Full List of Military Discounts on Hotels [Active Duty & Veterans]

Key Takeaways

• Many hotel chains, including Hilton, Marriott, and IHG, offer discounted rates for active duty, veterans, and their families, providing significant savings on leisure and duty travel.
• A few Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) offer military discounts, such as CheapTickets, Expedia, and Hotels.com.
• To access these rates, a military ID must be presented at check-in or need to be verified at the time of booking with ID.me.

Are you or have you been in the military at some point in your life? Perhaps you’re married to a service member, your dad was in the Army, or your sister just finished boot camp?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re in luck. You (and your family) are entitled to discounts at a variety of hotels. There are tons of hotel chains, including some of the largest in the world, with military discounts. You’ll also be able to score discounts on a variety of different places, including military-specific hotels, online travel agencies, and even at Disney.

Let’s take a look at the hotel chains with the best military discounts. And don’t forget to see our post on the best military credit cards to maximize your points and rewards when making a booking, or check out our review of the American Express Military benefits that come with the Amex Platinum card.

Who Qualifies for Military Discounts?

The requirements for military discounts vary depending on where you’re staying, but for the most part, you can expect that active-duty military will be eligible for the discount. Some places will also offer discounts for veterans, while others don’t require you to be in the military at all — you simply need to work for the government. This can apply in the case of DoD civilians with appropriate ID.

Hot Tip: There are also plenty of military discounts on flights and TSA benefits for military available for those who qualify.

Veteran’s Advantage

Although many discounts apply specifically to active-duty service members, those who are no longer serving can still snag discounts by enrolling in Veteran’s Advantage. It’s not just veterans who are eligible either: immediate family members, retirees, and even active-duty folks can join in Veteran’s Advantage and register for VetRewards.

VetRewards is not a free service; the fees you’ll pay to have access vary depending on the plan you choose:

Although it’ll cost you to join VetRewards, the perks can definitely be worth it — especially if you’re a frequent traveler. In addition to discounts on hotels, you’ll also be able to take advantage of discounts on flights, movie theaters, cell phones, restaurants, and more.

Large Hotel Chains That Offer Military Discounts

Fortunately for service members, most large chain hotels will offer a military discount, even without a VetRewards membership. Together, these chains feature thousands of properties all across the world. They also run the gamut, from some of the most expensive — such as Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria — to more affordable options, like Red Roof Inn’s pet-friendly properties.

Best Western

If you’ve ever gone on a road trip around the U.S., odds are you’ve seen a Best Western or 2. It actually has a presence in over 100 countries, with 18 different brands to its name. Best Western offers a military discount available to active duty and veterans, as well as government employees. To search, you’ll want to select Government/Military from the Rates dropdown on Best Western’s search bar.

The discount amount isn’t specified, and the military rate won’t always be lower than others:

You’ll want to check this on a case-by-case basis. We found some instances where the military rate was significantly discounted, and others where it made no difference at all.

Choice

Choice Hotels are, perhaps, less famous than, say, Hilton or Marriott, but it still has a pretty large footprint. The military discount it offers varies according to your type of travel, which you can select on Choice’s dropdown search bar.

Note that Choice won’t always have these rates available. We searched several dates and found no special discounts for Military/Veterans on leisure travel, but were able to populate results for non-leisure:

VetRewards also offers a 15% discount on Choice Hotels to its members, though it’s not clear if this is separate from the discount Choice offers on its own website.

Choice also offers lifetime Gold status to military members, veterans, and their spouses. You’ll need to fill out this form to apply for lifetime Gold status plus a bonus of 2,500 points.

Extended Stay America

Extended Stay America, as the name suggests, caters to those looking for long-term stays within the U.S. It has a robust military discount program that includes savings for military members on official travel for more than 31 days. To search for these rates, you’ll need to select Government & Military on the website’s search bar.

Extended Stay America doesn’t publish the discount amount it offers for the government and military rate, but it looks like the rates are nearly comparable to advance purchase rates.

The discount is available for government and military only, which would seem to exclude veterans. VetRewards, meanwhile, offers substantial discounts on room rates at Extended Stay America: up to 30% off for stays of 1 to 7 nights, 40% off for stays of 7 to 29 nights, and 50% off for stays of 30 to 59 nights.

Hilton

Hilton is one of the world’s largest hotel chains, with properties across 6 different continents. These include the highly desirable Waldorf Astoria Maldives and its overwater villas, along with 17 other hotel brands.

