I was told this week on the phone with a Marriott Platinum Concierge (who seems pretty knowledgeable) & he said that the Promo is targeted similarly to the MegaBonus, with different variations of the offer, etc, but that the top offer is for only 25,000 Bonus Points for 20 paid nights. It is apparently not tied to a (VISA) credit card like the fall MegaBonus usually is.

For those of you keeping score out there, the top offer for the 2009 Spring MegaBonus was 50,000 Bonus Points. So this "2009 Marriott Summer Promotion" pails in size to the MegaBonus. Furthermore, last summer's July/August "Power Up Promo" was good for 30,000 Bonus Points for I think just 9 stays. So, I don't know what this guy Andrew Gordon is smoking saying they are going to "offer richer rewards than any summer promotion before".

If my contact at Platinum Concierge is correct in that 25K Bonus Points is the top offer, then you would have to go all the way back to...thats right, last summer to find a "richer summer promotion".

& also, it appears the Marketing department laid off so many people in this recession that it appears the most creative name they could come up with is "2009 Marriott Summer Promotion"