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Marriott Bonvoy peak and off-peak points pricing is now live

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Marriott Bonvoy put its new peak and off-peak pricing into effect over the weekend.

It will take a while before I can see how much it impacts me.  Two Saturday nights I locked in at The Langley (the best ‘country house’ redemption near London bookable for points) for March and June 2020 have not changed and remain at 35,000 points per night (vs £400ish for cash!).

On the other hand, a midweek night I have at Renaissance Paris Republique next month has gone up from 50,000 points to 60,000 points.  Mid October should arguably not be ‘peak’.  That said, St Regis New York remains 85,000 points for a possible November trip I am looking at.

Marriott Bonvoy St Regis New York

Marriott sent me the following examples of times when you can expect to find hotels reduced to off-peak pricing:

Hawaii: October through mid-December (2019) and late September through October (2020) depending on market
California Wine Country: Mid-November (2019) through April (2020)
New York: January through February (2020)
Orlando: beginning in May with the greatest concentration in August and September (2020)
Washington DC: Late November (2019) through February (2020)
Cape Town: May through August (2020)
Dubai: May through September (2020)
European destinations: primary November (2019) through March (2020)
Maldives: May through June and end of August through early October (2020)
Bora Bora: January through March (2020)
Bali: November through mid-December (2019), mid-January through March (2020)
Phuket: May through June (2020)
Koh Samui: October through mid-December (2019) and September through October (2020)
Costa Rica: October (2019) and August through October (2020)
Macau: March through June (2020)

There is an element of ‘you don’t say’ at work here (Dubai in July anyone?).  However, you can potentially get a good deal on the shoulder seasons – Dubai in early May or late September, for example, is perfectly pleasant, so try the The Al Maha Desert Resort which we reviewed here.  A lot of southern European cities are also very pleasant in late March.

In reality, however, it does not appear to be like this.  Hotels are changing in points price from day to day, linked to the cash rate.  You may see a Monday at peak rate and then Tuesday at standard rate.  It makes it a lot more difficult to plan your stays if your points stash is limited.  The points required will flip between peak, standard and off-peak pricing as cash rates go up or down.

You will see one extra change to the Bonvoy website.  When you search for a reward stay, it now shows the price for the full stay rather than the price per night.  This makes is trickier to see if all or only part of your trip is in a higher pricing bracket.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards

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.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points sign-up bonus 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.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

and for small business owners:

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.)

Category

Marriott Bonvoy

Comments (84)

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  • Zara says:
    16 Sep16 September 04:54

    OT: Marriott have just launched a 30% off points purchase promotion Incase anyone needs a points top up, etc

    • Anna says:
      16 Sep16 September 05:39

      Thanks for the heads up – I think they did this around February but the bonus was only 25%. Probably very much to do with the increase in points needed at peak dates now!

      • Zara says:
        16 Sep16 September 05:49

        Yes I thought that too – My hotel rates have definitely changed. Are we certain that as long as we booked before the change, the old rates which were in place at the time of booking should be honoured?

        • Ian says:
          16 Sep16 September 07:30

          Yes, I called Marriott yesterday as my points increased for a July 2020 stay by 50,000 and they stated as the reservation was made before 14th Sept, they will honour. They advised me to call 2 weeks prior and they will simply add the points difference to my account. I asked them to add this as a comment as my booking is next July when this change would be a distant memory!

          • Zara says:
            16 Sep16 September 10:58

            Indeed ours is in May next year so I should probably do the same! Thanks so much for letting me know.

    • Rachael Bhella says:
      16 Sep16 September 07:49

      Where will I find this deal ? I can’t seem to find it.

  • Tom1 says:
    16 Sep16 September 05:25

    I thought they were moving to off peak/peak pricing. But actually it’s off peak/standard/peak. If they’re not listing the dates for each category for each hotel, seems almost impossible to know without searching every day separately?

    • Anna says:
      16 Sep16 September 05:37

      If you pick the “flexible” option when putting in your travel dates it shows you a month by month calendar with each day priced in cash or points so you can see what the rate it. I noticed yesterday that peak rates now seem to affect random days in the week at the hotels I looked at which means that a 5 for 4 bookings is now very likely to be higher than it was previously, regardless of the time of year.

      • Tom1 says:
        16 Sep16 September 06:45

        Ok thanks – have been using the Marriott app which I don’t think has that so I’ll try desktop.

  • Chas says:
    16 Sep16 September 07:14

    OT – AMB Free Weekend Night Voucher. My voucher expires at end of Dec, and looking for inspiration of places to use it up for a family weekend away. Paris immediately sprung to mind especially given Rob’s glowing reviews of Le Grand, but there is no availability on the specific weekend I am targetting (30 Nov to 1 Dec), although I have a query out with Emyr to see what Bon Vivant can offer which might tempt me to ditch the voucher.

