Marriott’s 85,000 Point Free Night Award: The Best Uses

Are you eligible for a Marriott annual free night award? These are perks on a few different Marriott credit cards. These awards can be used to book single-night stays at different Marriott properties worldwide each year.

Only one card is eligible for the 85,000-point Marriott Free Night Award. It’s the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant (r) American Express(r), Card .

Let’s look at the five best ways to use your 85,000 Marriott points award, and decide if they’re worth it.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant(r), American Express(r), Card is a premium card that offers travel benefits with a match annual fee. In return for $650 annually, you will receive 85,000 points, a $300 dining credit, and many other perks. These terms apply.

You will also receive a substantial welcome offer. After you make $5,000 purchases with your Card, you’ll earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy(r). These terms and conditions apply.

The card’s annual fee is so high, even the free night award will not return much. You can also redeem your award at hotels that charge over $1,000 per night. This means you get great value.

Marriott’s award chart was scrapped in March 2022 to make way for a dynamic one. Award nights pricing is now linked to the room rate. This has led to dramatic price changes in properties due to demand.

Although this makes it harder to plan redemptions it also means that it’s possible to search through the nightly rates of ultra-high-end hotels in order to get a great deal for your night-free award.

What can you do with 85,000 Marriott points?

Do you want to travel within the United States? The 5-star St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami is a resort that offers 5-star service. This property offers great redemption opportunities, as the room rates are generally high.

The base room also has an ocean view.

You can use your free night award for stays up to 85,000 point, even though it may cost you as low as 80,000 points. Even though the cash price is more than $1,000 per night you still make a lot of money above the $595 base value.

The Ritz-Carlton Ras al Khaimah, a luxury resort in the UAE, is known for its unique location within a nature reserve. The villa measures 1,700 square feet and each room has a private pool.

The cash rates at this property are usually higher than $1,000 per night. The below example shows how 5,116 AED can be converted to $1,392 — a great way to make the most of your free night award.

Maldives is the ideal destination for award travelers. You can redeem your Marriott Free Night Award in Maldives. Although the hotel chain has many properties, the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort’s base room features an overwater villa with a private pool.

These rooms have exorbitant rates. You’ll often see prices as high as $3,000 per night. Redeeming your award here is a great option.

You’ll still have to pay for any transfers. A shared seaplane transfer costs $745 round trip per adult in this instance, so make sure to add that cost into your vacation budget. You won’t want to travel to the Maldives just for one night, so make sure you have enough money in your vacation budget to cover the cost of the overnight stay before/after redeeming your award.

The Ritz-Carlton Maui has rooms starting at $1,000 per night if Hawaii is on your bucket list. Although you won’t find a villa here, it is closer to the beach than some other destinations.

The hotel tends have better availability close to home, so it’s worth keeping an eye on room rates as you plan your vacation. The hotel will charge 120,000 points per person for an additional night. This is far more than the limit of your free night award.

Ski-in resorts allow you to ski directly from your hotel without the need for a shuttle. You can also enjoy the great hiking and easy access to top-class golf courses in the summer.

Room rates vary depending on the season. Nightly rates will range from $320 to $3100 so make sure you redeem your award carefully

Cardholders with Marriott’s premium credit cards receive a free night award of up to 85,000 points every year. It can be difficult to find great value with the new dynamic pricing system. However, there are still excellent properties available if you’re willing and able to search.

You can redeem your award for a hotel room that maximizes your Free Night Award, whether you want to go snorkelling at the St. Regis Maldives and skiing at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch.