Marriott Bonvoy Increases Free Night Award Top-up Limit to 25,000 Points

Marriott Bonvoy has introduced a significant enhancement to its Free Night Award (FNA) policy. Members are now able to top up their Free Night Awards with up to 25,000 points from their account to book a stay. This is a substantial increase from the previous limit of 15,000 points, providing much-needed flexibility for those looking to redeem their vouchers at higher-tier properties.

Click HERE to find out more about the new FNA top-up limit!

Photo Credit: Marriott Bonvoy

When Marriott first introduced the ability to add points to a Free Night Award, it was capped at 15,000 points. While useful, it often fell short for members holding 35,000 point or 40,000 point vouchers who wanted to stay at top-tier luxury hotels in expensive cities like London, New York, or Tokyo, where redemption rates frequently exceed 60,000 points. With the new 25,000-point limit, the potential value of these awards has expanded significantly. For example, a 35,000 point FNA (commonly issued with certain credit cards in the US) can now be used for a stay costing up to 60,000 points. Similarly, a 50,000 point FNA can now be applied to a night costing up to 75,000 points.

FNA Original Value	Previous Max (15k Top-up)	New Max (25k Top-up)
35,000 Points	50,000 Points	60,000 Points
40,000 Points	55,000 Points	65,000 Points
50,000 Points	65,000 Points	75,000 Points
85,000 Points	100,000 Points	110,000 Points

While the increase in top-up allowance is a welcome move, the core rules surrounding Free Night Awards remain the same:

• Standard Rooms Only: FNAs can only be applied to standard guest rooms and cannot be used for Premium Room redemptions.

• No Refund on Difference: If you use a high-value FNA for a room that costs fewer points than the award value, you will forfeit the difference.

• No Stay for 5, Pay for 4: FNAs are not eligible for the popular Stay for 5, Pay for 4 benefit, which only applies to full points redemptions.

• Excluded Brands: You still cannot use FNAs at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy or The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

• Expiry Matters: FNAs must be used (stay completed) by the expiry date and cannot be extended.

This change is a fantastic win for Marriott Bonvoy members, especially those who may hold FNAs from the American Express Marriott Bonvoy cards or as part of their Annual Choice Benefit. The ability to add 25,000 points makes it far easier to book aspirational properties that were previously just out of reach due to dynamic pricing.