Best Marriotts in the US to spend your free nights

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Marriott provides many opportunities to earn free category 1-5 nights.  Their credit cards each offer a free cat 1-5 night per year.  They frequently run “Megabonus” promotions in which two stays results in 1 free cat 1-5 night (make sure to register!).  And, the best value Marriott Travel Package results in a certificate for up to 7 nights in a category 1-5 hotel (see: 12 things you need to know about Marriott Travel Packages).

I previously posted the best places to use your 7 night travel package certificates: Top 5 Cat 5 Marriotts in the World (even if you read this before, check it out again since I’ve added a 6th property to the top 5 list).

The international top 5 (now 6) list is great, but what if you need to use up free night certificates closer to home?  Are there any category 5 Marriotts in the United States worth traveling to?  Personally, I don’t find any of them compelling enough to want to stay for 7 nights, but if you have one or more individual free nights from the Marriott credit cards or Megabonus promos, I found quite a few that could make for a nice weekend getaway.

I scoured through Marriott’s list of category 5 properties in the US (found here) to find the gems that were highly rated.  My goal was to find hotels that appear to well located for a weekend getaway.  My secondary goal was to find the properties that represented good value for your points or free night certificates, so I removed hotels that typically charge less than $150 per night.  Next, based on reviews, location, and appearance, I picked the ones I consider to be the best.  Note that I have yet to visit most of these, so this collection is based entirely on internet research…

Sorted by state, here we go…

Alabama

a city skyline with a body of water
Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel

 

a table and chairs under umbrellas
Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center

Arizona

a pool with chairs and tables
Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River

Arkansas

a fire pit with chairs and trees in the background
Courtyard Hot Springs
This one gets excellent reviews and appears to be in a good location for exploring Hot Springs.

California

a building next to a body of water
Residence Inn Long Beach Downtown There are slim pickings for desirable category 5 hotels in California. This one looks more appealing than most.

 

a swimming pool and a building
Residence Inn San Diego Oceanside. This one gets good reviews, but despite the name it is not near the ocean

Georgia

a patio with chairs and a table
AC Hotel Atlanta Downtown

Florida

a pool with a lounge chair and a drink on it
Residence Inn West Palm Beach Downtown/CityPlace Area
This one doesn’t exactly offer a beach getaway, but if you want easy access to shopping and/or to Palm Beach, it might be right for you.

Idaho

a room with a bed and a balcony
Residence Inn Idaho Falls

Kansas

a lobby with a purple couch and chairs
Ambassador Hotel Wichita, Autograph Collection

Louisiana

a room with a bed and a table
WATERMARK Baton Rouge, Autograph Collection

Maryland

a fire pit with chairs and a screen on the wall
Fairfield Inn & Suites Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor

Michigan

a group of framed pictures on a wall
The Henry, Autograph Collection
a large room with a chandelier and chairs
The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel

Minnesota

a living room with a couch and a tv
AC Hotel Minneapolis Downtown
a hotel room with a bed and a couch
AC Hotel Bloomington Mall of America
a room with a couch and a fireplace
Fairfield Inn & Suites Detroit Lakes

North Carolina

a room with a large window
AC Hotel Chapel Hill Downtown This one isn’t open yet, but it looks like it will be a great place to stay when I visit my alma mater!
a table and chairs on a balcony overlooking a city
Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown
This one has all-suites and offers a rooftop bar in downtown Raleigh.  Yes please.

Texas

a patio with chairs and a fire pit
Residence Inn Austin-University Area
a reception desk in a hotel
AC Hotel Dallas Downtown
a building with a large awning
JW Marriott Houston This is the only category 5 (or below) JW Marriott in the United States.

Virginia

a patio area with chairs and tables
Courtyard Williamsburg Busch Gardens Area
a parking lot with a parking lot and buildings
Residence Inn Waynesboro
a city street with buildings and cars
Residence Inn Richmond Downtown
a view of a city from a window
Residence Inn Arlington Pentagon City
This could be a great home base for exploring the Washington DC area.

Washington

a city with many buildings and trees
The Davenport Grand, Autograph Collection
Spokane Washington has three (three!) category 5 autograph collection hotels.  They all get great reviews.  I picked one somewhat randomly. You can find all three here.

Wisconsin

a living room with a couch and chairs
AC Hotel Madison Downtown

 

a patio with chairs and a fire pit
Residence Inn Green Bay Downtown

Reader Input

If you have any experience with the category 5 hotels listed here or with any I missed, please comment below! Thank you!

 

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