What is a BONUS BUCK?
 

Been Platinum fro a number of years now and just read somethign relating to Bonus Bucks adn when someone should expect them. I have never heard of a bonus buck and don't know where I have been. Marriott is my choice in my travels. First choice city after city. Bonus Bucks.... maybe they are brand new.

Bonus Bucks are a promotion that Marriott has been running at various hotels/areas for the last several months. They seem to have replaced the old free weekend night promos (Stay 3, Get 1 Free) for Category 1-4 properties.

You earn Bonus Bucks by staying at a full-service (Renaissance, Marriott) property offering a rate based on the 'OTP' promotional code. Currently, you receive a $100 Bonus Buck coupon for a stay based on the OTP promotion rate paid with a Visa. Here's an example of such a promo.

The Bonus Bucks can be used towards the cost of a future stay of two nights or more at any full service property.

Notes:
-They do/did offer the same promo for $50 with some Courtyards and Residence Inns. I'm not sure if the BB awarded through this promo are interchangeable for full-service properties
-For some reason, this promo doesn't always show up when you search for promos from the 'Specials and Packages' tab on the front page of Marriott.com. You have to keep trying to use the OTP code when ever you make a reservation. This is kind of irritating to me.
-You can buy BB on E-Bay for about 30-40 cents on the dollar.
-Personally, I like this over the free nights promos. With the free nights, it made it more difficult to requalify for status. Last year, I used 6 of the old free night promo awards and it had an affect on my requalifying.

Bonus Bucks have been around for a long time. (If you do a search for the term on this forum, you'll get a lot of hits).

Sometimes they're given as an enticement to stay at particular properties at particular rates.

Sometimes they're given as enticements to buy products from "partner" companies (I believe there was a deal not long ago with HP printers or some such that gave multiple $100 Bonus Buck certificates with the purchase).

Sometimes they're given in relation to other Marriott products (a couple years ago you could get a $25 Bonus Buck certificate free when you bought a Marriott Gift Card for $50 or more).

pay for room wih bucks??
 

SO i can earn some bonus bucks and use them to pay for subsequent marriott nites and the nites accrew toward my 75 nite goal to maintain plainum?? How about food and cocktaisl good there too??

thanks youhave been albig help

I'm w/ him.. :)
 

I've been around for a while & while I read about Bonus Bucks I didn't know what they were either. And too afraid to post I didn't figuring people would realize I'm the dumbest Platinum person around...thanks to the OP :)

Generally if you can charge it to your room bill, you can use Bonus Bucks to pay for it. (There are a few exceptions, usually applicable to concessionaires.)

I must reluctantly admit, too, I had no idea what a bonus buck was before now, and I've been platinum for three or four years. I'd also read about them on here, but I had no clue about the OTP rate, etc. Guess there's really no such thing as a dumb question after all. Thanks for the info!

I thought all OTP rates included a Fri or Sat night stay - the 2 for breakfast rate? have I been missing out?

What is the expiration date of the bonus bucks?

Depends on the location....business hotels will require a Friday or Saturday night stay, resorts would require S-Th

Here's the thorny question:

Let's say you stay 2 nites at $149 a nite and use a $100 bonus bucks. How many base points do you receive? 2980 or 1980? My experience varies - in Europe (UK and Germany) they actually reduce your room rate for one of the two nites by $100 in local currency (actually more like $85 after using their horrible exchange rate). In Japan they posted it as a credit and used a decent exchage rate, not the ripoff rate they use to exchange currency at the FD. In the US 99% of the time they post it as a credit to my folio just like I had handed them $100 cash. At the SEA Ren two weeks ago, they entered it in such a way that it showed up on the folio as "Bonus Bucks" and my points got trimmed by the amount of the BBs. I observed the FD clerk look up the procedure on a cheat sheet so I think this is the first time it has been done correctly as opposed to a "workaround". Bottom line - I have received fewer points 100% of the time in Europe and no reduction in points 100% of the time in Japan and 98% of the time in USA. Any insights, socrates or Chris J?

A somewhat related question - if I use the Summer EEO coupon for a free weekend nite with purchase of same, do I get one night stay credit or two towards Gold/Plat next year?

Bonus Bucks are supposed to be treated like cash (and this is what happens 99% of the time in the U.S., as you say). You should get Marriott Rewards points for the gross amount, before deducting the Bonus Bucks.

When using EEO certificates, I have always gotten the full number of nights credited. I suppose that the free night should not be credited, but Marriott's computers don't seem to be sophisticated enough to recognize use of the certificate and then split the stay into creditable nights and non-creditable nights. It may be too much trouble to bother with.

Bruce

When do the bonus bucks expire - not the promo ending but the actual expiration of the $100 certificate?

They vary. My latest one is 12/29/04, as I recall.

Bruce

Can bonus bucks be used with an award stay?

I'm pretty sure the answer is no. Award stays are not at "publicly available rates."

Bruce