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With the travel industry recovery in full swing, you may be thinking about taking a trip, even if you don't want to break the bank (trust us, we know how expensive these landscaping and renovation projects can be).
Fortunately, we can use points and miles to travel for almost free, or at least at a much lower cost than paying everything in cash. Of course, one of the most expensive parts of traveling is staying in a hotel. After spending multiple nights, stayovers can get expensive and fast. But having points in your loyalty account can drastically reduce the amount you pay out-of-pocket for any given stay.
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And now there's an easy way to do just that.collect many pointsWithout leaving home: Limited-time Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited Credit Card Enhanced Offer of 100,000 Marriott Points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account.
But what do you do with those points if you decide to apply for the card and earn the sign-up bonus? Obviously, you want to stretch the stitches as much as possible to get the most value out of each stitch used.
In general, Marriott's Category 6 properties tend to be more of a "sweet spot" property (depending on location, of course). These are generally high-end hotels that can be pricey at different times of the year, but can be had for 50,000 Marriott points per night on standard nights. But don't overlook the lower-category properties, where the value can be attractive, especially for a longer stay.
Here are 11 different waysRedeem 100,000 Marriott Pointsfor a potential value of more than $1,000.
See also: How to earn up to 25 award nights with 100,000 Marriott Points
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theme park remains
Anaheim, California
If you are dying to come visit usdisneylandcheckStar Wars: The Edge of the GalaxyIf you don't want to spend a fortune on accommodation, Delta Hotels Anaheim Garden Grove is a fantastic option. As a category 4 hotel, you can get low season dates for just 20,000 points per night. Once you earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, they're good for six nights: pay for nights one through four with points and earn the pointsfifth night offas a member of Marriott Bonvoy. He then pays with points on the sixth night. Almost a week is more than enough time to explore the attractions of Star Wars and beyond.
And the location can't be beat, just a 10-minute drive from Disneyland (the hotel offers a shuttle). This Delta Hotels property also offers a swimming pool, fitness center, take-out food market, and wine bar in the lobby.
Related:How families can earn 100,000 Marriott points
Related:How much does a Disneyland vacation cost with 3 budgets?
Orlando Florida
home to the most magical place on earth,orlandoIt is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The area has all kinds of hotels, from budget brands to five-star luxury properties. If you are staying in or near theWalt Disney Worldproperty, but your options are quite limitedDisney Owned Properties.
Two properties in the Marriott portfolio:The Swan and the Dolphin at Walt Disney World— are steps from major theme parks and offer Marriott Points travelers a great location and affordable option. Best of all, these two hotels (the Swan is a Westin brand and the Dolphin is a Sheraton brand) are category 6 properties that require 50,000 points per night based on standard availability.
We were able to find many nights with standard availability, and even off-peak, during the summer and fall. And since many nights have cash rates in excess of $300 per night, those 100,000 points (or less!) give you close to $1,000 in value when taxes and fees are included in your room rate. (Note that you still pay a resort fee for Marriott award stays.)
If you're not fully committed to staying at a Disney hotel, check out the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, another category 6 hotel with ample availability for standard peak and off-peak hours. Bar fees are usually around $350 per night, but can be much higher. So if you find standard or off-season rewards available, you'll get a great return on your points.
Related:Best Points Hotels near Disney World
Discover the best beaches in the world
curacao
While this island doesn't get as much attention as its neighbor Aruba, Curacao is a spectacular island destination that offers year-round mild weather, beautiful beaches, a vibrant culture, and much more. And the recently updated Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort is the place to stay. It offers two swimming pools, several restaurants, redesigned rooms and much more.
The resort is Category 5, which means you can get a great return on your points, especially if you book standard or off-season award nights at 30,000 or 35,000 points per night, respectively.
Miami, Florida
While the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove isn't directly on the beach, it's a great option for anyone visiting the Miami area looking for a relaxed, upscale property away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach. As a category 6 Marriott hotel, it offers excellent value for money - rates are constantly in the range of $350-$500 per night. So if you can find a room at standard or off-peak rates, you're really maximizing your Marriott Points.
