With most major hotel loyalty programs, elite status is based on qualifying activity within a calendar year. So, how exactly does elite status credit work for a hotel stay on December 31? Does it count toward the previous year or the following year?
An OMAAT reader just asked me this, and I figure it’s a niche topic that’s worth dedicating a post to, especially since people sometimes plan last minute mattress runs to qualify for status…
In this post:
Elite status credit on December 31 hotel stays
If you check-in to a hotel on December 31 and check-out of a hotel on January 1, in which year would you earn the elite credit? Let’s take a look at the policies of the four most popular hotel loyalty programs for those into miles & points:
- With Hilton Honors, the elite night would count toward the following year
- With IHG One Rewards, the elite night would count toward the previous year
- With Marriott Bonvoy, the elite night would count toward the previous year
- With World of Hyatt, the elite night would count toward the following year
In other words, if we’re talking about a stay on December 31, 2024, IHG and Marriott would credit you for 2024, while Hilton and Hyatt would credit you for 2025.
Elite status credit on longer stays over the New Year
What about for longer hotel stays, where you have some nights before New Year’s Eve, and some nights after New Year’s Eve? While the same general principle applies, it works a bit differently.
With IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, the elite nights would be split by year. All nights through (and including) December 31 would count toward the previous year, while all nights starting January 1 would count toward the following year.
In other words, if you stayed five nights, checking in December 29 and checking out January 3, you’d get three elite nights for the previous year, and two elite nights for the following year.
Now, it’s a different story with Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt, where the entire stay would be credited based on the year of the date where you’re checking out. In other words, that December 29 through January 3 stay would credit entirely to the following year.
In the Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt situation, some may wonder if they could simply do back-to-back days. For example, using the same stay as above, could you simply book one stay from December 29 through December 31, and then a separate reservation from December 31 through January 3?
If you’re staying at the same hotel, that wouldn’t work, even if you physically check-in and check-out. That’s because the system automatically consolidates back-to-back stays at the same hotel. However, that would work if you were switching hotels, since those would be distinct stays.
Bottom line
New Year’s Even is a popular time to travel, and for those of us into miles & points, it’s also our last chance to qualify for elite status in a particular calendar year. When it comes to hotel elite nights, it’s worth noting that IHG and Marriott will generally count a December 31 stay toward status for the previous year, while Hilton and Hyatt will count it toward the following year.
What has your experience been with getting elite nights credited for New Year’s Eve stays?
Fwiw, I posed this question to IHG's customer service via text a few weeks ago. They told me all nights for a stay where check-in is before December 31 and check-out is after January 1 would count toward the following year. Their exact response was
"Elite Qualifying nights will only be counted or added to the account once it's posted. So if your upcoming stay is December 31st until January 1st. Both nights will count...
Fwiw, I posed this question to IHG's customer service via text a few weeks ago. They told me all nights for a stay where check-in is before December 31 and check-out is after January 1 would count toward the following year. Their exact response was
"Elite Qualifying nights will only be counted or added to the account once it's posted. So if your upcoming stay is December 31st until January 1st. Both nights will count towards the 2025 Elite qualifying nights."
Granted this is just one data point. I have not tried inquiring via other customer service methods like via email to compare responses but I intend to.
We have received various ways. Sometimes in the new year. Sometimes split, sometimes extra nites in the new year.
Seems there is no scientific way. Definetly need to follow up.
For Hyatt, let say if I checkin Dec 31, 2024 and stay full 60 nights. Check out March 1, 2025. As discuss the whole stay will count to following year (2025). However, since all nights post AFTER Feb 28. Therefore Globalist should valid till Feb 2028 instead of just Feb 2027. Correct me if I am wrong.
Wow. This topic is way more wonky than even the "niche" category. Glad to not have an opinion one way or another on this issue.
Are you sure this is still accurate for Hyatt?
They've changed their promos this year and now stays get divided into eligible and non-eligible dates if they overlap the beginning or end of a promo.
So I'd expect the same is true at EOY - nights in one year count for that year, and nights in the next year count for the next year. I know what you are stating was correct last year, but I think it may have changed.
I had this experience New Year's of 20/21, had a three-night Hyatt stay checking in on 12/30 and out on 1/2 and there was a double nights promotion at the time so earned 6 nights toward 2021 qualification -- and that was the year that it only took 30 nights for Globalist and so I achieved it for the first time! By January 5 I already had 11 nights between that 3x2 over New Year's plus the 5 from the WoH card.
Hey Lucky, how does this work with airline flights on New Year's Eve? If the flight is ticketed for 12/31, but has an IRROPS delay to 1/1, is the original flight year or the delayed flight year the year used for mileage credit?
@ FinnairFan -- Hah, that's a fun question. If the flight is rescheduled for January 1 and boarding passes are scanned in a way that reflects that, I suspect it would automatically post for January 1 as well. However, I would expect some airlines would be accommodating in terms of crediting based on the original flight date. Then again, getting decent customer service in the airline industry can be tough sometimes...