Because SPG points can be transferred to Marriott at a 1: 3 ratio, Marriott Travel Packages (for a detailed introduction, see ymlulu’s Introduction to Marriott Travel Packages (1) and Introduction to Marriott Travel Packages (2)) are no longer as out of reach as they once seemed. In particular, with the SPG credit card now offering a record-high 35,000-point welcome bonus, many people can quickly build up a large Marriott points balance. However, many readers still are not sure about the best way to earn points, which miles are the best to transfer to, or where the 7-night hotel certificate is best used. Today, OneMoreDay will recommend some hotels and suggest a few points-earning strategies. Comments and additional suggestions are welcome as well.

【Updated 4/3】The Caribbean island nation of Barbados has just granted visa-free entry to Chinese passport holders, so OneMoreDay added a Cat 5 CY there to the list.

Some good places to use the certificate

Because Marriott’s 7-night hotel certificate must be used on consecutive nights, the best strategy is usually to use it for a vacation, such as an island trip, a ski trip, or an in-depth city stay.

Within the U.S.

Kona Courtyard on the Big Island
  • The 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, New York. There is a Courtyard Lake Placid (Cat 6) in the village, and it is only a 20-minute drive to Whiteface Mountain, the Olympic ski venue. You can also go dog sledding on the frozen lake.
Courtyard Lake Placid
Courtyard Houston Downtown/Convention Center
  • The only Cat 7 hotel on this list: Springhill Suites by Marriott Jackson Hole (Cat 7). Marriott hotels in the U.S. are expensive, and ski destinations are even more so—most are Cat 8 or higher. This Cat 7 property, opening in April this year, is relatively affordable by the standards of top-tier U.S. ski resorts. In addition, Jackson Hole ranked No. 1 in Forbes’ 2017 North America ski resort rankings, ahead of famous destinations such as Whistler, Snowbird, and Vail. If you visit in summer, nearby Grand Teton National Park is also a great place for hiking, and Yellowstone National Park is within day-trip range as well. All rooms are suites, and the property is very popular during ski season, with rates of $200+ per night. My guess is that it will move up in category fairly soon.
Springhill Suites by Marriott Jackson Hole

Caribbean and Canada

Algonquin Resort St. Andrews by-the-Sea – Autograph Collection
Courtyard Nassau Downtown/Junkanoo Beach（image from Tripadvisor）
Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino
AC Hotel San Juan Condado
  • [Updated 4/3] Barbados has just become a visa-free destination. See the official link here. The only Marriott hotel there is Courtyard Bridgetown, Barbados (Cat 5), located in the capital city of Bridgetown and within walking distance of Coconut Beach. Barbados is Rihanna’s hometown and also a favorite vacation spot for many celebrities. The island is less than 30 miles across both east-west and north-south, so you can make a day trip anywhere. According to the national tourism authority, Barbados offers “a warm and humid climate, a long coastline, soft white sand beaches, and countless beach bars, making it one of the Caribbean’s best-known vacation destinations,” and it was also named by BBC as “one of the 50 countries to visit in a lifetime.” It’s a good fit for spring break travel in March and April.

Asia

Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay
The Shanhaitian Resort Sanya
The Stones Hotel – Autograph Collection
JW Marriott Hotel Zhejiang Anji
Courtyard Tokyo Station

Europe

Courtyard Paris Boulogne
St. Pierre Marriott Hotel & Country Club
  • Roomers Baden-Baden, Autograph Collection (Cat 5) in Baden-Baden, Germany. “Baden” means “spa” in German, and Baden-Baden is a famous spa and wellness destination on the Rhine. Emperors were already building baths here back in Roman times. Strasbourg, France is only about an hour away by car.
  • Gewandhaus Dresden, Autograph Collection (Cat 5), located in picturesque Dresden (also known as the “Florence on the Elbe”), is another excellent option. The location is outstanding: the train station, Frauenkirche, and the Royal Palace are all within walking distance.
Roomers Baden-Baden, Autograph Collection
AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma
  • In Turin, one of northwestern Italy’s major cities, AC Hotel Torino (Cat 5) is a bit far from the Winter Olympics ski areas—more than an hour by car. But the city itself is absolutely worth visiting. As the capital of the Savoy kingdom that unified Italy, Turin is home to an outstanding Egyptian Museum with an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts. Piazza San Carlo and the Royal Palace are also must-sees. And of course, this is also the home of Serie A powerhouse Juventus, so fans should not miss it. If you want a change of pace, Milan is only an hour away by high-speed rail, making a same-day round trip easy. The hotel is right by the train station. It was formerly a pasta factory and was converted into a hotel in 1908, so it qualifies as a century-old property, even though the rooms have a very modern design.
  • In Naples, one of southern Italy’s great cities, Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo (Cat 6) is not far from the famous ruins of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, with Capri and Sorrento farther afield. Rome is only about an hour away by high-speed train, so a day trip to the Eternal City is very doable. The hotel features lots of retro-style interiors, and it is only a 2-minute walk to the metro station. The famous Castel dell'Ovo is right nearby.
  • Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa (Cat 6) in Tuscany is also conveniently located for Florence, Pisa, and Cinque Terre.
AC Hotel Torino
Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa
  • In central Zurich, Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel (Cat 6) is a 10-minute drive from the train station and downtown, and a 15-minute drive from the airport. From the rooftop, you can look out over the Zurich skyline. Lucerne and its beautiful lake are only about an hour away by train, and Basel and the capital, Bern, are also reachable in about an hour by rail.
Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel
  • Moscow has several Marriott properties below Cat 5, and the best-located one is Courtyard Moscow City Center (Cat 4) in the city center. It is right next to the very famous Moscow Ritz-Carlton, and Red Square, the Kremlin, and the Bolshoi Theatre are all within walking distance.
  • In St. Petersburg, another major Russian city, Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel (Cat 6) is in the city center right next to St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The city’s major sights are relatively concentrated, so if you stay downtown, places like the Hermitage Museum and the Mariinsky Theatre are walkable. There is also a Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky (Cat 4) on Vasilievsky Island near the city center, also within walking distance of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
  • Sochi Marriott Krasnaya Polyana Hotel (Cat 3) in Sochi, host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, is right in the core ski area used for the Games. It is also quite close to the beautiful Black Sea.
Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky
Sochi Marriott Krasnaya Polyana Hotel
Tbilisi Marriott Hotel

