Question Of The Week: Hilton Free Night Certificate Expiration Policy
Our question of the week: How does the Hilton free night certificate expiration policy work? Is that a “use by” date? “Book by” date? Can I change my stay? Here’s a quick look at what that date means when it’s time to use your Hilton free night certificates.
The Question
Our question of the week comes from Terrance in our Facebook group:
What would happen if I change the date later down the line?
Hilton Free Night Certificate Expiration Policy
Terrance’s question is about how the expiration policy works. Is that a “use by” date? A “book by” date? Do you need to check in or check out by that date? And what if I make a booking before that date, but then I need to change it to a later date? Can I change it to something after the expiration date, since it’s an existing reservation?
With Hilton, this is a “use by” date. And that’s not “check in”, either. You must complete your stay by the date on the free night certificate. If you have multiple free night certificates expiring the same day, then you need to backwards plan. You must complete the stay by the expiry date.
However, if you combine the free night certificate with a points or cash stay, you can assign the free night certificate to the first night, allowing you to then continue your stay past the expiration date.
Final Thoughts
With canceled travel plans from last year, some people are drowning in tons of free night certificates. While Hilton and other brands extended the expiration date of their free night certificates, you do need to complete your stay by the expiry date. You can’t book a night past that date if you want to use the free night certificate.
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I’ve had an agent extend a certificate night expiration date out when I called to make a booking without even asking. I’ve heard of others getting denied an extension, so YMMV, but best to hang up and call again.