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Both of the Amex Bonvoy cards in Canada earn a permanent place in my wallet thanks to the annual 35,000-point Marriott Free Night Award (FNA) you get just by paying the $120 (Amex Bonvoy personal) or $150 (Amex Bonvoy business) annual fee. You can also top up the FNA with an additional 15,000 points, so in practice, you can book a night costing up to 50,000 points.
When deciding whether to apply for or hold the Amex Bonvoy cards, it’s prudent to consider the best uses for the 35,000-point FNA. Keep in mind, as long as the hotel night costs more than $120/$150 (the annual fee), you’re coming out ahead. In this article, I will be considering nights costing up to 50,000 points because topping up the FNA is one of the best ways to maximize value.
In case you missed it, Amex is currently offering significantly elevated sign-up bonuses on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards of up to 110,000 points. If you sign up for both the personal and business versions, you could accumulate up to 220,000 Marriott points!
Moxy Banff
Fairly new, the Moxy Banff opened in April 2024 and provides a good points option in the mountain village. Summer rates soar as they do everywhere in Banff, and unfortunately, the points price surges as well.
Worth it: top up your Free Night Award by 2,000 points
However, a little outside the high season in May or October, there are plentiful opportunities to redeem your 35,000-point Free Night Award and still score over 1 cent per point (CPP) in value.
Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, Autograph Collection
Also in the Banff region, the Kananaskis Lodge is a fantastic option for redeeming a 35,000-point FNA. Think of this as a mountain retreat and a hotel to enjoy more than just a home base for your Banff adventure.
Kanakaskis Lodge has been undergoing renovations and recently opened the “Black Diamond Club”, their version of the exclusive club within a hotel concept. The best news I consistently hear about this property is that they are very generous with elite members and even upgrading elites to Black Diamond Club rooms, including Black Diamond Club lounge access.
Like Moxy Banff, rooms are priced under 50,000 points only in the shoulder season. The value here, however, is incredible at over 1.3 CPP (taking into account the $35+tax resort fee).
Worth it: top up your Free Night Award by 13,000 points
The Sira, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, Lombok
Leaving North America really improves your options for redeeming Marriott 35,000-point free night awards. I’ve been eyeing The Sira in Lombok, Indonesia, and it’s pretty much wide open for redemptions, except for a few weeks in July and August. Luckily, the dry season runs from April through to October.
Redemptions here easily surpass my target redemption value of 0.8 cents per point.
Free Night Award vs. $457 CAD
The Westin Resort & Spa, Himalayas
India is the land where hotel redemptions still shine. I believe the Himalayan mountains in Northeast India are the next tourism hotspot, once the masses see India beyond the Taj Mahal.
Even in the peak season of May, you can redeem your 35,000-point Marriott FNA for the majority of nights, considering you can top it up to 50,000 points.
Cash rates easily surpass $750+!
Free Night Award + 13,000 points vs. $790 CAD
Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Cusco
As we look towards South America, Peru is a popular destination. In Cusco, Palacio del Inka stands out as the perfect home base for a trip to Machu Picchu. I actually have this property booked for a trip this July.
Roughly half the peak July and August dates can be booked with a 35,000-point FNA and a top-up.
Takeaway
The 35,000-point Marriott Free Night Award, given annually, is a major perk of the Amex Bonvoy and Amex Bonvoy Business cards. If you use it strategically and top it up to 50,000 points when it makes sense to do so, it’s easy to extract more value than the $120 (Amex Bonvoy personal) or $150 (Amex Bonvoy business) annual fee.
North America is the most challenging region to score a high-value redemption, but the Moxy Banff or Kananaskis Mountain Lodge are great options here in Canada. Internationally, it’s much easier to find a worthwhile redemption. Consider examples like The Sira in Indonesia, Westin Himalayas in India, and Palacio del Inka in Peru.
