Best ways to use a 35,000-point Marriott Bonvoy anniversary free night

Private Finance Insider writes about merchandise, methods, and suggestions that can assist you make sensible selections together with your cash. We could obtain a small fee from our companions, like American Categorical, however our reporting and suggestions are all the time unbiased and goal.

One in all my favourite all-around bank card perks is the anniversary free night time certificates that many co-branded hotel cards provide. Relying on how you employ them, these can simply offset your card’s annual payment and even enable you to come out forward in the long term.

With 4 completely different Marriott Bonvoy credit cards in my pockets, I’ve gotten fairly a couple of possibilities to discover redemption choices for the 35,000-point free night time certificates that almost all of these playing cards carry. At present we’re going to check out earn these helpful rewards, and a few of your finest choices for redeeming them within the US and internationally.

Marriott is the biggest resort firm on this planet, with an equally spectacular bank card portfolio issued by each Chase and American Categorical. All of Marriott’s co-branded bank cards provide a 35,000-point anniversary free night time certificates, aside from the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card (no anniversary night time) and the premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, which affords a 50,000-point free night certificate instead (The Ritz-Carlton Credit score Card additionally affords a 50,000-point free night time certificates, although it is not open to new candidates).

Which means you possibly can earn 35,000-point anniversary free nights on the next Bonvoy playing cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card: 75,000 bonus factors after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
• Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy factors, plus as much as $150 again in assertion credit, after you employ your new Card to make $3,000 of eligible purchases throughout the first 3 months of Card membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy American Categorical Card: Not open to new purposes

When you’ve got the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, you may also earn a second 35,000-point free night time certificates every calendar 12 months whenever you spend $60,000 or extra in your card. Marriott Titanium elites can pad their steadiness much more by deciding on a 40,000-point free night time certificates as their 75-night selection profit, including much more flexibility.

How a lot are 35,000 Marriott factors price?

The brief reply is the 35,000 factors roughly equates to a Class 1 to five resort on Marriott’s award chart, although Class 5 properties below peak pricing can be barely too costly at 40,000 factors an evening. This nonetheless leaves loads of nice alternatives to redeem these certificates, together with a number of selections in most main cities within the US. Let’s check out among the finest choices to contemplate, each within the US and internationally.

The entire playing cards that supply these free night time certificates carry annual charges within the ~$100 vary (from $95 on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card as much as $125 for the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card (See Rates).

That is a reasonably low bar by way of breaking even, and in reality, many Marriott Class 5 inns promote for $200 to $400 an evening relying on the season. That is one of many causes that I am blissful to hold so many Bonvoy playing cards — not solely do I persistently break even, however I additionally often find yourself popping out a number of hundred {dollars} forward due to the worth of my free nights.

W Chicago Metropolis Middle

Whereas Chicago is among the solely cities on this planet to be dwelling to 2 W inns, the Class 5 W Chicago — City Center location is a perfect selection for vacationers and enterprise vacationers alike due to its prime location within the loop, simply blocks away from The Artwork Institute of Chicago and Millenium Park.

The resort’s public areas underwent an intense renovation a couple of years again, leading to a design that pays homage to town’s historical past, complementing the historic standing of the 1928 Beaux Arts constructing that homes the resort. Inside you will discover 403 visitor rooms and suites, that are slated to get refreshed over the approaching years.

The Adolphus, Autograph Assortment, Dallas

Constructed by the founding father of Anheuser-Busch, the Adolphus Hotel has been an iconic a part of the downtown Dallas skyline for over 100 years. The inside design seamlessly blends fashionable luxurious with a storied previous, making The Adolphus an absolute steal relative to the worth it affords.

The property is an particularly nice selection for Marriott elites, who get limitless free espresso at Otto’s espresso within the foyer, along with all the conventional advantages they’re used to. 

The Ben, Autograph Assortment, West Palm Seashore

West Palm Seashore may be an costly vacation spot, with “Billionaire’s Row” simply seen simply off the coast. Surprisingly there aren’t all that many luxurious branded inns, making Marriott’s The Ben, Autograph Collection a good simpler selection.

The resort boasts a complicated but approachable design, with gentle wooden tones and tons of indoor vegetation within the foyer and restaurant. Spacious balconies make the already fascinating ocean-facing rooms much more attractive, and with costs usually approaching $400 an evening it is a nice selection for redeeming your free night time certificates.

St. Regis Bangkok

For those who’re in search of a surefire option to get an excellent worth out of your free night time certificates, contemplate touring someplace the place native markets trigger luxurious inns to be priced cheaper. The St. Regis Bangkok is an ideal instance, on par with many St. Regis inns you’d discover in North America (although not one of the ones I’ve stayed at have come even near competing with Thailand’s unimaginable service tradition).

The resort is situated just some blocks from Lumphini park, with easy accessibility to a number of MRT strains to get across the metropolis. It is also a Class 5, so you should use your free night time certificates throughout normal or off-peak instances.

Mira Moon Hong Kong, Design Motels

Positioned close to the bustling Wan Chai district on the northern a part of Hong Kong Island, the Mira Moon options an eclectic and celestial design with an impeccable consideration to element. The resort’s sister property, The Mira, is effectively located in Kowloon close to Tsim Sha Tsui for these seeking to discover the opposite facet of the harbor.

Hong Kong is a glamorous but costly metropolis, and so discovering a Class 5 property that shines like that is actually a win. Like most of Hong Kong, the Mira Moon rises vertically, with simply 91 distinctive rooms and suites primarily based on a fairy story in regards to the Mid-Autumn Competition.

Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park

Sydney generally is a pretty strolling metropolis, climate allowing, which is why the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park is extremely effectively situated. It takes simply 20 to 25 minutes to walk all the way down to Round Quay and the Opera Home, or to seize dinner in The Rocks.

The resort itself felt fashionable and cozy, with spacious visitor rooms and the most effective membership lounges I’ve ever seen. After we arrived one night time to seek out the lounge full, we had been shortly escorted all the way down to the foyer bar and handled to complimentary drinks and a large plate of canapés earlier than we would even had an opportunity to order!

Whether or not your travels take you to Australia, Thailand, Chicago, or simply about wherever else, Marriott’s 35,000-point free night time certificates are extremely versatile and versatile.

Marriott has over 1,000 Class 5 properties so that you can select from, to say nothing of the almost 6,000 Class 1 to 4 inns at which you’ll redeem your free night time. It is uncommon to have the ability to “purchase” a free night time at a St. Regis, W, or Autograph Assortment resort for simply the price of a bank card annual payment, however that is precisely what you are able to do by holding the precise Marriott bank cards.

Ethan Steinberg is an award journey knowledgeable who loves serving to readers leverage their bank card rewards for luxurious worldwide journey on a price range.