage bay not a useful FNC redemption?

Brendan

According to the hotel’s Instagram page, the Waldorf Astoria NYC will be taking reservations for next year starting December 10th. Hopefully, points booking will open up at the same time.

Paolo DLR

I used a couple of certs for 2 nights at Hotel TwentySeven (SLH) in Amsterdam for next Feb. I’ll be honest that I picked it over Waldorf (and other nearby options) due to it having a more expensive cash rate. But it does look like a nicer, more boutique place to stay and certainly a worthy use of the certs.

Daniel A

Hi FM team, always appreciate your posts – great dreams and plans. But I suggest revising the criteria to use 100K as a minimum, not 80K. The reasonable redemption value for an FNC is ~$500, so why would using it for a $400 value redemption (the cash price for 80K points) be considered among the “best” uses? Also, many 80K properties have cash prices ~$400 so factoring in the return on the spend (which could easily be 20%), using a FNC there is a downright poor use. 80K is a desperation use scenario, not something someone should plan towards. Also, the South Pacific is more typically grouped with AU/NZ, not Asia – you might consider reorganizing for ease of navigation.

Last edited 14 days ago by Daniel A
Ron S.

None in Canada?

Ron

Stayed at the Caledonian in Edinburgh last Summer. Great location, excellent breakfast, but small rooms. The relevant change is that it is no longer a Waldorf Astoria hotel. It is now part of the Curio Collection.

Jason V

I believe Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island is only 130k/ni (that’s what I paid two weeks ago) but not seeing any standard availability now

HLC60

Could you highlight the hotels that are classified as a “Resort”, where you can use the Aspire $200 credit?

Pam

Resort credit can also be used at Cloudland, Lookout Mountain. Fantastic dining, golf, & spa to easily kill it

Christian

If you are going to repost old articles you might want to at the very least remove hotels that aren’t even part of Hilton anymore. Conrad Midtown NYC is now part of Marriott.

PSL

Just stayed at the Hilton Bentley Miami South Beach for one night after a cruise and all I can say is wowI Beach is beautiful, pool is lovely, staff is wonderful, and we got upgraded to a suite. We happily spent our $200 semi-annual resort credit plus our $30 in My Way benefits on a great happy hour, dinner and breakfast in the hotel’s terrific Greek restaurant. Felt like part of the rich and famous all for the price of a $550 Aspire card!

Mark

Conrad New York Midtown is a Marriott now. So not gonna work there.

mike wood

We stayed at the Hilton Mar Caribe Cancun this year. The room was excellent and we had a great stay. The food and drinks at their La Fluma steakhouse were outstanding.