Excellent information for Marriott Bonvoy loyalists: Award pricing has no longer meaningfully higher for the reason that loyalty program higher the volume of issues allowed to peak off unfastened night time awards.
NerdWallet analyzed information from Gondola to learn the way award keep pricing adjustments can have impacted the power to make use of unfastened night time awards following the trade.
What the Gondola information displays
Whilst Gondola’s information did in finding some homes had higher in issues worth, it wasn’t a scientific shift and different homes was less expensive in the similar period of time. While you have a look at the Marriott portfolio as a complete, the collection of homes that did building up constitute an excessively small proportion of what’s to be had.
As an example, the Gondola research discovered that from February to April 2026, 60 homes that have been prior to now bookable with a 35,000-point certificates and a 25,000-point top-off have been not eligible. Alternatively, 24 homes that have been above the prohibit was bookable. Whilst that was once an total lower of 36 homes, it represented a small blip when in comparison to the 9,020 homes tested — a nil.04% decline.
In a similar fashion, for fifty,000-point certificate, 35 homes moved out of succeed in, whilst 11 was to be had (0.03% lower relative to the full portfolio). Having a look at 85,000-point certificate, 18 was too dear to e book the use of the award, whilst 3 moved under the reserving threshold (0.02% lower).
Particularly, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, which is a part of Marriott’s MGM Assortment, noticed an award pricing building up that in large part put it out of succeed in when the use of a 50,000-point award. Different homes that moved upper integrated Jamaica’s Royalton Negril, An Autograph Assortment All-Inclusive Hotel, and the Sheraton Mountain Vista Villas in Avon / Vail Valley, Colorado.
The ones protecting an 85,000-point award have been not in a position to e book The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, which higher in worth to be above the issues cap.
Remember the fact that charges are dynamic, so those homes’ charges may just additionally lower and change into bookable once more the use of an award.
How one can earn unfastened night time awards

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit score Card
on Chase’s web page
Charges & Charges

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Categorical® Card
on American Categorical’ web page
Charges & Charges

Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Categorical® Card
on American Categorical’ web page
Charges & Charges
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® issues according to $1 at collaborating Marriott Bonvoy motels.
• 3 issues according to $1 on as much as $6,000 a yr in mixed purchases on grocery shops, gasoline stations and eating.
• 2 issues according to $1 on all different eligible purchases.
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® issues according to $1 at collaborating Marriott Bonvoy motels.
• 4 issues according to $1 on as much as $15,000 a yr in mixed purchases at U.S. supermarkets and at eating places international (together with takeout and supply within the U.S).
• 2 issues according to $1 on all different eligible purchases.
Phrases practice.
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® issues according to $1 at collaborating Marriott Bonvoy motels.
• 3 issues according to $1 at eating places international and on flights booked without delay with airways.
• 2 issues according to $1 on all different eligible purchases.
Phrases practice.
• Loose Night time Award (valued as much as 35,000 issues) yearly after account anniversary.
• 15 Elite Night time Credit every year, qualifying you for Silver Elite standing, plus trail to Gold Standing while you spend $35,000 on purchases every calendar yr.
• 1 Elite Night time Credit score towards Elite Standing for each and every $5,000 you spend.
• Phrases practice.
• Loose Night time Award (valued as much as 50,000 issues) after spending $15,000 in a calendar yr.
• Computerized Gold Elite standing, plus 15 Elite Night time credit every yr towards Platinum Elite standing.
• Phrases practice.
• Loose Night time Award (valued as much as 85,000 issues) yearly after your account renewal month.
• Platinum standing and 25 Elite Night time credit according to yr.
• Rate credit score for both International Access or TSA Precheck.
• Precedence Go Choose living room club (enrollment required).
• As much as $300 in commentary credit according to calendar yr (as much as $25 monthly) for eligible purchases at eating places international.
• Phrases practice.
Are Marriott unfastened night time awards nonetheless value it?
Many of us have been involved that Marriott would merely lift costs to compare the rise within the top-off most. Alternatively, the knowledge tells any other tale.
Whilst some homes have long gone up in worth, it hasn’t been a well-liked phenomenon around the Marriott portfolio. If truth be told, many have even change into less expensive since Marriott introduced the trade, making it imaginable to e book them with a unfastened night time award when it wasn’t prior to.
That provides Marriott Bonvoy contributors extra selection on the place and the best way to use their unfastened nights, which is at all times a just right factor.
Best photograph courtesy of Marriott.
How one can maximize your rewards



