To the point
The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program allows you to stay 5 nights for the price of 4 when you book a room with points.
Stay 5 nights for the price of 4 with Marriott Bonvoy
We regularly mention this advantage in our Facebook group called “Travel for free (or almost free…!) with your points & miles – milesopedia”. However, there are a number of rules to follow in order to get a 5 night stay for the price of 4.
A reservation paid for entirely with points
To get a 5-night stay for the price of 4, you must have paid in full with Marriott Bonvoy points.
So you can’t get a 5 night stay for the price of 4:
- when you pay in cash
- when you pay in cash + points
- when you use a one-night award certificate you got with, for example, the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card (at the time of annual renewal).
5 consecutive nights in the same hotel
To get a 5-night stay for the price of 4, you must make a reservation for 5 consecutive nights at the same hotel.
This use will therefore be preferred in destinations where your hotel will serve as a “base camp” for 5-6 days! For example, in a seaside resort!
All categories are accessible
Contrary to the former Marriott Bonvoy program which did not let you book a stay of 5 nights for the price of 4 in hotels in category 1 and 2 hotels, the new program now makes it available in all categories of hotels!
So you can get a 5-night stay for the price of 4 at the 7,000+ hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy group, no matter the category, even at a Palace!
Geting a 5-night stay for the price of 4 means saving approximately 20% in points on your entire booking!
What about Marriott Bonvoy credit card points?
Let’s take a look at what you can afford by combining:
- the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card application bonus.
- a 5-night stay for the price of 4
| Category | 1 night | 5 nights | 5 nights for the price of 4 |
| 1 | 5 000 | 25 000 | 20 000 |
| 7 500 | 37 500 | 30 000 | |
| 10 000 | 50 000 | 40 000 | |
| 2 | 10 000 | 50 000 | 40 000 |
| 12 500 | 62 500 | 50 000 | |
| 15 000 | 75 000 | 60 000 |
We can aim for 5 nights in a category 2 hotel and up to 10 nights in a category 1 hotel!
And statistically, there are many hotels in category 1 or 2 in the Marriott Bonvoy program: almost 25% of the portolio!
| Category | Number of hotels | % |
| 1 | 397 | 5.78% |
| 2 | 1 284 | 18.71% |
| 3 | 1 944 | 28.32% |
| 4 | 1 580 | 23.02% |
| 5 | 1 126 | 16.40% |
| 6 | 313 | 4.56% |
| 7 | 149 | 2.17% |
| 8 | 61 | 0.89% |
In the Facebook group, many readers have testified that they prefer to use their points for long stays in hotels in category 1-2-3, rather than for short stays in more upmarket hotels.
And you don’t have to go to the end of an American state on the side of a highway to find this type of hotel! Many hotels are offered in Europe for example! Here are 2 examples in Spain among the 21 “category 1” hotels in category in this country!
These hotels are classified as Category 1 (7,500 points per night in 2018, then between 5,000 and 10,000 points in 2019).
Let’s take a look at the AC Hotel Palacio de Santa Ana to see the savings:
| Cost per night | Cost for 5 nights |
| $110 | $563 including taxes |
| 7 500 | 30,000 points (with 1 free night) |
Let’s aim for a category 2 hotel now, there are 15 in Spain! Here is an example of 2 hotels located on the Canary Islands that cost 12,500 points per night (133 – 161 CA$ in cash):
The AC Hotel Gran Canaria is then available for only 50,000 points by getting the fifth night free!
| Cost per night | Cost for 5 nights |
| $161 | $817 including taxes |
| 12 500 | 50,000 points (with 1 free night) |
Earning Marriott Bonvoy points as a couple
The Marriott Bonvoy program allows you to transfer up to 100,000 points per year for free from one account to another. It is therefore very practical for spouses or friends who are looking to earn points to make one or more reservations!
With the Marriott Bonvoy cards from American Express
Simply by applying for a Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card, spouses can earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points this way.
And if you want to boost your Marriott Bonvoy points balance, the small business version (also available to consumers ), the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card also offers 50,000 points!
You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points on American Express Membership Rewards cards.
The transfer is done at a 5:6 ratio, meaning that 50,000 Membership Rewards equals 60,000 Marriott points.
The most interesting card for this is the American Express Cobalt™ Card, especially because of its earn rate at grocery/convenience stores (think gift cards) and restaurants: 5 Membership Rewards. If your goal is to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, it is the equivalent of 6 Marriott Bonvoy points / dollar!
You’ll find these cards at the end of the article.
Conclusion
Staying 5 nights for the price of 4 with Marriott Bonvoy points is a good way to use your Marriott Bonvoy points while saving nearly 20% in points!
Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
