Marriott expands off-peak pricing through July, will add bonus elite night credits
As the world begins to reopen — even amid the coronavirus pandemic — you might be planning some hotel stays in the coming weeks, especially if you've been cooped up since the spring.
Marriott Bonvoy today announced several sweeping updates to its loyalty program, from pricing changes, to elite night credits, to perks for its top-tier members. Here's what you need to know.
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Expanded off-peak pricing
Beginning today, Marriott will make some temporary updates to its redemption rates. Approximately 5,500 open Marriott Bonvoy hotels will offer off-peak pricing only for award bookings made between today and June 30, 2020. Travelers interested in booking stays at off-peak pricing must complete those stays before July 31, 2020.
According to Marriott, some participating Category 7 and 8 properties are included on this list — meaning that they will be entirely off-peak for stays booked by June 30 for travel through July 31. These hotels include some of the best domestic properties in its portfolio, such as The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Autograph Collection, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel and The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.
That means the St. Regis in Puerto Rico, (which is normally 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points a night for peak pricing or 85,000 points for standard dates) will stay at 70,000 points during the month of July.
If you're trying to save your points for a bigger redemption, but still looking for an escape this summer, Category 1 hotels will only cost 5,000 Bonvoy points. That could easily get you a quick getaway at hotels like Four Points by Sheraton in Bakersfield, California or the TownePlace Suites in Baton Rouge.
Related: Caribbean Comeback: A Review of The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico
Temporary pause to peak rates
During the stay period when the booking window is open, no hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy will be priced at peak levels, according to the chain. That means even Category 8 hotels will effectively be capped at no more than 85,000 points through the end of July — as long as you book by June 30.
Related: The award traveler's guide to Marriott Bonvoy
Given the widespread nature of these new offers, it's worth checking your existing Marriott award stays to see if the same room is available for fewer points. And if you have any Points Advance reservations for which you haven't actually redeemed points, now could be a good time to see if the rate has dropped from the one you initially booked.
And these award-stay updates aren't the only ones.
Extra elite-night credits and perks
Marriott also announced some positive changes for Bonvoy elite members. Marriott says it will deposit Elite Night Credits into members' accounts amounting to 50% of the nights required for the status they earned in 2019. For Marriott Bonvoy credit cardholders, these additional ENCs are on top of the ones awarded from eligible Marriott Bonvoy credit cards you may already hold — which as of earlier this year, allowed personal and business cardholders to earn up to 30 nights.
According to the chain, members will see the added credits in their accounts in late July. Here's the breakdown:
| ELITE STATUS TIER EARNED IN 2019 | ANNUAL TIER REQUIREMENTS | 50% ELITE NIGHT CREDITS (ENC) DEPOSIT |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Even though Marriott has extended elite statuses through Feb, 2022, these boosts could help push you toward a higher tier. For example, TPG Editor Nick Ewen qualified for Platinum Elite status last year and is currently at 36 nights in 2020 (30 from his credit cards and another six from pre-pandemic stays). His 25-night boost will put him just 14 nights away from Titanium — which would include another set of Choice Benefits. So if you hit Titanium elite through this boost you could earn sweet perks like Five Suite Night Awards or a free night award, worth up to 40,000 points.
Note that this could also help with your progress toward Marriott Lifetime Elite status — both with the number of nights and an additional year of higher status.
Finally, Ambassador Elites who earned status in 2019 and reach 100 ENCs this year will be able to share Platinum Elite status with a friend, family member, or loved one.