Registration is required. Marriott Rewards® members who register for this promotion by October 31, 2011, will earn one (1) free night award at a category 1-4 hotel after each second paid stay made between September 15, 2011, and January 15, 2012, at a participating Marriott property. Maximum two (2) free night awards earned with this promotion per member. Payment must be made using your Visa® card. An earned free night award can be redeemed for a future stay at participating Marriott Rewards category 1-4 properties for one (1) free night between September 15, 2011, and May 31, 2012. An earned free night award is good for one (1) single or double occupancy standard room only and includes the cost of the hotel room and applicable room taxes only. An earned free night award will be added to the member's account within 3-5 business days after the second qualifying stay. Awards are not transferable and may not be given as a gift. This offer is not transferable. Nights spent while redeeming an award are not eligible for credit. A stay is defined as consecutive nights spent at the same hotel, regardless of check-in/check-out activity. Only one room per hotel is counted toward a member's nights or stay. Members electing to earn miles are not eligible for this promotion. Participating brands include JW Marriott®, EDITIONSM, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, Residence Inn by Marriott®, TownePlace Suites by Marriott® and Marriott Vacation Club®. Stays at our exclusive luxury hotel partner, The Ritz-Carlton®, will count toward achievement. All Marriott Rewards program terms and conditions apply. Visit MarriottRewards.com/MegaBonus , call 1-888-MARRIOTT (627-7468), or call your local Marriott Rewards Customer Support office for complete details.
© 2011 Marriott International, Inc.

Does anyone know if/what the capacity controls are on these? I'm going to have two stay and would ideally like to use the free night three nights after my second stay. Is this a bad idea?

I will end up a couple nites shy of 25. I emailed yesterday to ask for 5,000 points for the lower promo (30K for 20 nites vs. 25K) and today they are posted to my account.

Missing something?
 

Wondering why I would go for points. Offered 40, 000 points for 20 nights ( 25,000 for 15)- or I could get night free every 2nd stay (2 free nights max). The place I like for free nights is a L4 so 20,000 a night. I can have 2 free nights for 4 paid or for 20 paid.

Must be missing something?

Different strokes...

I generally use my points for weekend retreats at bigger-ticket hotels and am even starting to look at some of the Hotel + Air packages.

So for me, points are the ONLY way to go. YMMV.

I really struggle to find a good redemption on the Cat 1-4s.
Most of the hotels I end up staying at are either above cat 4, or very inexpensive where I would not want to burn these.
I did use one or 2 at the JW Grand Rapids last year which was an excellent redemption.
I am currently planning a trip to SE Asia, and realize how valuable these cat 1-4s can be. I actually somewhat regret my decision to go with the points, but considering it pushes my balance over 270K, I will be eagerly waiting for the next hotel to miles bonus and hopefully cash in for 180K miles and 7 nights at the JW costa rica which would be an excellent value.

You are right if you look at it on a per night value, 4 single night stays yielding 2 free nights is tough to beat, but I wanted to hit minimum of Gold this year, and if I take the 2 free nights everytime I will not be able to requalify.

Fall Megabonus will definetely be for the 2 free nights which I will redeem at one of the Courtyards near Phuket which are going for $250+ on the nights I want. Plus I already hit Gold for 2012 so I am not worried about transferring my business.

it isn't that it is a bad idea, but it could happen that it doesn't post that quickly. And as you can't make a reservation using it until it posts...

Just wanted to report back. I called back in today after I met the requirement of my requested lower offer and the CRS credited my 20K points for 15 nights stay immediately.


Yes, you are, the free certs are limited to Cat 1-4 hotels. While that may work for some, it doesn't work for everybody. I rarely stay at anything less than a Category 6, and even then it is usually an airport hotel which might happen once a year, or possibly my once or twice a year business trip (most of my travel is leisure). So having a few of the Cat 4 or below certs does little for me. Points all the way for me. YMMV.

I was thinking about the same thing too. I wonder if he should call Marriott, and see if they can let him reserve his room with a credit card, and swap it with his certificate as soon as the certificate posts, assuming it will post before he checks out.

Well, maybe this is obvious, but you won't earn your certificate until after your second stay in November. So, your certificate will only be valid from the time it is issued (which should be fairly quickly after the second stay) until May 31 2012, and again in a cat 4 or lower hotel.

Billy

As others have said, it varies. I prefer points, but if I don't think I'll make # of nights to get the points then 2 free nights at a Cat 1-4 beats a poke in the eye with a stick (American phrase, for the int'l folk reading this thread). I've found domestic Cat 1-4s that can be expensive that are worth using the certs for, but I realize others don't.

Cheers.

Guys, I didnt get a notification about this but instead I am registered for:
Marriott Rewards® MegaBonus 2011

Earn 35,000 points after 20 paid nights + an additional 15,000 points after 25 paid nights (up to 50,000) when you use your Visa® card


is my offer switchable to this one?

If you're plat, then Marriott allows a switch. If you're lower ranked, they may, but you'll have to call MR to find out.

Billy

great, thank you - sent an email and got my two certs for the summer offer.
will see how this period turns out later.

I have never done the Visa megabonuses (and I don't have it in my account to look at T&Cs), but any Visa card works, including Visa branded debit cards -- correct? My credit cards are 2 AMEXs and 1 MC, but no visas so I wanted to make sure.

