5 Best Uses of Marriott’s 35,000-Point Free Night Award For Hotel Nights

One of the most notable perks of carrying the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is the annual free night award, which is worth Marriott Bonvoy® 35,000 points. The free night award provides a lot of flexibility for award travel. You could use it to cover a one-off stay or combine it with another free night certificate to book a multi-night vacation. Terms apply.

In this article, we uncover five solid uses of the free night certificate.

What is Marriott’s 35,000-point free night award worth?

A free night award of 35,000 points lets travelers book a night at any hotel with an award night of 35,000 points or less. You can also choose to top-off your Free Night Award with up to 15,000 more points.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (annual fee: $95) and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (annual fee: $125, see rates and fees) both come with a 35,000 point free night award. The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card also offers the opportunity to earn another 35,000 free night certificate after spending $60,000 a year. Terms apply.

Marriott points are worth 0.9 cent each, valuing the 35,000 point free night award at $315. If you have any use for the 35,000 point free night award, the value of the free night award more than outweighs the annual fee on both cards.

» Learn more: 5 things to do when you get the Marriott Bonvoy Business AmEx

Notably, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, comes with a free night award worth 85,000 points, so if you’re a holder of that card, there are also plenty of ways to maximize its 85,000 point free night award. Terms apply.

It’s easy to use the 35,000 point free night award at Marriott

Marriott is a massive hotel chain, with over 7,600 properties in 131 countries among 30 different brands ranging from mid-range to luxury.

As we mentioned above, one great perk of the Marriott Bonvoy program is that for every four award nights booked, the fifth night is free. The free fifth night allows you to truly extend the value of your points, as you can see here. And if you tack on your free night award to this award, you can turn your vacation into a six-night stay.

The trick to finding off-peak rates at Marriott properties

To find off-peak rates for a specific property, go to the hotel’s webpage. Rather than inputting your exact travel dates, choose “flexible dates” and select a month so you can see a calendar of daily rates.

As you can see in the screenshot below, rates can vary greatly depending on the day of the week. It may also go up and down during different peak seasons.

» Learn more: The best Marriott hotels for 50,000 points

The best Marriott 35,000-point hotels

Below are some examples of hotels you can book with your Marriott free night award for 35,000 points:

1. TownePlace Suites Nashville Midtown

The TownePlace Suites Nashville Midtown is a new extended-stay hotel and conveniently located in Midtown. All rooms are suites, and the hotel has a gym and outdoor terrace. As common with Marriott’s extended stay properties, the hotel offers complimentary breakfast.

2. Sir Albert, Amsterdam, a Member of Design Hotels™

The Sir Albert, Amsterdam is located between Amsterdam’s museum district and the trendy De Pijp neighborhood. The hotel is housed in a 19th-century diamond factory, has uniquely designed rooms and even offers a rooftop terrace with city views.

» Learn more: The cheapest ways to fly to Europe using points and miles

3. The St. Regis Beijing

The St. Regis Beijing, located in Beijing’s business district, is another surprising Category 5 property. The hotel opened in 1997 and features amenities like butler service and afternoon tea. Also included is a spa with natural hot springs, which is nice if you want to unwind after a busy day. A quick scan of the calendar shows plenty of availability at the off-peak rate (30,000 points per night) as well as at the standard rate (35,000 points) in December through February.

If you’re traveling through Asia and find yourself in Beijing, staying at this property on your free night award would be a great way to pamper yourself.

4. Residence Inn San Diego Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter

Thinking of heading to San Diego? The Residence Inn San Diego Downtown/Gaslamp Quarter is centrally located in the trendy Gaslamp Quarter district. Notable features include a free buffet breakfast and a rooftop pool.

If you’re looking for a fun weekend getaway in San Diego, this property would be a good one for the free night award.

» Learn more: How to travel to San Diego on points and miles

5. W Brisbane

If you’re headed to Australia and visiting Brisbane, you could use your free night certificate at the W Brisbane. The W is arguably Marriott’s trendiest hotel chain. It's modern, luxurious and includes a gym and spa.

This property also features 29 suites, which Marriott says is the largest suite inventory in Brisbane. So what does this mean for you? If you’re hoping for a suite upgrade, it could be worthwhile to ask at the desk, given the high number available.

If you’re in Brisbane for a quick one-night trip, using your free night award (and potentially getting a suite upgrade) could be a really nice experience.

» Learn more: The cheapest ways to fly to Australia using points and miles

If you want to spend Marriott’s 35,000-point free night award

The 35,000 point free night award, which is provided every account anniversary, is a great perk of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Terms apply.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.