Marriott announces its new MegaBonus promotion for the Autumn

UPDATE – APRIL 2024:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly summary of the top hotel bonus point offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ menu above.

Marriott Bonvoy is offering 1,000 bonus points per night and double elite night credits on stays between 13th February and 29th April. Click here to read more and click here to register.

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Marriott Rewards has launched its major promotion for the Autumn, which will be another outing for MegaBonus. This promotion is active across all Marriott brands, including Renaissance, Courtyard, Autograph, Edition, JW Marriott, Gaylord and the various US ‘extended stay’ chains.

There is a positive twist this time. The free night voucher is now valid at Category 1-5 properties instead of Category 1-4, which cancels out the major devaluation that Marriott Rewards put through earlier this year.

However, I’m getting ahead of myself ….

Full details of the promotion can be found here.

Marriott targets different offers to different members, based on stay pattern. To see what you have been given, you need to log in to your account.

I very rarely stay at a Marriott group property, and if I log into my Marriott Rewards account and click on ‘Promotion Central’, I am offered what seems to be the most generous version:

• One free night for every 2 paid stays during the promotional period
• Maximum of 2 free nights to be earned
• Free nights to be redeemed at Category 1-5 properties only
• Free nights to be redeemed within 1 year
• Promotion runs from September 15th to January 15th
• Last date for registration is November 15th

As I mentioned earlier, Marriott Rewards moved 370 hotels from Category 4 to Category 5 in February 2013. This devalued these certificates quite substantially. By extending their validity to Category 5, you now have a better choice of properties.

However, don’t get carried away. Marriott Rewards now has 9 categories of hotels. A typical Category 5 hotel would be the Bristol or Northampton Marriott’s in the UK. You will struggle to find anything decent in a major European capital city in Category 1-5.

A further downside is that you could previously earn up to 3 free nights. This latest version of MegaBonus is limited to 2 free nights.

Note that stays at Ritz-Carlton hotels will also count towards this bonus.

Other options for more regular Marriott guests

If you are Marriott elite member, you may receive a different version of this promotion.

• Stay 12 nights and get 25,000 bonus points plus an extra 15,000 points if you reach 18 nights
• Stay 15 nights and get 25,000 bonus points plus an extra 15,000 points if you reach 20 nights
• Stay 20 nights and get 35,000 bonus points plus an extra 15,000 points if you reach 25 nights

Anyone whose Marriott account is set up to give airline miles instead of points will receive a different miles promotion instead.

Note that you need to register by 15th November, so it is worth registering even if you are not planning any Marriott stays at present – it would be a shame to be faced with a couple of Marriott nights in January only to find that you can no longer sign up for the MegaBonus.

Whether this promotion works for you will depend on your stay pattern. In hard £ terms, a free night certificate for just 2 stays is far more generous than competing promotions from the other big chains.  (I will be writing about the new Hyatt promo in a day or so.)   It just depends on whether you can find a decent hotel in category 1-5 to redeem it.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)