How To Use Flexible Date Calendars To Find the Best Hotel Award Rates

You’ve worked hard to accumulate those hotel loyalty program points, and now it’s time to redeem those rewards for free hotel nights. It sounds like an easy task to select your preferred dates, then use your points to book your stay.

However, finding the best value for your rewards can be challenging. The number of points required for your dates may exceed what you can afford to pay, or award nights might not be available.

Fortunately, hotel loyalty programs have stepped up their game and provide flexible date calendars that you can use to search for the best possible time to use your rewards, maximizing the value you receive.

In today’s article, we’ll share how to use these tools to find the best possible hotel award night rates for some of the most popular hotel loyalty programs.

Let’s start our search for great award-night deals with Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and IHG.

What Are Flexible Date Calendars?

When you attempt to book a hotel night via the hotel’s website (or app), you enter your destination and dates, select that you’re using points or default to cash rates, and watch the results populate.

Flexible date calendars enable you to view the rate for other possible dates and can also allow you to filter the results by brand, cost, location, and more.

This tool can be invaluable for finding the best award night rates (and cash rates), enabling you to receive the best value for your rewards.

Here’s how to uncover the best award rates using hotel program flexible date calendars.

Marriott Bonvoy

If your brand of choice is Marriott, you’re familiar with the challenges of finding affordable award space. The flexible date calendar on the Marriott website can make the process easier, and you may even find a hidden gem.

Begin your search at Marriott.com by inserting your destination, dates, and number of guests and choosing to use points and awards. Once your search results are populated, you can sort them by city, rewards points, brand, guest rating, and number of reviews. If you have the flexibility, think broadly, perhaps by an entire country.

In this search example, we’ve selected Spain for a 5-night stay in November and sorted the results by the lowest number of points for a 5-night stay. Marriott Bonvoy members receive a fifth night free when booking award nights, so longer stays are an excellent opportunity to take advantage of this benefit.

Plus, every award night counts toward achieving Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

You can add filters to the results by clicking on the All Filters icon. Filters enable you to limit the search to hotels within a specific point range. For example, I’ve chosen to spend no more than 80,000 points for my 5-night stay. If you have free night certificates to utilize, filtering can help you find award nights that fit the maximum point value of your certificate.

Filters enable you to narrow down the results to properties that match your preferences. For example, you can add filters that only show certain brands, hotels with airport shuttles, rates that include taxes and fees, hotels in specific cities, and more.

Once you’ve selected a specific property, you can use the flexible rate calendar to pinpoint the best rates. Click on the box with the dates you’ve chosen and change the option to I’m flexible. Then, select a month to start your calendar search. I selected November for my 5-night stay in Spain.

Once the calendar is populated, you can scroll through the months until you find a rate you like. November rates were higher than those in September, and in this scenario, I was able to find a 5-night stay for 42,500 Marriott Bonvoy points!.

If you have minimum flexibility, the flexible date calendar could still help you find a stay that may be up to 2 days different than what you’d planned. You can also try a property close by and use the same process.

The website does not always work correctly. If you don’t see all the sorting options, try again later.

The Marriott Bonvoy flexible date calendar is a fun and functional tool for finding a property that fits your budget and discovering new options.

A Card That Pairs Well With Marriott Loyalists

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card is a winner for Marriott Bonvoy fans. The card comes with automatic elite status, elevated earnings on select everyday purchases, a free hotel night after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year on the card, and bonus points for every eligible hotel stay.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

155,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,085

Annual Fee

$250

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x points)
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $250 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®.
• Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Marriott Bonvoy^® 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®.
• With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy^® Gold Elite Status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy^® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
• Plan It^® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
• $250 Annual Fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Hilton Honors

Hilton has some grand properties worldwide, but also offers lodging for those on a budget. Regardless of the size of your Hilton Honors loyalty points stash, you’ll want to receive good value at redemption time. Fortunately, Hilton Honors has a flexible rate calendar that can help you do that.

As with any hotel award booking search, start by adding your destination, dates, and number of guests, and indicate you’ll be using points. For a Hilton website search, a map will display the location of each property and the number of points required for your search dates.

While prices are displayed per night, Hilton is known for only showing the cost of the first night; subsequent nights could require more points. You must click through to checkout to see the actual total price.

Once the results are populated, you can narrow your search using filters.

Hilton Honors allows you to filter the results by the maximum number of points you wish to spend per night, ratings, hotel amenities, by brand, and more. These filters can help you narrow down the number of properties that fit your priorities.

Once you’ve applied the appropriate filters, update your list, select a property, and continue to the price calendar. To bring up the calendar, edit your original search and click on the dates you initially selected. You’ll see small calendars (see below).

