Point Me to the Miles

Marriott Announces Spring MegaBonus Promotion

It’s back, the much anticipated announcement of Marriott’s MegaBonus Promotion.  OK, when isn’t Marriott running a MegaBonus promotion?  Regardless of how often they have it, I still think it’s a great deal, and never get tired of earning free nights!

            THE OFFER:

This is actually the announcement of the spring MegaBonus, where you can earn a free night at any Category 1-4 property worldwide, for every two (separate) stays at Marriott properties.  The spring MegaBonus runs at participating Marriott hotels between February 1 and April 30, 2013.

           TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Unfortunately, there is a limit of 3 free nights, but I suppose one could use separate Marriott Rewards accounts if they were desperate…  Just make sure to register by March 15, 2013.  Full Terms & Conditions can be found on Marriott’s website.

           ANALYSIS:

But is this really a good deal?  As loyal blog readers, you probably already know that Marriott provides tons of value in their Marriott Rewards program.  One of the best uses, both from the perspective of a little research and my own experience, is to use this at the Renaissance Meadowlands hotel in New Jersey.

You may be think “Why the heck New Jersey?” and I don’t blame you.  But here’s the deal, the New York metropolitan area has the highest hotel rates of any city in the US.  I did a random search, and it turns out the property has a steep rate compared to most other Marriott properties, let alone Category 4s:

While I generally prefer to be located in the heart of a city when I visit, this property (coincidently booked using a MegaBonus award) proved to be a great base for me to visit New York City, after attending the Freddies and Frequent Traveler University back in April.  Only about 10 minutes after walking across the street and catching a bus, I found myself in middle of Manhattan. 

And beyond that, as most Renaissance hotels are, it is a pretty swank property!

In fact, I would dare anyone to find a better deal, with such close proximity to bustling New York!

 If New York isn’t your thing, there are some other decent properties worldwide, including a number of luxury JW Marriott properties around the world.  A list of Marriott properties by category can be found here.

Hat tip to Loyalty Lobby