With free nights worth 85k, you’re suddenly able to book stays at Marriott’s highest-end resorts like the Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis!

Every year, I look forward to the Marriott free night certificates that come with some of my cards. With a 50k certificate, the options feel even bigger than the 35k certificates, especially since you can now add up to 15,000 points to stretch it into a 65k night. That little top-off opens the door to some incredible family stays.

I was curious one day and asked ChatGPT to round up the 100 most popular Marriott hotels on the internet. The list it gave me is pretty impressive. As a mom who leans on Marriott a lot for family travel, whether it’s soccer tournaments, Disney trips, or just finding a SpringHill Suites that fits all six of us, I can see why so many of these properties keep coming up in conversations.

At first glance, a 35k certificate might not sound like much, but it goes farther than you’d think, especially since you can now add up to 15,000 points and stretch it to a 50k stay. That little detail has opened up some incredible options for us over the years.

There are creative, family-friendly ways to save, some of which can be more flexible (and sometimes more valuable) than using hotel loyalty points.

Did you know you can get hotel status without staying there just by holding the right credit card?

Hotels at Disney can really mean the difference between being able to take the vacation… and not. Here’s a list of great options for both Disneyland and Disney World.

When we first started using points, I remember staring at our balance of 100,000 and wondering: how far can this actually take a family of six?

I had seen people use that many points for one first-class flight or two nights at a luxury hotel. But I knew there had to be a better way—especially if I wanted to stretch those points into real family vacations. And the good news? There absolutely is! We’ve used 100k points for a full week of hotel stays, roundtrip flights for four, or two rooms at a resort where my husband and I got our own room. That’s the magic of smart redemptions.

There’s something really satisfying about checking into a hotel where you’re staying for free—especially when it’s somewhere you’d never want to pay cash for. IHG One Rewards points can make that happen, and while they don’t always get as much attention as some other hotel points, they can still unlock great value—especially when you know how to get the most from IHG points with kids.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Hilton Honors—how to earn and redeem points, the best credit cards to maximize your stays, and how to get the most out of Hilton’s elite perks. Let’s dive in so you can start planning your next family getaway for nearly free!