The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card for free hotel nights.
With this welcome offer, you can earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $1,500 in the first 3 months after joining.
It’s a Card we recommend keeping because each year at renewal, you get an Annual Free Night Award (for up to 35,000 points at hotels worldwide) and 15 Elite Night Credits per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Finally, this Card comes with comprehensive insurance: baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel or motel burglary, rental car theft and damage, Purchase Security, Purchase Protection.
Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.
The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card is the best credit card for travelling self-employed professionals and small business owners.
With this welcome offer, you can earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after joining.
With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties. And you can earn 3 points per dollar for:
And 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
When you sign up for the Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card, you can earn up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a welcome bonus.
If you’re a couple or with friends, that other person could also earn up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a welcome bonus.
You can combine your points in a single Marriott Bonvoy account (everything can be done online in just a few seconds). That’s enough to earn you more than 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (not counting the points earned through minimum spending on each card).
You can also apply for the Business Card: the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card. As part of this exceptional welcome offer, we are offering up to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (not including points earned through minimum spending requirements).
For example, if you already have the Consumer Card, now’s a good time to get the Business Card for your business expenses!
And if you don’t have either card, now’s the time to get one (or both)!
If you’re a couple – or with a travel companion – you can earn between 110,000 and 220,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, depending on the number of Marriott Bonvoy cards you each take.
Marriott Bonvoy points allow you to stay in one of the group’s 8,000 hotels in over 130 countries! And there is something for every budget: from 5,000 points per night. For example, Bali is one of the cheapest destinations!
And if you stay 4 nights in a row at a hotel using points, the fifth night is free!
With these conditions, you could get up to 12 free hotel nights with the welcome bonus of a single credit card and points earned via minimum spending requirements. And more than 20 free nights with welcome bonuses and a minimum spend of two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (for couples or those taking the two cards for individuals and SMEs).
See our best examples of Marriott Bonvoy points in Bali (Indonesia), Morocco, the Philippines, Egypt and India at the end of this article.
With the exceptional welcome bonus of two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points + 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 110,000 points), you could earn up to 27 free nights at a hotel costing 5,000 points per night (and without taking into account the points obtained through the minimum spending required to obtain the welcome bonus) :
27-night stay = from 110,000 points !
Of course, this is a theoretical exercise in optimization in countries where Marriott Bonvoy hotels are very accessible in points. You could just as easily get one or two free nights in the Maldives, for example! See our best examples of Marriott Bonvoy points in Bali (Indonesia), Morocco, the Philippines, Egypt and India at the end of this article.
It’s up to you to see how many free hotel nights you can get, depending on your destination.
But this is to show you the power of Marriott Bonvoy points, especially if you’re travelling as a couple, with family or friends, to combine Marriott Bonvoy points into one account.
Both credit card have an annual fee, starting in the first year:
In exchange, you’ll get many nights at a choice of over 8,000 Marriott hotels! There are over 250 hotels in Canada.
Take a look at these hotels in South Africa, for example, which start at 5,000 points per night (we’ve written a full article on this destination here):
Or as in one of these hotels in Indonesia from 5,000 points per night:
For example, during our round-the-world family trip, we stayed at numerous Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Bali costing between 5,000 and 15,000 points per night.
Milesopedia exclusive! We have grouped the 8,000 Marriott Bonvoy member hotels into:
Maps already consulted more than 500,000 times!
So you can easily find the one that’s right for you, based on their location!
At the end of the article, you’ll find our best examples of using Marriott Bonvoy points in Bali (Indonesia), Morocco, the Philippines, Egypt and India, as well as testimonials from members of the Milesopedia community.
A little-known advantage of Marriott Bonvoy: you can transfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per year from one account to another!
So, in our point-earning strategies, we advise a couple or travel companions to each apply for the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card or the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and then combine their points into one account to book their free hotel nights!
For two, it’s a good way to earn more than 100,000 points, which paves the way for a lot of free hotel nights!
You can make the transfer online.
By booking five consecutive nights in the same hotel with Marriott Bonvoy points, one night free! All the more reason to make the most of the points earned via your Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card or your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card.
Here’s the example of the Element by Westin Bali Ubud hotel booked for 5 consecutive nights: that’s 46,000 points instead of 57,000!
In other words, it’s a 20% saving on this 5-night stay! Check out the details on the Stay for 5, Pay for 4 perk in this article.
Closer to home, here are some reviews on the excellent hotel: Delta Hotels Sherbrooke Conference Centre:
So you can spend your holidays “at home” with your points, as many members of the milesopedia community have done.
If you’re not interested in free hotel nights, you can opt for another option: earn airline miles.
Marriott Bonvoy partners with numerous airline programs such as Aeroplan, Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, etc. For most loyalty programs, Marriott Bonvoy points transfer at a 3:1 ratio.
