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With the coronavirus putting the world in full-on shutdown mode and with hundreds of travel plans being canceled by the second it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect the larger hotel chains to be doing whatever they can to encourage anyone still traveling to choose their properties. Not Marriott.
Marriott’s Elevated Earning Promotion
Marriott has now released details of its latest promotion in which it boasts that Bonvoy members can earn “unlimited bonus points” through 14 June 2020.
- Register by May 31, 2020 (here)
- Stay between 17 March & 14 June 2020
- Earn 2,000 bonus points on each stay starting with your second stay
- No bonus point limit.
The full terms and conditions have been reproduced at the end of this post
Thoughts
Leaving aside the fact that “unlimited bonus points” or “no bonus point limit” and an end date cannot coexist in the same promotion, there’s still quite a lot to dislike about Marriott’s latest effort to pretend it likes to reward Bonvoy members for their custom.
Firstly, it’s incredibly annoying that Marriott continues to exclude the first stay during a promotion period (Hyatt does this too) and considering just how unrewarding this promotion actually is, it’s not just annoying, it’s cheap.
Secondly, I value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.6 cents each so the maximum bonus (effective rebate) on offer here is a paltry $12 per stay. That’s less than the cost of an entry-level glass of wine in most Marriott bars.
Thirdly, this promotion (such as it is) is skewed heavily in favor of guests making multiple short trips and skewed heavily against guests making single longer stays. There’s something wrong when a promotion will award twice as many bonus points to a guest making two 1-night stays at a Four Points property in the middle of nowhere as it will to a guest staying 7 nights at the Ritz-Calton Kapalua.
Not only is this promotion very, very unrewarding, it’s also ridiculously inequitable.
Bottom Line
With this offer, Marriott continues its long list of promotions that are as uninspiring and as unimaginative as a plain white wall…but at least it’s showing consistency!
There is absolutely nothing in this promotion to encourage anyone to make bookings they weren’t already planning on making or to change their plans to include a Marriott property (it may actually have the reverse effect) but you may as well register for this offer even if you have no plans to book with Marriott at all.
You never know when your circumstances will change or where you may suddenly find yourself staying so it would be a shame to pass up on a couple of thousand points just because you didn’t take a few seconds to register.
Terms & Conditions Per Marriott
Registration of your Marriott Bonvoy™ Account is required. Marriott Bonvoy members who register for this promotion by May 31, 2020, will earn 2,000 bonus points per stay, starting with their second stay, during the promotion earning period. The promotion earning period is for stays between March 17, 2020, and June 14, 2020, at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties. A “stay” is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/checkout activity on any Points-eligible rate (“Qualifying Rate”). Rates available through most third-party online retailers and select travel agency rates do not qualify for this promotion. The member receiving this offer has been targeted and the offer is not transferable. Homes & Villas by Marriott International, ExecuStay®, Marriott Executive Apartments® and Marriott Vacation Club® owner-occupied weeks are not eligible for bonus Points, and nights spent while redeeming an award are not eligible for bonus Points. Only one room per hotel is counted toward a member’s nights or stay. A member who elects to earn Miles is not eligible for this promotion. For a list of current participating brands, visit www.marriott.com/loyalty/earn/hotels.mi. All Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions apply. See www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi for more information. Visit http://marriottbonvoy.com/elevatedearning or call 888-MARRIOTT (888-627-7468) for complete details.
After 125+ nights/year for the last 20 years (and influencing a team of 50 travelers), I’ve gotten so much more value out of free agency for myself and my team over the last 12 months…by orders of magnitude. Marriott are going to have up their game considerably if I’m even to consider Marriott.com again. $12/night on $250-300/night isn’t going to do it…..lol.
I wasn’t targeted for it. I guess I just have to laugh since there’s not much loss!
Which card do you hold and have you called Citi to see if they’ll add the promo to your account?