Marriott Bonvoy has just opened registration for its first global promotion of 2023. Marriott’s previous promotion ended in mid-December 2022, so it’s nice to see a new offer return. I’d say this promotion could potentially offer quite a bit of value, though many probably won’t like how easy Marriott is making it to earn status again.
Earn bonus points and elite night credits witih Marriott promo
With Marriott Bonvoy’s new global promotion:
- Members can earn 1,000 bonus Bonvoy points per paid night stayed
- Members can earn double elite nights per eligible paid night stayed
Registration is required for this promotion, and as you’d expect, there are some details to be aware of:
- The promotion is valid for stays between February 7 and April 23, 2023, regardless of when they’re booked
- Registration is required prior to your first eligible stay, and registration closes on April 9, 2023
- Only stays paid with cash qualify toward this promotion, so award stays (including Cash + Points stays) don’t qualify
- The bonus points and double elite nights will post within seven business days of checking out of a hotel
- There’s no limit to how many bonus points you can earn
- You must select Bonvoy points as your points earning preference (rather than airline miles)
- All hotels globally are participating, with the exception of stays at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Executive Apartments, and owner-occupied weeks at Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Sheraton Vacation Club Westin Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club, St. Regis Residence Club, and Luxury Collection Residence Club
Note that if you’re having trouble registering for the promotion, just be patient, as this is the publicly available global promotion. Sometimes it can take a few days until all members are eligible to register, and that’s pretty normal. While I always recommend registering as soon as possible, the promotion doesn’t start for over two more weeks, so there’s no rush.
How valuable is this Marriott Bonvoy promotion?
How useful is this new promotion from Marriott Bonvoy? A few thoughts:
- I value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, meaning that 1,000 bonus points per night is worth an incremental return of $7 to me
- The double elite nights will certainly help people with qualifying for status, though it’s interesting to see Marriott making status easier to earn so early in the year
- I at least appreciate that the offer kicks in starting with the first stay, unlike some of Marriott’s past promotions, which only kick in starting with the second stay
- I find it strange how strongly Marriott is discouraging award stays now for the purposes of promotions, as they don’t qualify
On balance I’d say this is a fairly decent promotion, between the moderate number of bonus points each night with few restrictions, plus the bonus elite nights.
Normal Marriott Bonvoy points earning rates
Not factoring in this promotion, Marriott Bonvoy members ordinarily earn:
- 10x Bonvoy points per dollar spent at most brands
- 5x Bonvoy points per dollar spent at Element, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites
Then there are elite bonuses:
- Silver Elite members earn 10% bonus points
- Gold Elite members earn 25% bonus points
- Platinum Elite members earn 50% bonus points
- Titanium Elite & Ambassador Elite members earn 75% bonus points
The above doesn’t include the points you can earn for credit card spending at hotels:
- You can earn up to 6x Bonvoy points per dollar spent on most co-branded Marriott cards, including the the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review) and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review)
- Otherwise, you can earn up to 3x transferable points on hotel spending (with Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Citi ThankYou)
As a Titanium member with a co-branded credit card, I ordinarily earn 23.5x Bonvoy points per dollar spent. At a valuation of 0.7 cents per point, that’s like a ~16% return on hotel spending.
Bottom line
Marriott Bonvoy has just opened registration for its first global promotion of 2023. With this, members can earn 1,000 bonus points and double elite nights for every paid stay, starting with the first stay. I value the 1,000 bonus points per night at an incremental $7 return, and then I know some will appreciate being able to earn double elite nights, to help them qualify for status in 2023.
What do you make of Marriott Bonvoy’s new global promotion?
