Free hotel stays in India? Your guide to Amex Hotel rewards in India

American Express credit cards in India offer reward points for your spending. These points can be redeemed for various benefits, including free hotel stays, flights, and merchandise. The value of each point can vary depending on how you redeem it, according to the 2025 Global Travel Trends Report that was released by American Express last week. 

 

Travelers are becoming savvier by stacking reward points and using benefits across credit cards and travel programs to maximize their trips. From the transportation credits that get them to their destination, to the locally-inspired cuisine they enjoy at the airport lounge, "Benefit Aficionados" have mastered the art of using travel benefits to make their journey smoother and more rewarding.

 

75% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed said it feels like a reward when they book travel with credit card points (compared to 62% of Gen X and Baby Boomers3). Two-thirds (66%) of global respondents said  that combining credit card rewards with other loyalty perks provides “the best value for international trips.” It’s not just about offsetting costs, though. Many travelers (58% of global respondents) are likely to stack travel benefits from multiple loyalty programs to get upgrades they wouldn’t have splurged on otherwise.

 

American Express credit cards in India offer reward points for your spending. These points can be redeemed for various benefits, including free hotel stays, flights, and merchandise. The value of each point can vary depending on how you redeem it. You can redeem your points by visiting https://www.americanexpress.com/en-in/rewards/membership-rewards/.  How to redeem your AMEX points for free hotel stays in India

 

Hotel Stays:  Amex has partnerships with two big hotel groups like Marriott and Hilton. You can move your Amex points into their hotel "accounts" (loyalty programs). Once they are in the hotel's account, you can use those points to book free stays at their hotels. If you have 100 Amex points, you can get 100 Marriott Bonvoy points. It's a direct swap!

 

Hilton Honors hotel loyalty program:

If you want to transfer your Amex points to Hilton to get a free hotel stay:

 

• You need at least 1,000 Amex points to start.
• You can transfer up to 900,000 Amex points at once.
• Any amount you transfer above 1,000 must be in chunks of 100 points.
• It might take up to two days for the points to appear in your Hilton account.
• You'll need to log in to your Amex account to do this.
• Make sure you have a Hilton Honors membership first.

 

The Marriot loyalty programe: 

If you want to transfer your Amex points to Marriott to get a free hotel stay:

 

• You need at least 100 Amex points to start.
• You can transfer up to 900,000 Amex points at once.
• Any amount you transfer above 100 must be in chunks of 100 points.
• For every Amex point you transfer, you get one Marriott Bonvoy point.
• It might take up to two days for the points to appear in your Marriott account.
• You'll need to log in to your Amex account to do this.

 

Example: Let's say you have 10,000 Amex points. You could transfer them to the Marriott Bonvoy program. Depending on the current exchange rate and the hotel's reward chart, these 10,000 points might be enough for a free night at a mid-range Marriott hotel in India. 

 

How to do it: You'll need to enroll in the partner hotel's loyalty program (like Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honours). Then, you'll typically go to your Amex online account or call Amex customer service to transfer your points to the hotel program.

 

First, you need to sign up for a free Marriott Bonvoy membership on their website or app. Think of this as opening an account at the Marriott "bank."

 

Then, you go to your Amex online account or call Amex. There should be an option to "transfer points" to partner programs. Select Marriott Bonvoy and enter the number of Amex points you want to move.

 

After Amex confirms the transfer (you'll get an email), log in to your Marriott Bonvoy account. You should see your points balance has increased.

 

Now, you can use those Marriott Bonvoy points on the Marriott website or app to book a free stay at any participating Marriott hotel in India (or anywhere else!).

 

2. Buying Hotel Gift Vouchers (Like Buying a Hotel Coupon):

 

What it is: If you prefer a hotel that isn't Marriott or Hilton (like Taj Hotels or ITC Hotels), or if you want more flexibility, you can use your Amex points to buy gift vouchers for these other hotel brands. You can also buy vouchers for travel websites like MakeMyTrip or Cleartrip and then use those vouchers to book any hotel on those sites.

 

Generally, 1 Amex point is worth Rs 0.25 when you buy most gift vouchers.

• So, if you want a Rs 5,000 Taj Hotels voucher, you would need to spend 20,000 Amex points (because 20,000 points x Rs 0.25/point = Rs 5,000).
• For a Rs 10,000 Taj Hotels voucher, you'd need 40,000 Amex points.
• How to do it: You'll usually find the option to redeem your Amex points for gift vouchers on your Amex online account or app. Look for a "Rewards" or "Gift Vouchers" section, browse the available hotel brands and travel websites, and select the voucher you want to buy with your points.

 

If you have certain Amex cards (like the Membership Rewards Credit Card or Gold Charge Card), you might have access to a special "Gold Collection" with better redemption rates for some gift vouchers.

 

How to do it: These special Gold Collection vouchers will likely be found in a specific section of your Amex rewards options online or in the app.

 

To get a free hotel stay in India using your Amex points, you have two main paths:

 

• Become a member of Marriott or Hilton's hotel program and transfer your Amex points to their program. Then, use those hotel points to book a free night at their hotels. This often gives you good value.
• Use your Amex points to buy gift vouchers for other hotel brands (like Taj or ITC) or for travel websites (like MakeMyTrip). Then, use those vouchers to book your stay. The value you get per Amex point might be lower with this method, but it gives you more choices.