how many points= 1 free night
 

Okay i'm new to all of this, so please forgive me for asking... but how many points do you need to get a free room for the night? I'm sure it all depends on what category the hotel is... but in general?

Best place to look is on Marriott Rewards site but here is a quick link to chart:

http://marriott.com/rewards/pointsGr...dType=Standard

Range is from 7500-20000 with an average room/hotel Cat3/4 being around 15-20K.

One thing worth noting in those point "prices" is that the per-night point cost decreases with longer stays. So, for example, a four-night stay at a given Marriott property will cost less per night (in points) than a one-night stay will. :)

So if the points aren't burning a hole in your pocket, it can be worth it to save them for a while. But if you're trying to spend them before they expire, or if you don't expect to be earning any more for the foreseeable future, you've certainly come to the right place.

We're all about earning & burning points here. :D

In addition, some properties have pointsaver awards which allow you to redeem nights with the property at one category level below the normal redemption level.

The range of redemption points normally required is between 7,500 and 35,000 for one night from Cat 1-7.