Marriott Bonvoy 85k Free Night Certificate Redemptions in Japan
Japan is a great destination to redeem your Marriott 85k Free Night Certificate on as their travel demand commands high categorizations of Marriott hotels there. The 85k Free Night Certificates won’t be as frustrating to use compared to 50k Free Night Certificates, though Japan still has nice 50k FNC options.
Tokyo
The modern capital of Japan is full of high-end Marriott hotels within Category 7 and 8’s. For starters, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Mesm Tokyo, which is a Category 7 hotel that would charge 92,000 points max, which means it’s a guaranteed 85k certificate redemption plus topups, even during the busiest times. The Mesm is so far my most favorite Marriott hotel in Tokyo.
If you’re looking for something even more upscale, then you might have a chance on redeeming it on either the EDITION Tokyo Ginza or Toranomon Hills. Out of those two, the EDITION Ginza would generally cost less on points despite both being Category 8 hotels.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is located in the Midtown Tower, which is the 4th highest building in Tokyo currently. Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is a nice option if you’re looking for excellent elite member treatment with amazing views on top. If the weather permits, you might even see Mt. Fuji from your room! The hotel will give free breakfast for Titanium Elites and Ambassador Elites! A rare thing for a Ritz-Carlton.
The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho is another Category 8 hotel that I soon will try and compare with The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. Award pricing tends to be lower, but award availability is tough in this hotel due to it only having the Superior Room as the room type for Marriott award bookings. There’s only 12 Superior Rooms in the property compared to the 100+ count for the Deluxe Rooms, which are probably the de facto base rooms of The Prince Gallery.
For Category 8 hotels, you’d need some flexibility, and you’d probably won’t be able to redeem them during busy times like cherry blossom season, but the Mesm is an excellent backup should you need to burn your 85k certs.
Kyoto
The old capital of Japan has 3 high-end luxury Marriott hotels with the more traditional feel and experience compared to the ones in Tokyo. The trio’s categorized at Category 9, which means flexibility is needed (max per night is 132k points). But, I feel it’s worth scheduling around your trip around the hotels in Kyoto.
For my last visit in Kyoto, I’ve stayed at HOTEL THE MITSUI Kyoto, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa. It truly was one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at, and its Thermal Spring Spa was something out of a John Wick movie!
Alternatively, you can try The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto or Suiran, another Luxury Collection Hotel. The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto gives free breakfast to Platinum Elite, which is even more generous than the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo!
While I haven’t stayed at the Suiran, it appears to be the most traditional option, but is also the farthest from a lot of the touristy areas.
Out of all the options, HOTEL THE MITSUI Kyoto may tend to go on PointsSavers, which further helps your odds in redeeming your 85k certs.
Osaka
The highest Marriott Category in Osaka is 7, with the St. Regis. The St. Regis Osaka is showing a bit of age, and with Kyoto being just 30 minute train ride away, I would save the 85k cert for one of the Kyoto trio instead.
Fukuoka
The sole high-end Marriott in Kyushu is The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka, rated at Category 7. The Ritz-Carlton in Fukuoka is one of the newest ones in Japan, so the hard product is impressive. But, I probably would save the 85k cert for Kyoto or Tokyo.
Hokkaido
The higher-end Marriott hotels in Hokkaido are concentrated in Niseko, a popular ski destination. If you intend to visit during the ski season, the Westin Rusutsu is the guaranteed 85k certificate option as it’s a Category 7 hotel.
Then, there’s the Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. It’s a Category 9 hotel, so it’d be out of the question to book during ski season. But, you may have a chance still if you visit Niseko during summer.
Okinawa
The two Category 8 hotels in Okinawa are The Ritz-Carlton, Okinawa and IRAPH SUI, a Luxury Collection Hotel. Prices are generally lower in IRAPH SUI compared to the Ritz-Carlton, so there’s more chances in redeeming your 85k certificate.
Conclusion
There are many options to redeem your Marriott 85k certificates in Japan. In my opinion, the ones worth redeeming for that would work well all-year round are in Kyoto or Tokyo. Though, I would prefer the ones in Kyoto as they blend in traditional and modern feel to their luxury hotels that are more apparent than the ones in Tokyo.
Few places work nicely depending on the season, like ski season in Hokkaido or summer beach season in Okinawa that would make for nice 85k redemption as well, albeit possibly less luxe compared to the ones in Tokyo or Kyoto.