Marriott Gives Members Off-Peak Pricing and Elite Night Credits
Marriott announced big changes to its Bonvoy loyalty program back in August of 2019. The hotel chain introduced new peak and off-peak award pricing. The new award chart kicked in on September 14th. This is often bad news since the most desirable hotels will raise prices when most people want to visit. But it actually works in favor of loyalty members right now since travel demand it way lower than what we uaully see at this time of year. To get people to start traveling again, Marriott is offering off-peak rates at most hotels worldwide. Additionally, Bonvoy members also get more elite nights automatically which makes it easier to qualify for the next tier.
Lowest Redemption Rates
Marriott is putting over 5,500 properties around the world on Off-Peak redemption rates for bookings made during June 15–30 for stay dates through July 31. This means that whether you’re staying close to home or venturing farther, you can get the lowest redemption rates of the year. Redemptions start at just 5,000 points or 4,000 for PointSavers rates.
This chart shows the points you’ll need for different rates based on the hotel category. If you redeem four nights you get the fifth night free. You can see charts here.
| Hotel Category | Off Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 20,000 |
| 4 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
| 7 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| 8 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
50% Extra Elite Night Credits
Given the disruption in your travel plans this year, Marriott is giving you a head start toward earning status next year by depositing 50% of the Elite Night Credits (“ENCs”) into your account based on your 2019 earned Elite status tier. Your 2019 earned status has already been renewed through February 2022, so these additional ENCs will jump-start your ability to move quickly to the next Elite tier. You will see these additional ENCs deposited in your account in late July.
| TIER EARNED IN 2019 | ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS | 50% ELITE NIGHT CREDITS |
| Ambassador Elite | 100 Qualifying Nights AND US$20,000 stay spend |
50 Elite Night Credits |
| Titanium Elite | 75 Qualifying Nights | 38 Elite Night Credits |
| Platinum Elite | 50 Qualifying Nights | 25 Elite Night Credits |
| Gold Elite | 25 Qualifying Nights | 13 Elite Night Credits |
| Silver Elite | 10 Qualifying Nights | 5 Elite Night Credits |
| Member | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
Don’t forget that you can also earn Elite night credits through credit cards. Each calendar year you can receive credit for 15 nights towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. That is 15 from a personal credit card and 15 more from a business card, for a total of 30 credits.
More Extended Benefits
As a reminder, Marriott has announced several program updates earlier this year that extend your benefits:
- Status Extension: You’ll be able to enjoy the status that you earned in 2019 through February 2022.
- Points Expiration: The expiration of points will be paused until February 2021, which provides you additional time to redeem your points
- Suite Night Awards™ (SNAs): The expiration of your suite nights has been extended by one year, so you can use them through December 31, 2021.
- Free Night Award (FNA): Eligible Free Night Awards have now been extended to January 31, 2021.
Guru’s Wrap-up
This is a generous offer for Marriott Bonvoy members. It makes sense for the hotel chain that needs people to start visiting their properties, and also for members who are willing to travel. Even if international travel is still a bit risky for now with all the restrictions, there are many properties closer to home for those who are comfortable traveling. And getting off-peak pricing in the middle of the summer is a great deal. Additionally, elite members have the option to qualify for a higher tier with the free Elite Night Credits, up to 30 credits from credits cards and a few stays.