JW Marriott Phu Quoc, Vietnam [Special Recommendation]

The luxury hotel that just opened this January on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island is JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa (Cat 5). This property was designed by renowned resort designer Bill Bensley, whose other notable works include Mandarin Oriental Sanya, Four Seasons Koh Samui, St. Regis Bali, and InterContinental Danang. Using a whimsical university campus as the theme, he shaped each building into a distinct “faculty” with its own style. It’s easy to foresee this hotel moving up a category within the next two years, so it’s best to lock in this year’s Hotel + Air Package now. Otherwise, you’ll need more points later. After all, this is a hotel where the cheapest nights are close to $400 (IHG used to have a famous sweet spot where 25,000 IHG points could get you a night at the Bill Bensley-designed InterContinental Danang, but unfortunately that quickly increased to 35,000).

JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa (image from phuquocislandvacation)
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa

Most importantly, Phu Quoc is to Vietnam what Jeju Island is to South Korea. Chinese passport holders need a visa to visit most other places in Vietnam, but if you fly directly to Phu Quoc, no visa is required!! China Southern operates four nonstop flights per week from Guangzhou to Phu Quoc. If paying cash, one-way economy tickets are only about $120 each, so redeeming miles just for the Guangzhou–Phu Quoc segment is not a great deal. But if you really want to use miles, and if you applied for a Delta co-branded credit card earlier this year, then a one-way China Southern business class ticket from the U.S. to Phu Quoc costs only 80,000 Delta miles + $119 in taxes and fees.

Ways to Earn the Points

  • Chase Marriott Personal credit card: The current limited-time highest welcome offer is 80,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 7,500 points for adding an authorized user. The annual fee is $85 and is not waived the first year, and you get one free night certificate valid at Cat 1-5 hotels every year. However, this card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy. After meeting the minimum spending requirement, you can earn at least 90,000 Marriott points.
  • Chase Marriott Business credit card: The current highest welcome offer is 80,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. The annual fee is $99 and is not waived the first year, and you get one free night certificate valid at Cat 1-5 hotels every year. Since this is a business credit card, be cautious if you do not actually have business use for it. Unlike the personal card, this card is not subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy. After meeting the spending requirement, you can earn at least 83,000 Marriott points.
  • AMEX SPG Personal credit card [all-time high]: SPG points can be transferred to Marriott points at a 1:3 ratio. This card currently has its all-time highest welcome offer: earn 35,000 SPG points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived for the first year. After meeting the spending requirement, you can earn at least 40,000*3= 120,000 Marriott points.
  • AMEX SPG Business credit card [all-time high]: This card also has its all-time highest welcome offer. Spend $5,000 in the first 3 months and $8,000 in the first 6 months to earn 35,000 SPG points. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived the first year. After meeting the spending requirement, you can earn at least 43,000*3= 129,000 Marriott points. Since this is a business credit card, be cautious if you do not actually have business use for it. This is our referral link. This offer is valid through 4/5. Only one day left!!
  • Buy points on the SPG website: Now through 4/30, you can get up to 30% off when buying points on the SPG website: The best deal is buying 20,000-30,000 points. If you buy 20,000 SPG points, it costs $490; if you buy 30,000 SPG points, it costs $735. SPG allows you to buy up to 30,000 points per year. Since SPG point sales are processed through points.com, you can also use TopCashback: search for points.com on TopCashback and click through, and you can read the detailed TopCashback tutorial here. If you don’t yet have a TopCashback account, feel free to register using our referral link. Also, using a newly opened credit card to buy points can count toward the minimum spending requirement. Buying points this way can get you 60,000-90,000 Marriott points.
  • Transfer Chase UR points: If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, you can transfer UR points to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, but this is not a good value. For details, see the analysis in Introduction to Marriott Hotel + Air Packages (2).

