Blood stains. Speed kills. Fast cars. Cheap thrills. All could be yours if you save on your hotel room.
Wyndham’s military discount is fairly consistent across the hotel chain and can be as much as 20 percent off. The hotel also ranks high for customer satisfaction.
Military members may be able to stay for up to 45 percent off. The home-like amenities make staying for long periods of time more comfortable.
IHG has 40 on-base hotels in addition to offering discounts for leisure travel for members of the military. IHG also has one of the top customer satisfaction rates for hotels. Amenities are abundant and there are more than 6,000 properties to stay at.
Discount rate determined by individual hotels
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Finding hotel discounts for military members isn’t as easy as it would seem. While every major hotel chain claims to offer some type of military discount, there’s often no published discount rate, and offers vary by location. Many times, the discount isn’t any better than a rate made available to AAA, AARP, or even the public at large.
Yet, there are some true bright spots and benefits that go beyond saving a few bucks off your hotel room. We’ve cut through the crap and have some recommendations for the best hotel discounts for military members that you can actually use.
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With just north of 3,000 hotels between them, budget chains La Quinta Inn and Super 8 together rank as the best hotel chain. Their parent company, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, offers a 12- and 15-percent discount, respectively, off the best available rate and up to 20 percent off through programs like VetRewards and Armed Forces Vacation Club.
Additionally, if you’re a military member who signs up for Wyndham’s reward program, you’ll instantly receive gold-level membership plus 1,000 bonus points after completing your first qualifying night. The benefits are available to active and retired military and their spouses, as well.
However, there are a couple of drawbacks to the Wyndham military discounts. According to the fine print, they only apply to La Quinta Inn and Super 8, which rank at the bottom of customer satisfaction surveys. However, the Wyndham Rewards Program applies to all 22 Wyndham hotels, which include budget, mid-tier, and luxury brands.
Large number of properties to choose from
Earn additional perks with Wyndham Rewards program
Fewer upscale and luxury properties than other hotel chains
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Extended Stay America ranks as the best hotel discount because when you book through programs like VetRewards, you can save up to a whopping 45 percent off. Plus, the company will honor Defense Department rates at or below 75 percent off per diem if you stay longer than a month.
Additionally, Extended Stay offers a host of amenities like standard suites equipped with kitchens, on-sight laundry, free breakfast and Wi-Fi, and they’re pet-friendly facilities. Also, where available, guests will have access to pools, fitness centers, and van parking.
Despite the generous discount, Extended Stay does have a few drawbacks. First, it only has about 550 locations across the country. Second, the rewards program is more of an email with promotions, meaning you don’t earn points or anything. And finally, it isn’t ranked in either of the customer satisfaction surveys we reviewed.
TDY and PCS rates offered at hundreds of locations
Honors DoD flat-rate policy
Suites come with kitchens and home-like amenities
Guest laundry facilities
Fewer locations than other brands with just 650 options
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With more than 6,000 locations worldwide and a minimum five percent military discount rate, IHG Hotels & Resorts ranks as the best for veterans. The British company owns 17 brands, ranging from midscale to luxury, and offers a generous rewards program.
According to the fine print, the military discount applies to all military personnel, veterans, and their families. While the discount starts at five percent, it varies by hotel and availability. Also, it’s only offered by participating hotels and does not apply to IHG Army Hotels, which are the 40 on-base hotels across the country.
As a company overall, IHG rates as one of the highest for customer satisfaction. It received high marks on both ACSI and JD Power surveys in 2021 and 2022. IHG brands like Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Candlewood Suites, and Crowne Plaza are also ranked as some of the best hotels.
IHG also ranks in the top five for rewards programs. You can earn reward points on hotel stays and credit cards, and use points on booking hotels and air travel.
On-base hotels are a great value and cater to servicemen and women
One of the best customer satisfaction rates in the industry
Over 6,000 properties worldwide
Basic and luxury properties available to book
Quality, budget-friendly properties
Can earn free nights with rewards program
Discount rate determined by individual hotels
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All over the country, Red Roof Inn routinely offers one of the, if not THE, cheapest hotel rates. You’ll often see prices less than $50. Therefore, we rank Red Roof Inn as the best budget for military hotels.
Red Roof Inn offers a flat 10 percent discount rate to military members on leisure or official travel, along with their friends and family. All you have to do is go to the company’s website for the discount code. Also, if you book a room through VetRewards, you could save up to 20 percent on your rate.
Additionally, Red Roof has a loyalty program, dubbed RediRewards, where you can earn points for not just hotel benefits, but also other travel and lifestyle discounts, as well as gifts. Plus, the program and military discount apply to all Red Roof brands, including Red Roof Inn, Red Roof Plus, The Red Collection, and HomeTowne Studios.
However, there are some drawbacks to Red Roof. If you’ve ever driven by one, it’s usually a wide open parking lot and there’s no shortage of crime stories set in a Red Roof Inn. Still, Consumer Affairs reports that the brand earned a 3.9-star rating from reviewing customers.
