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Many Marriott credit cards include an annual Free Night Award benefit. This perk alone can often justify keeping your card year after year, as it takes very little work to redeem the free night for more value than the card's annual fee.
But using these certificates can be confusing if you don't know what to expect. To make things easier, here's everything you need to know about free night certificates from your Marriott credit cards — and several ways to unlock top value.
How To Earn a Marriott Free Night Award via Credit Cards
Marriott cardholders can earn Free Night Awards in two ways. The first is to hold a card that offers one automatically when you pay the card's annual fee. The other requires spending on your Marriott card.
Which Marriott cards offer a free night just for having the card?
The Marriott Bonvoy® cards offer a complimentary Free Night Award each year on your account anniversary.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points
$95Rates & Fees
- 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$125Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy® points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
To earn your free night certificate, you must keep your card active past its first anniversary and pay the annual fee. After the first year, you'll receive a free night certificate each year you renew your card.
Related: Hotel Credit Cards That Provide Free Annual Night Certificates
Which Marriott cards offer a free night after you meet spending thresholds?
Four Marriott credit cards currently offer a Free Night Award after meeting an annual spending threshold:
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn another Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points when you reach $60,000 in total eligible purchases on your card within a calendar year.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card: Earn a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points when you reach $15,000 in total eligible purchases on your card within a calendar year.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card: Earn a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points when you reach $15,000 in total eligible purchases on your card within a calendar year.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Reach $60,000 in total eligible purchases on your card within a calendar year, and choose one of several Choice Awards — one of which is an additional Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points.
$250
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$250Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Marriott Free Night Limitations
The primary limitation of Marriott Free Night Awards is their point-value cap. But this isn't as hard a cap as it used to be.
Until a couple of years ago, a cardholder could use only a 35,000-point certificate at a property charging 35,000 Bonvoy points (or fewer) for the night. Then, Marriott let members “top off” Free Night Awards with up to 15,000 Bonvoy points. Now, as of 2026, you're able to top off Free Night Awards with up to 25,000 points each.
That means you can spend up to 25,000 Marriott points from your account to redeem your certificate for a property that costs more. This puts hotels charging up to:
- 60,000 points per night utilizing a 35,000-point Free Night Award
- 75,000 points per night using a 50,000-point Free Night Award
- 110,000 points per night if you're using an 85,000-point Free Night Award
Marriott uses dynamic award pricing, so the cost per point for a hotel night varies with demand. However, it's possible to receive hundreds of dollars in value from Marriott Free Night Award certificates — especially since you can top off your certificate with up to 25,000 extra points.
One important thing to remember is that Marriott Free Night Awards don't work like a gift card. If you redeem a 35,000-point Free Night Award for a room costing 32,000 points, you won't receive the unused 3,000 points back. For that reason, it's worth looking for properties that come reasonably close to the value of your certificate.
How Long Are Marriott Credit Card Free Nights Valid For?
Once Marriott issues the free night certificate, you get twelve months to use it. However, unlike IHG free night certificates, you need to complete the free night stay within those twelve months — not just make the booking.
Some members have reported limited success in requesting a one-year extension of the validity of an unextended Free Night Award, but that practice largely ended in 2023. Just note that this extension isn't guaranteed, so we don't recommend counting on it.
Track your Marriott Free Night Awards with AwardWallet
The only downside of earning Marriott free night certificates is having to keep track of them. Nobody should have to go through the pain of realizing you accidentally let one expire. Thankfully, AwardWallet makes it easy to keep track of all your Free Night Awards.
Add your Marriott account to AwardWallet to receive reminder emails when your certificates are about to expire. This makes using them (and not losing them) a lot easier.
Related: How To Use AwardWallet to Track Free Night Awards, Room Upgrades, and Other Perks
How To Redeem Marriott Credit Card Free Night Certificates
When you're ready to redeem your free night certificate, start by going to Marriott's homepage. Once there, the process largely mirrors that of making a points booking. Type your desired location and dates, and check the box for “Use Points/Awards”:
You'll see the properties that match your search, listed with their respective award rates. As long as the rate is at or below the value of your certificate plus 25,000 points, you should be able to book a free night.
Let's assume you have a 35,000-point certificate from Marriott Boundless and want to book The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage. Once you select “View Rates,” you'll see a screen displaying all your booking options — including rates for point bookings, cash bookings, or a combination of both. Select the points rate.
