Marriott Bonvoy: Our Best Points Redemptions for Free Nights
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You’ve unlocked the welcome bonus from one of the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, or perhaps you’ve used the promotion to transfer membership reward points to Marriott Bonvoy to boost your balance and get more free nights. Or maybe you’ve received an annual Free Night Award certificate and are wondering how to use it optimally.
According to Milesopedia’s point value estimate, a good use of a Marriott Bonvoy point is valued at 0.9 cents per point. Thanks to the power of points, it’s sometimes possible to achieve a much greater value by comparing the cash price of a room to the price in points.
Here are some memorable great deals from the Milesopedia team members that allowed us to save a lot of money and experience luxurious stays for free.
Marie-Ève – Week in Albania
In October 2024, I decided to spend a week working remotely in Albania. My colleague Marie-Claude recommended the Marriott Tirana after staying there with her family.
The Tirana Marriott was perfectly located for exploring the city, with a view of the football stadium from my room. If I had Platinum status, I could have enjoyed the free breakfast (which I tried and found delicious) as well as the VIP lounge that offered food and drinks all day. I take comfort in the fact that these nights cost me few points, helping me reach that coveted status in 2025.
The food in Tirana is delicious and very affordable, which allowed me to try many restaurants at low prices. Albania is now one of my favourite affordable destinations.
Caroline – Paris for the Olympic Games
The stay was in the middle of the Paris 2024 Olympics and the cost of the rooms was very high, even though I booked several months in advance. But thanks to points, I was able to get away with paying nothing! We were close to the Tram, which dropped us off right next to a Games venue where we had tickets for an event. What’s more, as it was a Residence Inn, breakfast was included.
Étienne – Luxury in Bora Bora
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort is one of the most iconic in French Polynesia, and in cash, it was beyond our means, but thanks to points, the dream became a reality.
We received an upgrade to an overwater villa, and thanks to Titanium status, we enjoyed free breakfast. However, Bora Bora remains a luxury destination, and expenses such as dining, transfers, and activities should be considered in your budget, as they can be quite costly.
Aline – Maldives With Family
We have always dreamed of experiencing overwater bungalows, and from an economic standpoint, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa is an excellent option, whether using points or cash.
Prices have risen since my stay in October 2022, but it’s still possible to find nights for less than 50,000 points, perfect for using an annual certificate with a points top-up. In cash, rates range from US$300 to US$500 per night, which is still very reasonable for this type of experience.
Jean-Maximilien – Paris CDG
During major events such as International Paris Air Show, it’s possible to make significant savings with points when nightly rates are very high. Here’s what Jean-Maximilien found:
Marie-Claude – Short Break in Milan
Hotels in Milan are generally very (if not too) expensive, and this Sheraton in San Siro proved an excellent option. Although slightly out of the way, it’s just a 5-minute bus ride from the San Siro stadium and at the end of a metro line, making it convenient for exploring the city.
The property features a club lounge accessible to Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador members, but what really impressed us was the evening cocktail dinner offered each night. Served in the main restaurant, it’s a true feast, akin to an all-inclusive buffet, with a beautiful selection of unlimited wines and additional à la carte dishes.
Travelling with two children (aged 11 and 8), this offer was a considerable added value, in addition to the generous breakfast buffet included every morning. An excellent choice for families wishing to combine comfort, status benefits and good value for money.
Milesopedia Community
We asked the question in our Facebook group, and many of you responded! Here are just a few of our readers’ success stories:
- 5 nights at the London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf for 132,000 points with access to the VIP lounge, saving $600 per night
- 3 nights at the Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Buenos Aires for 70,000 points and an annual Free Night Award certificate, with suite upgrade and free breakfast.
- 5 nights at Disney’s Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort for 144,000 points instead of $6,400
- 5 nights at Residence Inn Los Angeles L.A. LIVE for 168,000 points instead of $6,000
Our Tips and Tricks
Clearly, the fifth night of free points can save you a lot of money and help you get the most out of your travel points!
As hotel prices fluctuate regularly, whether in points or in cash, we advise you to use the Best Rate Guarantee with Marriott Bonvoy to ensure that you get the best possible price, in points or in cash, after your booking. Of course, this depends on the type of rate you choose, but normally you can always adjust the price of your reservation in points when it drops before the start of your stay.
Finally, if you’re short on points, there’s always the option of buying them. It may be worth comparing the price of your stay in cash with the price needed to obtain the number of points required to book the same stay in points. There are often Marriott Bonvoy points purchase promotions you can take advantage of, which can considerably reduce the price of your stay.
Annual Free Night Award
In addition to the welcome offer, holders of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card receive an annual Free Night Award certificate worth 35,000 points, which you can combine with up to 15,000 of your points to obtain a night worth up to 50,000 points.
By choosing your hotel wisely to use your Free Night Award, you can get great value, often far exceeding the card’s annual fee. This is why we keep the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards year after year. With two people holding these credit cards, you can get up to four free nights per year using these Free Night Awards.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
Alexandrine – Night in Singapore
Since becoming an American Express Marriott Bonvoy cardholder, I have redeemed my annual Free Night Award at several hotels around the world:
- Delta Hotels Toronto
- The Westin Singapore
- Sheraton Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort (Vietnam)
- Aloft Tokyo Ginza
- Moxy Osaka Shin Umeda
- Town Hall Hotel, London, a Member of Design Hotels™
- JW Marriott Auckland
Each night represented a value of over $400, but my best use remains at The Westin Singapore. Rates at this hotel usually range around $450, but on my particular date, the room sold for $970!
Marie-Ève – Transits in Big Cities
I find annual certificates very practical for trips that require passage through a major city where accommodation prices rise rapidly. Being a fan of more economical or long-term Airbnb-style accommodation, a hotel stay is a great way to start or end a trip, knowing that those in the Marriott Bonvoy group normally offer excellent standards and attentive service.
Here are a few examples of cities and hotels where I’ve been able to get excellent value with my annual certificates:
- Athens, Greece: Moxy Athens City
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro and Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
- Sao Paulo, Brazil: W Sao Paulo
- Milan: AC Hotel Milan Sesto
- Paris : Moxy Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
For example, at the Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort, I got an upgrade to a room with an oceanfront balcony, with access to the VIP lounge (thanks to my Platinum status), with breakfast included and free bike rental. This cost me my combined 4,000-point annual certificate, rather than the $500 cash price of the room, which more than makes up for the $120 annual fee of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card!
For more tips on the annual Free Night Award certificate, read our guide:
Bottom Line
With a bit of research and the tips mentioned in this article, it is very possible to get excellent value for your Marriott Bonvoy points, often well beyond the estimated 0.9 cents per point. Ultimately, paying in points or cash can be part of a larger strategy. For example, if you want to achieve status by taking advantage of the current Double Elite Nights promotion, your stays must be paid for in cash to qualify.
Depending on your chosen destination, read our guide to the different Marriott Bonvoy brands to find the type of hotel to suit your needs. We wish you excellent free hotel nights thanks to points!
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
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on American Express's website
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