Marriott Megabonus June 1 – August 31, 2012

With a month break in Marriott’s Megabonus promotion a new one is launched is scheduled to start June 1, 2012. Unlike the typical Fall Megabnus promotions, this one does not require a certain credit card to be used, which is great!

The promotion will run from June 1 – August 31, 2012. There are many different promotions out there and Marriott often targets their more elite members with the better promotions that require more nights. I personally was targeted for the stay twice receive a free category 1-4 certificate (up to three certificates), which I was pleased about. The past few years I have always been able to call Marriott and have them change my promotion if there was another one out their that suited my travel habits better. Most members are pretty successful with this, so if there is another offer out there that would interest you more, call Marriott Rewards (1-801-468-4000) and ask for them switch you to one of the other offers. Typically, they will not be able to change this in the system, but will document this request on your account and manually adjust the points you are awarded after the promotion is over. If you speak to a representative that is not aware of this or says no, hang up and call again.

You will need to sign into your account to see the targeted offer you received. Click here to sign into your Marriott account and register.  If you do not see an offer listed, call Marriott Rewards and ask them about your Megabonus offer and if they can register you – this will typically trigger the promotion to appear in your account. You MUST register for the promotion by June 30, 2012.

Typical offers are:

• 2 stays = 1 free night for a category 1 to 4 hotel (expires 1 year from the date issued). Limit of two or three free night certificates earned during the promotion (depending on which promotion you were targeted for).
• 2 stays = 5,000 points, up to 20,000 points (8 stays)
• Weekend stay = 5,000 bonus points per weekend stay for a maximum of 15,000 points (3 weekend stays)
• 2 different Marriott brands = Earn 2,500 bonus points after staying at two brands in the Marriott portfolio; earn an additional 2,500 points after your third brand and an additional 10,000 points when you stay at four brands (earn up to 15,000 points max)
• 20 nights = 35,000 points; 25 nights earns additional 15,000 for a total of 50,000 points
• 15 nights = 25,000 points; 20 nights earns additional 15,000 for a total of 40,000 points

Typically I am not a huge fan of the quarterly Megabonus promotions, but with the non-exciting promotions with the other chains, I might actually check out a few Marriott properties this summer. I typically opt for the stay twice earn a free night certificate as I always am able to redeem them at a decent hotel that would have cost $150+. The best part about this new Megabonus promotion is that free nights do not expire for a year after they are issued! In the past, the expiration dates were about 4 months after the promotion ended. This is a huge update and enhancement to the free night certificates. With the previous promotion I was able to earn 2 free nights and actually only had use for one of the vouchers, so I have one certificate expiring tomorrow, going to waste. This is the main problem with certificates vs. points that have no expiration date. Giving us one year though for use really does help.

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