What is a Mattress Run?
A mattress run is when you stay at a hotel for the sole purpose of earning nights towards elite status with a hotel chain and/or accumulating hotel points.
It is the hotel equivalent of the more widely known ‘mileage run’ (which is taking a flight for the purpose of earning
airline miles or elite status with an airline).
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Why do a Mattress Run?
While year-end is typically the most popular time of year for a mattress run, there are other times when it can be just as beneficial:
+Hotel Elite Status
Hotel Elite Status can be be worth thousands of dollars… waived resort fees, free breakfast, and room updates are just some of the benefits many hotel chains offer to their elite members. Earning status before an upcoming trip can earn you perks that are worth more than the cost of the mattress run.
+Hotel Points Promotions
Hotels will sometimes offer extra points for stays during a promotional period. Earning extra points can help offset the costs of a mattress run, while helping you get closer towards your goal of the next elite status tier.
+Double Night Credit
Occasionally hotels will offer extra elite night credit for hotel stays within a promotional period. This is an ideal time for a mattress run as you can work your way towards elite status twice as fast.
+Second Stay Promotions
Some hotel promotions only begin with your second stay within the promotional period. A mattress run could make sense if you already have an extended stay (let’s say 10 nights in this example) planned during the promotional period. In this instance, the extended stay would earn no bonus if it’s your first stay during the promotion. So the strategy here would be a one nite mattress run before the extended stay so that the 10 night stay earns whatever bonus is being offered.
Mattress Run Strategy:
The big picture mattress run strategy is to keep your mattress runs as cheap as possible... and then utilize the newly gained tier status benefits on more expensive stays.
We make it easy to find the least expensive nights for your mattress run. Set the distance based upon how far you’re
willing to travel for your mattress run and choose the date range that works for your schedule (or that coincides with the hotel’s promotional dates).
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Hotel rates, points, and prices are obtained from sources believed to be reliable but are not guaranteed until booked/confirmed at hotel's own website.
All data is frequently updated but may have changed since last updated.
