Marriott Bonvoy: How to Book Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points?

Updated Apr 8, 2026
Maldives with points
To the point Master the art of free Marriott Bonvoy hotel nights with points and discover how to save on your travels with our expert tips.

We love free hotel stays!

It is essential to know how to maximize your rewards, whether it’s accumulating points with credit cards, taking advantage of promotions, or comparing redemption options, whether for luxury vacations or simple ways to save on accommodation costs.

Discover our step-by-step guide on how to book free Marriott Bonvoy nights in Canada.

Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points - Step One: Earning Points

The first step to booking free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points is to open an account and accumulate enough points for your desired redemption.

In Canada, there are several ways to earn them, as Marriott Bonvoy collaborates with American Express to issue two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (one for individuals and one for small businesses).

You can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by applying for the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card.

You can also earn up to 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by applying for the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card.

With these two credit cards, that represents 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

You can earn between 150,000 and 300,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a couple or with a travel companion!

You can also transfer points from one of these seven American Express Membership Rewards cards to Marriott Bonvoy.

The transfer rate is 1:1.2 (or 5:6). This means that by transferring 10,000 Membership Rewards points, you will get 12,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

You can transfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for free each year from one Marriott Bonvoy account to another. This is a simple way to book hotel nights from a single account:

  • Points accumulated with a spouse’s or travel companion’s Marriott Bonvoy credit cards can be combined.
  • Take advantage of your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
  • Earn Elite nights to renew your status.
  • Use the “Stay 5 nights, pay for 4” trick to book hotel nights with points.

When redeeming your Marriott Bonvoy points, you can take advantage of the “Stay 5 nights, pay for 4” promotion.

Thanks to this benefit, you save approximately 20% on the price of your booking, allowing you to use fewer points for a longer stay!

Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points - Step Two: How to Search?

Once you have accumulated enough points for your free nights redemption with Marriott Bonvoy, you need to log in to your account and search for hotel availability for your destination.

Remember to check the “Use Points/Certificates” box to see award-only results.

Marriott Bonvoy Free nights with points 1

You can filter and sort them according to your preferences on the results page. You can also quickly note the total cost of the stay in points or cash; use special rates and codes to compare with the lowest available rate!

Therefore, you can also evaluate whether it is more advantageous to pay with cash or to get free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points.

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BOOK WITH MILESOPEDIA!

Did you know that you can support Milesopedia by booking your hotel nights through our Marriott Bonvoy affiliate link? You will not be charged any extra fees and will benefit from all your status advantages while contributing to the future of the site and its community!

Regularly check our partners’ websites!

Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points - Step Three: How to Choose?

Once you have selected the property where you wish to stay, click on “View Rates” to see the different rooms and prices available at the property.

Then, you can choose the room you want. Note that there are two types of redemption:

  • Cash Points Redemption
  • Redeeming points
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To benefit from the fifth free night, you must choose to pay with points only. You can also calculate the value of the point difference to determine the best option.

Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points - Step Four: Verification

The final step to booking free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points is to verify important reservation details, such as the number of rooms selected and your stay dates.

Marriott Bonvoy Free nights with points 4

Then, you can ensure that the cost summary is correct; the lowest night rate will be crossed out if you book five award nights.

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Even if you are redeeming points for your stay, you will need to provide your billing address and link a credit card to guarantee your reservation.

The card on file can also be used to pay for hotel charges such as breakfast fees if you opt for this and do not have Marriott Bonvoy status. When using your credit card, opt for the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card or the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card, with which you can earn 5X points on all charges at their hotel brands.

Finally, review the hotel’s cancellation policy before confirming your free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points.

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Bonus Tip

Even if you have booked your stay, you can continue to check if the price has dropped! If it has, you can modify your reservation and get a refund for the difference!

Free Nights with Marriott Bonvoy Points - Sweet Spots

Some destinations are known to be sweet spots for free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points. Use our Marriott Bonvoy hotel map to identify those that require the fewest points for free nights! Our affordable destinations include:

  • The Philippines
  • Bali
  • South Africa
  • India
  • Morocco

Bottom Line

To book free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points, earning points through credit cards or transfers and taking advantage of the “Stay 5, Pay for 4” benefit is the best way to get the most out of your points.

You can effectively use your points and enjoy free stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties by following the steps outlined in this article.

How many Marriott points are needed for a free night?

The number of points required varies from 7,500 to 100,000 points depending on the hotel’s category and luxury level.

Do free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points count towards Elite status?

Yes, nights paid with points count towards Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Aline Nguyen
Aline Nguyen
Aline, an experienced traveler and avid photographer, is an Avgeek, a foodie at heart and a mother to two children. An expert in credit cards & rewards programs, including Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, American Express Membership Rewards, CIBC Aventura, and RBC Avion, she uses points to travel affordably and save in daily life. Having explored all 7 continents and 83 countries, Aline shares her travel passion and insights to help others make the most of loyalty programs.
All posts by Aline Nguyen

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