For most Marriott credit card users, you get a benefit where you can redeem a free night at Marriott Category 1-5 properties every anniversary year. What most people don’t realize is that ever since the tiered pricing structure in the Bonvoy loyalty program went into effect, you can now redeem your free night at a Category 6 hotel.
Wait how…? Why?
It’s because they give the benefit based on an equivalent of 35,000 points value.
This opens up a new opportunity to a portfolio of hotels you normally can’t book with the Marriott certificate. Take Taiwan for example… the Le Méridien Taipei and W Taipei is priced at a Category 6 hotel.
If your travel date has some flexibility, you can save a ton of money & points. For example if you stay on Feb 13th, it’ll cost you 60,000 points… but if it’s on Feb 20th, it’ll cost only 35,000 points at nearly half the cost!
Like the Moxy hotel in New York, this 35k price will make it eligible to use your e-certificate online.
In the U.K. market, this makes it possible to book properties that wasn’t possible in the old Marriott program. A great example was our London trip last year where we stayed at the St. Pancras Renaissance right at King’s Cross. With London so expensive, this is a great travel tactic to save $$$$
If you have time to get out the city, the London countryside is super lush and pretty.
When it comes to luxury, travel can be understandably costly. Thus, little tips like this are useful to help save some money especially at an expensive destination. I know all the Marriott programs can be quite complicated, but hope information like this benefits you guys in the future travels to come.
It’s awesome when you maximize memories with travel… but it’s even more bear-tastic when you spend wisely while doing it 😉
Chai Bear World 