I received an e-mail message from Marriott Bonvoy on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 6:41 in the morning Eastern Daylight Time that had me wondering if the Fifth Night Free Benefit is ending?
Is Fifth Night Free Benefit Ending With Marriott Bonvoy?
I did not open the e-mail message immediately when I received it; but the following statement was found in a pale orange box — although I removed the number of points that are in my Marriott Bonvoy membership account:
Redeem on End-of-Season Stays
For a limited time, pay for 4 nights and get an additional night free when booking with your points.
The key words in the message are For a limited time. Why were those otherwise superfluous words added to the message?
The Fifth Night Free Benefit is available for all members of the Marriott Bonvoy membership program, according to the official Internet web site of Marriott Bonvoy:
What is ‘Stay for 5, Pay for 4’?
Information on using Marriott Bonvoy® Points for a 5th Night Free stay
Information on using Marriott Bonvoy® Points for a 5th Night Free stay
What is the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit?
The “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” where a Member who redeems Points for five consecutive nights for an Award Redemption Stay using a Standard Redemption Award or PointSavers Award under one reservation (i.e., one confirmation number) will only need to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® Points for four nights.
Who is eligible to use this benefit?
The Stay for 5, Pay for 4 Award is available for any Marriott Bonvoy® Member.
Final Boarding Call
Perhaps the wording in the aforementioned e-mail message was simply written poorly — or maybe the message was intentionally worded that way to create a sense of urgency while marketing that benefit? Could the benefit actually end for all members of the Marriott Bonvoy membership program and only be available for members who have elite status or hold an eligible credit card?
Because both Hilton and InterContinental Hotels Group — which requires holding an eligible credit card — offer similar benefits for their members, I doubt that Marriott Bonvoy would end the Fifth Night Free Benefit…
…but then again, we have witnessed stranger and inexplicable things happen with membership programs over the years that have set precedents…
Photograph ©2021 by Brian Cohen.