Thanks to Marriott's dynamic pricing, this hotel costs 56,000 points on the night we've chosen to redeem. As you continue the booking process, Marriott will note that “You have 1 Free Night Award” on the final booking page (or the number you have available, if different).
This is where you can choose to either use points to complete the booking or redeem your award certificate. If you decide to redeem your certificate, it'll be removed from your Bonvoy account once the booking is confirmed.
In this example, a 35,000-point certificate plus 21,000 points saves you $493.99 compared to booking the same room at the Amex cardmember flexible rate. If you value Marriott points at 0.8 cents each, the Free Night Award saves you around $326.
Sadly, Marriott still requires payment of the resort fee on award stays.
How To Redeem Marriott Boundless Free Night Certificates in the Marriott Bonvoy App
Some people may find mobile apps more convenient and user-friendly than desktop computers, especially for tasks that are easier on a smaller screen. To book a Marriott reservation through the mobile app, follow these steps:
- Download the Marriott app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store on your mobile device.
- Open the app and log in to your Marriott Bonvoy account. If you don't have an account, you can create one by following the prompts.
- Once you are logged in, tap on the “Book” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Enter your destination and travel dates, and then tap “Find Hotels” to view available hotels. Ensure you toggle the “Use Points/Awards” button.
- Select the hotel you want to book, and then tap on the “Select Room” button to view available rooms.
- Choose the room type you want, then tap the “Select” button under the Redemption option to proceed to the Review Reservation screen.
- On the Review Reservation screen, you'll click on “Redeem Free Night +” to apply the award to your reservation.
After entering your payment information, tap “Book Now” to confirm your reservation. You should receive a confirmation email with your reservation details.
Best Hotels for Marriott Credit Card Free Nights
If you're looking for inspiration, check out our article covering the best Marriott properties for redeeming Free Night Awards. Meanwhile, here are a few of our favorite aspirational properties at which to redeem Marriott Free Night Awards to get you started.
Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Cusco
This beautiful hotel, situated near the Temple of the Sun in the heart of Cusco, Peru, is housed in a 500-year-old mansion. The hotel is rich with both Incan and Spanish colonial history and architecture. With luxurious rooms, an indoor pool and spa, and excellent service, you can't go wrong with a stay at the Palacio del Inka.
It can be booked starting at 40,000 points per night. That means a free night can be booked with a 35,000-point certificate (plus a Bonvoy point top-off) on many nights. Rooms at Palacio del Inka typically cost about $350 per night, so this is a solid redemption.
The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain
The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Arizona is one of my favorite getaways, as it's less than a two-hour drive from our home. The resort has three pools, including an adults-only serenity pool and a family pool with a water slide. This is a great spot for families, with tons of activities to keep the little ones busy. But it's also a perfect adult getaway with lots of quiet spaces and spa amenities.
Although rooms can cost more than $1,000 per night, award rates occasionally dip below 60,000 points. In August 2026, for example, rooms are available for as few as 49,000 points, making this property bookable with a 35,000-point Free Night Award and a points top-off.
Final Thoughts
We love hotel credit cards that offer Free Night Awards. In almost every case, the free night easily justifies the card's annual fee — even before factoring in other benefits.
No card exemplifies this better than the Marriott Boundless card. The 35,000-point anniversary Free Night Award justifies the card's $95 annual fee because it's quite simple to redeem your certificate for a value exceeding the annual fee.
Don't get caught up thinking you have to use your certificates at the highest category hotel possible. While we've used comparable cash values as the value metric above, there are other ways to calculate their worth.
For example, I often use my certificates for last-minute overnight stays in airport hotels. It's simple and convenient, saving me from having to pay cash when I don't want to. Plus, waiting for the perfect moment to redeem a certificate is a recipe for it to expire unused when plans change.
- Earn up to 125,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 3 months.
- Special Offer through 6/30/2027: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually.
- Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
- Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
- 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
- Member FDIC
- 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Page Contents
- How To Earn a Marriott Free Night Award via Credit Cards
- Marriott Free Night Limitations
- How Long Are Marriott Credit Card Free Nights Valid For?
- How To Redeem Marriott Credit Card Free Night Certificates
- How To Redeem Marriott Boundless Free Night Certificates in the Marriott Bonvoy App
- Best Hotels for Marriott Credit Card Free Nights
- Final Thoughts
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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