Marriott free-night certificate PointSavers glitch soon to be fixed
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
With the introduction of Marriott's peak and off-peak pricing in September, we've seen a variety of changes. While most of them don't seem great, these new rates have opened up some really interesting redemptions with PointSavers hotels. Why? Take a look at Marriott's award chart:
Off-peak rates occur during the low season, as determined by Marriott's newest algorithm. PointSavers rates discount the points required for a free night even further. Take, for example, the Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort, a Category 6 hotel which would normally cost 50,000 points per night. During off-peak times the rate drops to just 40,000 points per night.
With PointSavers, the total amount needed for a single night is a stunning 35,000 points, which puts this Category 6 hotel firmly within reach of the annual free night certificate (up to 35,000 points) offered by the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
Related: Which Marriott Bonvoy credit card is right for you?
However, something interesting happens when you actually go to redeem your free night certificates on Marriott's website.
Note how the option to redeem your free night certificate doesn't appear, unlike when you try to book a Category 5 hotel, like at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & the Royal Beach Casino:
Unfortunately, when TPG editor Jasmin Baron tried to take advantage of one of these off-peak PointSavers rates and called to apply her certificate to her reservation, she was told by two separate Marriott representatives that her booking was considered a promotional rate and thus not eligible for the free-night certificate. When a detailed investigation of Marriott's terms and conditions failed to yield further information, we reached out to Marriott for comment.
Related: How to use a Marriott 35,000-point certificate
Luckily for cardholders everywhere, Marriott has confirmed that free-night certificates are usable with PointSavers hotels, and that they're actively working to correct these issues with booking. This opens up some phenomenal uses of the 35k Marriott certificate, letting members redeem their free nights for hotels up to Category 6 when they're priced off-peak combined with PointSavers. While we've written about Marriott PointSavers discounts, keep in mind that Marriott's published list isn't comprehensive — you can find deals on tons of different destinations simply by searching. In the meantime, let's hope that Marriott is quick to fix this glitch.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.