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Marriott Bonvoy just made its free night certificates more flexible, putting hundreds more properties within reach for those booking with a certificate and points.
As of March 12, 2026, members can top off a free night certificate with up to 25,000 additional points for eligible stays, up from 15,000. The change applies to all free night certificates, including those issued annually on eligible Marriott cards and those earned through Marriott’s Annual Choice Benefit, which is available to certain elite status members.
With the increased top-off cap, certificates can now be applied toward an additional 733 properties across all certificate tiers — 8% of Marriott's portfolio — according to February 2026 data provided to NerdWallet by partner Gondola, the hotel award search tool. The analysis looked at the average nightly award rates for check-in dates from March 2026 through February 2027 across 9,270 Marriott Bonvoy properties to determine which hotels now fall within the expanded top-off range.
The added flexibility could also make it easier to use the certificates before they expire, which is generally one year after issuance.
If you're thinking about getting a Marriott card, now could be a good time to apply. As these changes were announced, multiple Marriott cards added boosted limited-time welcome offers.
How it works
Unlike free night certificates offered through Hilton, which are valid on standard rooms at most properties in the Hilton Honors program, Marriott’s free night awards come with a points cap. They can be redeemed for stays up to 35,000, 50,000 or 85,000 points each, depending on how you earned them.
If the cost of a hotel in points is more than your certificate’s value, Marriott used to let you add up to 15,000 points from your account to cover the difference. Now, you can add up to 25,000 points.
| Free night award value | Old maximum redemption with 15k-point top-off (in points) | New maximum redemption with 25k-point top-off (in points) | Number of new properties unlocked with change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 35,000 points. | 50,000. | 60,000. | 471. |
| Up to 50,000 points. | 65,000. | 75,000. | 206. |
| Up to 85,000 points. | 100,000. | 110,000. | 56. |
Just remember that the extra points still have to come from your existing stash of Marriott Bonvoy points (or from buying them). If you add 25,000 points to make your Marriott hotel booking work, your “free” night is really just a discounted night funded in part by your own points.
Marriott cards
Annual fee
$95.
$250.
$650.
Rewards
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 3 points per $1 on up to $6,000 a year in combined purchases on grocery stores, gas stations and dining.
• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 4 points per $1 on up to $15,000 a year in combined purchases at U.S. supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S).
• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 3 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Other benefits
• Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
• 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite status, plus path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
• 1 Elite Night Credit toward Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
• Terms apply.
• Free Night Award (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.
• Automatic Gold Elite status, plus 15 Elite Night credits each year toward Platinum Elite status.
• Terms apply.
• Free Night Award (valued up to 85,000 points) every year after your account renewal month.
• Platinum status and 25 Elite Night credits per year.
• Fee credit for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck.
• Priority Pass Select lounge membership (enrollment required).
• Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
• Terms apply.
Learn more
For Marriott Bonvoy members, more options
This change offers more flexibility for Marriott Bonvoy members. One of the frustrations of Marriott’s dynamic pricing model is that award nights often price just above common certificate thresholds.
For example, the property you might want could cost 52,000 points. Under the previous 15,000-point top-off limit, a 35,000-point certificate could only stretch to a 50,000-point redemption. Now, it can reach 60,000. This change would make your certificates easier to redeem at the hotel you actually want — not just the one that happens to price neatly at or below the cap.
Bonvoy members with 35,000-point free night certificates stand to benefit the most from this change, gaining access to an additional 471 properties priced between 50,001 and 60,000 points per night on average, according to Gondola’s data. That includes:
- 46 additional properties in California. One such property is The Westin Long Beach, which is centrally located near the city's convention center and costs an average of about 51,000 points per night.
- 38 additional properties in Florida. The Cadillac Hotel Miami Beach, located steps from the boardwalk, is on that list; it costs an average of about 59,000 points per night.
- 31 additional properties in New York, including Moxy New York City Times Square, which costs about 59,000 points per night on average and is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
Keep in mind that average point costs will be lower than peak pricing, though. High-demand days could come with much higher rates.
Members with 50,000-point certificates gain access to an additional 206 properties priced between 65,001 and 75,000 points per night on average. Those with 85,000-point certificates gain access to an additional 56 properties, priced between 100,001 and 110,000 points per night on average.
Is there a catch?
Because Marriott uses dynamic pricing rather than a fixed award chart, there’s always the chance that award rates will continue to rise. The higher top-off limit makes certificates more usable, but increases in point prices could reduce the number of properties available to book.
Still, Marriott’s decision to increase the top-off limit from 15,000 to 25,000 points is a practical improvement that should help more travelers get greater value from their free night certificates. And for Marriott cardholders who receive annual free nights, this change could make those cards' annual fees easier to justify.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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