Cancun, Mexico
A category 6Ritz-Carlton, Cancunis an oceanfront resort in one of the most popular vacation spots in Mexico. It's very affordable, especially from the eastern half of the US, as many cities have non-stop flights several times a week, if not every day. As this is a category 6 hotel, you can book nights for 50,000 points based on standard availability. And while bar rates aren't usually sky-high at this hotel, rates top $500 a night during peak winter months and during the holidays.
If you like to plan ahead, you could win the coveted holiday redemption, where the cash prize tops out at $1,000 per night. Even if you have to pay 60,000 points per night during peak nights, you'll still benefit from the cost of traveling during this time of year.
Los Cabos, Mexico
we love themfor its stunning location, quality rooms, beautiful public areas and exceptional staff. Oh, and the fact that there are a lot of points. Similar to the Ritz in Cancun, cash rates at this hotel aren't particularly high most of the year. However, if you have a peak season in mind, you can get incredible value for your points, especially if you can find standard availability where you pay 50,000 points per night.
thailand
How about a private island in Thailand?
Yeah, it looks great to us too.it's on its own island off the coast of popular Phuket Town, even though it feels like a million miles away. The only way to get to the island is by speedboat, and once you arrive, you won't want to leave. Each of the resort's villas is beautiful and very private, and the resort's pools and private beach are stunning.
The best part? This is a category 6 property, which means you can book rooms for 50,000 points per night based on standard availability.
Langkawi, Malaysia
An archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea,Langkawiis emerging as a hotspot for travelers from Southeast Asia looking for a beach holiday. And here you will find spectacular offers with your Marriott points. The St Regis Langkawi is a stunning luxury resort that consistently offers cash rates in the $500/night range. Fortunately, there seem to be many nights at the standard rate for category 6 lodging: 50,000 points per night.
Tip: If you don't see availability at the St. Regis, there is also a Ritz-Carlton in Langkawi, and it is also a category 6 hotel.
The best properties in Europe
Austria
Explore the capital of Austria from the Vienna Marriott Hotel, a category 6 hotel. Vienna is not known for being particularly cheap. So when rates top $500 a night during peak summer season, you're sure to get great value for your points, especially if you find regular or off-peak nights.
spain
Would you like a trip to Spain's Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa? park inDas Ritz-Carlton, Abamaon the island of Tenerife to enjoy the sun and the relaxed Spanish way of life. Summer is peak season in Europe, but with a quick availability search, we see many days with standard award availability, giving you a great return on your points at "one of Spain's best kept secrets," according to Lori Zaino, a senior writer at TPG.
Portugal
Explore Portugal's Douro Valley from the city of Porto, famous for its wineries and many beautiful bridges over the Douro River. The Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa is a Category 4 hotel in the city's business district and is probably not your first choice for a leisure trip to the area. Still, ride-sharing services like Uber are easy to use and very cheap in Portugal.
Because the Sheraton is a Category 4 hotel, you can stay six nights with points, as long as you find rewards availability off-peak (20,000 points per night) and take advantage of the fifth Bonvoy reward night free.
Current Marriott Credit Card Offers
If Bonvoy Boundless's limited-time welcome offer isn't quite what you need, there are plenty of other ways to earn big Marriott Points:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonvoy points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months. You'll also receive up to $200 in statements on eligible purchases at US restaurants during the first six months of membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of your card membership. Plus, earn up to $150 in statement credits for qualifying purchases made within the first three months of your card membership.
final result
If you're looking to take a long-awaited vacation but only have the 100,000 bonus points available on the Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited Credit Card limited-time offer, you still have plenty of options. You should be willing to put in the time and effort to research it, but there's no reason you can't get a lot of value out of every one of your Bonvoy points.
Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed in this document are those of the author alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by any of these entities.