So 30,000 points = 10,000 miles.
And for every 60,000 points transferred, Marriott adds a 15,000 points bonus or 5,000 bonus miles!
Thus, 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 25,000 Aeroplan points / Flying Blue miles / Avios miles, etc!
The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card and the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card offer you many advantages such as:
After one year, if you renew your annual fee, you will automatically get an Annual Free Night Award with a 35,000 points value, which will be valid for one year (from the date of issue of the certificate). You can top up this Free Night Award with up to 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That’s enough to get you a free night’s accommodation and up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Enough to treat yourself to a night in a hotel like this in the heart of Manhattan, New York! Like in one of these hotels during the 2024 holiday season (prefer the Residence Inn, ideal for families):
Here again, the card fee should be seen as an investment: $120 CA for the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card or CA$150 for the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card for a night in a beautiful hotel in the heart of Manhattan costing US$439 + taxes and fees – that’s unheard of!
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card are currently the best credit cards for free hotel nights.
The $120 (or $150) annual fee should be viewed as an investment.
You can take advantage of this exceptional welcome bonus in anticipation of your upcoming trips. Here are our two offer links for these Marriott Bonvoy credit cards:
Check the best Marriott Bonvoy credit card offers.
If you want examples of Marriott Bonvoy points uses by the milesopedia community, check out this discussion topic in the Facebook group!
We picked up a few examples a little below!
Here are some concrete examples of how Marriott Bonvoy points are used in various countries.
Bali has nearly 30 Marriott Bonvoy properties. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on properties that are available between 5,000 and 20,000 points per night.
Here’s how much a 10-night stay in one of these hotels would cost in points:
These points are easily earned by subscribing to the Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card or the Marriott BonvoyMD Business American ExpressMD* Card.
So, with the welcome bonus from a single credit card, you could get about 12 free nights at a hotel costing 5,000 points per night:
If you’re a couple or with a friend (OR if you subscribe to both Marriott Bonvoy credit cards), you’ll get almost 25 nights free !
25-night stay = from 100,000 points !
Let’s take an example with this beautiful hotel in Bali, the Element by Westin Bali Ubud (where we stayed at):
This hotel can be booked with Marriott Bonvoy points for only 11,000 points per night:
Here are some examples (and our reviews on these hotels).
There are 5 Marriott Bonvoy locations in the Philippines.
So, with the welcome bonus from a single credit card, you could get up to 6 free nights in a hotel:
If you’re a couple or with a friend (OR if you subscribe to both Marriott Bonvoy credit cards), that’s over 12 nights free !
By visiting two different destinations, over 5 nights each, your 10-night stay in the Philippines will therefore have cost you between 80,000 and 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
India has nearly 130 Marriott Bonvoy properties. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on properties that are available between 5,000 and 20,000 points per night. Here are some examples of where we have stayed:
So, with the welcome bonus from one credit card, you could get more than 12 free nights at a hotel costing 5,000 points per night:
12-night stay = from 50,000 points!
If you’re a couple or with a friend (OR if you subscribe to both Marriott Bonvoy credit cards), you’ll get more than 25 nights free !
Jean-François stayed in several of these hotels during his trip to India: as you will see below, they arecomfortable and particularly well located.
Morocco has 4 Marriott Bonvoy locations.
By visiting two different destinations (Casablanca and Marrakech) for 5 nights each, your 10-night stay in Morocco will have cost you between 80,000 and 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points!
12-night stay = from 100,000 points !
Egypt boasts 18 Marriott Bonvoy establishments.
Visiting two different destinations (Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh) for 5 nights each, your 10-night stay in Egypt will have cost you between 80,000 and 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points!
Here are some examples of how the milesopedia community uses Marriott Bonvoy points!
We personally went to Manhattan last May: 35,000 points for a night of US$350 so for 140,000 points, we had 5 nights (and paid 4 nights), which is worth, $2300! PL C.
We personally went to Manhattan last May: 35,000 points for a night of US$350 so for 140,000 points, we had 5 nights (and paid 4 nights), which is worth, $2300!
PL C.
We leave with our family for Europe for 26 days in December/January and have booked 18 nights with our Bonvoy points. (New York 3 nights, Vienna 5 nights, Wroclaw 3 nights, Dresden 2 nights, Leipzig 2 nights and Paris 3 nights). Marie Andrée C.
We leave with our family for Europe for 26 days in December/January and have booked 18 nights with our Bonvoy points. (New York 3 nights, Vienna 5 nights, Wroclaw 3 nights, Dresden 2 nights, Leipzig 2 nights and Paris 3 nights).
Marie Andrée C.
8 nights in Louisiana between New Orleans, Houma, Lafayette and Baton Rouge – 1 night at the Marriott at the Montreal airport to limit my mother’s fatigue and travel before a very early morning departure for Mexico. Pierre-Luc V.
