I recently put together a list with various hotel points and free nights which I needed to redeem/ book over the next few months.

On this list were two free nights at Marriott hotel properties. One night was good for a room valued at up to 35,000 points from my old SPG Amex card, the other good for a room worth up to 25,000 from my old Chase Marriott Rewards card.

Neither free night was of use for a couple of upcoming trips so I decided to look into using one of them for an upcoming domestic trip.

The Michael W Travels family loves visiting Philadelphia a couple of times a year, even if it’s just for a night. (I’ve even driven there for the day, although never with the kids.)

We had plans to visit Philly in early May so I looked into options with the 25,000 point free night.

After a quick search, I found a great option both in terms of value and location.

The Fairfield Inn & Suites Philadelphia Downtown/ City Center is located just 12 minutes away from Federal Donuts, a must- visit during every visit to Philly. (Make sure to try some of their delicious chicken if you visit.) The famous Reading Terminal Market is around 10 minutes walk away as is the wacky Philadelphia’s Magic Garden. With the Chase Marriott card having an $85 fee, a free night needs to be worth a bit more than $85 to make the booking a good deal if you ask me. (I think just about all of you would agree!)

You’re probably wondering how much the same night we booked with our free night would’ve cost if we paid for it.

For the night we’ll be staying at the Fairfield Inn, the cost would’ve been $226 + tax. The total would’ve come to $262.73! Ouch.

While I wouldn’t pay that much for a hotel unless I was desperate, I was happy to book the night for us with my Marriott Visa free night.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I’d say that a room which costs $260+ for a night is a very solid use of a reward night worth up to 25,000 points.

That $85 annual fee got us what appears to be a very nice room, in an excellent location for a very reasonable price!

How have you used your Marriott credit card anniversary free nights? Let us know in the comments below.