How to Evaluate a Luxury Hotel Offer

1. Turn the offer into a percentage

Every offer can be expressed as a discount on the room rate, which makes them comparable.

• Stay three, pay two is one night in three free, about 33% off.
• Stay four, pay three is one night in four free, 25% off.
• A fourth night free on a four-night stay is also 25%. The same offer on a five-night stay is 20%, so the discount shrinks as the trip lengthens.
• A resort credit is its face value divided by your total room cost, and only if you would have spent it anyway.

2. Read which night is free

"Third night free" and "fourth night free" sound alike and are not. Third night free needs two paid nights. Fourth night free needs three. Headlines are often written for one and applied at the other, so read the terms at the property you intend to book.

3. Check what the discount excludes

Taxes and resort fees are frequently outside the discount. Blackout dates commonly cover holidays and peak weekends. Some offers apply only to certain room types, and a free night may be the lowest-priced night of the stay rather than the most expensive.

4. Price the flexibility you are giving up

Prepaid and advance-purchase rates are usually non-refundable. A 15% discount that cannot be changed is worth less than a 10% discount you can cancel, if your plans might move.

5. Compare with the standard rate for your dates

An offer is only a saving against a price you would otherwise have paid. Check the hotel's standard rate for the same dates, and check whether the offer still beats it once taxes and fees are added. Where a booking channel adds its own benefits, such as breakfast or a credit, count them separately.

Where this leads

Wander Elite applies these checks to every offer on the board. The offers with the clearest math are the free-night offers. For a comparison of the two most common structures, see free night versus resort credit.