Originally Posted by
jags86
US Bank — book through Marriott.com via a cashback portal. Earn at least 5000 Bonvoy points depending on your status. Get $16.50 cashback (current highest cashback portal rate on cashbackmonitor). Earn 1500 AR points. Get 2 nights towards Marriott status. Redeem 33,333 points through RTR.
Do I understand that instead using points (33333 as you mentioned) to book the hotel stay from USB travel portal, one should book the hotel using $, which would give $16.5 additional cashback in form of points and and then use existing points at USB to offset the money paid towards the booking, correct? I do not know what AR and Bonvoy refers to, probably something related to Marriott programm...
Yes, above schema is good if a) one has enough points to offset such spend and b) can book directly with the hotel while knowing that the purchase will be classified as travel and will earn 3 points and there are no, cheaper alternatives offered at OTAs.
But once we go towards some unfamiliar territories, above schema might not be straightforward. I was looking for a place to book at Nikko, Japan and if I would restrict myself to book directly with the hotels, then list of available options would be 1/3 or less compared to what OTAs are offering. Secondly - hotel websites only offering prices without discounts/flexibility at all, while prices for the same properties at OTAs were 15-30% cheaper.
But because OTAs are not classified as 'travel' at USB, you need to find an OTA which offers an app with apple/samsung/google mobile payment option. Agoda is such and works for me 100%