March 11, 2026 | By the Gondola AI Research Team | Data: 9,270 Marriott Bonvoy properties, check-in dates March 2026 through February 2027 | Raw data on GitHub
The Big Picture
Most premium hotel credit cards come with an annual free night certificate. Some programs, like IHG One Rewards, let you top off that cert with unlimited points — so a 40k cert can become whatever you need it to be. Marriott has always capped the top-off, first at 15,000 points. On March 12, that cap moved to 25,000.
On paper, 10,000 extra points sounds modest. We ran the numbers across 9,270 Marriott Bonvoy properties to find out if it actually is.
The Points Guy covered the impact of this change using Gondola’s data. This is the full analysis behind that piece.
The verdict: the 35k cert benefits most in raw numbers (471 new properties). The 50k and 85k certs unlock fewer properties but more aspirational ones. And at every tier, the properties you gain aren’t just nominally in range — they’re bookable far more often than you’d expect given how dynamic Marriott’s pricing is.
What we found:
- The 35k cert (Bonvoy Boundless) gains 471 new properties — 9 Ritz-Carltons and 19 JW Marriotts among them — now bookable 73% of nights at the median
- The 50k cert (Bonvoy Brilliant) unlocks 206 properties including the Moana Surfrider Waikiki, Sheraton Maui, and 15 Ritz-Carltons, with bookable nights nearly doubling
- The 85k cert gains 56 properties that were genuinely out of reach before: Ritz-Carlton Maui, London EDITION, W South Beach, Paris, Rome, Bali
- The story isn’t just new properties — it’s that once you can reach them, dynamic pricing means you can actually book them most of the year
The Change
Marriott increased the points top-off limit on Free Night Certificates (FNCs) from 15,000 to 25,000 points on March 12, 2026. Every tier moves:
| Certificate | Card Example | Old Max (15k top-up) | New Max (25k top-up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35k/night | Bonvoy Boundless | 50,000 pts | 60,000 pts |
| 50k/night | Bonvoy Brilliant (annual) | 65,000 pts | 75,000 pts |
| 85k/night | Bonvoy Brilliant (spend bonus) | 100,000 pts | 110,000 pts |
Every cert now has 10,000 more points to work with when topping up.
At a Glance
| FNC Value | Old Cap | New Cap | New Properties Unlocked | % Increase | Median Nights Bookable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35k cert | 50,000 pts | 60,000 pts | 471 | 5.8% | 73% |
| 50k cert | 65,000 pts | 75,000 pts | 206 | 2.4% | 67% |
| 85k cert | 100,000 pts | 110,000 pts | 56 | 0.6% | 65% |
The property count tells part of the story. The bookable nights column tells the rest. At the 35k tier, newly accessible properties go from a median of 38.9% of nights bookable under the old cap to 73.3% under the new one. At the 50k tier, you nearly double the number of nights you can actually use the cert. The extra 10,000 points isn’t just unlocking more names on a list — it’s making those properties genuinely usable.
Here’s the breakdown by cert tier.
35k Free Night Certificate (e.g., Marriott Bonvoy Boundless)
The new 60,000-point ceiling opens 471 properties, and they’re not fringe inventory. The availability numbers are strong.
Properties by Bucket
| Bucket | Avg Points/Night | Properties | % of Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base FNC (up to 35k) | ≤ 35,000 | 6,523 | 70.4% |
| Old top-up (35k–50k) | 35,001–50,000 | 1,563 | 16.9% |
| Subtotal: Old cap | ≤ 50,000 | 8,086 | 87.2% |
| NEW top-up unlock (50k–60k) | 50,001–60,000 | 471 | 5.1% |
| Subtotal: New cap | ≤ 60,000 | 8,557 | 92.3% |
| Still out of reach | > 60,000 | 713 | 7.7% |
92.3% of the Marriott portfolio is now reachable with a 35k cert and a top-up.
Availability
Because Marriott uses dynamic pricing, a property with an average of 55k points/night might be priced at 70k most of the year. So we tracked actual per-night costs across the full date range for every newly accessible property.
| Metric | Old 50k Cap | New 60k Cap | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median % of nights bookable | 38.9% | 73.3% | +34.4 pp |
| Mean % of nights bookable | 36.9% | 73.0% | +36.1 pp |
At the new cap, the average newly accessible property is bookable nearly three out of four nights of the year.
| Availability | Properties |
|---|---|
| 90–100% of nights | 33 |
| 75–90% of nights | 167 |
| 50–75% of nights | 260 |
| 25–50% of nights | 12 |
| 0–25% of nights | 0 |
200 of the 471 newly unlocked properties are bookable 75% of the year or more, and none fall below 25%.
