Marriott has brought back its 40,000 points ‘Homes & Villas’ offer

Of all the major hotel groups, Marriott has taken the biggest strides into competing directly with Airbnb with ‘Homes & Villas by Marriott’.

Two weeks ago Marriott ran a three day flash sale offering a fairly crazy 40,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points if you book a home or villa rental for this Summer. This is on top of your base points of 5 per $1 spent. We value 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at £200.

The offer is now back – but with a catch. There is now a minimum spend of $1,500.

What’s the deal?

If you book a property through Homes & Villas by Marriott for a stay completed before 9th September 2023, you will receive 40,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points.

The Homes & Villas by Marriott home page is here.

The small print is:

• Your ‘homes and villas’ stay must be completed by 9th September 2023
• You must book by 19th May 2023 (midnight US Eastern time, so 5am on 20th May in the UK)
• A minimum FOUR night stay is required
• You must spend at least $1,500 or equivalent
• You can earn the bonus multiple times
• Bookings which meet the minimum spend and stay length requirements but which are paid fully or partially using Marriott Bonvoy points do not qualify

Do I get Marriott Bonvoy points with a Homes & Villas rental?

Yes.

You earn at the same rate as Marriott’s long stay hotel brands. This means 5 points per $1 spent.  You do not earn points on booking fees, taxes, cleaning fees and extra add-ons during your stay.

If you have Marriott Bonvoy elite status, you also earn a tier bonus:

• Silver Elite: 5 points per eligible dollar plus 10% bonus
• Gold Elite: 5 points per eligible dollar plus 25% bonus
• Platinum Elite: 5 points per eligible dollar plus 50% bonus
• Titanium Elite: 5 points per eligible dollar plus 75% bonus
• Ambassador: 5 points per eligible dollar plus 75% bonus

Gold Elite members and higher also receive a welcome gift:

• Ambassador Elite, Titanium Elite, Platinum Elite: 1,000 points
• Gold Elite: 500 points

Do I earn elite night credits too?

You also earn elite night credits for each night you stay. These nights count towards your annual status renewal but do not count towards lifetime status.

(Why don’t the nights count for Bonvoy lifetime status? It seems a petty restriction and – with Lifetime Platinum now in view within a few years – put me off making a booking during the ‘double elite nights’ promotion last year.)

Can I pay with Marriott Bonvoy points?

Yes. However, any booking made with Marriott Bonvoy points will not qualify for the 40,000 bonus points offer.

There is no reward chart for ‘Homes & Villas’. It is a pure revenue-based redemption, with each Marriott Bonvoy point you redeem having a fixed value. 1 Bonvoy point is worth 0.6 cents (0.44p) when used for a ‘Homes & Villas’ redemption.

Conclusion

40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points is a huge bonus although adding a $1,500 minimum spend requirement means that this promotion is no longer a slam dunk.

You are effectively getting a £50 per night rebate on your stay if you do exactly four nights – even more when you factor in base points and elite status bonuses.

The Homes & Villas by Marriott home page is here.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (June 2023)

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.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 13th June, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card is doubled to 60,000 Membership Rewards points (worth 90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) – and you get £200 to spend at Amex Travel too! 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.)