Points Panda has partnered with a variety of financial companies including CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. Points Panda and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. For more information please read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Among the top 3 hotel companies, Marriott is a renowned and trusted name. With a global presence and a commitment to providing exceptional service, Marriott Hotels have established itself as a leader in the luxury hotel segment. Offering a wide range of amenities and personalized experiences, Marriott Hotels cater to both leisure and business travelers alike.
When it comes to using your points to book a hotel for your upcoming vacation, one considers how to maximize and extract the maximum value from the points. Marriott Awards offers the Marriott 5th Night Free Program, which allows you to maximize the value of your points and enjoy an extended stay without using additional rewards.
Marriott Points are worth approximately 0.7-1 cent, which is a relatively low value for redemption. There are other loyalty programs that offer better value than this. Therefore, it is crucial to consider how to maximize the value of your points.
Marriott 5th Night Free presents an excellent opportunity to expand your travel budget and relish an additional night of accommodations without incurring extra charges. Marriott also offers other Marriott Bonvoy free night offers like Marriott Free Night Certificates; however, you cannot use Marriott 5th Night Free with other programs.
How To Use Marriott 5th Night Free Program
Marriott runs the Marriott 5th Night Free program as “Stay for 5, Pay for 4“. When you choose to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy® Points for a consecutive stay of five nights, a special benefit awaits you. As a reward, you will receive the lowest point-value night of the stay completely free. One of the most important points to remember is that you can use this benefit only when you book your stay with Marriott Points.
Ways To Boost Marriott Bonvoy Points
Staying at Marriott hotels is the simplest and most straightforward way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. Marriott has a wide selection of lodging alternatives, from opulent to budget-friendly. Regardless of where you’re going, there’s a strong chance that a Marriott resort will be nearby.
Earn Points With Credit Cards
You can pay for your stay at Marriott with your spending; you may get a co-branded Marriott Bonvoy personal credit card through Chase or American Express. American Express offers a card for business owners, too. You may use any of these cards to earn Marriott Bonvoy points through category-based spending.
Credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
Transfer Points
You can transfer points from credit cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So, even if you don’t have one of these Marriott-branded credit cards, you can still transfer points at a ratio of 1:1. If you prefer more flexibility, you may consider getting a credit card that earns points you can transfer to Marriott Bonvoy.
Additionally, United Airlines MileagePlus members who hold Premier Silver status or higher can convert their United miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 1-to-1 rate through the joint loyalty program.
Credit Cards to earn American Express Membership Rewards:
- Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
- American Express® Green Card
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Platinum Card
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- American Express Business Platinum Card
- American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card
- American Express Business Green Rewards Card
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Credit Cards to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Ways To Maximize Marriott 5th Night Free Program
Here we’re gonna talk about how you can maximize your Marriott Bonvoy Free Night. This valuable perk allows Marriott Bonvoy members to enjoy a complimentary night’s stay when they book five consecutive nights with points. To maximize this benefit, consider the following strategies:
1. Book High-End Properties to Maximize Your Points (Some of the Best Hotel To Redeem For Max Value)
Marriott Bonvoy Points are worth around 0.7-1 cent per point, which is a good value but not as great as compared to other loyalty programs. Therefore, if you want to maximize the points you have, it is important to search for properties to redeem more points for the free night benefit. Also, it is worth considering a stay at high-value properties that offer a variety of amenities and benefits.
Some Of The Best Hotels You Can Book For Max Value
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
The St. Regis Maldives is widely considered one of the most desirable ways to use Marriott points. The resort offers a variety of excellent amenities, such as a personal butler for every room. If you ever need anything, they have great service. Within the resort, you’ll discover a selection of restaurants and bars, each presenting a unique international culinary experience. Alba showcases the flavors of modern Italian cuisine, while Orientale offers an elevated fusion of Asian delicacies.
You can book your stay from 92,000 points to as high as 662,200 points per night. However, it is important to remember that the Marriott 5th Night Free benefit is based only on a standard room and does not include the cost of an upgrade to a premium room.
The St. Regis New York
Located in midtown Manhattan, The St. Regis New York offers an ideal starting point for those looking to explore New York City’s prominent attractions, including Central Park, Broadway theaters, and the Museum of Modern Art. It serves as an excellent home base for anyone seeking to delve into the vibrant experiences the city has to offer.
2. Plan A Longer Stay
When making a stay with multiple uses of the benefit (10, 15, 20 nights), Marriott takes into account the entire duration of the stay when determining the free nights. For example, if you book a 10-night redemption stay, Points will be deducted for the two lowest nights from the total of 10 nights, regardless of when they occur. To maximize this benefit, look for opportunities to extend your trip to five nights or more. By doing so, you can fully take advantage of the 5th Night Free offer and effectively receive a complimentary night, resulting in significant savings of valuable points.
Booking longer stays at Marriott properties has additional benefits. You can fully explore the area and enjoy hotel amenities. Marriott also rewards loyalty program members with bonus points for longer stays, helping you accumulate points and earn rewards faster.
3. Check Flexible Point Redemption Rates
The former hotel categories and redemption rates, such as Off-Peak, Peak, and Standard, have been replaced by flexible point redemption rates. These new rates offer greater flexibility and are based on factors such as availability, seasonality, and other considerations.
When traveling to a destination with ample availability, you will require fewer Marriott Bonvoy points for redemption. However, during busy seasons or when your desired dates coincide with high demand, you may need to redeem a higher number of points.
4. Stack Promotions And Bonuses
Marriott often comes up with exciting promotions that offer extra points for different activities and interactions within the loyalty program. These promotions can involve earning bonus points by staying at particular Marriott properties, receiving additional points for booking through specific channels or taking part in promotional campaigns.
By keeping a close eye on these promotions and actively participating in them, you can quickly increase your point balance and make progress towards earning the 5th Free Night benefit. It’s a great way to accelerate your journey towards enjoying free nights at Marriott hotels.
5. Plan in advance
Securing hotel awards can be challenging due to limited availability, particularly in popular destinations or during peak travel seasons. To ensure you can secure the desired dates and properties, it is highly advisable to plan and book your stays well in advance. When planning your stay, it’s crucial also to check if you have enough points to cover the redemption.
Bottom Line
If you want to maximize the value of your Marriott Bonvoy Points, the Marriott 5th Night Free benefit is an excellent program to consider. By taking advantage of this benefit, you can stretch your points further and enjoy additional nights of complimentary accommodations.
Interest in traveling around the world using credit card points? Check out our site to learn the basics, and follow our blog for more tips on how to make your dream vacation a reality. You can also sign up for our travel concierge and get unlimited credit cards and travel assistance for one full year.
Advertiser Disclosure
PointsPanda Deal of the Week!
Looking for the best flight deals? Each week we'll send you updates with the best deals on flights and hotels both using points and cash.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.