How to get Hotel Elite Status for Free

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They say you can’t get something for nothing, but sometimes you can! In the world of rewards travel, chasing points and miles can result in an upgraded room or a seat at the front of the plane.

However, collecting points and miles is only part of the game. Earning elite status with a hotel chain or airline program can make travel much more comfortable and rewarding. Elite members get special treatment, freebies, upgrades, discounts, and earn a lot more points.

The traditional route to elite hotel status requires a major investment of time and money to meet minimum stay requirements. Thankfully, there are several ways for savvy travelers to get hotel elite status for free (or almost free). Here they are.

Final Thoughts

Elite status makes hotel stays more enjoyable. You can receive early check-in, late checkout, upgraded rooms, complimentary food and drinks, and more. Earning status without being a road warrior can make these benefits seem even sweeter.

Many (but not all!) of the credit cards mentioned above have an annual fee, so they are not technically free. However, take advantage of the airline, travel, TSA PreCheck credits, lounge access, free anniversary nights, and other benefits, and these cards can more than pay for themselves year after year.

Wyndham Rewards Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)

Wyndham Rewards is one of the larger hotel loyalty programs worldwide. It covers the Wyndham Hotel Group’s 7,800 hotels across 66 countries, and its partnership with Caesars makes membership in the program even more interesting. The program offers three elite status tiers — Gold, Platinum, and Diamond — with several routes to earning status in short order.

Credit cards

Wyndham Rewards has three co-branded credit cards offering elite status in the loyalty program:

  • The no-annual-fee Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card provides holders with Gold-level elite status automatically.
  • For those looking for Platinum status, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card offers it while charging a reasonable $75 annual fee.
  • Diamond level status comes with the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card. With an annual fee of only $95, that’s a pretty efficient route to top-tier status.

Status match

We noted earlier that Wyndham Rewards and Caesars have a status-matching relationship. In addition to this, Wyndham offers status matching with a host of other hotel loyalty programs, as you can see in the chart below. You’ll need to have a Wyndham Rewards account and then can submit a request once you are logged into your account. Take a look at the chart to see whether any existing elite status can help you quickly lock in Wyndham Rewards status as well.

Radisson Rewards Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)

Radisson Rewards is the loyalty program for Radisson Hotels brands, including Country Inn & Suites and Park Plaza, as well as brands that have “Radisson” in the name. This program no longer has coverage in North or South America, but it has a substantial footprint throughout Northern Europe and the Middle East.

Elite status match

Radisson Rewards does not offer an official status match program. However, travelers who send a polite request to statusmatch@radissonhotels.com have matched elite status through other hotel and airline programs.

Members can match up to Gold status with Radisson Rewards. Those seeking the highest level Platinum Elite Status must earn it through stays.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)

With three dozne brands and more than 8,000 properties around the world, Marriott International has a huge global footprint. Marriott’s Bonvoy program offers 5 elite tiers.

  • Silver Elite: 10+ nights
  • Gold Elite: 25+ nights
  • Platinum Elite: 50+ nights
  • Titanium Elite: 75+ nights
  • Ambassador Elite: 100+ nights per year and $23,000 in eligible spending

Credit cards

Marriott has a ton of credit cards available, offering the following status perks:

If you hold both a business and personal Marriott co-branded card, you can receive up to 40 elite night credits each year. That boost should get any cardholder well on their way to maintaining and possibly elevating status each year.

RewardsPlus: United MileagePlus partnership

Marriott Bonvoy partners with United MileagePlus to allow for reciprocal earning and shared elite benefits. Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite members can receive United MileagePlus Premier Silver elite status. Those with United Premier Gold status or higher can secure Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.

Hilton Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)

Credit cards

Hilton currently offers four co-branded cards that provide elite status to cardholders.

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.

In addition to the Hilton co-branded cards, The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express cardmembers can enroll for Hilton Honors Gold status as one of the many benefits provided with each card.

That’s a total of six cards that provide complimentary Hilton Honors elite status. However, most of these cards have an annual fee, and you should evaluate this against the benefits conferred by your “free” status to see if it’s worth it in your eyes.

World of Hyatt

Hyatt elite status through credit cards

Chase issues a personal and a small business card that grant Hyatt complimentary elite status for U.S. travelers:

  • The World of Hyatt Credit Card: Get complimentary Discoverist status with account membership. Cardholders also earn status through spending, earning two qualifying night credits each time they spend $5,000.
  • World of Hyatt Business Credit Card: Cardholders and up to five employees can receive complimentary Discoverist status. Additionally, you can spend your way to Explorist or Globalist status. Earn five annual qualifying night credits for every $10,000 spent in a calendar year.

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