Interesting analysis of Marriott Rewards properties at 7,500 – 10,000 points per night

Last week I published this article which pointed you to an interesting analysis of decent Hilton HHonors hotels which had been listed in their lowest redemption category, just 5,000 points per night.

Loyalty Traveler has continued its work on this theme, and has now published a feature on Category 1 and 2 Marriott Rewards properties, which cost just 7,500 to 10,000 Marriott points per night.

The full article is here.

The stand-out point, from a European perspective, is that the majority of properties in the AC Hotels chain, which Marriott acquired a couple of years ago, have been placed in Category 2. This includes a huge number of properties in Spain plus some in Italy.

Like Hilton, Marriott also has a ‘fifth night free’ deal when booking reward nights. This means that you could get five nights in Madrid, for example, for just 40,000 Marriott points.

It is tricky to earn Marriott points apart from staying at Marriott properties, although there is a UK credit card with a 10,000 point sign-up bonus. They are not an Amex Membership Rewards partner, for example.

If you do have a small number of Marriott points, though, they may actually be more use than you thought.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.