This Fall, Earn Up to Two Free Nights From Marriott

While the name has remained the same, Marriott's recurring MegaBonus offer has taken many different forms over the years.

For last year's fall MegaBonus, Marriott offered 2,500 bonus points after every second and subsequent stay charged to a Visa card.

This fall, Marriott has fashioned its MegaBonus promotion around free nights instead of bonus points.

Offer Details

Between September 15, 2010, and January 15, 2011, members of Marriott's Rewards program can earn one free night after the second paid stay charged to a Visa card. A maximum of two free nights can be earned during the promotion.

Free nights may be taken at Category 1 through Category 4 hotels, between September 15, 2010, and May 31, 2011. Awards are not transferable.

Registration is required, and must be completed by October 31.

(Note: It's standard Marriott policy to have a basic MegaBonus offer, plus a few variants sent to targeted members. So you might receive a slightly different version of the basic MegaBonus offer.)

Deal or No Deal

A free night after two stays. Good.

A four-month promotion period. Good.

A maximum of two free nights. Not so good—frequent travelers will have to look elsewhere for bonuses after their first four stays during the promotion period.

Free nights available only at Category 1 - 4 hotels. Again, not so good. Marriott has eight hotel categories, so the rewards are relegated to the lower-priced half of the portfolio.

The Visa requirement. A potential deal-breaker, if you don't happen to have a Visa-branded card in your wallet.

Overall, this is a solid offer, possibly one of the best available for fall stays.

Reader Reality Check

Bonus points or free nights—what's your preference?

Comments

[Tim Winship]

Jr - Technically, the free nights are restricted to Category 4 hotels and below. but it's worth a call to the MR service center to see if you could add more points or cash to use the MegaBonus reward for stays at higher level properties.

[Jr]

I earned several nights with the previous and the Marriott cc promotion. Turns out they are useless as the level 4 hotels do not exist at our destinations or are really not for us. Is there a way to trade them up for higher levels? For example to the jw in Mexico city?

[Tim Winship]

Lynne Durham - My best guess is that Marriott is reserving the richest offers to selectively reactivate members whose activity has diminished sigificantly.

[Tim Winship]

UICJeff - Not sure if Marriott is open to changing the offer on a request basis. No harm in trying -- let us know how it goes.

[Mark]

I'm Gold and got 25000 points for 15 nights. The Visa requirement is a deal breaker for me, since my company requires use of our corporate Amex.

[UICJeff]

Its the old 35K for 15 nights for me and 50K for 20K, I'd call and ask to have it changed?

[Lynne Durham]

I'm platinum, too, and as a marketer I'd love to know the criteria for alternative offers. I received the same basic points offer as the one that just ended.

[Priscilla Berry]

I am a marriot platinum, and I am not crazy about this offer. by limiting it to stays, instead of nights, you have to check out of a marriot hotel and check into another one to get the promo. You could stay a month at a Marriot and still not get the free nights.

Mostly, I am really disappointed with the limit to category 4. They need to add on something like "2 stays at category X, gets you 2 free nights at a similar category."