Beginning April 11, Marriott will offer special members-only rates that'll be available to anyone with a free Marriott Rewards account. Basic members will also receive other benefits, such as points earning, mobile check-in and check-out, plus free Wi-Fi, while elite members get a host of other valuable perks.
The chain is offering this new discount as an incentive for members to book their stays directly through Marriott.com or a Marriott call center, in which case Marriott doesn't need to pay a commission to a third party for your stay. It's unclear how much of a discount these new rates will offer, but it certainly won't hurt to have another booking option.
We'll dig into the new rates once they go live on April 11, but it's quite possible that you'll save more by taking advantage of other discount programs, such as corporate or AAA rates — in other words, don't blindly book the Marriott Rewards member rate assuming it's the most generous. Of course, we also don't know if this discount will extend to Starwood properties following the merger — for now, check AAA rates when booking SPG hotels, since AAA tends to provide a sizable discount over basic refundable rates.
Another advantage of booking your stay directly with Marriott is that you'll earn extra bonus points with the chain's co-branded credit card. The Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card is currently offering a bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months, so now's as good a time as any to sign up.
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