Most major hotel loyalty programs base elite status on qualifying activity within a calendar year, so how exactly does the elite status credit for a December 31st hotel stay work? Does it count toward the previous year or the following year?
An OMAAT reader just asked me this and I think it’s a niche topic worth dedicating a post to, especially because people sometimes plan last-minute mattress runs to qualify for status…
Elite status credit for hotel stays on December 31
If you check into a hotel on December 31st and check out on January 1st, what year would you receive the elite credit? Let’s take a look at the policies of the four most popular hotel loyalty programs for those after miles and points:
- With Hilton Honors, the elite night would be credited to the previous year
- With IHG One Rewards, the elite night will be credited to the previous year.
- With Marriott Bonvoy, the elite night would be credited to the previous year
- With World of Hyatt, the elite night will be credited to the following year
In other words, if it’s a stay on December 31, 2024, Hilton, IHG and Marriott would all credit you for 2024, while Hyatt would credit you for 2025.
Elite status credit for longer stays over New Year
What about longer hotel stays where you spend a few nights before New Year’s Eve and a few nights after New Year’s Eve? While the general principle is the same, it works a little differently.
At Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, elite nights would be broken down by year. All nights up to and including December 31st would count toward the previous year, while all nights from January 1st would count toward the following year.
In other words, if you stayed five nights, checked in on December 29th and checked out on January 3rd, you would receive three elite nights for the previous year and two elite nights for the following year.
World of Hyatt is different: they credit your entire stay based on the year you check out. In other words, a stay from December 29th to January 3rd will be fully credited to the following year.
In the World of Hyatt situation, some may be wondering if they could simply book consecutive days. For example, for the same stay as above, could you simply book a stay from December 29th to December 31st and then a separate reservation from December 31st to January 3rd?
If you stay at the same hotel, this won’t work even if you physically check in and out. This is because the system automatically combines consecutive stays at the same hotel. However, it will work if you change hotels as they are different stays.
Conclusion
New Year’s Eve is a popular travel time, and for those of us who like to rack up miles and points, it’s also the last chance to qualify for elite status in a given calendar year. As for elite hotel stays, it’s important to note that Hilton, IHG and Marriott generally count a December 31st stay toward the previous year’s status, while Hyatt counts it toward the following year.
What has been your experience with crediting Elite Nights for New Year’s Eve stays?
