What Is the Hilton 5th Night Free Benefit and How To Use It
PointsCrowd is a community-supported platform. When you apply for a credit card, make an order, or otherwise interact with the advertisers through the links on this page we may earn an affiliate commission. This helps us maintain and develop the platform further at no cost to you.
Hilton rewards its loyal guests for longer stays, so if you book five or more consecutive nights using only points (and have at least Silver status), Hilton automatically gives you one night free for every five nights booked — up to four free nights for a 20-night stay. This is sometimes referred to as “stay 5, pay 4” or “fifth night free on reward stays”.
Let’s take a closer look at how it works and who is eligible.
Who Is Eligible for the Benefit?
Members of the program with Hilton Honors Silver elite status and above (basic “Member” status does not qualify) receive every fifth night free when using points for five or more consecutive nights in a Standard room.
Keep in mind that elite status is important at the time of booking, not at the time of departure. If your elite status is about to expire, book your room before then. Conversely, if you achieve Silver status or higher after booking, your existing reservation will not receive a free night retroactively.
Terms and Conditions
Other terms and details are provided below:
Reservations must be made directly on Hilton.com or through the Hilton Honors app.
No separate activation or registration is required — the system will automatically apply the discount if you meet the requirements.
The benefit only applies to bookings of the base “Standard Room Reward” category using points — upgrades or mixed redemptions do not count.
Bookings combining points and cash or using certificates for free nights are not eligible for the “5th night free” benefit.
The Mechanics of Accrual Depend on the Length of Stay
At least 5 consecutive nights in one reservation. And the benefit increases as follows:
- 5 nights = 1 free,
- 10 nights = 2 free (5th and 10th nights),
- up to 20 nights (4 free nights).
If your stay exceeds 20 nights, only the first 20 nights are eligible for the benefit (maximum of four free nights).
Step by Step: How To Take Advantage of the Hilton 5th Night Free Program
Here’s how to book “5 nights for the price of 4” and what to look out for.
1. Log in first
Always log in to your Hilton Honors account before searching for award nights. The system checks your status and shows the price of the 5th night free only for elite customers who are eligible.
2. Search for 5+ consecutive nights
Enter your destination and dates for at least five consecutive nights. Bonus nights at popular hotels may be limited, so start your search early. Hilton typically releases night awards in advance, but the exact timing may vary by hotel and is not officially published. If your initial dates are unavailable, try shifting them by a few days or searching for other hotels.
3. Filter by standard rooms
When the search results appear, focus on rooms marked “Standard Room Reward.” Avoid rooms marked “Premium Room,” “Superior,” or similar—they do not qualify for a free night. Also skip “Points & Money” rates (which combine cash and points) and any paid/cash rates. Only standard rewards for points are acceptable.
4. Check your booking summary
Before confirming, review your booking summary very carefully. You should see a line indicating that the 5th night (or 10th, etc.) is free, meaning you are being charged for 4 out of 5 nights.
For example, if a room costs 20,000 points per night, a 5-night booking should cost 80,000 points, not 100,000.
If you don’t see anything about a free night, don’t confirm your booking—something is wrong.
Troubleshooting
Often, it will be clearly stated if a discount does not apply. For example, you may see the total amount for all nights or a note that the free night does not apply. This usually means that one of the eligibility rules has not been met. Check everything again. If everything looks correct but you still don’t see the discount, try a different browser or clear your cache. In the worst case, contact Hilton Honors customer service (+1-800-445-8667 or [email protected]) for assistance — they can confirm whether your reservation was eligible for the benefit.
5. Complete your reservation
Once you see the discount applied (the “5th night free” line), you are ready to book. Complete your order as usual.
How Hilton Calculates the 5th Night Free: The Ins and Outs of Dynamic Pricing
This is where things get more complicated, which is why “Hilton points for a 5th night free” isn’t always as simple as it seems. Hilton uses variable pricing for rewards, so the cost of points per night can fluctuate — even during the same stay.
Instead of simply providing the 5th night free (at its own rate), Hilton calculates the average cost of points for the entire stay and then subtracts the equivalent of the average cost of one night for each block of five nights.
What this means: If your nightly rates are 18,000, 20,000, 22,000, 20,000, and 18,000 points for a 5-night stay, Hilton will average them (≈19,600 points on average) and deduct that amount for the 5th night free.
The result is not the same as simply deducting the cheapest night; it is based on the average cost in points.
Conclusion
Hilton’s 5th night free is one of the most generous and easiest-to-use benefits for loyal Hilton Honors elite customers. Book directly, stick to standard room awards for all points, and always check your booking summary for discounts. By strategically using the “5 nights for the price of 4” benefit at luxury brands and peak dates, you can reap huge benefits and increase your points balance.
