Marriott Bonvoy’s Winter 2022 Targeted Promotions

Like all of its fellow hotel loyalty programs, Marriott Bonvoy puts on a rotating series of promotions every year to drive incremental stays among its members. The latest set of offers appears to vary quite a bit amongst Marriott Bonvoy members, as some are targeted and others aren’t.

Some members have received promotions that are very rewarding, others see offers that are more mediocre, and some haven’t received any promotions at all. 

We’ll summarize some of the key things to know here, and then I’ll give you my impressions of a few of the targeted promotions that have popped up.

Marriott Bonvoy’s Targeted Promotions

To see if you’ve been targeted for one of these promotions, simply check the “Promotions” tab or menu on the Marriott Bonvoy website or app.

I personally haven’t noticed any on my household’s profiles. If you don’t see one yet, keep checking back on all accounts over the next couple of days.

Keep in mind that there’s always a chance that you just weren’t targeted this time around. There are no firm criteria for who gets selected and who doesn’t, at least from what we can surmise.

Based on the terms and conditions, note that the promotion period can vary based on when you register. 

Earning period starts the day after members register through the end of the month, plus an additional three (3) months.

Thus, if you register in November 2022, you’d have a promotion end-date of February 28, 2023; meanwhile, if you wait until March 1, 2023 to register then you’d have until June 30, 2023 to complete your stays. So, it may be a good idea to delay your registration if you don’t have any urgent stays coming up, and to register near the beginning of the month to give you almost four months to benefit.

Finally, as a general rule, only paid stays that earn base points within the Marriott Bonvoy program are eligible for promotions like these. This means that redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points for a free night will not count towards the promotions.

With that said, let’s break down a few of the different promotions that members have received for Winter 2022.

Earn Double Elite Nights

This is an extremely generous promotion if you’re lucky enough to be targeted for it.

Simply register and earn double elite nights for every paid stay between your registration date and the last day of the third month following that point.

Even if you don’t have any trips planned, this could be a worthy opportunity to either make a run for a higher elite status tier by the end of 2022, or get a head start on Marriott Bonvoy Elite status earning in 2023 through some clever “mattress running”.

Earning double elite nights is going to a very strong incentive to book all your paid stays with Marriott. Note that Hyatt is also running a double nights promo, but only for stays at select all-inclusive resorts.

Needless to say, if you happen to see this promotion on your account, you should consider ways to optimize it, even if you haven’t actually planned any travels during the promotion period. A push to Titanium Elite status means a Free Night Award worth 40,000 Bonvoy points and can be topped up with up to 15,000 points to book a room that would otherwise cost 55,000 points.

Search for some cheap Marriott hotels in your area to do a mattress run. If there aren’t any good choices nearby, you can always get a friend to check you in elsewhere using the “second guest trick” at a cheap property.

Earn Double Points on Weekends

Some members have also been targeted for a Double Points promotion, which I’d say represent lower value compared to double elite nights.

Those targeted for this offer will earn double points on all paid stays that include a Friday or Saturday night. 

Instead of the usual 5x or 10x Bonvoy points per USD spent at a property, you’d earn 10x or 20x Bonvoy points, respectively, based on the amount you paid for your nightly rate. This assumes you’re staying on a Friday or Saturday night.

While these promotions don’t provide real outsized value, you should happily use these promotions if you were planning to book some Marriott hotels over the next few months anyway.

Moreover, they might move the needle when deciding whether to pay cash or redeem points for a hotel.

Conclusion

Marriott Bonvoy’s targeted promotions for Winter 2022 have rolled out, in keeping with the past few rounds of promotions that we’ve seen from the program. Be sure to check your account to see whether you’ve been selected for an offer.

Compared to the last few rounds of offers, the current ones are decidedly weaker. This likely reflects the surge in travel we’ve seen throughout the latter half of 2022.

While I’d love to see stronger promotions being offered on a wider basis, the reality is that Marriott isn’t struggling to fill hotel rooms, so there’s no real need for Marriott to offer additional incentives for the time being.