If you’ve been in the points-and-miles world for any length of time, you already know the game: the goal isn’t just to earn points — it’s to spend fewer of them. Even with Marriott Bonvoy’s dynamic pricing, there are still ways to squeeze out better value by staying flexible, comparing nearby hotels, and watching how award prices fluctuate. But every so often, you stumble into a deal that has nothing to do with skill or strategy — and everything to do with being in the right place at the right time.
That’s how I ended up learning about something Marriott calls PointSavers.
What Are Marriott PointSavers?
According to Marriott, PointSavers are award rates that require fewer points than usual for the same stay. Marriott explains the concept here:
What’s funny is that PointSavers actually makes more sense in the context of Marriott’s old award charts. Back when Marriott had fixed categories with set redemption rates, PointSavers was an easy-to-understand discount — a temporary “sale” off the normal chart price.
But Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t really work that way anymore. Award pricing is dynamic, which means the number of points required can rise or fall based on demand, dates, and the property’s pricing decisions.
So the obvious question is: if Marriott properties can already adjust award prices whenever they want… why keep a special label to announce that the price is lower?
A “Search Tool” That Isn’t Really a Search Tool
Marriott technically has a page where you can “search” for PointSavers rates:
But calling it a search tool is generous. It’s really just a link to the regular booking engine.
There’s no filter you can turn on.
No map showing participating hotels.
No list of cities where PointSavers are available.
If a hotel is offering a PointSavers rate for your dates, you’ll see a little green tag and a crossed-out higher points price. If not, you’d never know the program exists.
What I Found When I Went Looking
Once I started poking around, it became clear that PointSavers rates do exist — but they’re scattered and inconsistent. I found examples in places like:
- London
- Fort Worth, TX
- Orlando, FL
Even then, there were caveats. Not every hotel in a city participates. Not every date shows a discount. And in at least one case, the base room wasn’t included — the PointSavers rate only applied if you booked a room with club lounge access.
That’s not necessarily a bad deal if you wanted that room anyway, but it undercuts the idea that this is a straightforward way to save points.
How I Actually Saved Points — By Accident
In my case, it wasn’t even about chasing a PointSavers deal. Sure, there are still ways to save points and get better value with Marriott Bonvoy — being flexible with dates, comparing nearby properties, watching cash rates versus points, and timing bookings when prices dip.
But sometimes none of that matters.
I was simply waiting for points to post to my account, and by the time they did, the award price had quietly dropped from 79,000 points to 63,200. Same stay. Same dates. Lower cost.
I’ll take the win — but it reinforces the idea that with Marriott Bonvoy, luck often matters more than loyalty savvy.
The Bottom Line
PointSavers can absolutely help you save points on a Marriott award stay — but only if you notice them, only if the right hotel participates, and only if your dates line up. There’s no reliable way to hunt them down, and no guarantee the base room will even be included.
In a program with dynamic pricing, PointSavers feel less like a true “sale” and more like Marriott briefly pointing out that the number went down. Sometimes that happens because you planned well. Sometimes it happens because you waited a day.
And sometimes, that’s just how Bonvoy works.
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