Hotel Rewards Rush - Marriott Resurrects Lucrative 5 Free Night Bonus for Bonvoy Card

Marriott Throws Down the Gauntlet with Enhanced Welcome Offer

Marriott has upped the ante in the hotel rewards card space by resurrecting a lucrative welcome bonus on two of its most popular Bonvoy credit cards. For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 5 free night certificates after spending $5,000 on the Bonvoy Boundless or Brilliant card within the first 3 months.

This is an enhanced offer that Marriott previously ran in 2021 before dialing back the bonus nights to just 2 free nights over the past year. Bringing back 5 free nights gives these cards a big leg up over competitor hotel cards that typically top out at 1 or 2 free nights. It allows cardholders to enjoy an incredibly valuable perk that more than offsets the annual fee.

Earning 5 free nights is akin to getting the annual fee refunded multiple times over, depending on where you redeem the certificates. At top tier properties that charge up to 100,000 Bonvoy points per night, you could effectively get $5,000 or more in free hotel stays from this one bonus. Even at mid-tier hotels that charge 35,000 points per night, you’d still get over $1,700 in value.

This type of outsized bonus demonstrates that Marriott is willing to incentivize new cardholders in a big way. They want to capture more of the lucrative credit card sign-up market that has been dominated by Chase and American Express. It seems Marriott is aiming to aggressively court new customers who have been sitting on the sidelines but might jump in for a limited time offer this rich.

For savvy travelers who understand how to maximize point redemptions, this is an opportunity to get insane value out of a single credit card welcome bonus. Even leisure travelers who only occasionally stay at Marriott properties can benefit. Five free nights go a long way toward subsidizing a special vacation or family trip.