Marriott Homes & Villas adds points and cash redemptions, spend will soon count toward Ambassador status
This week, Marriott Homes & Villas — Marriott's collection of home rental partner properties — further integrated itself into the Marriott Bonvoy program. You can now redeem a mix of points and cash toward future bookings rather than just paying in all cash or in points. Likewise, the money travelers spend on Homes & Villas bookings will soon count toward Marriott Ambassador elite status.
Here's a closer look at these new developments and what they mean for Marriott Bonvoy members.
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Marriott launches points and cash redemptions for Homes & Villas rentals
On the redemption side, you can now mix cash and Marriott Bonvoy points to book Homes & Villas stays around the world. The option to use a mixture of points and cash will appear on the checkout page, where you can add points to your booking in increments of 1,000.
While Marriott hasn't published an official cent-per-point value for these redemptions, TPG ran a few test redemptions and found that you'll usually get roughly 0.6 cents per point in value. This is identical to the value you'd get from using points to book a Homes & Villas stay outright, which is a rarity for points and cash redemptions within Marriott Bonvoy or other programs.
That said, TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents apiece at the time of publication, so getting a mere 0.6 cents per Marriott point isn't the best value. It's not uncommon to get more than 0.8 cents per point when booking high-end stays during peak dates (though that might change when Marriott moves to dynamic pricing next year). In other words, you might want to hold off on this option unless you only need to redeem a very few points to save a little money off the top of your booking or if you are just swimming in Marriott points and the exact return isn't of concern.
Related: I earned 15,000 Marriott points just by renting a home for 10 days — here’s how
Homes & Villas spending counts toward Ambassador elite status
Additionally, Homes & Villas spending will count toward the Marriott Ambassador Elite status spend requirement starting Jan. 1, 2022.
Ambassador Elite is Marriott's top-tier elite status level which requires members to earn 100 elite qualifying nights and spend $20,000 (reduced to $14,000 in 2021) at Marriott properties over the course of a calendar year to qualify.
This could make earning Ambassador Elite a lot easier for some members. Some travelers may rent a Homes & Villas property for a few weeks or a month at a time, paying a pretty penny to do so. In turn, this could expedite progress toward Ambassador and all the perks that unlocks.
Related: What is Marriott Bonvoy elite status worth in 2021?
Bottom line
It's great to see Marriott add a couple of new features to the Homes & Villas program and better integrate it within Marriott Bonvoy. Being able to earn and redeem points and earn elite status directly with Homes & Villas helps separate it from other vacation rental companies, such as Airbnb, which rely on third-party partnerships for loyalty.
That said, you'll want to assess your options before using your hard-earned Marriott Bonvoy points for a Homes & Villas stay. Whether you redeem outright or combine points and cash, you're restricted to 0.6 cents per point in value. This isn't a terrible use of points if it gets you the lodging you want, but you could potentially get more value if you earned points on your home rental and then redeemed the points toward hotels.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees