The best ways to use a Marriott 50,000-point free night certificate — from luxury resorts to upscale city hotels that cost $500 per night or more

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Use your free night certificate for a stay at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino. Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino/Marriott International

• The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card provide a 50,000-point free night certificate each year you spend $15,000 on your card.
• 50,000 points are enough for a night at thousands of Marriott hotels around the world — including luxury five-star resorts.
• You can easily recoup the money you lose paying your credit card's annual fee with these free night awards.
• Read Insider's guide to the best hotel credit cards.

While we generally recommend building your travel rewards strategy around flexible points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express , hotel credit cards offer a unique value proposition: Most of them offer an annual free night certificate to help offset the annual fee.

Some cards will offer this certificate automatically after your cardmember anniversary. Some require that you first meet a certain annual spending requirement.

Both the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card offer a 50,000-point free night certificate each year you spend $15,000 on purchases. This can be more than enough to offset each card's $250 annual fee. If you see yourself spending $15,000 on a Marriott card each year, this card is a good choice for you.

These cards also come with extremely high welcome bonuses. Both offer 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the first three months from account opening.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know to redeem this certificate, as well as some of your top options in the US and internationally. 

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Comparison of the Amex Bonvoy Bevy and Chase Bonvoy Bountiful

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card provides automatic Marriott Gold elite status, which comes with perks such as a 25% points bonus, room upgrades, and a welcome gift at select properties. Both cards earn 6 points per dollar on purchases at Marriott hotels. The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets. The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card earns 4 points per dollar on grocery stores and dining (no geographic restriction). Both cards earn 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Here's our comparison of the Bonvoy Bevy and Bonvoy Bountiful cards with a closer look at their differences.

Again, both cards come with a welcome bonus of 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in eligible purchases on your card in the first three months from account opening. Based on Insider's points and miles valuations, Marriott points are worth, on average, 0.7 cents each. That means you can expect to get about $875 worth of Marriott stays — and potentially much more if you redeem points at expensive hotels.

Here's the most valuable card perk: An annual 50,000-point free night certificate each year you spend $15,000 on the card.

How to use a Marriott 50,000-point free night certificate 

50,000 points are enough to enjoy a free night at the vast majority of Marriott hotels. This certificate gives you an incredible amount of flexibility and opens the door to some of Marriott's most luxurious properties around the world. 

Once you meet the spending requirement and the free night appears in your account, Marriott makes it quite easy to redeem. From the Marriott website, simply search for award rates at the hotel you'd like to book. Assuming your stay includes an eligible award night that costs 50,000 points or less, you'll see an option at the bottom of the screen to apply your certificate to the reservation. The process is really quite straightforward, and there are no additional hoops you need to jump through.

Eligible stays will have the option to use a free night certificate at the bottom of the booking page. Marriott Bonvoy

The best hotels for redeeming a Marriott Bonvoy 50K free night 

As you'll see, it's possible to get double or triple the price you're paying in annual fees with this free night certificate, depending on where you use it. Here are a few of my favorite options for redeeming the 50,000-point free night certificate.

I've selected these properties based on a number of factors, including the brand (luxury brands like St. Regis or JW Marriott are likely to offer a better experience), location, and average nightly rate.

The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Chicago

Chicago has dozens of great hotels at which to redeem your Marriott free night certificates, but The Gwen is a fan favorite. Located on N. Rush Street, just a block off of Michigan Ave and the Magnificent Mile, the 300+ guest rooms and suites offer stunning views of the Windy City and a modern, luxurious finish.

The Gwen, A Luxury Collection Hotel, is one of many Marriott properties in Chicago where you can redeem a free night. Marriott Bonvoy

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach

Never in my life have I been as impressed with a city hotel as I was with the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach. The property has a prime location, with many rooms offering views of the iconic Marina Bay Sands just across the bay. The breakfast spread at the Beach Road Kitchen was simply marvelous, with cuisines from all over Asia and the west.

The view of the Sky Garden from the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach. Marriott Bonvoy

Singapore is one of the best foodie cities in the world, and while we tried to eat as many of our meals at Hawker stalls as possible, we couldn't resist a dinner at the eponymous Akira Back, where Michelin-starred Japanese fusion is served up by the pro-snowboarder turned celebrity chef. 

Grosvenor House, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Dubai

The 24 hours my girlfriend and I spent at Grosvenor House on our way back to the US from the Marriott Al Maha resort were enough for me to know that this hotel is worth returning to. We were upgraded to a suite with stunning sunset views out over the Palm Jumeirah, and marina skyline views from the property's lounge.

Service was top-notch and catered to our every need, and in the midst of a pandemic, the hygiene kits that the hotel offered at check-in (with masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer) went a long way toward helping us feel safe. 

The Grosvenor House, A Luxury Collection Hotel, offers stunning views of the Dubai marina. Marriott Bonvoy

JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District

One of the most-anticipated hotel openings of 2020 was the $300 million JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District, which completely revitalized Savannah's waterfront. This project is hotelier Richard Kessler's gift to his hometown of Savannah, and when I stayed there less than three weeks after it opened, the property was already running like a well-oiled machine.

The brand-new JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District opened in 2020. Ethan Steinberg

Guests can choose to stay in one of several distinct buildings, including one that resembles a natural history museum and another ("Three Muses") that looks like it was lifted from a European art gallery. The attention to detail is impressive, as is the service culture and the commitment to the local community. As if you needed another excuse to visit, the property is dog-friendly. 

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong

As one of the five most populous cities in the world, it's no surprise that Shanghai offers two different Ritz-Carltons to choose from on opposite sides of the river. While the west side (Jing'an, the Bund, and the French concession) might be more desirable for tourists, the Ritz-Carlton Pudong on the east side of the river is not to be missed.

Redeem a Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate for a luxury stay at the JW Marriott Shanghai Pudong. Marriott Bonvoy

Connected to the sprawling IFC mega mall, the Ritz-Carlton Pudong boasts some of the best views of the city skyline from its rooftop bar and tapas restaurant, Flair. Alternatively, you could enjoy a Michelin-starred Cantonese meal at Jin Xuan.

The hotel is connected to metro line 2, which will take you to both the city's airports and the Hongqiao railway station. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, you won't want to miss these views of Shanghai.

Bottom line

These hotels represent just a tiny fraction of the thousands of Marriott hotels you book for a high value with your 50,000-point free night certificate from the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card. Free night awards are easy to use, and can effortlessly make up for your credit card's annual fee.