8 nights in Louisiana between New Orleans, Houma, Lafayette and Baton Rouge – 1 night at the Marriott at the Montreal airport to limit my mother’s fatigue and travel before a very early morning departure for Mexico.
Pierre-Luc V.
2 nights at Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel:70,000 points. 2 nights in London, booked 4 days early at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall:120,000 points. And I transferred 126,000 points in 52,000 American AAdvantage miles. Jorge L.
2 nights at Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel:70,000 points. 2 nights in London, booked 4 days early at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall:120,000 points. And I transferred 126,000 points in 52,000 American AAdvantage miles.
Jorge L.
I’m trying to maximize the value of points generally. And it was at the JW Marriott Hotel Ankara (mentioned in the article) that I managed to have the most value per point, followed by the Meridian N’fis in Marrakech, then the Element Me’aisam – Dubai. I usually avoid categories 4 and up. Except when I have an annual certificate to spend. Poly G.
I’m trying to maximize the value of points generally. And it was at the JW Marriott Hotel Ankara (mentioned in the article) that I managed to have the most value per point, followed by the Meridian N’fis in Marrakech, then the Element Me’aisam – Dubai. I usually avoid categories 4 and up. Except when I have an annual certificate to spend.
Poly G.
Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel:75,000 points for 5 nights! I mentioned that it was the birthday of my spouse. So I received a free night, a bottle of wine and a small party cake! Patrick E.
Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel:75,000 points for 5 nights! I mentioned that it was the birthday of my spouse. So I received a free night, a bottle of wine and a small party cake!
Patrick E.
AC Hotel Valencia – Late August to last September. 5 nights for 30,000 points. We had an upgraded room with king bed and the very friendly receptionist even gave us breakfast for two (16 euros ch.) for free!!!! Alain M.
AC Hotel Valencia – Late August to last September. 5 nights for 30,000 points. We had an upgraded room with king bed and the very friendly receptionist even gave us breakfast for two (16 euros ch.) for free!!!!
Alain M.
Three nights in Honolulu next March, five nights in Tokyo in April, and surely more bookings to come for our mini-tour of the world 2020! Dominique M.
Three nights in Honolulu next March, five nights in Tokyo in April, and surely more bookings to come for our mini-tour of the world 2020!
Dominique M.
The Ritz-Carlton – Tokyo when it was at 60,000 points. 5 nights for 240,000 points. With the upgrade in suite, we are talking about a value of nearly $10,000 which cost me $500 in annual fees for Bonvoy/SPG cards I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again in a room/hotel of this level. It is now a category 8 to 85,000 points at night, but if you can have it in low season for 70,000 points, I highly recommend it. Mathieu L.
The Ritz-Carlton – Tokyo when it was at 60,000 points. 5 nights for 240,000 points. With the upgrade in suite, we are talking about a value of nearly $10,000 which cost me $500 in annual fees for Bonvoy/SPG cards I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again in a room/hotel of this level. It is now a category 8 to 85,000 points at night, but if you can have it in low season for 70,000 points, I highly recommend it.
Mathieu L.
I am currently at the Residence Inn Toulouse-Blagnac Airport… superior room upgrade with welcome gift (a plate of sweets) – Very convenient to visit the Airbus Museum. Murielle D.
I am currently at the Residence Inn Toulouse-Blagnac Airport… superior room upgrade with welcome gift (a plate of sweets) – Very convenient to visit the Airbus Museum.
Murielle D.
We’re leaving for 18 nights in South Africa in November. 9 nights for 97,500 Marriott points. Value of $2372.37. Pascal J.
We’re leaving for 18 nights in South Africa in November. 9 nights for 97,500 Marriott points. Value of $2372.37.
Pascal J.
This summer in Italy, 385,000 points for 16 days worth $4,500 in addition to a saving of $800 on lunches thanks to Platinum status. Last summer, Paris, Nice and Marseille. 13 days. 260,000 points plus 2 certificates. Value of about $4,000. Then 5 days in Virginia in high season. 140,000 points, worth $2,200. Mario D.
This summer in Italy, 385,000 points for 16 days worth $4,500 in addition to a saving of $800 on lunches thanks to Platinum status.
Last summer, Paris, Nice and Marseille. 13 days. 260,000 points plus 2 certificates. Value of about $4,000. Then 5 days in Virginia in high season. 140,000 points, worth $2,200.
Mario D.
5 nights in San Francisco, 1 night in Sydney, 2 nights in Melbourne, 2 nights in Brisbane, 2 nights in Gold Coast! Bénédicte P.
5 nights in San Francisco, 1 night in Sydney, 2 nights in Melbourne, 2 nights in Brisbane, 2 nights in Gold Coast!
Bénédicte P.
Savings are here:
