There is huge value in the 50,000-point free night award that comes with one of the Marriott co-branded credit cards. You just have to figure out how to maximize it. In short, you will want to redeem it for expensive nights at properties that fit within the 50,000-point redemption threshold. That’s why finding the sweet spots for where best to use it can pay off.

For now, Marriott Bonvoy will let you top off an award with as many as an additional 15,000 points if you find a redemption for up to 65,000 points. This means you can extract even more value from the award’s 50,000-point limit.

While Marriott did away with its helpful award charts that provided a framework of how many points you would need for a given redemption night, we did some sleuthing to find hotels where this award might still work within its points limit or by topping it off with additional points. With its new dynamic pricing model, Marriott charges a variable number of points per night depending on the date. When the hotel is in greater demand, the redemption cost in points is typically more expensive.

How much is the 50,000-point Free Night Award worth?

According to NerdWallet’s latest valuations, Marriott points are worth 0.8 cent each, which means the baseline value of the 50,000-point Free Night Award is worth several hundred dollars.

The award is a popular perk of the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card every year after your card renewal month. Terms apply.