A Few Possible Strategies for Earning Enough Points

Let’s first review the Hotel + Air Package redemption chart (applicable to programs such as AA, DL, AS, AC, BA, and SW; UA miles get an extra 10% bonus):

From the chart, we can see that the best value is the 270,000 Marriott points option for 7 nights at a Cat 1-5 hotel + 120,000 miles. If you want the broader selection available in Cat 6, then 7 nights at a Cat 6 hotel + 120,000 miles requires 300 K Marriott points. Here are a few ways to build up enough points for the package from scratch:

  • Apply for one SPG credit card (Personal or Business) by 4/5, plus one Marriott Personal card, and you can get 120,000+90,000=210,000 Marriott points. Then, if you go through TCB and buy 20,000 SPG points by 4/30, you’ll have enough for the 270,000 Marriott points package: 7 nights at a Cat 1-5 hotel + 120,000 miles. If you buy 30,000 SPG points, you’ll have enough for the 300,000 Marriott points package: 7 nights at a Cat 6 hotel + 120,000 miles. Only one day left!!
  • Apply for two SPG credit cards by 4/5—either one person applies for both the Personal + Business cards, or two spouses each apply for one Personal card and then combine SPG points at the same address—and you can earn 120,000*2=240,000 Marriott points. Then, if you go through TCB to buy 20,000 SPG points by 4/30, you can reach 300,000 Marriott points for 7 nights at Cat 6 + 120,000 miles; if you buy 30,000 SPG points, you can reach 330,000 Marriott points for 7 nights at Cat 7 + 120,000 miles. Only one day left!!
  • If two spouses each apply for a Marriott Personal card, you can earn 90,000*2=180,000 Marriott points total (which can be converted to SPG points and then combined at the same address). Then, if you go through TCB to buy 30,000 SPG points by 4/30, you can reach 270,000 Marriott points for 7 nights at Cat 1-5 + 120,000 miles.
  • By 4/30, if both spouses each go through TCB to buy 30,000 SPG points and then combine them at the same address, you can get 180,000 Marriott points. Then, if you apply for one SPG credit card (Personal or Business) by 4/5, you can reach 300,000 Marriott points for 7 nights at Cat 6 + 120,000 miles (only one day left!!), or apply for one Marriott Personal card to reach 270,000 Marriott points for 7 nights at Cat 1-5 + 120,000 miles.

The SPG points purchased above can be used to help meet part of the minimum spending requirement on a new card. Also, even though the points purchase is processed through points.com, using the SPG card does indeed earn 2x points!

How to choose the miles in the travel package

You can choose the airline miles in the package based on the hotel you want.

  • If you pick a hotel within the U.S. and find that Southwest can get you there, then choosing Southwest miles is a great option. Also, before 3/31, transferring a travel package to Southwest can still earn a Companion Pass. For details, see Introduction to the Southwest Companion Pass.
  • If you have your eye on a hotel elsewhere, then your choice depends on which flights are most convenient. You could choose UA, AA, DL, AC, AS, BA, or even GOL miles. For example, if you want to take your LD to the Roomers hotel in Baden-Baden, both UA and AA award one-way economy flights from North America to Europe for only 30,000 miles, and UA miles also come with an extra 10% bonus. However, because FKB airport in Baden-Baden does not have Star Alliance service from UA's alliance, OneMoreDay recommends choosing the 270,000-point package for 7 hotel nights + 120,000 AA miles in this case, which is just right for two round-trip economy tickets. As shown below:
  • For hotels in Asia, we can consider using AS miles for flights on Hainan, Cathay, or JAL. Since AS awards allow a stopover on a one-way ticket, you can choose a stopover city in the major city closest to your home (Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong/Changsha, etc.), and then fly from that city to the airport nearest your hotel (Sanya/Bali/Phuket, etc.). For a detailed guide, see Introduction to Alaska Airlines Miles (2) – Redeeming Miles.
  • Major airlines sometimes offer transfer bonuses for converting hotel points to miles—for example, an extra 25% bonus on Marriott to UA transfers, an extra 35% bonus on hotel-to-BA transfers, an extra 20% bonus on Marriott to AA transfers, Air Canada's twice-yearly hotel-to-miles transfer promotions, and so on. If you need these miles, you can wait until a promotion is available before transferring. We continuously update the latest transfer bonuses in Transfer Bonus Summary.

Related articles

Marriott Travel Packages Complete Guide (1): Usage and Redemption Analysis

Marriott Travel Packages Complete Guide (2): Earning Strategies and Sweet Spots

Transfer Bonus Summary