Marriott Travel Packages - What Airline Points to Convert to?

[kamchatsky]

Given the recent merger of Marriott and SPG, I am looking at their Marriott Travel Packages in detail. It does have some great deal. I am looking at converting Amex MR points to SPG then to Marriott reward points.

I am looking at staying for 7 nights at Tokyo later this year, I am looking at purchasing the travel packages which gives me 7-night reward certificate plus a whole bunch of airline points of choice:

Flight and Hotel Packages | Marriott Hotel Packages

I am looking at Cat 8 Marriott hotels (either Tokyo Marriott or The Price Sakura Tower Tokyo) so I am looking at 360000 Marriott points ( = 120000 Starwood Points = 240000 Amex Points). This would get me 7 nights free on Cat 8 hotels, plus the following option of airline miles:

- 132000 United Mileage Plus
- 120000 BA Avios, or AA Advantage Miles, or Alaska Miles, or Delta Skymiles, or VS Virgin Atlantic
- 85000 Qantas Points, or SQ Krisflyer, or CX Asia Miles, or EK Skywards Miles, or EY Etihad Guest Miles, or Avianca LifeMiles

At the moment I could not decide which airline miles to get, as I still have a large bunch of AA, QF and VA miles.

The question is, which one would you choose and why?

 

[Dr Ralph]

So the ritz carlton Singapore can be booked with the 7 nights?

You can book any hotel from the Marriott site. Just make sure you purchase the correct category for the package. Of course the hotel has to have a vacancy for when you want to book.

 

[tizey]

Keep in mind you can make a hotel reservation without the 7 night certificate in your Marriott account - you just need to have it in your account at the time of staying (or maybe just before).

Eg. I have a 7 night reservation in April that I'm yet to apply a certificate too - going to sort it out this weekend as finally have the needed amount of points from SPG to Marriott to do so. I booked this back in May 2017.

And same applies for Ritz Carlton properties - I had a 7 night reservation for the Tokyo RC without a certificate for a while, and then once I redeemed the package, applied the certificate to it over the phone.

 

[wchiri]

How do you know which room will be the one you can redeem with the certificate?

 

[foggy]

How do you know which room will be the one you can redeem with the certificate?

it is the base king or base twin whichever you choose

 

[Dr Ralph]

it is the base king or base twin whichever you choose

But you can pay more to upgrade.

 

[foggy]

But you can pay more to upgrade.

That is true but the certificate itself is for the base room. If you have status with spg/marriott and the period you are booking is not peak then you could get upgraded.
I was upgraded for my stay at courtyard marriott for 7 nights, pleasant surprise.

 

[wchiri]

When looking at Ritz Carlton Singapore - it says: Please note - This hotel does not participate in the Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programs.

Does that mean they don't participate in that 7 night certificate thing?

 

[lilkid28]

When looking at Ritz Carlton Singapore - it says: Please note - This hotel does not participate in the Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programs.

Does that mean they don't participate in that 7 night certificate thing?

Quite possibly, but you could always call Marriott to double confirm.

 

[HTG2016]

When looking at Ritz Carlton Singapore - it says: Please note - This hotel does not participate in the Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest programs.

Does that mean they don't participate in that 7 night certificate thing?

Don't have any exp with the Ritz as i never redeem before but would like to share some exp if you want to book other 3 hotel

Courtyard : Cat 7 ,

JW and Marriot Tang : Cat 8 . you will need 360,000 MR points to redeem this package for 7 nights stay , if you can only stay 5 nights just book 7 nights and throw out the last 2 nights . alternatively Cat 8 come at 40,000 / night with 5th night free so do your math to see if you better off book the hotels separate in this case it will cost 160K MR to book 5 nights at Cat 8 .

With the Travel Package you will received 132K in United enough for 2 J ticket to Sin via Thai Airways ( easiest to get seats in my opinion ) with 32K left over .

