Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts to Book on Points [Map]

Categories: Maps, Redeeming Points, Where to Stay with PointsBy Last Updated: March 1, 2024

What are the top Marriott family hotels? What about the best Marriott family resorts? I’ve compiled a map that shows you Marriott family hotels by categories like occupancy, great location, and which ones have water parks.

Note: Starting in March 2022, pricing became dynamic, meaning it has more variability. These point estimates are based on the 2022 pricing, but may have increased since then.

Also, note that if you are looking to redeem a Marriott Free Night Certificate, Marriott allows people to “top off” free night certificates with up to 15,000 points. This means if you have a free night certificate worth 50,000 points, you could use up to 15,000 additional points to book a hotel that costs 65,000 points.

MAP: Best Marriott hotels families

Here’s some of the family friendly properties where these certificates would provide great family getaways. 

Marriott has tons of properties so this map is not exhaustive. If you have a property you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments! I focused on properties that sleep 6+, have waterslides, or have a great location.

Click the [ ] to see it in full screen. Purple shows properties that sleep 6+, Blue shows properties with water parks and the red is properties that have great locations.

How to earn Marriott points

Marriott Bonvoy is the rewards program for Marriott hotels. Brands include everything from basic brands like Springhill Suites and Residence Inn to St. Regis and Ritz Carlton. Hotels range in price from about 5,000-100,000 points per night.

Marriott credit cards are issued by both Chase and American Express. Opening a new credit card is the fastest way to earn points or free night certificates for Marriott hotel stays.

You can also transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards® to your Marriott account. I generally don’t recommend doing this as there are other higher value ways to redeem those points, but it can make sense if you need a few more points to book a certain hotel.

Perk: 5th Night Free with points

One of the great perks of booking Marriott award nights is that the 5th night on award bookings is free! It is not technically the 5th night that is free, but if you book 5 nights, your cost will be 4/5 of the total price (they average out the cost per night and deduct 1/5).

If you use a Free Night Certificate, the 5th night free will not apply. 

What’s a good Marriott credit card offer?

Offers change frequently with the Marriott cards. A standard offer is generally about 100,000 points. Sometimes offers come with free night certificates instead of points, or a combination.

The downside of free night certificates vs. points is that they expire 12 months after you receive them. Sometimes I have luck getting Marriott to extend certificates by calling in and asking, but there is no guarantee.

Which card should I get to earn Marriott points?

There are five (!) different Marriott cards you can get but somewhat complicated rules on eligibility. Read the terms carefully before applying to make sure you are eligible.

If you have a small business or side hustle – the advantage to the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is that it won’t show up on your credit report or count towards your 5/24 status. 

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card gives you a pathway to a secret upgrade option to the Ritz Carlton card. While I love the Capital One Venture X for its family friendly lounge policies, it does not include Priority Pass Restaurants

After holding this card for 1 year, you can upgrade to the Ritz Carlton card, which is one option for families to get airport lounge access. It allows all immediate family members to enter Priority Pass lounges (other cards usually max out at 2 guests) and lets you add unlimited authorized users for free. It also gives you unlimited access to the new Chase Sapphire Lounges at JFK and LGA so if these are your home airports, you’ll want to consider this. The Ritz card is not available for new sign ups, you can only get it by upgrading a Chase Marriott card. Once you upgrade to the Ritz card and wait 24 months since receiving your Boundless bonus, you would also become eligible for the American Express Business card.

See my full comparison of these two cards here

Generally speaking, I don’t see a compelling reason to get the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. 

Best Marriott Cards from American Express

welcome offer:

3 free night awards (up to 50k each)

Go > Limited Time Offer: Earn three Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer

Annual Fee:

$125

(Terms Apply | Rates and Fees)

  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
  • Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card
  • Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.

If you like Marriott, this is a solid card to get and then hold on to — we find that the annual free night is easy to redeem at hotels that cost $250+ per night. That’s a half price hotel! Some people prefer the welcome bonus that includes certificates for up to 50k per night, but keep in mind these expire within a year of earning so you need to have a redemption in mind. Check out my map of family friendly Marriotts for inspiration.

Bonus fluctuates from 75,000 bonus points to 125,000 points. Sometimes the bonus is 3 free night certificates for up to 50k per night – highest ever was 5 free nights (up to 50k and ended 3/21/24). Note that personal referral offers often don’t match the best available offer.

Current Bonus:

185,000 points

Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Annual Fee:

$650

(Terms Apply | Rates & Fees)

  • $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
  • Complimentary Platinum Elite status
  • Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
  • 1 Free Night Award annually after your Card account anniversary (up to 50k)
  • Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Benefit options include: Five (5) Suite Night Awards, 85K Free Night Award, and mattress and box spring $1,000 discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
  • Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply

High annual fee on this card but you have a potential to get some great benefits, too. This bonus does have huge potential but you’d need to have paid Marriott nights to get the full bonus. I personally am skipping this one but that’s due to not being focused on Marriott at this time.