10 to 20 percent discount available
Affordable economy and midscale rooms
No additional charge for pets
Fewer choices and locations with just 670 properties
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The Armed Forces Vacation Club sells available condo weeks (think timeshare) to members of the armed forces at rates starting at $379 for the week. That works out to be around $54 for the night before taxes. That’s pretty sweet, especially considering you’re renting a condo with a full kitchen, living room, and other resort-like amenities.
Availability is good, especially in popular destinations that have an overabundance of timeshares (we’re looking at you, Orlando, Branson, and Las Vegas). There are also resort weeks available in locations like Maui for $999 for the week.
The biggest downside is the property you want may not be available for the dates you need (due to the space available nature of the discounted condo weeks). It’s also worth noting that many of the properties may be past their prime. Before you book, take a good look at the pictures and the reviews online, as some of the properties can be quite dated.
Membership is free to members of the armed forces. There is a premium version available that claims to unlock more discounts and availability, but it’s not necessary. You’ll likely be able to find something with the free version.
More than 4,000 worldwide resorts may have a week available
Condo living (namely, the kitchen) can help you save money
Free membership
Some properties appear older and outdated
Dates and property availability may not fit your schedule
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American Forces Travel is the only official Morale, Welfare, and Recreation leisure travel website. It is powered by Priceline and discounts can range between 40 and 60 percent on certain properties. The website isn’t limited to hotel deals, either. Members of the military can also access deals on airfare, car rentals, packages, and cruises.
Unlike Veterans Advantage, you do not have to pay a membership fee to access these discounts. You do have to be eligible to use MWR programs to access the site. You’ll be asked to verify your ID through the Department of Defense the first time you use the site. After that, you’ll be able to search and book deals through the website.
One downside you may notice is many of the deals you’ll see are also available to members of the public on other websites. This is due to the sheer number of search results you’ll see, most of which aren’t exclusive deals for members of the armed forces. It’s still worth searching, and you can even use your Military Star card on purchases made through the site.
Deep discounts much like you would see on Priceline
Variety of travel to book
Searches and compares over 1.2 million properties worldwide
Able to use Military Star card to book hotel rooms
Inconsistent discounts across brands
Some users report seeing the same deals as they would on a public-facing site
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Caesar Properties ranks as the best military discount for a hotel in Las Vegas. With the Caesar Rewards program, you can get up to a 30 percent discount plus other perks at 10 hotels on the strip in Sin City and more across the country.
When you sign up for the Caesar Rewards Salute Card, you’re automatically upgraded to receive “platinum” status, which opens you up to things like valet parking, discounts at gift shops, and complimentary stays. It’s a free program for active or retired military, as well as their spouses and dependents.
While the discounts and perks are great, they do have some drawbacks. Mainly, Caesar Properties include some of the poorest rated hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. They’re great if you’re in your 20s and want Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but not so great if you want to be wine and dined.
Available to active duty military, veterans, military spouses and dependents, retirees, reservists, and surviving spouses
Additional discounts at casino gift shops with the Salute card
Discount restrictions extend to Caesars Rewards loyalty member offers
Other promotional packages where spa, dining, or show tickets are included are not eligible for the military discount
Every major hotel chain offers some type of discount for military personnel, but it’s not standard across hotels and most of them are not publicly published. Some of these are “discounts” in name only, meaning you can get the lowest available rate without selecting the military discount.
The only way to determine the government or military discount for most hotel chains is to tap in the dates of your trip directly into the hotel chain’s search engine. Discounts vary by the individual hotel and date of your trip.
A: No, Airbnb does not offer a military discount, but Airbnb hosts can. If they do, it’ll be listed in their terms and conditions.
A: Hotel policies vary for extending military discounts to family members. Some require active-duty status while others offer discounts for leisure travel to household members. It’s best to check with the hotel you’re planning to stay at.
A: Most hotels require you to show proof of ID for your discount, though it’s possible you may not get asked for it at check-in. It’s always a good practice to bring it with you.
A: It’s difficult to ascertain what hotel offers the highest military discount, especially since most hotel chains let their franchise owners determine the discount for a hotel room. IHG, Wyndham, and Red Roof all advertise up to 20 percent off a hotel room through the VetRewards program, while Extended Stay America claims the discount can be as much as 45 percent.
A: Yes. Many hotels offer discounts for law enforcement or federal employees. Check for a category called government discounts on the hotel’s website.
Hotel discounts for members of the military can vary widely, and some truly aren’t a real discount, which is frustrating. With the sacrifices military families make, a few bucks off the hotel room shouldn’t be something you need to fight for. Hopefully, you found this list useful and can book a hotel deal for some well-deserved time off.
Our evaluation of the best hotel discounts for military took into account the entire value of what is offered by the hotels. This includes:
Recognizing that hotels have different strengths, we sought to find the best discounts in several hotel categories, from condo-style arrangements to budget-friendly hotel rooms.
All major hotel brands were evaluated. Some hotel chains simply don’t offer a discount any greater than what the public at large can book. These options were eliminated from our consideration for best hotel discounts for the military.
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