Marriott Rewards members can now redeem points at the front desk for an instant award stay. The new policy allows members to walk in and redeem points for a free night or add an extra day or two to an award stay, subject to availability. While the new award option increases the flexibility of Marriott Rewards points and allows members to redeem points with no advance notice, the walk-in point redemption will be at the more expensive Stay Anytime rate. It’s still better to plan in advance to take advantage of the less expensive standard awards, but if you find yourself unexpectedly stranded at the airport overnight and need a place to stay, being able to redeem some points for a free night could come in handy. The new policy only applies to hotels in the U.S. (but not Hawaii) and Canada; Marriott Vacation Club International and Ritz-Carlton brands are excluded.

Marriott Rewards Silver Elite members now benefit from a new front desk upgrade option. Silver members can redeem 5,000 points per upgrade level, subject to availability.