To the point
South Africa is a destination that makes many travellers dream! Whether it's a destination in its own right or a stop on a mini-RTW, it's possible to save a lot of money with points to stay almost free on-site!
Travel Hacking: Marriott Bonvoy points for free nights 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
A credit card in Canada can earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points: the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® 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 this card to get each the welcome bonus, and then collect the points in the same account! A way to get more free nights on your trip to South Africa!
Marriott Bonvoy in South Africa
South Africa is the country around the world (excluding the United States) that contains the most Category 1-2 hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
| Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak Season |
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 20,000 |
| 4 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
| 7 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| 8 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
This means that in most of Marriott Bonvoy’s South African hotels, you’ll only pay between 5,000 and 15,000 points per night to stay!
And if you’re staying longer at the same hotel, remember that if you stay five-night you’ll only pay four:
- 5 nights in a Category 1 hotel 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.
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 card by category (the eight categories of the program) or search by country.
I advise you to zoom directly on 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 points to see:
- Durban
- The Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve
- Cape Vidal
- Sodwana Bay
- Greater Santa Lucia Reserve
- Drakensberg Park
- Le Lesotho
At Marriott hotels, our choice would be the Protea Hotel Durban Edward. It’s a Category 1.
This one is right in the heart of Durban and costs only 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! It’s a Category 1.
This one is next to the Liesbeek Parkway in Cape Town and costs only 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!
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
At Marriott hotels, only one is available in the area: the Protea Hotel Kimberley. It’s a Category 1.
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’s a Category 2.
It costs only 10,000 to 15,000 points per night (up from CA$277 plus taxes!).
There are also many Category 1 hotels. But if you want to have “a little pleasure”, this hotel looks beautiful… and is only a Category 2!
Before your safari at Kruger Park, you could stay at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate. It is located at the entrance to the park. Again, this is a Category 2 hotel.
It costs only 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:
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 complete a points balance with the American Express Cobalt™ Card, for example!
Conclusion
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!
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
