Travel Hacking - South Africa: hotels with Marriott Bonvoy points

Travel Hacking: Free accommodation with Marriott Bonvoy points in South Africa

Travel hackers know this well: points can save a lot of money on accommodations. Whether in Marriott hotels, Best Western or even via Airbnb!

Let’s discover together how Marriott Bonvoy points can save you a lot of money for your trip to South Africa!

The Marriott Bonvoy credit card

One credit card in Canada earns 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points: the Marriott Bonvoy^mᶜ American Express^MD card. This card has an annual fee of $120, which is largely offset by the value of the points as you will see below.

If you are in a relationship, the best tip is to apply for each one of these cards to get the welcome bonus, and then transfer the points to the same account! A way to get more free nights on your trip to South Africa!

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare

Marriott Bonvoy in South Africa

South Africa is a country in the world that contains many low-cost hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program.

This means that at most South African Marriott Bonvoy hotels, you’ll only pay from 5,000 and 15,000 points per night to stay!

And if you’re staying longer at the same hotel, remember that the fifth night is free: you are thus saving 20% of your points.

5 nights in some hotels in low season = 20 000 points instead of 25 000!

The list of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in South Africa

Here is a list of all Marriott Bonvoy hotels located in South Africa.

Region	City	Hotel	From
Centre	Bloemfontein	Protea hotel Bloemfontein	7,500
Centre	Bloemfontein	Protea Hotel Bloemfontein Willow Lake	7,500
Centre	Kimberley	Protea Hotel Kimberley	7,500
Northeast	Hazyview	Protea Hotel Hazyview	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo Airport	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Johannesburg Parktonian All-Suite	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Transit O.R. Tambo Airport	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Johannesburg Wanderers	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	African Pride Melrose Arch, Autograph Collection^®	12,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Fire and Ice Johannesburg Melrose Arch	12,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Ten Bompas Hotel, Johannesburg, a Member of Design Hotels	35,000
Northeast	Klerksdorp	Protea Hotel Klerksdorp	7,500
Northeast	Magaliesburg	African Pride Mount Grace Country House and Spa, Autograph Collection	12,500
Northeast	Mahikeng	Protea Hotel Mahikeng	7,500
Northeast	Johannesburg	Protea Hotel Midrand	7,500
Northeast	Nelspruit	Protea Hotel Nelspruit	7,500
Northeast	Polokwane	Protea Hotel Polokwane Landmark	7,500
Northeast	Polokwane	Protea Hotel Polokwane Ranch Resort	7,500
Northeast	Pretoria	Protea Hotel Pretoria Hatfield	7,500
Northeast	Pretoria	PROTEA HOTEL FIRE and ICE! PRETORIA MENLYN	7,500
Northeast	Pretoria	Protea Hotel Pretoria Centurion	7,500
Northeast	Pretoria	African Pride Irene Country Lodge, Autograph Collection^®	12,500
Northeast	Pretoria	Sheraton Pretoria Hotel	12,500
Northeast	Pretoria	Protea Zebula Lodge	12,500
Northeast	Roodepoort	Protea Hotel Roodepoort	7,500
Northeast	Rustenburg	Protea Hotel Rustenburg Hunters Rest	7,500
Northeast	Skukuza	Protea Hotel Kruger Gate	12,500
Northwest	Upington	Protea Hotel Upington	7,500
South	Port Elizabeth	Protea Hotel Port Elizabeth Marine	7,500
Southeast	Clarens	Protea Hotel Clarens	7,500
Southeast	Durban	Protea Hotel Durban Edward	7,500
Southeast	Durban	Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga	7,500
Southeast	Durban	Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga Ridge	7,500
Southeast	Empangeni	Protea Hotel Empangeni	7,500
Southeast	Harrismith	Protea Hotel Harrismith Montrose	7,500
Southeast	Karridene	Protea Hotel Karridene Beach	7,500
Southeast	Pietermaritzburg	Protea Hotel Hilton	7,500
Southeast	Richards Bay	Protea Hotel Umfolozi River	7,500
Southeast	Richards Bay	Protea Hotel Richards Bay Waterfront	7,500
Southwest	Cape Town	PROTEA HOTEL CAPE TOWN DURBANVILLE	7,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Tyger Valley	7,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray	7,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge	12,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Cape Castle	12,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Stellenbosch Dorpshuis & Spa	12,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Franschhoek	12,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Fire and Ice Cape Town	17,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Sea Point	17,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town Victoria Junction	17,500
Southwest	Cape Town	Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers	25,000
Southwest	Cape Town	Protea Hotel Cape Town North Wharf	25,000
Southwest	Cape Town	African Pride 15 on Orange Hotel, Autograph Collection	25,000
Southwest	Cape Town	The Westin Cape Town	35,000
Southwest	George	Protea Hotel George Outeniqua	7,500
Southwest	George	Protea Hotel George King George	7,500
Southwest	Cape Town	African Pride Arabella Hotel and Spa, Autograph Collection	17,500
Southwest	Knysna	Protea Hotel Knysna Quays	12,500
Southwest	Mossel Bay	Protea Hotel Mossel Bay	7,500
Southwest	Oudtshoorn	Protea Hotel Oudtshoorn Riempie Estate	7,500
Southwest	Saldanha	PROTEA HOTEL SALDANHA BAY	7,500
Southwest	Stellenbosch	Protea Hotel Stellenbosch	12,500
Southwest	Worcester	Protea Hotel Worcester Cumberland	7,500