Newly Accessible Brands (50k–60k)
| Brand | Properties | Notable Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Autograph Collection | 62 | Cadillac Hotel Miami Beach, Hotel Effie Sandestin, Montcalm East London |
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts | 51 | New York Downtown, Dubai Harbour, London Canary Wharf |
| Marriott Vacation Club | 35 | Phuket Beach Club, Grande Vista Orlando, Custom House Boston |
| Residence Inn | 32 | Vail, Ocean City MD, Boston Back Bay/Fenway, San Diego Bayfront |
| Sheraton | 27 | Diana Majestic Milan, Paris CDG, Lincoln Harbor |
| Westin | 27 | Long Beach, Austin Downtown, Yokohama |
| Design Hotels | 23 | Sir Victor Barcelona, Inhabit London, Baja Club La Paz |
| Tribute Portfolio | 20 | Hotel Rumbao San Juan, Hotel Zachary Chicago, Burton House Beverly Hills |
| JW Marriott | 19 | Mumbai Juhu, Dongdaemun Seoul, Istanbul Bosphorus, Nara |
| Courtyard | 19 | Nashville Downtown, Manhattan Upper East Side |
| SpringHill Suites | 18 | Anaheim Resort, Nashville Convention Center, Manhattan Chelsea |
| Luxury Collection | 12 | Al Wathba Abu Dhabi, Paragraph Tbilisi, Amoh Rhodes |
| St. Regis | 12 | Amman, Mina Seyahi Dubai |
| Ritz-Carlton | 9 | Budapest, Sanya Yalong Bay, Al Bustan Palace Muscat |
| MOXY | 9 | NYC Times Square, Brooklyn Williamsburg |
Nine Ritz-Carltons and 19 JW Marriotts land in this tier, which is well above what you’d normally expect from a 35k cert.
Geographic Breakdown (50k–60k)
US: 275 properties (58%)
| State | Properties | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| California | 46 | Westin Long Beach, Residence Inn Santa Barbara, multiple San Diego properties |
| Florida | 38 | Hotel Effie Sandestin, Cadillac Hotel Miami Beach, multiple Orlando properties |
| New York | 31 | New York Marriott Downtown, Moxy Times Square, Aloft Chelsea |
| Tennessee | 12 | SpringHill Suites & Courtyard Nashville Downtown |
| Massachusetts | 12 | Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway, MVC Custom House |
| South Carolina | 11 | Multiple Hilton Head & Charleston properties |
California, Florida, and New York account for about 42% of the US inventory in this tier. International: Canada (25), UK (14), UAE (13), Spain (11), Japan (9), Germany (9), France (8).
Selected Notable Properties
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest | Budapest, Hungary | 59,056 |
| JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus | Istanbul, Turkey | 59,058 |
| Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Autograph Collection | Miami Beach, FL | 59,846 |
| W Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | 59,922 |
| The Westin Yokohama | Yokohama, Japan | 58,954 |
| JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul | Seoul, South Korea | 58,918 |
| Hotel Zachary Chicago, Tribute Portfolio | Chicago, IL | 59,708 |
| Al Wathba, Luxury Collection Desert Resort, Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, UAE | 58,777 |
| Moxy NYC Times Square | New York, NY | 59,248 |
| The Westin Long Beach | Long Beach, CA | 50,182 |
| SpringHill Suites Anaheim Resort | Anaheim, CA | 50,009 |
Most of these average 58k–60k points/night, so they’re consistently in range under the new cap rather than just occasionally dipping into it.
50k Free Night Certificate (e.g., Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Annual)
The new 75,000-point cap unlocks 206 properties. What’s notable is which ones make the list: 15 Ritz-Carltons, 18 JW Marriotts, and a solid set of Hawaii and Caribbean resorts that have historically been out of reach.