My guess is that as long as it processes through the VISA network it will work.

I don't think Visa Signature = Visa
See this eHow web page:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5007455_wh...edit-card.html

Here are the list of all the Visa Signature credit card from Visa.com
http://usa.visa.com/personal/visa-signature/apply.jsp

As I said before, this visa signature requirement is to lure customers to apply and use Marriott's Chase Visa Signature Reward Card.

Bad idea to count on it? Yes. Bad idea to do it if it happens to post in time (but not count on it)? No.

I have no experience with this kind of promo at Marriott. I do know that in several other hotel programs where I've participated in these kind of stay X times, get a free night certificate promo, the free night certificate took longer to post than the stays themselves took to post (ie, the free night cert did not post at the same instant the stay posted). If Marrriott does this promo the same way, three days would most likely not be enough.

Again, while not knowing how it works specifically at Marriott, based on other programs, if the hotel where you want to use it lets you book a free night on points within hours of check-in, then you may be able to use a free night certificate just as close to check-in. But if it has capacity controls on regular points stays, then I would expect at least similar capacity controls on the free night cert. So it may depend on the particular hotel more than just the certificate.

Finally made the call today and the extra 5k points posted immediately.

If you want to be sure your visa works for the Megabonus, contact MR and get a written confirmation so that in case points don't show up you can dispute.

Usually my e-certs pop up on my account 1 day after checking out from the second stay.

Right but it's still a VISA card. That's like saying my CITI PLAT AA card won't work because it's giving me miles. Again, as long as it processes through the VISA network (and not MC, AMEX, DSC) it should be fine. A VISA is a VISA, regardless of what points it ultimately gives you.

Hilton gives you instant gold status if you register your visa signature card. You can try their website to see if your card is a visa signature card.

https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/landin...ature7BR841247

Do I have a Visa Signature card?

Visa Signature cards has the words “VISA SIGNATURE” on the front of the card. If you are not sure if you have a Visa Signature card, they may enter your 16-digit card number at www.hhonors.com/visasignature and attempt to register for the promotion. Numbers that are not Visa Signature cards will display an error message.

Is this ANY Visa Signature card, or only the Hilton version?

Pretty sure it is any Visa Signature card, but I think that promo expired yesterday. The site is still up though, so who knows, might be worth a try to see if it is still working.

I have a 2-night stay, 14-16 Sep. Does anyone know if the second night will count as a stay for the MegaBonus fall promo? Thanks.

For anyone thinking of signing up for that promo, unfortunately it ended on August 31st

TW

Do elite nights received through MR spending count towards fall megabonus?
 

Marriott Rewards card has started adding 1 elite night to your annual and lifetime total nights spent for every $3000 charged to the card. Does anyone know whether such nights added between September 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012 count as nights spent for purposes computing the megabonus? Thanks in advance.

I'm sure others will correct me if I am wrong, but I am quite certain that the Megabonus is only for paid nights using any Visa card. Elite nights earned through CC spend does not qualify.

Does not qualify AFAIK

I think the difference is that now the gift cards are not processed as VISA cards, which they were last year. As I understand it, VISA is cooperating with the promotion and that's why a VISA card must be used.

Kudos to Marriott for warning us in advance of the effect of that change on the MegaBonus rather than winding up with upset customers who find out only after the fact.

It's hard for me to forget that, since I'll be staying at least 5 nights between 1-15 September. :)

--woodstock

Marriott Rewards® MegaBonus 2011
Earn one free night every other paid stay, starting with your 2nd paid stay—up to 2 free nights—when you use your Visa® card
See Details

Switch to miles earning for that time period and earn that bonus. Esp. if you stay are only 1 or 2 nights at a time.

No, they don't.

Exchange Megabonus Certs for Points?
 

Has anyone had any success on exchanging Megabonus Cat 1-4 cert for points? Only one one cat 4 property here and no interest in staying there as its in my city.

I just got a flat no from Marriott Rewards, wondering if I should try and keen pushing or it will be fruitless?

Same here - I gave up. Called Gold line and the answer is no no and no. E-mail them also no no and no. Very standard answers, but I think it's good because it's nice that MR has their own standards.

Is that sarcasm that you think its good? :D

I would prefer my threw me a decent promo or just a small bone for loyalty.. Hell 500 points for my cert would make me feel a little better!

I also tried with multiple CSR's. One guy actually told me they haven't done that in a while. I've heard the the CC cert may be able to be switched for points. Try asking for an extension on the cert instead. Apparently some have had success getting them switched to points this way when the rep said they couldn't extend a cert.

During MegaBonus, they run multiple promotions.
Some are for certs are some are for points.
I doubt that after the fact they will let you change, but they usually will let you pick a different program if you ask before the end of that promotion.

MegaBonus hotel jump for max. 2 free nights
 

The fall MegaBonus promotion starts Sep/15/2011.

I have to go to a city where there's a Residence Inn as well as a Springhill Suite.

So - if I stayed 1st. night in hotel one - check out, 2nd. night in hotel two - check out, 3rd. night in hotel one - check out, 4th. night in hotel two - check out ---- does this work for getting 4 different stays for the maximum 2 free nights?

I know Hilton makes you leave a hotel for 24 hours so you can't check out and back in to the same hotel but I assume jumping between the two would be okay.

Apart from the hassle - and morality of the issue - is this allowed for the 2 free nights?

Thx.