Dubai Marriott Harbour – a family Bonvoy points hotel redemption where a room sleeps 5

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the better hotel programmes if you have a family, or simply don’t like small hotel rooms.

As well as offering standard rooms for the standard redemption price, a lot of Marriott Bonvoy properties let you book larger rooms or suites for an added fee.  The best bit is that these rooms show up during the standard booking process online – you don’t need to negotiate a private deal with the hotel by email.

I did this a few years ago at the JW Marriott in Venice, reviewed in-depth here, where we were able to get a Junior Suite which took all four of us for an extra €200 per night.

A reader email this week reminded me about a Marriott Bonvoy property which offers substantial rooms WITHOUT needing an extra fee – the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites.

This is not on the beach but it is close and does overlook Dubai Marina.

The Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites consists of one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom suites.

How are Marriott Bonvoy redemptions at Dubai Marriott Harbour?

The normal redemption room is a two bedroom suite.

It sleeps five people, which is a great result for family.

And what a suite it is:

160 square metres (twice as big as the average 3-bed UK house)

a bedroom with a king bed

a 2nd bedroom with two single beds

separate dining room with six person dining table

separate living room

kitchen with oven

2.5 bathrooms

two TVs, largest is 42 inches

As a Category 6 hotel, it costs between 40,000 and 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.  Remember that you get your fifth night free, which takes it down to an average of 32,000 to 48,000 points for a five night stay.

For clarity, I have never stayed at this hotel and, as it is over 10 years old, it is probably not as swish as many Dubai properties.  It is also more of an apartment complex than a hotel, despite the name.

It isn’t hugely expensive for cash so this is not a redemption for someone looking to squeeze every last penny from their Bonvoy points.

Five nights over October half-term will cost Dhs 5,627 (£1,100) which means you are getting my expected 0.5p per Marriott Bonvoy point.

Book on a non-peak date and you would do better, although you would need pre-school age children to benefit.  Much of September, early October and February are priced at 50,000 points per night.

The Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & Suites website is here if you want to find out more.

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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.)