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Save 30% when you buy Marriott Bonvoy hotel points – worth it?

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UPDATE – APRIL 2024:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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.

Keep up to date with new hotel offers by signing up for our free daily or weekly newsletters.

You currently have only your second opportunity to buy Marriott Bonvoy at a discount since the scheme launched in February – and this is more generous than the offer which ran in the Summer.

Via this page of the website, you will save 30% on all points purchases until 18th October

The annual purchase cap of 50,000 points has been doubled to 100,000 points, although the maximum you can buy in one go remains 50,000 points.  At the top end you are paying $437.50 (£351) for 50,000 points under this offer.

My rule of thumb is that a Marriott Bonvoy point is worth 0.5p so this offer is not great at 0.70p per point.

However, you might find it worthwhile if:

you are topping off your account before making a points booking, or

you are planning a stay at a property where you know you will get outsized value

The snag with Marriott Bonvoy is that the annual points buying cap is too low to allow you to exploit the deal.  The St Regis New York, for example, can easily run to $1,300 per night including taxes, which makes 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (on a ‘Standard Reward’ day) a great deal.  The problem is getting enough points.

However …. you CAN transfer up to 100,000 Bonvoy points per year from one member to another.  You need to ring up to do this, which is a bit annoying, but that is the only restriction.  This is one way around the limit on points purchases.

The link to buy is here if you are interested.


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.)

Comments (103)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • LewisB says:

    OT: best recommendation for hotel and parking at Gatwick? This is for my parents honeymoon. Ideally connected to the terminal and payable with points. Flights from Terminal South.

    • Peter K says:

      The Hampton by Hilton was nice, fresh but basic. It’s the North Terminal but very simple to get to the south via the shuttle.
      The main Hilton was more luxurious but it depends on what room you get it seems according to trip advisor. Being Gold or Diamond helps. Breakfast was good, the lounge a bit disappointing.

  • Shoestring says:

    Home Office will send ONE MILLION text messages to British passport holders telling them to make sure they have at least six months left on their identity document to stop them being stranded in a No Deal Brexit
    One million text messages being sent to people who may need to renew early
    Passport validity rules will become tighter if there is a No Deal split from EU
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7469163/Home-Office-send-ONE-MILLION-text-messages-avoid-No-Deal-Brexit-passport-chaos.html

    Don’t forget you’ll need over 6 months’ validity left on your UK passport when you travel to EU after 31st October (in the event of Brexit).

    And unfortunately the UK changed the rules about adding on any unused months onto the new passport term, now you don’t get it.

    • Ricatti says:

      Funny enough (not), some countries did not recognise those extra months added to the fixed 10-year validity, leading to much confusion.

      • Roy says:

        Right. So if your passport is valid for longer than 10 years from start date to expiry date (due to extra months being added on) you need to take the effective expiry date as 10 years from the start date. And then subtract 6 months from that.

  • Stu_N says:

    OT: Amex Hotel Collection bookings. I am considering booking a Marriott via Hotel Collection (NB not FHR – the hotel isn’t available on FHR) – it’s “pay on checkout” and provider listed as “sabre” rather than Expedia. Will I get status benefits and Bonvoy points on the booking? Can’t find the answer anywhere online.

  • Rui N. says:

    OT: with the Amex offer for Waitrose, I finally went to Virgin Atlantic website to register my cards to use there (normally we buy stuff at waitrose with gift cards bought via my wife’s perks at her job). The plan was to buy a few gift cards to use in the future. However, I see on VA’s website that only purchases under £20 give miles. Is that correct? Or do they trigger for larger purchases as well?

    • Rob says:

      Everyone gets different earn rates from Waitrose and different thresholds. Even if it says that now for you, it may change. I think I’m on 4 per £1 with no cap.

      • Rui N. says:

        Oh, ok. Thanks Rob! I’m at 1 mile per £1, up to £20 purchase it seems. I’ll see how it goes. 🙂

        • Alex says:

          i have the same offer as you Rui – perhaps a starting offer as i also only linked it about a week ago and have barely used it yet.

          • Dev says:

            Been using this offer for a few years now, 1 Virgin Atlantic mile per pound up to £75, three miles per pound thereafter.

    • Roy says:

      Note that the terms and conditions say it doesn’t work if you use Apple Pay or Google Pay. No big deal, but slightly irritating.

  • Charlie says:

    OT:

    Funding PayPal Balance with Curve linked to Virgin – can it be done without Cash Advance Fee on the Virgin.

  • TimTam says:

    So, who else got the Curve questionnaire. Asking questions like would you miss Curve?

  • SimonW says:

    O/T BA. Is the £35 RFS fee dead now?? Looking at 2 Copenhagen flights, £2 + 32k or £42 +25k or £62 + 18k…. Not complaining, but £35 isnt even an option now. Pricing is same booking as a return, or 2 one-ways……. Is it always worth booking 2 one-ways if the price is identical…..?? Thanks

    • John says:

      If you are asking for help you should give the full details of what you are trying to do, instead of expecting people to guess.

      It looks like you are booking return flights for two people in economy during peak dates.

      If the fee was £35, then it would be £70 for two people. But they are only charging £62, so you should be happy that you are saving £8 compared to the old system.

      Booking separately means that you can’t change or cancel the inbound for free should there be issues with the outbound. But booking together means if you miss the outbound and decide to make your own way there, the inbound ticket will also have been cancelled.

    • Charlieface says:

      Taxes are prob lower than £35. There is no YQ

  • Double Dee says:

    OT: Anyone else unsubscribed from Curve emails and kept getting them, I have done it 5 times now and still get their nonsense, thinking of reporting them to someone.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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