Below these calendars is the Shop by Price option. Clicking on that button will take you to the flexible rate calendar.

Once you’re on the rate calendar, you can view your stay’s availability and nightly price. The calendar can be beneficial for finding dates with standard room rates that can be secured with free night certificates. These certificates can not be used for premium-room rewards nights.

Hilton Honors also offers its elite members a fifth night free when booking award nights. For example, if a hotel is 60,000 points per night, you’d pay 240,000 for a 5-night stay (4 x 60,000) versus the normal 300,000 points (5 x 60,000) for the 5-night stay.

You can easily scroll through the months to find the best rates. Once you’ve found a rate you like for your check-in dates, you can proceed with booking your reservation.

Cards That Pair Well With Hilton Loyalists

If Hilton Honors elite status sounds like a good idea, you should consider a Hilton co-branded card. You receive complimentary elite status, elevated earnings, and the ability to book free hotel nights with the points you’ve earned. Plus, the cards come with generous welcome offers that can help you earn a large amount of rewards in the short period following card approval.

We like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card because it earns well on everyday spending, and offers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status and quarterly Hilton statement credits. Additionally, you can earn a free hotel night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year on the card.

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.

130,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $650

Annual Fee

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases

Cons

• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. Offer Ends 8/13/2025. (rates & fees)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
• Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Hilton Honors

World of Hyatt

World of Hyatt has recently enhanced its flexible calendar search. While it still has shortcomings, you can ultimately find the desired results.

Start at hyatt.com by inserting your destination and dates and selecting the option to use points. In this example, I selected a visit to southern Spain for a few nights in June or July 2026 and then pinpointed the southern region near Málaga. The map can be temperamental and challenging to use, but stick with it until you’ve narrowed in on the area of interest.

Once the results are shown, you can narrow your search by clicking on the filters button. World of Hyatt allows you to filter by the number of points you want to spend, hotel amenities, guest experience, brand, and more.

The results of this search indicate that only 1 property is available for the chosen dates, and it’s an all-inclusive resort, costing 18,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

The hotel looks great, but there may be a way to save points by using the flexible calendar. Once the hotel is selected from the results list, you can access the points calendar to review the per-night rates by date.

The points calendar for July indicates that every night is 18,000 points per night, and some nights are not available. However, when I reviewed the June calendar, I found that there are award nights available for 15,000 points per night. That’s a total savings of 9,000 World of Hyatt points for the stay.

With those savings, perhaps a 4-night stay would be more appropriate than a 3-night stay.

The World of Hyatt price calendar can be a great tool for saving points when your dates are flexible, even by just a couple of days.

A Card That Pairs Well With Hyatt Loyalists

We like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it earns flexible rewards that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, providing potentially outsized value for your points.

One of the card’s best transfer partners is the World of Hyatt. Points transfer 1:1, making it a straightforward way to have World of Hyatt points available for free hotel award nights.

The card also comes with excellent travel insurance benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel^SM
• 10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

IHG One Rewards

IHG has hotel properties for every budget. Whether you enjoy a small town road trip or exploring a big city, there’s probably an IHG property nearby.

IHG One Rewards points are easy to earn and fun to redeem. Additionally, IHG offers a sleek and flexible rate calendar to help you find the best value for your points.

Start at ihg.com by entering the area you want to visit, the dates, and the number of guests, and selecting the option to find reward nights. Don’t forget that you can search an entire country, a specific area, or a city. Once the results are populated for your search, you can view the properties on a map, filter by hotel amenities, brands, and more.

You can also sort the properties by distance, price, and rating. Once you’ve narrowed down the list of available hotels, you can select the one that meets your preferences. Here’s an example of the Crowne Plaza in Christchurch for a 5-night stay in December.

Next, click on the dates to reveal the calendar and select the View Price Calendar option.

The flexible rate calendar will show the points rate for every check-in date for the month you’ve chosen. You can easily toggle between months to view alternative dates. As you can see, rates vary widely by date, and in this case, by as much as 15,000 IHG One Rewards points. The rates shown are the average per-night rates for your entire stay.

Finally, select your check-in date from the calendar and complete your reservation. It’s that easy.

The IHG One Rewards flexible rate calendar functions very well and is an excellent tool for finding the best award night rates.

Hot Tip:

Cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card, and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card receive the fourth night free when booking award nights.

Final Thoughts

While all the hotel programs’ flexible date calendars function slightly differently, they’re easy to use, and the results are worth the effort.

Even if your dates aren’t that flexible, changing your plans by just a day or 2 can make a huge difference. Broadening your searches and using the flexible date calendars in combo can also help you find properties you might not otherwise consider.