Don’t hesitate to check out the Marriott Bonvoy hotel map, created by milesopedia! I advise you to open it in a new window (clicking on the top right corner).

You can filter the map and search by country.

I advise you to zoom directly into a specific area to facilitate your search!

We drew on this article by Rachel of « Découverte Monde » to subdivide the country according to points of interest.

Thus, there are many hotels in all tourist regions of South Africa!

Examples of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in the Southeast

The Southeast is the region of the city of Durban with these places of interest:

Durban
The Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve
Cape Vidal
Sodwana Bay
Greater Santa Lucia Reserve
Drakensberg Park
Le Lesotho

Regarding Marriott hotels, our choice would be the Protea Hotel Durban Edward.

This one is right in the heart of Durban and costs only from 5,000 to 10,000 points per night (instead of CA$159 plus taxes!).

You could use it as a base to visit the area! A 5-night stay at this hotel would only cost you 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points(with the fifth night free) instead of more than CA$800!

Examples of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in the Southwest

The Southwest is the region of the city of Cape Town, which would deserve a good ten days of visit including:

The Cape of Good Hope
Table Mountain
Gansbaai/Shark Alley

At Marriott hotels, there are more than fifteen in the area! Our choice would be the Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray, which looks quite « charming » and is very well-rated!

This one is next to the Liesbeek Parkway in Cape Town and costs only from 5,000 to 10,000 points per night (up from CA$104 plus taxes!).

You could use it as a base to visit the area! A 5-night stay at this hotel would cost you only 20,000 to 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points(with the fifth night free) instead of more than CA$550!

FeaturedCompare

Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 110,000 points; Ends Sep 22, 2026

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437

2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Examples of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in the center

In the center of South Africa, we discover:

Kimberley
Karoo Park
Graaf-Reinet
The Valley of Desolation
The River Orange
The Kalahari Desert

As far as Marriott hotels are concerned, only one is available in the area: the Protea Hotel Kimberley.

It costs only 5,000 to 10,000 points per night (up from CA$137 plus taxes!).

You could use it as a base to visit the area! A 5-night stay at this hotel would cost you only 20,000 to 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points(with the fifth night free) instead of more than CA$750!

Examples of Marriott Bonvoy hotels in the Northeast

The Northeast is the region of the economic capital, Johannesburg. In this region we discover:

Johannesburg
Sun City
Pilanesberg Reserve
Blyde River Canyon
Le Kruger Park

At Marriott hotels, there are nearly twenty in the area!

Here are our two choices. In Johannesburg, we would go with the African Pride Melrose Arch, Autograph Collection.

It costs only 10,000 to 15,000 points per night (up from CA$277 plus taxes!).

There are also many hotels. But if you want to have a « little splurge », this hotel looks wonderful…

Before your safari at Kruger Park, you could stay at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate. It is located at the entrance to the park.

It costs only from 10,000 to 15,000 points per night (up from CA$212 plus taxes!).

How to get Marriott Bonvoy points

In Canada, there are 2 Marriott Bonvoy credit cards issued by American Express that get you quickly and directly earn many Marriott Bonvoy points:

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare
FeaturedMarriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offer Up to 110,000 pointsEnds Sep 22, 2026	Apply NowCompare

If you have already had one of these cards, we advise you to apply for the other to benefit from the welcome bonus!

And if you’re in a relationship, and you each subscribe to their cards, we’re talking about more than 200,000 points (you can transfer 100,000 points a year from one Marriott Bonvoy account to another!).

By transferring American Express membership rewards

You can also transfer American Express membership rewards to Marriott Bonvoy at a rate of 5:6.

A great way to add to a points balance with the Cobalt^mᶜ American Express Card, for example!

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offer Up to 15,000 points	Apply NowCompare

Bottom line

The savvy travel hacker knows this: by « investing » $120-$150 in a credit card contribution, he can increase the value of this investment tenfold thanks to the power of points!

In South Africa, pay all your nights easily – up to 10 nights of free hotels with a single card– thanks to the points!