{"id":74529,"date":"2021-02-07T14:30:37","date_gmt":"2021-02-07T14:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mytravelleader.com\/?p=74529"},"modified":"2021-02-07T14:30:37","modified_gmt":"2021-02-07T14:30:37","slug":"marriott-points-value-what-theyre-worth-and-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mytravelleader.com\/travel\/marriott-points-value-what-theyre-worth-and-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Marriott points value \u2013 What they\u2019re worth and how to get the most out of them"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Million<\/p>\n

Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world with over 1.3 million rooms across\u00a030+ hotel brands. This is great because you can collect points with the\u00a0Marriott Bonvoy program\u00a0at hotels ranging from ultra-luxury resorts to family-friendly hotels to economical roadside stops. Also,\u00a0Marriott Bonvoy elite status\u00a0comes with valuable benefits at hotels in nearly every corner of the world. And there is a wide range of Marriott\u00a0hotel credit cards\u00a0issued by\u00a0Chase\u00a0and\u00a0American Express\u00a0that can help you\u00a0earn Marriott points\u00a0and elite status.<\/p>\n

With such a wide-reaching program, what is the true value of\u00a0Marriott points?\u00a0In our personal experience, we tend to get at least 0.8 cents on average. I\u2019ll break down why.<\/p>\n

Understanding Marriott points value<\/h2>\n

To understand what Marriott points are worth, we should first consider the different redemption options available, then see how much money we can save by using points instead of cash. The\u00a0best way to use Marriott points\u00a0is for their primary purpose, booking hotel stays at Marriott locations.<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0Marriott award chart\u00a0shows you how many points you need for an award night redemption. Each hotel is assigned to a category with a specific standard point cost along with peak and off-peak pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Hotel Category<\/th>\nOff Peak<\/th>\nStandard<\/th>\nPeak<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\n5,000<\/td>\n7,500<\/td>\n10,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\n10,000<\/td>\n12,500<\/td>\n15,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\n15,000<\/td>\n17,500<\/td>\n20,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n20,000<\/td>\n25,000<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\n30,000<\/td>\n35,000<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\n40,000<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\n50,000<\/td>\n60,000<\/td>\n70,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\n70,000<\/td>\n85,000<\/td>\n100,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Most categories offer a range in value, but you can usually expect to get an average of 0.8 cents per point toward a booking\u00a0\u2014 or more if you are willing to search around. Some categories and dates really stand out as great savings opportunities.<\/p>\n

Two Marriott award night sweet spots<\/h2>\n

Every award chart has opportunities for exceptional value. When\u00a0using Marriott points\u00a0for hotels, Category 1 and Category 6 can be good options. You can also\u00a0transfer Marriott points\u00a0to 40+ airlines, which is a nice option to have if you want to take advantage of an airline award chart sweet spot and because with many of these airlines you can\u2019t earn miles with the\u00a0best airline credit cards.<\/p>\n

Category 1 hotels<\/h3>\n

At only 7,500 Marriott points per night at the standard rate (and even fewer points during off-peak times), it is easy to accrue the points for a free night at a Category 1 hotel. Often these hotels still charge $100+ for a night\u2019s stay. The hotels in this category are comparable (in price and amenities) to many of those in categories 2 and 3 but for far fewer points. This is a great opportunity to get a lot of value from a small number of points.<\/p>\n

Category 6 hotels<\/h3>\n

Category 6 is the best overall value, in my opinion, for using points. In general, each point will be worth more in this category than in any other category on Marriott\u2019s list. Many of the Ritz-Carlton hotels in this category are exceptional deals. There are also other premium hotel brands like Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance and St. Regis.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Marriott shifted some of the best values within Category 6 into Category 7. This newer category costs 15,000 more points per night, which has a significant impact on the value of your points. But even at the new reward rate, it contains Marriott\u2019s finest hotels and many of them offer a value of more than one cent per point.<\/p>\n

Always check the cash price before booking<\/h2>\n

The value of your points can change significantly depending on the day of the week, so I always recommend checking cash prices before booking to see what value you\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u2019s take a look at the rates at the\u00a0Residence Inn Chicago O\u2019Hare, as an example.<\/p>\n

As you can see, with peak and off-peak prices the points rate is more closely aligned with the cash rate, as one goes up so does the other. I would recommend paying cash and saving your points if you were staying on a night where the cash price was low.\u00a0But on certain nights you\u2019ll get a greater value when using your points. The same hotel can offer you drastically different value for your points. Because this hotel primarily serves business travelers, weekdays are more expensive. The most expensive award nights cost 20,000 points or over $255 once you add in the taxes. That\u2019s a solid value of ~1.27 cents per point. But on weekends when the nightly award rate drops to 15,000 points or, as low as, $135 (including taxes) the value per point can drop to 0.8 cents.<\/p>\n

Get even more value with Marriott\u2019s 5th night free perk<\/h2>\n

Marriott has an incredible offer that allows you to get even more value from your points. This perk is available for everyone, with no blackout dates. The 5th night free benefit allows you to redeem five awards nights for the cost of four nights (the lowest priced night will be free). You must use points to cover the entire stay and the five nights must be consecutive at the same hotel. This is a great way to get a discount on a five (or more) night stay. This perk effectively makes your points 20% more valuable. <\/p>\n

For example, consider this reservation at the\u00a0JW Marriott Washington DC hotel. This room averages $598 per night or 50,000 points per night because it is a Category 6. This means on a normal night we would get a value of ~1.2 cents per point.<\/p>\n

But if you book five nights in a row at this hotel and use Marriott points, you can save 50,000 points.<\/p>\n

This room would cost ~$3,000 total if you paid for five nights with cash. But it is only 200,000 Marriott points, thanks to the fifth night free perk, which increases the value of your points to 1.5 cents each. Don\u2019t forget, you can use this perk at any award level and you don\u2019t need any special status to use it. Everyone is eligible.<\/p>\n

What is the best way to earn tons of Marriott points?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to\u00a0earn Marriott points\u00a0for award stays. Every stay at a Marriott hotel will earn you 10 Marriott points per dollar spent. So a $100 hotel stay earns 1,000 Marriott points. There are three exceptions:\u00a0<\/strong>Element, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites hotels earn just five Marriott points per dollar spent.<\/p>\n

You can earn even more points by maintaining Marriott Bonvoy elite status. Different levels of elite status earn more bonus points.<\/p>\n