Properties by Bucket
| Bucket | Avg Points/Night | Properties | % of Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base FNC (up to 50k) | ≤ 50,000 | 8,086 | 87.2% |
| Old top-up (50k–65k) | 50,001–65,000 | 625 | 6.7% |
| Subtotal: Old cap | ≤ 65,000 | 8,711 | 94.0% |
| NEW top-up unlock (65k–75k) | 65,001–75,000 | 206 | 2.2% |
| Subtotal: New cap | ≤ 75,000 | 8,917 | 96.2% |
| Still out of reach | > 75,000 | 353 | 3.8% |
The 50k cert now covers 96.2% of the entire Marriott portfolio.
Availability
| Metric | Old 65k Cap | New 75k Cap | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median % of nights bookable | 37.7% | 66.5% | +28.8 pp |
| Mean % of nights bookable | 37.7% | 67.3% | +29.6 pp |
Bookable nights at the newly accessible properties nearly double under the new cap.
| Availability | Properties | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100% of nights | 11 | Essentially always bookable |
| 75–90% of nights | 43 | Bookable most of the year |
| 50–75% of nights | 134 | Bookable more often than not |
| 25–50% of nights | 19 | Seasonal/weekend availability |
| 0–25% of nights | 0 | None |
54 of the 206 newly accessible properties are bookable 75% of the year or more.
Night-by-Night Availability at Notable Properties
| Property | Avg Pts | % Nights ≤75k (New) | % Nights ≤65k (Old) | Gain | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay | 67,370 | 100% | 29% | +71 pp | 46,000 | 75,000 |
| Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul | 65,583 | 94% | 47% | +47 pp | 38,000 | 82,000 |
| Courtyard Santa Monica | 66,785 | 93% | 56% | +37 pp | 52,000 | 98,000 |
| Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach | 68,846 | 92% | 24% | +68 pp | 45,600 | 84,000 |
| Renaissance New York Harlem | 66,806 | 92% | 43% | +49 pp | 45,000 | 89,000 |
| Renaissance Barcelona | 65,125 | 90% | 40% | +50 pp | 42,000 | 77,000 |
| JW Marriott SF Union Square | 66,296 | 79% | 63% | +16 pp | 49,000 | 94,000 |
| Moana Surfrider Waikiki | 69,934 | 74% | 49% | +25 pp | 52,000 | 105,000 |
| Grand Cayman Marriott Resort | 73,145 | 72% | 43% | +29 pp | 58,000 | 119,000 |
| JW Marriott Anaheim Resort | 68,805 | 70% | 46% | +24 pp | 47,000 | 90,000 |
| Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa | 72,213 | 66% | 40% | +26 pp | 43,200 | 112,000 |
| Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance | 73,375 | 65% | 20% | +45 pp | 44,800 | 98,000 |
| W San Francisco | 68,815 | 64% | 51% | +13 pp | 47,000 | 94,000 |
| Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans | 70,608 | 64% | 45% | +19 pp | 52,000 | 92,000 |
| Westin Anaheim Resort | 68,982 | 64% | 43% | +21 pp | 49,000 | 92,000 |
| Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia | 69,963 | 62% | 43% | +19 pp | 47,000 | 103,000 |
| Walt Disney World Swan Reserve | 71,715 | 62% | 41% | +21 pp | 40,800 | 96,000 |
| W Boston | 69,352 | 58% | 37% | +21 pp | 38,400 | 86,000 |
| Ritz-Carlton, Chicago | 71,703 | 54% | 29% | +25 pp | 44,000 | 93,000 |
| Le Méridien New York, Central Park | 74,316 | 53% | 25% | +28 pp | 50,000 | 103,000 |
| JW Marriott Clearwater Beach | 73,256 | 50% | 33% | +17 pp | 45,000 | 98,000 |
| Algonquin Hotel Times Square | 74,546 | 51% | 25% | +26 pp | 47,000 | 103,000 |
Some of the biggest swings in the dataset are here. Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay goes from 29% of nights bookable to 100%. Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach goes from 24% to 92%. Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance moves from 20% to 65%, which for anyone planning a Disney trip is the kind of number that actually changes plans. Ritz-Carlton Chicago goes from 29% to 54%, meaning you can realistically target specific dates rather than hoping for a gap.
