Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - How would you use a million Marriott points?

By the time I'm done with my wedding at the Ritz this year and my remaining hotel stays, I'm going to have about a million Marriott points by year end.

Not sure what to do with them. As a Plat with the RC rewards card, I like earning 20 points per dollar on my spend, so I don't think I'd use them for free stays, except for very expensive properties in season, like Beaver Creek or St. Thomas.

I pretty exclusively stay at RC brand hotels in the Marriott family....sometimes autograph collection, like Cosmo in Vegas.

I find the merchandise rewards a bit overpriced (especially RC gift cards)...

Any ideas?

Merchandise rewards?? You are joking right?? :p

Redeem for an Air+Travel package (or 2) and plan the ultimate honeymoon!!!

Congrats for your wedding!! ;)

Am I understanding you right? You don't want burn points because you want to earn points?

Seems to me that once you have reached your desired status level for the year it's time to splurge on some free nights.

Am I understanding you right? You don't want burn points because you want to earn points?

Seems to me that once you have reached your desired status level for the year it's time to splurge on some free nights.

Well, I should have also mentioned that I work for a major investment bank and have ridiculously low rates at many, many RC properties (except some resort locations) so that makes the economics a bit different on the cash vs points.

Book yourself a 7-night travel package to Hawaii, throw the car rental coupon in the trash because it isn't a great deal, get the 120K miles and add them to your American Airlines account, then book 2 five night stays at this same hotel (so you'll get night 5 and night 10 free), then burn the rest on Marriott gift checks (you'll have enough for $3K I think).

So in exchange for your 1MM points you will get 17 nights at a 4 star property in Hawaii, enough airline miles for 1 first class flight there, and $175 per day resort credit to use on parking, breakfast, drinks by the pool, and massages for your new wife.

I often ask myself what I would do with a million points, and I've poked around to see what I could do, and this is what I came up with. Sounds good to me -- but YMMV. . .

I would use the points on any hotel where I could get a return of 1.5¢/point or better. Possible hotels that might meet that requirement include Moscow RC, Tokyo RC, Hong Kong RC, and as your mentioned BC RC during ski season.

Also as others mentioned, travel packages are good to top off your favorite FF account (note: AA does not participate) if that is of value to you.

Well, I should have also mentioned that I work for a major investment bank
What's it like to be too big to fail? :)
and have ridiculously low rates at many, many RC properties (except some resort locations) so that makes the economics a bit different on the cash vs points.

If you are gold or plat, check out the various threads about cheques, especially this Jul 3, 12, 1:54 pm post from Counsellor (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18864518-post23.html).

My personal choice will be tier whatever travel package with maximum of miles, then throw in some cash cheque for spending while there.

As RatherBeOnATrain mention pure cash cheque may work too, as long as you call ahead and make sure you can use those cheque on your corp. rate

get the 120K miles and add them to your American Airlines account

How can you get the miles from Marriott to AA?

Book yourself a 7-night travel package to Hawaii, throw the car rental coupon in the trash because it isn't a great deal, get the 120K miles and add them to your American Airlines account, then book 2 five night stays at this same hotel (so you'll get night 5 and night 10 free), then burn the rest on Marriott gift checks (you'll have enough for $3K I think).

So in exchange for your 1MM points you will get 17 nights at a 4 star property in Hawaii, enough airline miles for 1 first class flight there, and $175 per day resort credit to use on parking, breakfast, drinks by the pool, and massages for your new wife.

I often ask myself what I would do with a million points, and I've poked around to see what I could do, and this is what I came up with. Sounds good to me -- but YMMV. . .


question: If I use 7-night travel package and book two more nights? can I get 10th night free? Just a new idea.

this question is similar to the recent questions in another thread of trying to use 4-certificates and/or a combination of points and certficates and IMO you'll get the same answer of "no" (ain't gonna work, but good thought)

question: If I use 7-night travel package and book two more nights? can I get 10th night free? Just a new idea.

question: If I use 7-night travel package and book two more nights? can I get 10th night free? Just a new idea.

No. You get the 5th night free when you use a 4-night reward - and you can string as many of these together as you want on a given stay. The 7-night reward from a travel package is just that.

Id be more than willing to spend your points for you :D

Use the points for a flight plus hotel stay travel package to some exotic location.

Wish I had your problem. Hawaii, hong kong, or Paris IMHO. Or London. All are expensive to stay at.

How can you get the miles from Marriott to AA?

https://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/morepack.mi

How can you get the miles from Marriott to AA?

https://www.marriott.com/rewards/usepoints/morepack.miAA or American Airlines is not referenced anywhere on the web page found at the the link you provided. AA/American Airlines was dropped from mile earning and point exchange over 2 years ago. Specifically on June 30, 2010 (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-rewards/1080063-changes-marriott-rewards-bye-bye-aa-why.html).

Go to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.

+1 on HKG and SIN
---1 on Tokyo

Go to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.

+1 on HKG and SINSince you are in SIN, you could take a short hop over to KUL. ;)

actually I'm in Bangkok, but we do travel to SIN yearly, just to enjoy dinner at Jumbos, as well as travel to KUL yearly too as we have friends in the area, including a BKK-HKT-SIN-KUL-BKK trip in Nov

Since you are in SIN, you could take a short hop over to KUL. ;)

---1 on Tokyo

I'm glad I was able to go to Tokyo twice for pleasure before Fukushima. I don't see myself ever going out of my way to go to Japan again.

I save my points for high-dollar reward stays (New Years, Mardi Gras at the New Orleans RC, etc) when the roughly $0.01 per point value favors a better deal using points than dollars.

Huge Congrats! to the OP on his wedding and to his MR milestone.:cool:

I'd say, if you are already in that part of the world, venture to another part, enjoy your time and keep some of your points to build upon for the future.

If I were in your place, I would sure hate to see my balance go down from 1mill. to 0 in the matter of minutes.:p but that's just me.:D

Again. HUGE CONGRATS!^ &&&&

Let us know what you decided to do with your bank of points. Interesting thread.

Use them at expensive properties worldwide for yourself.

Book a week for a family member or friend at an expensive property worldwide.

Donate some points to a charity.

Save them for when you retire or you're not working at a high-end investment bank.

Not to sound morbid, but assuming you & your wife continue to get along, make sure she has your member # & password (or it's in a file she can access) if by chance you die prematurely. That way she can use the points for stays.

Cheers.