Hilton offers a military discount without limit on all of its hotels. Whether or not you qualify will depend on the actual rate you book, and you’ll need to check this on a case-by-case basis. Hilton doesn’t actually publish the discount percentage but will show a special rate when you search for a hotel. To search for discounted rates, you’ll need to select Government Rates on Hilton’s search bar:

Hilton’s website will then populate with all of the different hotels and their available rates. Be aware that not every hotel will feature the same discount. These will vary by date but may require that you need to be on official travel. Otherwise, you’ll see the military family rate.

Note that the military family rate is good for active-duty, veterans, and retired military, though you’ll need to show ID.

Hyatt

With a much smaller footprint than both Hilton and Marriott, Hyatt still comes in swinging at over 1,000 properties worldwide. These include brands such as Park Hyatt and Hyatt Place, among others. Hyatt offers 2 different types of discounts depending on whether you’re military or simply working for the government. To find these, you’ll need to select the dropdown on Hyatt’s search bar. Note that the Veteran discount is also for active-duty military.

You’ll select the rate that applies to you and then hit Find Hotels. Hyatt doesn’t publish its discount percentage, but you’ll see the rate reflected on your search results:

IHG

IHG is another large hotel chain that offers military discounts. You’ll find its 17 brands across more than 6,000 hotels, with familiar names such as InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Kimpton, and Candlewood Suites. To search for the military discount on IHG’s website, you’ll need to select Government/Military Rate under the Rate Preference dropdown on IHG’s search bar.

IHG offers different rates depending on your type of travel and status. If using per diem, you may be able to get a much larger discount. Otherwise, all active-duty and retired military, as well as veterans, can take advantage of the Military Appreciation Leisure Rate, which can still represent a significant discount over regular rates.

VetRewards also offers a Kimpton-specific discount of 10% to its enrolled members.

In addition, active duty military and veterans can apply for a Holiday Inn Club Vacation stay through the brand’s partnership with Vacations for Vets. This program, run by In Honor Of Our Troops (IHOOT), is a non-profit that provides free lodging to active military and veterans.

Holiday Inn Club Vacations also has a Guest of Honor program that offers free resort stays to active duty military, veterans, and their families.

Marriott

After purchasing Starwood Preferred Guest in 2016, Marriott became the largest hotel chain in the world. With a whopping 7,000+ hotels in 131 different countries, you’ll almost always be able to find a Marriott hotel — no matter where you’re staying. To search for a Marriott military discount, you’ll want to select Government & Military under the Special Rates dropdown on Marriott’s hotel search.

Marriott doesn’t publish its discount percentage, but you’ll see the rate reflected in your search. Unfortunately for veterans, these rates are available only for active-duty military and government workers.

Note that Marriott’s military discount rate isn’t necessarily the cheapest rate available. In this case, it’s cheaper than the standard rates, but costs more than both the Prepay and Save and Deals and Packages options.

Motel 6 and Studio 6

You’re probably familiar with Motel 6, the budget hotel chain with over 1,300 locations sprawled across the U.S. Studio 6 is its extended-stay option that caters to those looking for long-term living. Both chains offer a 10% discount to active-duty military and retirees, but not veterans. To score this discount, you’ll enter Military Rate under the Special Rates dropdown.

The website will then pull up the rates for the military as well as the best flexible rates:

If you’re a veteran looking to save some money at Motel 6, consider signing up for VetRewards, which offers a 15% discount on all rates. Keep in mind that VetRewards is available to active duty, veterans, retirees, and their family members, which is a much broader range than most hotels will offer for their military discounts.

Red Roof Inn

Red Roof Inn is a chain of economy hotels located primarily in the U.S. All of its 650+ properties are pet-friendly, which makes this an enticing option for anyone looking to save money while traveling with animals. The hotel chain offers a variable discount to military members, their families, and even their friends. If you’re traveling on orders for a change of station, you’ll receive a 15% discount. Government and official travel, leisure travel, veterans, and friends or family traveling to see you will all receive a 10% discount.

Interestingly, there are multiple ways to book using your discount. The first, and easiest way is to select Government/Military from the Special Rate dropdown on the website’s search bar:

This will load up the results that are available for either government or military travel:

Interestingly, this isn’t the lowest available rate for military folks. Instead, you’ll need to use a specific VP+ code to snag the best rates. You’ll enter this in the search bar where it says Input VP+ Code.