Newly Accessible Brands (65k–75k)
| Brand | Properties | Notable Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Autograph Collection | 32 | Algonquin Hotel NYC, Casa Monica St. Augustine, Viewline Snowmass |
| JW Marriott | 18 | Clearwater Beach, Anaheim, Desert Springs, Turnberry |
| Ritz-Carlton | 15 | Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Rancho Mirage |
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts | 15 | San Juan Casino, Grand Cayman, Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach |
| Design Hotels | 15 | Austin Proper, Drift Santa Barbara, 11 Howard NYC |
| W Hotels | 14 | San Francisco, Boston, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Hoboken |
| Renaissance | 14 | NYC Midtown, Nashville, Honolulu, Chelsea NYC |
| Westin | 10 | Copley Place Boston, Nashville, Anaheim, Denver Airport |
| Courtyard | 10 | Anaheim Theme Park Entrance, multiple Manhattan locations |
| Luxury Collection | 7 | Palace Hotel SF, Perry Lane Savannah, Caresse Bodrum |
| Le Méridien | 7 | NYC Central Park, NYC Fifth Ave, Barcelona, Mauritius |
| Residence Inn | 6 | Maui Wailea, multiple Manhattan locations |
| Sheraton | 6 | Maui Resort, Kauai Coconut Beach, Grande Tokyo Bay |
| St. Regis | 5 | Langkawi, Singapore, Riyadh |
The range skews premium: 15 Ritz-Carltons, 18 JW Marriotts, 14 W Hotels, and 14 Renaissances.
Geographic Breakdown (65k–75k)
US: 112 properties (54%)
| State | Properties | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| California | 26 | Beverly Hills Marriott, W Hollywood, W LA, Coronado, Napa Valley, multiple SF properties |
| New York | 23 | Algonquin Hotel, Le Méridien Central Park, W Hoboken, multiple Manhattan Courtyards |
| Florida | 14 | JW Marriott Clearwater Beach, W Fort Lauderdale, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve |
| Hawaii | 8 | Moana Surfrider Waikiki, Sheraton Maui, Residence Inn Maui Wailea, Marriott Kaua’i Beach Club |
| Massachusetts | 7 | W Boston, Westin Copley Place, Courtyard Copley Square, The Envoy |
| Tennessee | 4 | Union Station Nashville, Renaissance Nashville, Gaylord Opryland |
| South Carolina | 4 | Hotel Bella Grace Charleston, Grand Bohemian Greenville |
| Colorado | 3 | Viewline Snowmass, Westin Denver Airport, Sheraton Mountain Vista Vail |
Hawaii (8 properties) and the Caribbean (Grand Cayman, San Juan) are the most significant additions for travelers targeting resort stays. International: 94 properties across 40+ countries, led by Mexico (11), Spain (8), Greece (6), Italy (6).
Aspirational Properties Now Within 50k FNC Reach
Resorts & Destinations:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| Moana Surfrider, Westin Resort & Spa | Waikiki Beach, HI | 69,934 |
| JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa | Clearwater Beach, FL | 73,256 |
| Grand Cayman Marriott Resort | Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands | 73,145 |
| San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino | San Juan, PR | 74,887 |
| W Punta de Mita | Punta de Mita, Mexico | 74,854 |
| Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa | Lahaina, HI | 72,213 |
| Viewline Resort Snowmass, Autograph Collection | Snowmass Village, CO | 74,305 |
| Le Méridien Ile Maurice | Mauritius | 74,751 |
Most of these average 70k–75k points/night, right at the top of the new range where the extra 10k top-up makes the real difference.
Premium City Hotels:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago | Chicago, IL | 71,703 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | 70,608 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | 69,963 |
| W San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 68,815 |
| W Boston | Boston, MA | 69,352 |
| W Hollywood | Los Angeles, CA | 66,881 |
| Le Méridien New York, Central Park | New York, NY | 74,316 |
| Palace Hotel, Luxury Collection, San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 72,611 |
W Hotels and Ritz-Carltons dominate this list, all averaging 68k–74k points/night and bookable 50–65% of nights at the new cap.
Family & Theme Park:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance | Anaheim, CA | 73,375 |
| The Westin Anaheim Resort | Anaheim, CA | 68,982 |
| JW Marriott Anaheim Resort | Anaheim, CA | 68,805 |
| Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, Autograph Collection | Lake Buena Vista, FL | 71,715 |
| JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes | Orlando, FL | 69,484 |
Three Anaheim properties and two in Orlando, all within the new cap’s range and bookable 60–70% of nights.
