Marriott Bonvoy Points Sale - Receive Up to a 45% Bonus on Your Purchase Points
Most leading hotel chains offer regular opportunities to purchase discounted points, usually a few times a year. Well, through December 23, 2024, you can scoop up Marriott points with a 45% bonus. I cover buying points in greater detail in this intro to points and miles primer, but I'm a big fan of purchasing points as there are always immediate opportunities to save money on hotel stays you know you're planning to do.
Key Terms to Know
- To get the 45% bonus, you must purchase at least 2,000 points.
- Your Marriott account must be at least 30 days old and in good standing.
- Normally you can buy up to 100,000 Marriott points each calendar year but with this promotion this cap has been raised to 150,000.
- Marriott processes bonus point purchases with a third-party vendor - Points.com
How to Purchase Points?
Purchasing points is easy:
- Start by visiting Marriott.com's purchase, share, and & gift page on Marriott.com.
- Click on "Purchase Bonus Points," which will take you to Points.com. Log in with your Marriott credentials.
- Use the slider to select how many points you want to purchase and checkout. (Note: Points.com purchases don't typically code as travel, so to maximize your credit card points earnings, you should use a card earning 2X points (or more) on everyday purchases.)
Why Might You Do This?
Because purchasing points can net you great savings, particularly for luxury hotel stays. Let's stay you got the itch for a trip to Venice and you just learned you'll have some time off in early February so you figure you'll spend three nights in the "La Serenissima" before moving on to your next destination. You run a search on Marriot.com and the St. Regis Venice catches your eye.
Let's check out how much it would cost to book this room with cash:
The cheapest rate available right now is actually a special rate (the standard member rate is a touch higher and don't include breakfast) - "Chinese New Year" and it will run you 3,627 EUR or $3,794.43 (at the time of this writing)
Ok - Now, how much would it cost to book this via points?
Now - let's remember if I purchased all the points I could via the current promotion, I'd have enough to cover the cost of this three-night stay. And the cost to do so? $1,875.00. Purchasing the points and immediately redeeming them for the St. Regis Venice stay will save you $1919.43 off the lowest cash rate available. Your nightly cost drops from $1264.81 to $625. Your points redemption may not include free breakfast but it does come with a side of ~$2000 in your pocket. 😏
Not bad, for a few minutes of clicking around.
IMO, point purchases are especially useful for folks who only take a few trips yearly, and when they do, focus more on finding a nice, comfortable place to stay at a great price. Purchasing points can be a low-friction method to save money on your desired hotel.
Opportunity Cost?
As is the case with most point redemptions, you typically will not earn points on the room portion of this stay since you are not paying a cash rate. Incidental charges you incur at the hotel, however, are fair game for earning points, though you'll want to confirm the terms and conditions of the loyalty program and the specific property. For anyone chasing loyalty, you will still earn elite night credits for your stay, just as you would if you paid the cash rate.
This deal is live through December 23, 2024, but don't worry if you miss it. As most of the major chains do, Marriott will be back with another sale soon, potentially with a greater bonus or deeper discount.