• Permanent change of station rate: 626118
• Government and military official travel: 606730
• Government and military leisure travel (including veterans): 606732
• Government contractors: 606731
• Military friends and family: 608084

If you’re looking for a maximum discount on your stay at the Red Roof Inn, consider joining VetRewards for a 20% discount on all your stays, regardless of why you’re traveling.

Wyndham

Wyndham is perhaps better well-known for its more affordable hotel options, but it also features a robust selection of resort hotels. The discount you’ll receive varies depending on how you book. If you’re going through Wyndham’s regular website, you’ll need to select Military/Veteran under the More Options dropdown on Wyndham’s search bar.

These discounts are valid if you’re either on active duty or retired. Unfortunately, veterans do not qualify.

If you are a veteran, however, you still have some options. Those who are enrolled in VetRewards can receive up to a 20% discount on all Wyndham hotel bookings, including those offered by Wyndham Extra Holidays (the timeshare arm of Wyndham’s properties). This means it will frequently feature condo hotels with multiple bedrooms, so it’s definitely worth searching if you’re traveling with family.

Hot Tip: Plenty of airlines also offer discounts to servicemembers and veterans — see our full list of military discounts on flights (sorted by airline) for more details!

Other Hotel Chains That Offer Military Discounts

Although nearly every large hotel chain offers military discounts, plenty of others will as well. We’ll go through some of the published offers below, but even if you’re staying at a non-chain hotel, it’s worth calling and asking if it offers a military discount.

Accor Hotels

Accor is a pretty large hotel chain but doesn’t feature a standardized military discount. VetRewards however, has negotiated a 20% discount on your next Accor Hotels stay within New York. This is New York-specific, so don’t expect to find the discount applicable elsewhere.

Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas

If you’re a Caesars Diamond member, you’re probably already aware that you can spend 4 nights here for free each year. Seriously, you should complete the status match challenge in Las Vegas and get those free nights! But if you’re looking to stay a little longer or can’t see yourself in Las Vegas anytime soon, you can use ID.me to verify your military status and get 15% off room rates through Atlantis’ website. Veteran’s Advantage VetRewards enrollees also get a 15% discount on all stays at Paradise Island.

You’ll need to log in to your ID.me account, after which you can navigate to Atlantis’ webpage. You’ll automatically see results featuring the military discount.

Caesars

Caesars is another big name along the Las Vegas Strip, though it has tons of locations around the world. It offers up to a 10% discount to active-duty military, retirees, and veterans, and it uses ID.me to verify your military status. You’ll need to create an account, which you can do when searching via the Caesars website:

Once you’ve verified your status, you can complete your search. You’ll see the little disclaimer at the top letting you know that you’re seeing military discounted rates.

The discount is valid for all Caesars locations, not just Las Vegas. Caesars, like MGM, has also created its own military appreciation program. It’s called Caesars Rewards Salute, and it gives you free Platinum elite status, among other benefits.

Couples Resorts Jamaica

This smaller chain offers 4 different properties within Jamaica. They’re all all-inclusive, which means that the 15% discount offered to VetRewards members can save you a lot of money.

If you’re not a VetRewards member, you can book directly at 800-COUPLES or via a travel agent for a 10% military discount or another promotion that may include benefits like free nights or resort credits.

Diamond Resorts

Diamond Resorts is a timeshare company with locations in 35 different countries. You’ll need to qualify for and attend a timeshare presentation, but if you can withstand the pressure, you can find some pretty sweet deals on properties around the world. VetRewards members also qualify for a 20% discount on all stays.

Disney

Disney offers some really spectacular discounts for military members. From discounted park tickets to cruises to room rates, you can save a bucketload by taking advantage of the available discounts. Be aware that Disney updates these offers annually, so you’ll always want to keep abreast. Unfortunately, this offer is a little more restrictive than most: you must be on active duty, retired, or 100% permanently and totally disabled to take advantage of these discounts. You’re also eligible if your spouse is in one of these categories.

Disney doesn’t publish an exact percentage for its discounts, but it’s historically been pretty generous. If you’re looking to book rooms at Walt Disney World, you’ll need to call 407-939-7830. If you’re interested in Disneyland, you’ll need to call 714-956-6425

Hot Tip: Disneyland has currently suspended its hotel and military discounts due to the pandemic, but they should be reinstated in the future. 

MGM Resorts

MGM Resorts is a gaming and hotel company with locations all across the U.S. You’re probably familiar with its locations in Las Vegas, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Luxor, Aria, and Mandalay Bay, among others. MGM offers a 10% discount to all active-duty military, retirees, and veterans, along with their spouses.