85k Free Night Certificate (e.g., Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Spend Bonus)
The 85k FNC already covers 97.4% of the portfolio at base value, so the extension to 110,000 points is a different kind of gain. The 56 newly accessible properties are the ones that felt permanently out of reach: Ritz-Carlton Maui, London EDITION, W South Beach, JW Marriott Essex House New York, and a handful of the most iconic resort properties in the world.
Properties by Bucket
| Bucket | Avg Points/Night | Properties | % of Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base FNC (up to 85k) | ≤ 85,000 | 9,028 | 97.4% |
| Old top-up (85k–100k) | 85,001–100,000 | 95 | 1.0% |
| Subtotal: Old cap | ≤ 100,000 | 9,123 | 98.4% |
| NEW top-up unlock (100k–110k) | 100,001–110,000 | 56 | 0.6% |
| Subtotal: New cap | ≤ 110,000 | 9,179 | 99.0% |
| Still out of reach | > 110,000 | 91 | 1.0% |
The 85k cert now reaches 99% of the entire Marriott portfolio.
Availability
| Metric | Old 100k Cap | New 110k Cap | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median % of nights bookable | 43.3% | 65.0% | +21.7 pp |
| Mean % of nights bookable | 43.2% | 63.4% | +20.2 pp |
Going from 43% to 65% bookable nights is meaningful at this tier, where prices swing more than at lower levels.
| Availability | Properties |
|---|---|
| 75–90% of nights | 6 |
| 50–75% of nights | 46 |
| 25–50% of nights | 5 |
| 0–25% of nights | 0 |
52 of 56 (93%) of the newly unlocked properties are bookable on more than half of available nights.
Newly Accessible Brands (100k–110k)
| Brand | Properties |
|---|---|
| Luxury Collection | 10 |
| Ritz-Carlton | 8 |
| Autograph Collection | 5 |
| Marriott Vacation Club | 5 |
| Design Hotels | 4 |
| EDITION | 4 |
| Marriott Hotels & Resorts | 4 |
| W Hotels | 4 |
| JW Marriott | 3 |
| St. Regis | 3 |
| Renaissance | 2 |
| Blue Diamond (All-Inclusive) | 2 |
Luxury Collection and Ritz-Carlton account for 18 of the 56 properties, with EDITION and St. Regis adding most of the remaining prestige.
Geographic Breakdown (100k–110k)
| Country | Properties | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 15 | Maui, Kauai, Key West, Bal Harbour, South Beach, Bachelor Gulch, St. Regis SF |
| Barbados | 4 | Tamarind, Treasure Beach, Colony Club, Waves (all Elegant Hotels AI) |
| France | 4 | Paris Arc de Triomphe, Paris Vendôme, Paris Champs-Élysées, Cannes |
| United Kingdom | 3 | London EDITION, JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London Park Lane |
| Mexico | 3 | Riviera Maya EDITION, Paraiso de la Bonita, Almare Isla Mujeres |
| Greece | 2 | O by Myconian Mykonos, Stamna Sifnos |
| Italy | 2 | The Pantheon Rome, W Rome |
| Thailand | 2 | Vana Belle Koh Samui, W Koh Samui |
France is the standout internationally with four Paris-area properties; US concentration is in Hawaii and South Florida.
The Ultra-Premium Properties
Hawaii & Beach Resorts:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| Wailea Beach Resort, Marriott, Maui | Kihei, HI | 102,656 |
| Koloa Landing Resort, Autograph Collection | Poipu, Kauai, HI | 102,710 |
| Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection | Kamuela, HI | 103,419 |
| The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka’anapali | Lahaina, HI | 107,649 |
| The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua | Kapalua, HI | 107,733 |
| W Koh Samui | Koh Samui, Thailand | 103,372 |
| Vana Belle, Luxury Collection, Koh Samui | Koh Samui, Thailand | 101,413 |
Four Maui and Kauai properties lead this list, with the Ritz-Carlton Maui and Westin Nanea both averaging around 107k — well within the new 110k cap.
European Icons:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| The London EDITION | London, UK | 101,810 |
| The Madrid EDITION | Madrid, Spain | 102,247 |
| JW Marriott Grosvenor House London | London, UK | 102,827 |
| Renaissance Paris Vendôme | Paris, France | 106,725 |
| Paris Marriott Champs-Élysées | Paris, France | 107,714 |
| The Pantheon Iconic Rome, Autograph Collection | Rome, Italy | 107,150 |
| W Rome | Rome, Italy | 107,354 |
| Koenigshof, Luxury Collection, Munich | Munich, Germany | 108,012 |
Paris has two properties averaging over 107k points/night, and all eight of these are now consistently in range.
