Marriott Bonvoy just published a list of their most popular hotels for award redemptions based on data from 2019, because really, who wants to use the data from 2020 for anything?
As a surprise to me, we’ve stayed at both the #1 and #2 places on the list. That would be the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan, where we stayed on our 1st anniversary, and the Wailea Beach Resort, where we stayed on our honeymoon.
I was about to write a snarky article about how the most popular Marriott Bonvoy properties on the list all charged resort fees. That’s because Marriott allows its hotels to add fees (whether they’re called a resort fee, facility fee, destination fee, amenity fee, urban fee, or a resort charge) to award booking. That’s because Marriott’s CEO feels these fees are similar to checked bag fees that airlines charge, even though they’re not.
When I checked award room availability at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan, I noticed something. The hotel isn’t currently adding a fee to the room rate. I looked for a date in the future when some of the restrictions in NYC may be lifted. An award redemption will cost you 45,000 points and $3.50.
Normally, the hotel tacks on an additional $25 per night for a restaurant credit, high-speed Internet access, and 1 tour ticket. Since the hotel restaurants are closed and no tours are happening, it isn’t easy to justify charging $25 a night for internet access.
Even if you’re looking to visit over Thanksgiving weekend in 2021, there’s still no resort fee.
Considering the cash price for a room for the same nights would cost $2228, getting around 1 cent per Marriott Bonvoy point isn’t a horrible value.
Keep in mind that not all Marriott Bonvoy hotels have stopped charging extra, as the number two hotel on the list, Wailea Beach Resort, is still adding $38 per night to award bookings.
If I knew when we’d want to visit NYC in 2021, I’d be booking a room right now. The chance to lock in a room without the heinous resort fee added is almost too good to pass up.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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