Loyalty programs, after a period of pandemic-era generosity, understand that customers have come to crave flexibility and some are rising to the occasion. Marriott Bonvoy recently expanded the use of its annual Free Night Award (FNA) certificates with Free Night Award Top Offs. With the top-off benefit, you can combine up to 15,000 Bonvoy points with a free night award to book a higher-category hotel. This is similar to what IHG did with flexible free night awards, but to a more limited degree.

This is undoubtedly a result of Marriott removing its award chart and adopting a dynamic-pricing structure. With award redemptions becoming more unpredictable, Marriott wants to appease members who find it increasingly difficult to put their award nights to good use.

Let's take a look at Marriott's free night top off and how to put this benefit to good use.

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What Is Marriott's Free Night Top-Off?

Similar to IHG's flexible free nights, Marriott's free night top-off expands the use of annual free night certificates. FNAs from the Marriott credit cards and Annual Choice Benefit are valid at hotels requiring 35,000 to 50,000 points per night. With the top-off benefit, you can redeem up to 15,000 points per night for a hotel exceeding the value of your free night certificate.

In light of Marriott's dynamic pricing model, top-off awards can offer tremendous value. You won't have to let your free night expire just because you can't find a hotel at the specified rate. The benefit isn't as generous as IHG's because the points co-pay is limited to 15,000, but it still expands the usability of your free night awards beyond a limited category.

For example, award nights at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne Miami range from 50,000 to 61,000 points per night in the summer. With the Free Night Top-Off, this property becomes attainable for those with both a 35,000 or 50,000-point night FNA.

Which Cards Offer a Marriott Free Night Award?

Marriott FNAs are issued to select Marriott credit card holders annually. Depending on the card, these free nights are valid at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program and going for 35,000 or 50,000 points per night. With the free night top off, you can now redeem free night certificates at hotels requiring 50,000 and 65,000 points, respectively.

  • Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Up to 35,000 points
  • Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Up to 35,000 points, plus a second free night after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year (Terms apply.)
  • Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Up to 50,000 points (Terms apply.)
  • The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants): Up to 50,000 points

In addition to co-branded credit cards, you can earn a free night through the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Members who complete at least 75 nights a year can select a Marriott award  night as an Annual Choice Benefit. This award is valid for a free night of up to 40,000 points per night. With the top off, you can book a room requiring 55,000 points for just a 15,000-point co-pay.

Related: Marriott Hotels Costing 50,000 Points or Fewer—Bonvoy Brilliant Credit Card Free Night Certificate

How To Book a Marriott Free Night Top Off Award

Booking a Marriott free night top-off award is simple. All you need is a free night award and up to 15,000 Marriott points to complete your booking. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Log In to Your Marriott Rewards account

Your Marriott Free Night Award is stored in your Marriott account, so you'll need to log in before you do anything else. You can check how many free night certificates you have available by navigating to the "Earned Awards" section of your account summary page. You'll see the type of certificate available and the expiration date.

Step 2: Enter Your Travel Dates and Destination

Once you're ready to book, head to the homepage and enter your city and travel date. Be sure to check off "Use Points/Awards" in the search field. Hit "Search" to see a list of available hotels and their nightly rates.

Step 3: Choose the Property and Room Type

Review your options and select your preferred hotel. Keep in mind that the free night top off lets you redeem up to 15,000 points in addition to your free night award. So if you have a free night from the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you can only book hotels going for 50,000 points per night or less.

Free nights from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card or Ritz-Carlton card allow you to book a free night up to 65,000 points with points top-off. If you're redeeming an Annual Choice Benefit free night, you'll need to look for hotels requiring 55,000 points per night or less.

Step 4: Finalize Your Booking

Select your room type and proceed to the confirmation page to finalize your booking.

That's it—you just redeemed your Marriott Free Award Night Top-Off benefit.

How To Get More Marriott Bonvoy Points

Suppose you need extra points for a Marriott top-off award. In that case, you can transfer them at a 1 to 1 ratio from Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. United Airlines elite status holders can also convert their United Mileage Plus miles to Marriott points at a 1 to 1 ratio through Marriott Rewards Plus.

Remember that transferable rewards from Chase and Amex are often more valuable when redeemed for flights. You can possibly get two or more cents per point out of these currencies. So be sure to compare the cash rates of a Marriott award before transferring points to book a top-off award. If you're redeeming an extra 15,000 points for a top-off award, you could be trading in points valued at $300 or more—make sure the room you're booking is worth the extra cost.

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Bottom Line

Marriott's Free Award Night Top Off is an excellent addition to a loyalty program that hasn't always made customer-friendly moves. Members will have a much easier time redeeming their annual FNAs if they can upgrade to more expensive hotels using points. While the 15,000-point top off is still limiting, it's a definite improvement and makes Free Night Awards much more valuable.

I wouldn't get a Marriott credit card for the free night award perk alone, but if you were previously content redeeming it at lower-category hotels, this new feature will be icing on the cake for you.