Bonvoy members will earn 4 points per dollar, no elite night credits at this new Marriott brand
If it feels like Marriott has been launching and acquiring new brands left and right over the last few years, it's because it has.
In 2023, Marriott launched its 32nd brand, StudioRes, swiftly followed by No. 33, Four Points Express by Sheraton, an affordable brand focused on Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Last year, Marriott announced that City Express would expand into the U.S. and Canada following the acquisition of the brand previously focused on Latin America.
Now, Marriott is sharing some of the fine print on StudioRes, the budget-friendly extended-stay brand that's for "customers who want smart functional design at an affordable price, and for hotel owners seeking an efficient cost to build and low-cost operating model reflective of the current economic environment," according to Marriott's developer website.
Marriott Bonvoy members who stay at StudioRes will earn 4 points per dollar spent on qualifying room rates, according to updates to Marriott Bonvoy's terms and conditions — and that's about it. Members will not earn elite qualifying nights, elite members will not receive bonus points and there are no other perks, regardless of elite status, like welcome gifts, upgrades or, well, anything else.
An earnings rate of 4 points per dollar spent puts StudioRes firmly on the list of worst earnings rates in Marriott's loyalty program, second only to Marriott Executive Apartments, which earns a measly 2.5 points per dollar spent on qualifying rates. However, it's worth noting that Marriott Executive Apartments does offer one elite qualifying night for every three qualifying nights stayed, which is better than nothing.
Though StudioRes' earnings rate may feel less than stellar, it comes as an expected move, considering Marriott expected it to offer the most affordable cost-per-room option in the company's overall brand portfolio. In fact, Marriott said the brand would appeal to guests staying 20 nights or longer at a hotel who want to pay around $80 per night, as TPG first reported back in 2023.
This news drops ahead of the opening of the very first StudioRes property, which is set to welcome guests this June in Fort Myers, Florida. The hotel, which is not yet available to book, offers 306-square-foot rooms with kitchenettes, plenty of storage space, on-site laundry, a gym and weekly housekeeping. Future outposts of StudioRes will be similar, and Marriott finished out 2024 with 35 StudioRes properties in the pipeline.
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