Starwood and Marriott launch identical spring hotel promotions

UPDATE – MARCH 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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 double elite night credits and 1,000 bonus points per night on all stays between 11th February and 28th April 2025. Click here for our HfP article and click here to register.

Marriott Bonvoy is offering a 45% bonus when you buy points by 30th March 2025. Click here to buy.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

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Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards have announced their first set of promotions since the merger between the two companies was concluded.

With both loyalty programmes continuing as separate entities until at least the end of 2017 – although you can now transfer points between the two at an attractive rate – the company is clearly keen to avoid prioritising one scheme over the other when it comes to special offers.

What Marriott and SPG have done is actually quite clever, I think.  In order to maximise your earnings this Spring, you will need to stay at both chains.

First, Starwood ….

The Starwood promotion is called ‘SPG Double Take’.

This is what you get:

double base points on your first three stays between 16th January and 15th April

an extra personal target – mine was 5,000 points for an additional 10 nights and then 500 points per night thereafter

You can register for Double Take via this link here.  Registration closes on 15th March even though the promo runs for another month after that.  Interestingly, Starwood says that it will backdate your bonus for stays already completed from 16th January if you register after that date.

All SPG hotels are participating – there are no exclusions.

And from Marriott ….

The Marriott promotion is called ‘Megabonus’. 

It sounds oddly familiar …..

double base points on your first three stays between 16th January and 15th April

an extra personal target for some people – but not me.  These are similar to the Starwood offer and give x points for completing an additional y nights.

You can register for Megabonus via this link and clicking on ‘My Account’ in the top right corner once signed in.  Registration closes on 15th March (sounds familiar?).

There is no additional bonus for additional stays – or if there is, I wasn’t targetted for it.

ExecuStay and Marriott Executive Apartments are not participating.

For a relatively light stayer, you would maximise your bonus by completing three nights at each chain.  This is presumably the Marriott plan, encouraging members to sample the chain where they do not normally stay.  As you can now status match from Marriott to Starwood, and vice versa, there is no reason not to do this for the sake of elite treatment.

The only tweak is from multiple room bookings.  Starwood allows you to book up to three rooms per night in your name and receive points and elite nights credit on all of them.  Marriott only allows you to earn credit for one room per night.  This is unlikely to make a difference to most people.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (March 2025)

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.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

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 (50,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

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.