The easiest way to search for this discount in Las Vegas is via this link that will automatically load the military discount into your search.  Otherwise, you can start from MGM’s hotel booking search page (which also works for all of its other locations). You’ll need to select the dates and hotel you’re searching for before you’re brought to this page, where you’ll see a little tab allowing you to select alternate rates:

You’ll be able to select this little tab, which will open up to allow you to search with your military discount applied.

Hot Tip: MGM has also created a special program for military members called MVP that offers special discounts and benefits for active duty, retirees, veterans, and spouses. MVP is a part of the MGM Reward program and automatically grants Pearl elite status. 

Sandals

Sandals is a popular luxury resort company renowned for its all-inclusive options. Luckily, Sandals’ military discount grants a 10% discount to active duty, retirees, and veterans, which can shave off a hefty amount of these multi-thousand dollar vacations. To get your discount, you’ll first book your vacation. You’ll then need to fill out a form with all your information, including your booking number, name, date of birth, and branch of service.

Military-Specific Hotels

If you’ve ever been in the military, then you’ve probably heard tales about military-specific hotels. These often come in whispered hushes, with exotic words like “Hawaii” and “Germany” thrown out in excitement. These hotels are real — they’re called Armed Forces Recreation Centers, and they’ve got locations around the world, including military hotels in Hawaii, Florida, South Korea, and Germany. Operated as an extension of the MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) office, entry requirements to these properties vary. However, they almost always offer spacious lodging and heavily discounted prices, although the properties may be a little outdated.

Each individual branch also has its own military-specific hotel properties, though all service members are welcome at these locations. There’s no single list, but some to consider include an option in Kure Beach, North Carolina and one in Big Bear Lake, California. If you’re wanting to know if any of these properties are located where you’ll be vacationing, it’d be a good idea to search your city name paired with the term “military hotel” to see if something pops up.

Of course, most bases have lodging of some sort onsite that can provide discounted rooms for use. Be aware that they’ll usually give priority to transitioning service members, however, so they may not always be available.

Hot Tip: Our comprehensive Military & Veterans Travel Guide offers tips on how to get recognition for your service in the form of travel discounts, special offers, and incentives.

Armed Forces Vacation Club

Armed Forces Vacation Club, better known as AFVC, sells discounted vacations to all kinds of military members. These include active duty, retirees, veterans, DoD employees, and immediate family members of the aforementioned groups. It primarily sells weeklong vacations at highly discounted prices — with prices starting at just $379 for the entire week. Vacations often include stays in condo resorts, which can make this an especially appealing option for families. You can search for destinations and dates around the world at its website, with the ability to search entire regions for maximum flexibility.

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) Offering Military Discounts

There are a few online travel agencies that offer military discounts, though they require ID verification of one kind or another.

American Forces Travel

American Forces Travel is a website co-operated between the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) office and Priceline. To use it, you’ll need to verify your eligibility, which runs through your DEERS account. There isn’t a specific discount percentage published, but the website shows some pretty good deals compared to public offerings.

CheapTickets

CheapTickets is a subsidiary of Expedia and offers a stunningly generous discount of 18% on all its bookings for military members. These include hotel bookings, as well as vacation rentals and even flights.

Expedia

Expedia offers a rotating selection of military discounts. They aren’t always available, so you’ll want to keep checking back on its military offer page to see what it has in store.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com offers a 10% discount to anyone who can be verified by ID.me, which includes active duty, retirees, and veterans. To qualify, you’ll need to sign in to your ID.me account.

Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be given a promo code that you can copy and use for your Hotels.com booking.

Hotwire

Hotwire also uses ID.me to verify your military status. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll receive a promo code valid for 10% off your hotel booking. Active duty, retirees, and veterans all qualify for this discount.

Is It Worth It to Book With a Military Discount?

This depends. Generally, yes, the rate that you’ll see with a military discount will be better than the best flexible rate a hotel is selling. But you’ll always want to double-check — oftentimes you can find better rates using a AAA or AARP discount or even by taking advantage of a package rate. So, to be safe rather than sorry, always double-check the military rate against standard rates and other discounted rates you may be eligible for.

Final Thoughts

If it wasn’t already obvious, there are many thousands of hotels willing to give you a discount for your service. All the major chains are included, as well as several smaller and less obvious options, including military-only hotels and even one that specializes in weeklong stays. No matter how you’re vacationing, it’s always worth taking a look to see if you can save some money with these excellent benefits.