Premium US City & Resort:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami | Bal Harbour, FL | 103,335 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach | Miami Beach, FL | 103,676 |
| W South Beach | Miami Beach, FL | 103,705 |
| The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C. | Washington, DC | 107,451 |
| The St. Regis San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 108,891 |
| The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch | Avon, CO | 108,730 |
| W Aspen | Aspen, CO | 101,302 |
| La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection | Key West, FL | 102,466 |
| JW Marriott Essex House New York | New York, NY | 106,812 |
| The Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan Midtown | New York, NY | 104,574 |
South Beach has three properties in this tier (Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Ritz-Carlton South Beach, W South Beach), all averaging 103k–104k and comfortably within the new cap.
Exotic & All-Inclusive:
| Property | Location | Avg Points/Night |
|---|---|---|
| JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa | Vagaru, Maldives | 108,711 |
| Higashiyama Niseko Village, Ritz-Carlton Reserve | Niseko, Japan | 108,820 |
| The St. Regis Bali Resort | Nusa Dua, Bali | 109,051 |
| The St. Regis Bermuda Resort | Town of St. George, Bermuda | 106,411 |
| The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai | Playa del Carmen, Mexico | 109,674 |
| Almare, Luxury Collection, Isla Mujeres (AI) | Isla Mujeres, Mexico | 108,308 |
| The Romanos, Luxury Collection, Costa Navarino | Peloponnese, Greece | 108,517 |
These are the most points-intensive in the dataset, all averaging 106k–110k, and all now within the new cap’s ceiling.
Full Portfolio Distribution
For context, here’s how Marriott’s 9,270 properties break down by average nightly points cost:
Points Range │ Properties │ % of Portfolio
────────────────┼────────────┼────────────────
0–10k │ 187 │ 2.0%
10k–20k │ 1,796 │ 19.4%
20k–30k │ 3,489 │ 37.6% ← largest bucket
30k–40k │ 1,753 │ 18.9%
40k–50k │ 861 │ 9.3%
──────────────────────────────────────── ← 35k FNC new cap: 60k
50k–55k │ 266 │ 2.9%
55k–60k │ 205 │ 2.2%
──────────────────────────────────────── ← 50k FNC old cap: 65k
60k–65k │ 154 │ 1.7%
65k–70k │ 107 │ 1.2%
70k–75k │ 99 │ 1.1%
──────────────────────────────────────── ← 50k FNC new cap: 75k
75k–85k │ 111 │ 1.2%
85k–100k │ 95 │ 1.0%
──────────────────────────────────────── ← 85k FNC old cap: 100k
100k–150k │ 133 │ 1.4% ← 85k FNC new unlock: 100k–110k
150k+ │ 14 │ 0.2%
The biggest concentration is in the 20k–30k range (37.6% of all properties), well within reach of every cert tier without touching the top-up at all. The newly unlocked pools represent 2–5% of total inventory at each tier, but skew toward the more premium properties in the portfolio.
The Bottom Line
The top-up increase matters most at the 35k tier in volume and at the 85k tier in quality.
The 35k cert gains 471 properties with a median availability of 73% of nights, including nine Ritz-Carltons and 19 JW Marriotts. The 50k cert reaches the Moana Surfrider Waikiki, Sheraton Maui, and Ritz-Carltons in Chicago, New Orleans, and Philadelphia, with bookable nights at those properties nearly doubling. The 85k cert finally covers the properties where a free night certificate actually feels like a free night: Maui, South Beach, Paris, Rome, Bali, and London.
If you have a 35k or 50k cert and have been holding off because the top-up math didn’t feel worth it, it’s worth it now.
Methodology
This analysis uses deduplicated rate observations across 9,270 unique Marriott Bonvoy properties, extracted via Gondola AI’s proprietary hotel rate monitoring platform (pipeline run: February 26, 2026). Data was deduplicated to one row per (property, date), keeping the lowest points cost for each. The dataset covers check-in dates from March 2026 through February 2027.
For property-level bucketing, we computed the average nightly points cost across all available dates. For nightly availability analysis, we calculated the percentage of individual nights falling at or below each FNC cap threshold.
Powered by Gondola AI’s proprietary hotel rate monitoring platform.