YouTube video by Dan Novaes explaining how most people get poor value from Marriott points by using them for low-value redemptions (airport hotels, gift cards). He shows that point value varies widely (less than $0.005 to over $0.015 per point) and recommends using points on high-cash-value nights—luxury properties, peak travel days, and international resorts—and leveraging Marriott’s fifth-night-free award to compound value. He gives a personal example booking St. Regis Maldives (cash > $6,000) for 240,000 points and offers practical timing tips (use points on Fridays/Saturdays when cash rates spike; pay cash on cheaper midweek nights).
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Most people burn their Marriott points on low tier redemption items. Think $100 a night, airport hotels or gift cards. But what if I told you that's the absolute worst way to use them? Here's what most people don't realize. Marriott points have a wide range of potential value, sometimes less than half a cent per point, sometimes over one and a half cents. The hotel you book, the night you choose and even the region can drastically affect what the points are actually worth. The 1% do not waste their points on cheap stays, but they use them on luxury properties. Peak travel days, international resorts where cash prices skyrockets but point rates stay fixed or drop. And here's the kicker. Marriott gives you the fifth night free on awards days. So stay smart with these redemptions and you're compounding your value like crazy. I once booked a night at the St. Regent Resort in the Maldives. It would have cost me over $6,000 and instead I paid $0 and only used 240,000 points and I got the fifth night free. How I use these points is I sometimes look at multiple days. I don't look at my vacation, I look at hey, I'm going to be in Tokyo for four days. Typically the days that are most difficult to get good rates are on the days that everyone else is traveling. Friday, Saturday, those are the worst days. When do most people leave? Sunday, because they need to get back to work on Monday. What I'll typically do is I will use my award points on the Fridays and Saturdays because those are when the rates are the highest. Typically you'll see Sundays, the price will dump like 30 or 40% so you have way better value of if you need to pay some in cash, you buy it on the Sunday, the Monday, the Tuesday. When the hotel doesn't have as many guests, you use your points on the Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And that's how you can get the best ratio, not only for the points but also for your cash. Sick of wasting all this money? Follow us and get all of our hacks for free.
