Marriott 5th Night Free: How to Stay 5, Pay for 4 with Points

Ever stayed at a luxury hotel and thought, “Wish one of these nights was free”? With Marriott Bonvoy’s “5th Night Free” benefit, that wish becomes reality—again and again. This isn’t about limited-time deals or elite-only perks. No, it’s a universal, evergreen hack that squeezes more value out of your points than you ever thought possible.

Just picture this: You—booked for five glorious nights in a beautiful Marriott property, only paying for four. The fifth night? That’s your reward for knowing how the system works.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• How the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit works—and why it’s quietly one of the most lucrative deals in hotel loyalty programs.
• The simple booking tricks that make sure your cheapest night disappears from the total.
• Pro tips to stack this benefit with upgrades, elite perks, and point-saving strategies—no guesswork, just clear steps.
• Real examples and a quick math hack to see how much cash value you’re unlocking.

Whether you’re planning a weekend escape or a week-long vacation, the Marriott 5th Night Free is one of the easiest ways to get serious value from your Bonvoy points.

How It Works: Stay 5, Pay for 4—Easy Math, Big Savings

Think of Marriott’s 5th Night Free as a built-in discount that rewards you for staying a little longer. The rule is simple: when you book a stay of five consecutive nights using points at the same hotel, Marriott automatically waives the cost of one night. There’s no promo code to enter or trick to unlock—just log in, search for five nights, and you’ll see the savings applied right away.

Here’s the catch: the “free” night is always the lowest-priced night of your stay. Since Marriott uses dynamic award pricing, each night may require a different number of points. For example, if your stay includes nights at 30,000, 40,000, and 50,000 points, Marriott will zero out the cheapest one. That means you won’t always see the fifth night disappear—it could be the third or even the fourth, depending on pricing.

But the beauty of this perk is how it scales. For every block of five nights, you get another free night. Book 10 nights? You’ll get two free. Stretch it to 15? That’s three free nights, all deducted automatically from your booking. And yes—every single one of those nights, including the free ones, still count toward elite night credits, which is a nice bonus if you’re chasing status.

This benefit applies worldwide across Marriott’s massive footprint of 30+ brands and over 7,000 hotels, from budget-friendly Courtyards to high-end St. Regis resorts.

Example: Imagine booking five nights where the nightly rates in points are 40,000, 40,000, 50,000, 50,000, and 30,000. Instead of paying 210,000 points, Marriott drops the lowest-priced night (30,000) and charges you 180,000 points total. That’s a 30,000-point saving—enough to cover another night at a mid-tier property.

Essentially, you get 20% bonus value for a 5-night stay compared to using the nights separately.

Don’t Let Certificates Break Your Deal

Marriott Bonvoy’s Stay for 5, Pay for 4 deal only applies to points-only award stays. That means:

• You must redeem points for all 5 nights to get the 5th night free.
• Free Night Awards (certificates) — like those earned from Marriott credit cards — cannot be mixed into a 5-night stay and still get the 5th night free.
• If you try to use, say, 2 Free Night Certificates + 3 nights of points, you will not get a 5th night free, because it’s no longer a pure points redemption.

This is a common misunderstanding, and it’s easy to assume certificates work like points — but Marriott’s system treats them separately. So if you want to take advantage of the 5th night free, you’ll need to use only Bonvoy points for the entire stay.

If I Book Five Nights for Points and Add Two More Certificates, What Happens?

Free Night Certificates (FNC) cannot be combined with the “5th night free” offer, even if used during the same stay.

To take advantage of the “5th night free” benefit, you must split your stay into 2 separate bookings. This will allow you to use five consecutive nights paid for exclusively with points within a single booking so that the certificates do not affect the automatic benefit.

Is It Worth It? Quick Value Math

The short answer: yes—if you’re staying at least five nights, the savings can be huge. Let’s break it down with some simple math.

Imagine you’re booking a five-night stay where each night costs 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Normally, that adds up to 200,000 points. Thanks to the 5th Night Free, you’ll only pay 160,000 points—a 20% discount.

Now, let’s put a dollar value on that. Most analysts peg Marriott points at about 0.7 cents each. That means 40,000 points is worth around $280 in value per night. Multiply that by four nights and you’re essentially getting $280 in savings.

It gets even better with luxury stays. At resorts where nights can go for 80,000–120,000 points, the free night could easily be worth $600–$900 in cash value.

The math is simple:

• 5 nights at 40,000 pts = 200,000 pts
• With 5th night free = 160,000 pts
• Savings = 40,000 pts (~$280)

That’s not a small perk—it’s like getting a built-in discount every time you book five nights with points. And remember, if you extend your stay to 10 or 15 nights, the free nights stack, multiplying your savings even further.

But wait—there’s more. You can stack this with other strategies to get even more hidden value.

Pro Tips to Maximize the 5th Night Free

Look for stays with consistent pricing: If all five nights cost the same, you maximize your savings because you’re guaranteed a full-value free night.

Target peak dates: If your trip includes a mix of high and low-priced nights, sometimes adding or shifting dates can ensure your free night lands on a higher-value evening.

Stack with Free Night Certificates: While Marriott certificates can’t directly trigger the 5th night free, you can combine them within longer points stays to offset extra nights.

Don’t forget elite credits: Even your free nights count toward elite status, making this perk a smart way to inch closer to Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Titanium.

Conclusion

Marriott offers several ways to get free nights. The Marriott Bonvoy “5th Night Free” program (5 nights for the price of 4 when paying with points) is a built-in benefit that effectively saves you 20% of your points on a five-night stay — a must-have offer if you have points.

Try it now: search some award stays for five nights and watch the math work in your favor.