    Where else would you recommend to use the voucher for a luxury treat away? Of various continental locations we can get to easily, the only Intercontinental with rooms available using the AMB voucher is Madrid. Any views on this hotel or things to do there that would appeal to two teenagers too? Or alternatively any UK hotels where I could get great value from my voucher?

    • Rob says:
      16 Sep16 September 08:30

      Porto, Lyon, Marseille, Amsterdam, Estoril

      • Lyn says:
        16 Sep16 September 09:43

        Porto, and the IC there, sounds special and is on our wish-list as well. Quite a few people have commented on it, including Genghis I think.

        • Genghis says:
          16 Sep16 September 12:30

          Yes. IC Porto is great. We’re planning to return next year. We’re at the Amstel currently and I must say standards are slipping…

          • Lady London says:
            16 Sep16 September 12:49

            I’m still getting over you saying the 15 euro per stay voucher at the Amstel only just about covered the price of a coffee there, Genghis ! 🙂

      • Chas says:
        16 Sep16 September 14:42

        Would love to try Porto, but can’t get the flight logistics to work for our limited timings for such a short break. Hopefully another time. We’d already discounted Amsterdam as no availability for the AMB voucher on our specific weekend. How far in advance do people find that they need to plan using the voucher to get wide availability – it’s not as bad as avios redemptions having to book at T-355 is it…..?! Will ponder the other French options whilst waiting for Emyr to provide pricing at Le Grand which might convince me to ditch my voucher.

        • Lyn says:
          16 Sep16 September 17:45

          No. I doubt if it is T-355 territory. The Le Grand is a special case because half the rooms are closed for renovations. But they do have AMB weekend pricing available for April, which we will probably book. It is expensive, but you can book a room with club lounge access, which helps, and we tend to add a free night award (like the IHG premium card free night) before and/or after to keep costs down. Otherwise it would be out of our budget. But we love it and are always well treated.

          • Chas says:
            16 Sep16 September 20:48

            Now that sounds like the reason I need to get myself the IHG card! I’d previously decided not to as I didn’t need the status as an Ambassador. Does it want to nicely with Curve so that spend with HMRC etc is treated as a purchase? Does it also play nicely with Revolut so that it’s also a purchase and not cash advance?

    • Lyn says:
      16 Sep16 September 08:36

      We’re also looking at IC Madrid for my AMB weekend voucher. The weekend you are considering seems reasonably priced (I’ve been pricing different weekends).

      We love Madrid, and have stayed at the IC once before, booked through Emyr with points nights added on. The IC isn’t perfect, and their customer service, while good. doesn’t come anywhere near Le Grand standards, but we had a really nice room, with a rather splendid bathroom. The club lounge is also nothing like the one at the Le Grand, but certainly acceptable.

      The location is a bit of a question mark. It works well for us personally, around the corner from my favourite Sorolla museum, and walking / bus distance to other museums, but it is not all that central. Hopefully other readers can comment on their own experience of the IC and it’s location as well as things that teenagers might enjoy.

      • Prins Polo says:
        16 Sep16 September 12:19

        I find the Madrid IC very poor… Dated, dark, rooms facing the street are very noisy, overall a bit depressing.

      • Chas says:
        16 Sep16 September 14:37

        Thanks Lyn – really appreciate your comments. I think the location might be the stumbling block for us, as the kids (and even Mrs Chas) aren’t big fans of museums or anything too cultural. Which is a shame as the price did look good that weekend…

        • Lyn says:
          16 Sep16 September 17:37

          It’s still not a bad bus or metro journey to the centre I don’t think. Perhaps it would be worth looking at the Madrid metro and bus maps?

          It is in a fairly posh neighbourhood, and I honestly don’t know anything about the local restaurants nearby. Madrid, like London and Paris, tends to be made up of a set of villages and it depends which village you happen to like. This area has a very different feel to the area around the Holiday Inn Piramides, say, which is the other hotel we have stayed at, with families out walking their dogs and cycling.

          I remember other people commenting on the IC Madrid before, and some were positive. Hopefully they might comment as well.

    • JA says:
      16 Sep16 September 09:37

      Malta. Fantastic hotel (in my opinion). Excellent club lounge.

      • TGLoyalty says:
        16 Sep16 September 17:29

        only if you are in one of the newly refurbished suites and have lounge access from all of the reviews, seems like a completely different experience to the rest of the hotel.

    • Lady London says:
      16 Sep16 September 21:15

      Not sure if shopping (generally or for Christmas) is one of your interests but I would say Paris is better the following weekend for that.

  • Shoestring says:
    16 Sep16 September 07:39

    NowTV on Amex – get a 50% statement credit when you spend online at http://www.nowTV.com by 16/10/2019. Valid once per Card, max £25. Only one 50% credit per UK Card up to £25.

    • Shoestring says:
      16 Sep16 September 07:47

      Sky Sports Week Pass + 1 month Sky Cinema Pass -£14.98 (worth £26.98) – Watch every Sky Sports channel for 7 days, plus 1,000s of movies On Demand for a whole month. So £7.50 to you.

