Earn Bonus Points with Marriott and Starwood’s Promotion!

For the next three months, you can earn bonus points when staying at both Marriott and Starwood hotels. Both promotions run January 16 through April 15, 2018, although you will not earn the bonus until your second eligible stay. 

Marriott “MegaBonus” Promotion

Marriott is offering a fixed points promotion where you’ll earn bonus points per stay – not tied to the cost of your hotel room. You’ll earn

• 2,000 bonus points per stay
• An additional 1,000 bonus points per stay that falls on a weekend

One thing to note is that you are capped at earning 50,000 points through this promotion. Make sure to register by March 31, 2017.

Starwoods “Great Weeks, Grand Weekends†Promotion

Starwood’s promotion is tied to the price of your stay. The more expensive the stay, the more bonus points you’ll earn.

• Earn double points on all eligible paid stay
• IF your stay falls on a weekend, earn an additional 500 bonus points

Unfortunately, not all properties are participating in this promotion, so make sure to take a look at the list of properties participating so you aren’t taken for a surprise later on. You’ll need to register for this promotion by March 31, 2018.

So which one is better?

If you are trying to earn status, make sure to stay at the same chain – stick to just either Marriott or Starwood. Currently, nights do not count towards both! If you do not care about earning status and want to fully maximize points earned, here is the math on which property to stay at – A $333 hotel stay during the week and $250 hotel stay during the weekend.

• $333 weekday hotel stay:
  • Marriott: 2,000 bonus points
  • Starwood: 666 bonus points (which equals 1,998 bonus points if transferred to Marriott)
• $250 weekend hotel stay:
  • Marriott: 2,000 bonus points + 1,000 weekend bonus points = 3,000 bonus points
  • Starwood: 500 bonus points + 500 weekend bonus points = 1,000 bonus points (which equals 3,000 bonus points if transferred to Marriott)

Remember, Starwood points transfer to Marriott at 1:3. So if the cost of your hotel stay is more then $333 (weekday)/$250 (weekend), you’ll want to stay at a Starwood property. If the cost is less, you’ll want to stay at a Marriott property.