Question: Marriot Point Value

Does anyone recall seeing information on how to value points in the Marriott system? What's the best use of points, travel, merchandise? Is there a point/dollar conversion factor? Thanks for your help!

If you purchase points from Marriott they are $.0125 per point. So that's the value I use when deciding whether to pay for a room with points or cash.

The best use is the travel packages, 250,000 points for 120,000 air miles and a 7 night stay at a category 6 hotel. Category 1-5 runs 235,000 and category 7 is 270,000.

Most valuations here and at FlyerTalk peg the value of a Marriott Rewards point at between 1 cent and 1.25 cents (the cost if you buy points from Marriott). However, some uses of points can generate a value of up to 4 or 5 cents per point. How? By getting a hotel-air Travel Package and using the air FF miles for international business class or first class plane tickets (usually worth $3,500 each or much more) that you might have paid for yourself.

The hotel-air Travel Packages, costing 165,000 to 270,000 points, are generally recognized as providing the best value for uses of Marriott Rewards points.

I agree that the "basic" value of Marriott Rewards Points is about $.01 each. With that said, it is up to you to maximize the value of your MR points. I typically will not use MR points unless I can get a $.02 value or more. Of course, as explained above the value per point can be much higher.

I will staying in a Courtyard this weekend that would cost me well ove $400 for two nights. But instead of paying cash I am using 19,000 MR points - well over $.02 per point in value.


Terry