 

[kamchatsky]

Whilst it was mentioned in the other Marriott thread, just to stand out I thought it is worth mentioning in this thread. The new Travel Packages rate is much more expensive than the current one:

Ways to Redeem Points – Marriott Members

New Marriott Travel Packages Chart:
https://lacek.hs.llnwd.net/e1/marriott/redemption/HAR18036_TravelPackages_Chart2.pdf

Definitely worth redeeming the Travel Packages now (before 1 August) if you can!!!!

 

[Irishbazz]

Thats the end of that then.

Cat 7 now at 570k versus 330k previously. Granted you get an extra 15k in points thrown in, but that still only brings it to 375k in current value. 195k extra points leaves no value on the table whatsoever. Assuming the categories have remained the same.

 

[potm]

Thats the end of that then.

Cat 7 now at 570k versus 330k previously. Granted you get an extra 15k in points thrown in, but that still only brings it to 375k in current value. 195k extra points leaves no value on the table whatsoever. Assuming the categories have remained the same.

The cats are different. 7 old does not equal 7 new. It is a big devaluation though. Would only be used in specific cases where you were intended to make a 7 night redemption anyway in the future.

 

[lilkid28]

Still a big devaluation. It only makes sense to redeem in the future if and only if you intend to stay the full 7 nights.

 

[kamchatsky]

Well with the news of revised transfer rate of Amex MR to Marriott Rates, this month is the last month you can take advantage of the Travel Packages ....... From next month onwards it is probably not worth transferring MR points to Marriott.

Revised American Express points transfer rate for SPG, Marriott

 

[potm]

Wow even worse than 1:1. That transfer option is dead. I may transfer more to SPG beforehand.

The travel packages were ending anyway, with the updated travel package rates much worse.

At least we can still transfer to SPG and redeem them beforehand. Just what will happen to the 7 day cert is unknown.

 

[foggy]

anyone know if we can redeem the travel packages first then use the 7 night certificates at a later date?

 

[potm]

anyone know if we can redeem the travel packages first then use the 7 night certificates at a later date?

Yes the 7 night cert can be attached at a later date. Bear in mind though we don’t yet know what will happen to these unattached certs when the programs are combined in August.

 

[smart1999]

Yes the 7 night cert can be attached at a later date. Bear in mind though we don’t yet know what will happen to these unattached certs when the programs are combined in August.

Can we not apply the cert to a future booking now and then later cancel and attach to another booking? I understand that floating certs will only get a pathetic point refund but if the certificate is applied to a booking it should no longer be floating, right?

Im asking because I don't know yet where and when I want to use the 7 nights but I could make a dummy booking for 7 nights at a hotel in the right category and then once I know which hotel I want to stay at I could call and apply the certificate to the new booking? Or would this make the certificate floating for a few minutes while the agent makes the change?

I never used a TP, so maybe you cannot change your mind and apply to different hotel or date? Then I would be better off not redeeming for one this month.

 

[potm]

Can we not apply the cert to a future booking now and then later cancel and attach to another booking? I understand that floating certs will only get a pathetic point refund but if the certificate is applied to a booking it should no longer be floating, right?

Im asking because I don't know yet where and when I want to use the 7 nights but I could make a dummy booking for 7 nights at a hotel in the right category and then once I know which hotel I want to stay at I could call and apply the certificate to the new booking? Or would this make the certificate floating for a few minutes while the agent makes the change?

I never used a TP, so maybe you cannot change your mind and apply to different hotel or date? Then I would be better off not redeeming for one this month.

Noone knows what will happen to certs yet. All that is certain is if you make a booking and apply a cert now, the stay will be valid.

As for floating certs or what you get for cancelling bookings with attached certs after the programs are combined, there’s lots of speculation but nothing official.

 

[smart1999]

Noone knows what will happen to certs yet. All that is certain is if you make a booking and apply a cert now, the stay will be valid.

As for floating certs or what you get for cancelling bookings with attached certs after the programs are combined, there’s lots of speculation but nothing official.

In general is it possible to change the booking using those certs though?