Marriott Bonvoy has updated its program to allow members to supplement free night awards with up to 25,000 points – a 67% increase from the previous 15,000-point limit. This change allows travelers to use their free night certificates at more expensive properties that would otherwise be out of reach.
What’s Changing?
Previously, if you held a free night certificate valid for a hotel costing up to 50,000 points, you could only add a maximum of 15,000 points to redeem it at a 65,000-point property. Now, the new policy allows for an additional 25,000 points, enabling redemption at properties costing up to 75,000 points. The update applies to all free night awards earned through credit cards, promotions, or program benefits.
How It Works
Members can apply these additional points during the booking process. Nightly upgrade awards can still be used alongside topped-off free night awards. However, changes to reservations may affect the number of points needed for redemption.
Context: Loyalty Program Trends
This adjustment comes amid ongoing discussions about hotel loyalty program flexibility. Other programs like Hilton Honors offer free night awards without property category restrictions, while IHG One Rewards allows unlimited point top-offs. In contrast, World of Hyatt does not permit point top-offs at all.
Why This Matters
The move is a partial response to rising hotel point costs. Many Marriott Bonvoy properties now exceed 100,000 points per night, meaning even with the increased top-off limit, some high-end stays remain inaccessible using only free night certificates. The change provides more options for award travel, but doesn’t fully solve the issue of escalating point requirements.
Bottom Line
Marriott Bonvoy members can now redeem free night certificates for a wider range of properties by adding up to 25,000 points per night. This enhances flexibility, but the program still lags behind competitors in terms of award redemption options.
