Marriott Bonvoy® members have a new way to stretch their free night certificates a little further.

As of March 12, 2026, Marriott increased the maximum number of points members can add to a Free Night Award certificate from 15,000 points to 25,000 points. That extra flexibility could help travelers book hotels that previously fell just outside a certificate’s value.

Here’s what you need to know. 

 

Marriott Raises the Free Night Top-Up Limit

Marriott issues Free Night Awards through several channels, including co-branded credit cards, promotions and Annual Choice Benefits for elite members. Each certificate comes with a fixed points value depending on how it was earned.

Previously, if a hotel cost more than the certificate’s value, members could add up to 15,000 points from their own balance for the booking.

Now, that cap has increased to 25,000 Bonvoy points, giving you an additional 10,000 points of flexibility.

This means certificates can now stretch significantly further. For example:

• A 35,000-point certificate can now be used for a hotel costing up to 60,000 points
• A 40,000-point Annual Choice Benefit certificate can now cover stays up to 65,000 points
• A 50,000-point certificate can now cover stays up to 75,000 points
• An 85,000-point certificate could be applied toward a stay costing 110,000 points if you add the maximum number of points

 

How This Makes Free Night Certificates Easier To Use

Marriott moved to dynamic award pricing several years ago, meaning nightly redemption rates fluctuate depending on demand. As a result, many hotels price out just above the value of common free night certificates.

Under the previous rules, if a hotel cost even 1 point more than the certificate allowed, you couldn’t use it at all unless the price was within the 15,000-point top-up range. Increasing that limit to 25,000 points should help travelers redeem certificates at more properties across Marriott’s portfolio.

 

A Small but Useful Improvement

This change doesn’t increase the base value of Marriott’s Free Night Awards, but it does make them easier to use in practice. For many travelers, the extra 10,000 points of flexibility may be just enough to unlock a better property or redeem a certificate that might otherwise go unused.

If you have an upcoming certificate expiration, it may be worth revisiting potential redemptions — you might now be able to book a property that cost just a little too much.