      OR: Sky Sports 1 month pass is currently £33.99 – so you’d save £17, which is not bad for 1 month. Cancel contract immediately to avoid paying full price in month #2, you can still watch your first month until expiry.

      We’ve got in on all 3 cards, you can buy the passes and just store them until needed (can only store 1 of each type of pass in each account but easy to have multiple NowTV accounts, just use different email addresses and credit cards).

    • n_g says:
      16 Sep16 September 07:53

      Nice, I assume I’ll be able to change my existing payment card details to AMEX for the month. Shame it doesn’t go beyond the 16th of next month.

      • Shoestring says:
        16 Sep16 September 07:56

        multiple a/cs and store the passes until needed

        • Shoestring says:
          16 Sep16 September 07:58

          I’ve got about 25 NowTV a/cs – easy enough with the gmail trick, ie if my email address is shoestring@gmail.com, it’s also s.hoestring@gmail,com, sh.oestring@gmail.com etc etc

        • Shoestring says:
          16 Sep16 September 07:59

          I’ve got about 25 NowTV a/cs – easy enough with the gmail trick, ie if my email address is shoestring at mail.com, it’s also s.hoestring@gmail,com, sh.oestring at gmail.com etc etc

          • Neil Donoghue says:
            16 Sep16 September 09:18

            And just to add – This stacks even better with the Amex offer I received today. Get 50% off (Up to £25) on all spend.

          • Neil Donoghue says:
            16 Sep16 September 09:19

            Missed your original comment – Sorry!

        • BJ says:
          16 Sep16 September 09:11

          There is limits on number of passes of each type we can have on our account though, is there not? I sometimes buy a weeks sport pass but most recently I’ve got those at under £3 so this is not as good as it looks.

          • Shoestring says:
            16 Sep16 September 09:15

            yep I’ve got a raft of the <£3 passes as well – trouble is, you *do* need a different credit card for each one – they are quite efficient, in that if it's an international week with England on ITV, you can just let your Sky Sports sub lapse then resume it when Premier League starts up again

          • BJ says:
            16 Sep16 September 09:39

            Only use mine for biggest golf events so only need 4-6 per year. Always a good excuse to have a few very lazy lazy long weekends scattered throughout the year.

          • Shoestring says:
            16 Sep16 September 16:15

            there’s another £8 discount available on the 1 month Sky Sports pass, if you get my drift, stacks with Amex, making it £9/ month

            I’m pretty sure the 1 month code is not tied to the a/c you buy it on, ie you can apply it to one of your favourites

          • Shoestring says:
            16 Sep16 September 20:07

            and don’t forget a 1 month Sky Sports pass begins immediately, no choice – it’s not a voucher code you can apply at a time of your choosing

            but got my £17 + £8 already, so that’s 1 month for £9

    • Rich says:
      16 Sep16 September 12:33

      Damn. Too late for me. Just had 2 months of subscription for the Ashes!

      • Shoestring says:
        16 Sep16 September 15:48

        if football’s not your thing, won’t there be some cricket on over winter/ spring? – you can buy the 1 month Sports pass for £17 and store it in the a/c, ready to activate

  • n_g says:
    16 Sep16 September 07:54

    Langley is still at 35,000 points for a Saturday night deep into next 2020? Assumed this rate would have dropped by now.

    • Rob says:
      16 Sep16 September 08:26

      Dropped? Or gone up? At 1p per point it remains great value.

      • Brian says:
        16 Sep16 September 19:13

        No idea why I said dropped there, I guess I was somehow trying to say the value dropped.

        So yeah, ‘gone up’. I didn’t think it would last which is why I was so eager to fit a stay in before the end of the year.

  • Ian M says:
    16 Sep16 September 08:07

    Marriott have effectively introduced dynamic pricing through the backdoor. Huge backward step for customers.

  • Tony says:
    16 Sep16 September 08:25

    IHG Buy Points Bonus also back as of this morning, only lasts for 8 days though.
    100% bonus from 7,000 upwards.Once above 25,000, it’s $10/1,000 points.

    “Offer available for purchases made between 12:00 AM ET Sept 16, 2019 and 11:59 PM ET Sept 24, 2019 inclusive. This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer for intended recipient only and may not be forwarded.”

  • ahop says:
    16 Sep16 September 09:45

    OT: for redemptions, is the trick to earn as per a cash flight, just simply adding your IB number in the Finnair MMB section?

    • Shoestring says:
      16 Sep16 September 09:59

      doesn’t work on IB—>BAEC, I think you have to credit to another OneWorld airline and cross fingers

      • ahop says:
        16 Sep16 September 11:54

        Thanks Shoestring. So, fly with BA, use Finnair to manage and credit to someone like Finnair perhaps? Is there variation in what you get (if you get anything) across the Oneworld group?

        • Lady London says:
          16 Sep16 September 12:58

          wheretocredit dot com

          I’d stay out of BA, IB, AA, AY because they are all same JV across the Atlantic so systems might be closer.

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