Your Award Night Choices With Marriott and Ritz

April 2016

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Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Cash + Points is a new award type for Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Rewards members and while not offered at all hotels, when available, Cash + Points can often be a great way to conserve and maximize Marriott Rewards points!

Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Rewards Cash + Points rates typically allow you to pay 35% to 50% less the points normally required for a regular award night with the remainder paid in cash which varies. And while it often works out to be a fantastic deal, at times the conversion value is quite poor.

Here are the Cash +Points award charts:

Here are the five steps to book an award stay (you can also view the FAQ for more information on Cash + Points):

1. Check “Use points” in the hotel search box.

2. Click “Find.”

3. Select “View Rates” next to your chosen hotel.

4. The points needed per night will display within the “Rewards Points” tab.

5. You will then be able to select Cash + Points, if available.

It’s important to do a quick calculation to determine whether using points for a free night or PointSaver award makes good financial sense and if so, whether using Cash + Points is an even better value.

Let’s walk through a Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Free Night Award or PointSaver award example:

1. You find a Free Night Award and first determine if a PointSaver Award is available, which will always be a better value.

2. Take the full cash price (including all taxes) divided by the number of points required.

3. We value Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Rewards points at 0.7 cents per point, so in order for an award night to make sense, the result of your calculation from#2 should exceed 0.70 cents per point.

4. If the result of your calculation from #2 is less than 0.70 cents per point we suggest you use cash for your stay instead of redeeming points.

And let’s also walk through a Cash + Points example:

1. You find a Cash + Points award night.

2. Take the full cash price of the stay (including taxes) minus the amount you are still required to pay in cash, divided by the number of points required.

3. In order for an award night to make sense, the result of your calculation from#2 should exceed 0.70 cents per point.

4. If the result of your calculation from #2 is less than 0.70 cents per point we suggest you use cash for your stay instead of redeeming points.

And finally, whichever option (a free night, a Pointsaver or a Cash + Points award), after completing the the calculations above, provides the highest value per point above 0.70 cents, is the best option for your Marriott or Ritz-Carlton Rewards points! And all types of award night count toward Marriott Reward Elite status! 

And remember, for Marriott and Ritz-Carlton FREE and PointSaver award nights, the fifth night is ALWAYS FREE so don’t forget to factor that in!

The Wrap-Up:

While a Cash + Points award night could be a fantastic way to conserve and maximize your Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Rewards points, we suggest you perform the simple calculation above to determine which option will get you the most bang for your buck or points in this example!

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