Bonus fluctuates from 75,000 bonus points and up. Best recent welcome bonus of 150,000 points after spending $6,000 in 3 months ended August 2023.

Best Marriott Card from Chase

Current Bonus:

Limited time offer! Earn 5 free night awards

Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

Annual Fee:

$95

(Terms Apply)

  • Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
  • Earn 3X Bonvoy points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
  • 1 Free Night Award annually after your Card account anniversary (up to 35k)
  • After holding this card for 1 year, you can upgrade to the Ritz Carlton card, which is one option for families to get airport lounge access.

If you like Marriott, this is a solid card to get and then hold on to — we find that the annual free night is easy to redeem at hotels that cost $250+ per night. That’s a half price hotel! Some people prefer the welcome bonus that includes certificates for up to 50k per night, but keep in mind these expire within a year of earning so you need to have a redemption in mind. Check out my map of family friendly Marriotts for inspiration.

Bonus fluctuates from 75,000 bonus points and up. Sometimes the bonus is 3 or 5 free night certificates for up to 50k per night. Note that personal referral offers often don’t match the best available offer.

Highlight of Best Marriott Family Resorts and Hotels by State

Arizona:

JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

The resort features five heated pools: Mesa Pool, Wildfire Pool, Lazy River Pool, Griffin Bay Pool, and the Revive Spa pool. There are also two Jacuzzis, the serpentine Waterslide and Kids Splash Pad. The Family Escape kids club offers drop off services (for a fee) as well as free family movie nights and crafts. There are also tennis courts on site and free bikes. Resort fee of $40/night

California:

Courtyard Anaheim Themepark Entrance

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

50,000-70,000 points per night. But rooms with 2 Queens actually also have a bunk bed and sleep 6. Includes entrance to on-site Surfside Waterpark as well. Parking is $29/night

Florida:

Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

Walking distance to Disney World. You also get access to Disney “Extra Magic Hours.” Six pools and on site! This hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to Disney World. $35 per night resort fee and $29 parking fee.

JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

Hotel guests enjoy complimentary entrance to Tidal Cove Water Park on site, which includes FlowRider stationary surfing machines, a lazy river, and seven water slides. Resort fee of $40/day. Unfortunately, I could not find any rooms available to families of 4+, so this probably works best if you are a family of 3 or have Marriott elite status and could get a room upgrade.

Marriott’s Villas at Doral (near Miami)

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

2 bedroom villas sleep 8! Full kitchens. 30-40,000 points per night.

Utah:

SpringHill Suites Springdale Zion National Park

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts

Located only 1 mile from Zion’s gate and a short distance from Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon North Rim, Lake Powell and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Enjoy the outdoor pool and hot tub with amazing canyon views, splash pad, balconies, patios and fireplaces. Rooms sleep 5. Free breakfast!

Colorado

Sheraton Lakeside Terrace Villas at Mountain Vista, Avon, Vail Valley

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts to Book

Vail is only 15 minutes away. Resort guests are given complimentary passes to the adjacent Avon Recreation Center, which includes an indoor pool, a water slide and modern fitness center. Two bedrooms villas here sleep 8 and include a full kitchen and living room with fireplace. Furnished balconies and patios include gas grills . Other villa features also include washers and dryers and free Wi-Fi.

Gaylord Rockies

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts to Book

30,000-40,000 points per night. Resort fee of $23/night plus parking fee of $29/night. Includes indoor and outdoor waterslides and a lazy river in summer. Sleeps 4.

Hawai’i

Sheraton Kauai Resort

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts to Book

Resort fee of $35/night. 40-60,000 points per night. Sleeps 4.

South Carolina

Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes (Myrtle Beach)

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts to Book

Villa-like condos sleep 8 and have two bedrooms each with a fully equipped kitchen and balcony. Gaze out on views of the ocean or our resort’s beautiful gardens from your furnished balcony. Property includes pools, beach access, and an outdoor playground as well as a resort putting green, volleyball, shuffleboard and table tennis. Limited availability on points outside of winter. Check the map I created for other Marriott properties in this area, too.

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts (Book on Points!)

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts (Book on Points!)

Best Marriott Family Hotels and Resorts (Book on Points!)

 

What other Marriott Family hotels do you love? Let me know in the comments and I will add them to this list!

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4 Comments
  1. […] full post on Marriott properties for families highlights a number of Vacation Club […]

  2. Ann September 26, 2023 at 12:28 am - Reply

    Love this! Would love more updates on connecting family rooms, other family Marriott potential stays. The Marriott sight is awful at allowing room combinations

    • Katie Holden October 4, 2023 at 11:30 am - Reply

      I will try to add more updates!

  3. Erika February 18, 2024 at 9:43 am - Reply

    We’ve used the free night certificates to stay at the Residence Inn Maui Wailea. It sleeps our family of 5 and includes breakfast. The points fluctuate alot. I wait until the points drop to 65,000 or below and then book. I can usually book each night at 58,000 points or less. Our first stay we were upgraded from a studio to a one bedroom for free.

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