Marriott Bonvoy: Top up Free Night Award using up to 15,000 Points

Announced by Marriott Bonvoy in March 2026, it is now possible to combine a Free Night Award with up to 25,000 points. Since fall 2021, the Free Night Award could be combined with a maximum of 15,000 points.

Thus, a Free Night Award (35,000 points) and these points allow for booking a room with a total value of 60,000 points.

This is also good news for Marriott Bonvoy Elite Titanium Status members. They can choose an annual benefit of one Free Night Award for hotels up to a value of 40,000 points.

With this change, they can also use up to 25,000 points to obtain a free night. Therefore, they can book a room with this award + points combination, for a total value of up to 65,000 points.

And if you hold the U.S. credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^™ American Express^® Card (which offers an annual award worth 50,000 points), you can top it up with up to 25,000 points to obtain a free night with a total value of up to 75,000 points.

How to earn a Free Night Award

Two credit cards in Canada offer a Free Night Award upon annual renewal, to be used at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel:

If you do not have one and/or the other, do not miss the offer ending soon:

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare

This valuable certificate is a significant benefit, putting the cost of their annual membership fee in perspective when renewing.

By using it correctly, you could derive a value of $300 or more, especially during stays in the heart of major American or European cities.

Marriott Bonvoy: Combine Your Free Night Award with Up to 25,000 Points - Marriott Free Night Certificate

How to use an Annual Free Night Award with points

When booking a room, you must choose the option to book with points.

Next, select a room that costs at most 25,000 points more than what your Free Night Award allows.

In this example at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach, I have a Free Night Award worth 35,000 points. Thus, I can book a room worth up to 60,000 points.

Marriott Bonvoy: Combine Your Free Night Award with Up to 25,000 Points - Marriott points room selection

After selecting the room, the option appears to pay with a Free Night Award AND points!

Marriott Bonvoy: Combine Your Free Night Award with Up to 25,000 Points - Marriott Combo points and free cert

Then, just before confirming the room, a summary allows us to see what will be deducted from our account.

Marriott Bonvoy: Combine Your Free Night Award with Up to 25,000 Points - Confirmation cert and points

There you go! In this example, this tip would have saved you $440 USD (including taxes) or 565 Canadian dollars.

This is more than enough to compensate for the annual fee of the card that allows you to have such an advantage, thanks to this Free Night Award and points!

Conclusion

The increase from 15,000 points to 25,000 points that can be combined with the annual Free Night Award provides greater redemption possibilities for Marriott Bonvoy members. This is an option many have been waiting for, particularly within the Milesopedia community. Furthermore, this feature is relatively easy to use and allows the Free Night Award to be used at many more Marriott Bonvoy hotels now.

Also read: Marriott Bonvoy Offers a New Way to Track Your Gift Cards

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate work in Canada?

The Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate is offered annually with Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards (personal and business) upon renewal. This certificate, valued at 35,000 points, allows you to book a free night at any participating Marriott hotel, and can now be combined with up to 25,000 additional points to access properties worth up to 60,000 points per night.

Can you use multiple free night certificates for the same stay?

Yes, it is possible to use multiple free night certificates for a multi-night stay, provided that the member is present during the stay and the rooms are booked in their name. Each certificate applies to one night in a standard room, and you can add up to 25,000 points per certificate to access higher-category hotels.

What is the actual value of the free night certificate compared to the annual fees?

The free night certificate can easily be worth more than $300, particularly in major American or European cities where hotel rates are high. With the ability to add 25,000 points, you can obtain nights valued at $400-600, which more than offsets the $120-150 annual fees of Canadian Marriott Bonvoy cards.

How do you book a room by combining certificate and points on the Marriott website?

To combine your certificate with points, first select the « Book with points » option when searching for a hotel. Then choose a room whose value does not exceed your certificate’s value by more than 25,000 points, and the « Pay with certificate AND points » option will automatically appear during the booking process on the website.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare

Go further with Marriott Bonvoy

To maximize your stays and points earning, check our complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide and our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards ranking. For personal use, see the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. For business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card earns points on every business purchase. And if a points purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Marriott Bonvoy points purchase guide.

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Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 110,000 points

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Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

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Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437

2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days