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Know someone from Marriott? Save money with their Family & Friend program
As a corporate benefit, most of the hotel chains offer heavily discounted room rates to their employees, and sometimes such rates can be extended to their family and friends. For example:
- Hilton has a Family & Friend rate which offers 50% off BAR. You still earn points and enjoy elite benefits, but there’s a quota per employee per annum and you are restricted from writing negative reviews
- Hyatt offers a heavy discount too but you won’t earn points or credits
- IHG’s F&F rate is not as cheap, and you won’t earn points or credits
Marriott’s counterpart, called Explore, is probably the most generous as the discounted rate can be extremely good and there are virtually no restrictions whatsoever as long as you qualify; in the meantime you also enjoy full elite benefits plus earn points and night credits.
There are two types of Explore rate available (you can check the rates by entering the respective promo code on Marriott’s website):
[Family Rate / MMP]
The Family Rate (code MMP) is the better of the two but also with a higher bar. It’s basically the employee rate but can be also used by their partner, parents, siblings and children. Given how restricted it is you can imagine that not many people will qualify.
On the other hand, the saving is substantial.
Most Marriott hotels, if not all participate in the Explore program, including the Bvlgari hotels although they are not part of Marriott Bonvoy.
However, MMP availability can be a little difficult to find when the hotel is busy. Many times they are also limited to standard rooms only, which is understandable given how low the rates often are.
[Friend Rate / MMF]
The Friend Rate (code MMF) is by definition open to friends of Marriott employees and therefore has a much lower barrier.
Unlike MMP which is typically a fixed rate, MMF is more often a discount against the BAR. The discount varies massively depending on the property.
Although not common, some hotels do go far and beyond by offering a very generous MMF rate. The Great Northern is an example as you can see from the screenshot above. Another UK pioneer is Sheraton Edinburgh, which costs solely £86, an incredible saving compared to the normal rate.
Since the discount is not as heavy, MMF tends to be more available and sometimes applies to premium room types too.
The Marriott employee needs to fill out an Explore form for you to benefit from the program. An Explore form is valid for two months and would look like this:
If you have a friend who works at Marriott, it makes total sense to ask for a form from them when you make travel arrangements. You’ll need to present the form for verification when you check in.
18 best Marriott hotel redemptions in Europe
We covered the best Marriott redemptions in the UK in the last post, which unfortunately isn’t a very long list. Today we’re gonna take a look at Europe too (plus a few other territories nearby), where there are many more great choices!
Again, before we start: Marriott Bonvoy has eight redemption categories at the moment, and the number of points required for standard / off-peak / peak are as follows:
The following recommendations are not in any particular order.
- Germany – Roomers Baden-Baden Cat 5 / 35,000 points
This hotel is generally regarded as one the best Marriott properties in Germany, and was once the best place to use a 25,000 free night certificate in Europe. Nowadays a standard reward nights costs 35,000 points here, which is still a bargain for a spa holiday.
2. Germany – Gewandhaus Dresden Cat 3 / 17,500 points
One of the most recommended hotels in Dresden with high ratings across all booking sites, and that 17,500 points should be well worth it!
3. Germany – Courtyard Bremen Cat 2 / 12,500 points
Despite being just a Courtyard, this hotel is one the of the most reputable in town for its history and excellent location, and has been on my wish-list for a while!
4. Italy – Eremito Cat 4 / 25,000 points
Eremito is a retreat in the Umbrian hills that combines historical masonry techniques with modern technology. A room night here sells for £250+.
Honourable Mentions Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany is a similar hotel.
5. Switzerland – Courtyard Basel Cat 3 / 17,500 points
It’s only a Courtyard and located by the highway, so not really very convenient for Basel. However we all know how expensive Switzerland is, and spending points here could be sensible if you are driving.
6. France – Marriott’s Village d’lle-de-France Cat 4 / 25,000 points
More of a resort hotel close to the Disneyland near Paris, and 25,000 points a night is a steal if you want accommodation near the Disneyland.
7. Spain – The Ritz-Carlton Abama Cat 6 / 50,000 points
I’ve stayed here recently (review here), which was my first stay at a Ritz Carlton hotel, and unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. That said, you may find it more to your taste, and 50,000 points is bargain compared to the cash rate.
8. Spain – AC Hotel Valencia Cat 2 / 12,500 points
A solid hotel in Valencia near the beach. I was hoping to visit it before the pandemic hit, and then sadly it jumped up to Category 2 from Category 1.
Honourable Mention AC Hotel Alicante is another city-centre hotel in South Spain.
9. Spain – AC Hotel Gran Canaria Cat 2 / 12,500 points
An economical option for a holiday in Gran Canaria, especially as it usually sells for more than €100 a night. I have to say I really like this stock photo of their swimming pool 🙂
Honourable Mentions AC Hotel Iberia Las Palmas is also in Category 2 which caters to a similar audience.
10. Croatia – Westin Zagreb & Sheraton Zagreb Cat 3 / 17,500 points
Both hotels are very similar in terms of location, condition and reviews. To be honest 17,500 points isn’t great value unless it’s peak season, however the Sheraton was one the very first hotels I stayed at with SPG, so it’s just for the sake of my memories.
11. Serbia – Courtyard Belgrade City Centre Cat 2 / 12,500 points
The Metropol Palace used to be the top redemption sweet spot in the good old SPG times. Nowadays the Courtyard may have become a more reasonable option to spend your Marriott points.
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Couryard Sarajevo Cat 2 / 12,500 points
Bosnia is still recovering from the unfortunate history of wars, and there aren’t many options when it comes to international hotel chains in the capital. I stayed at the Swissotel when I visited it last year.
I walked past the Courtyard a couple of times. It looked very new, and is ideally located for tourists.
13. Belarus – Renaissance Minsk Hotel Cat 2 / 12,500 points
I’ve never been to Belarus, but 12,500 points seems very cheap for a five-star hotel in a country’s capital…
14. Turkey – JW Marriott Ankara Cat 2 / 12,500 points
This is probably one of the best Marriott redemption out there in the entire world, and I still don’t understand why its category never got increased over the years. For only 12,500 points, you are getting a room worth more than 200 euros, and this is a very modern JW Marriott! I stayed here in a Junior Suite in 2020, and it didn’t disappoint.
15. Turkey – Sheraton Grand Samsun Cat 1 / 7,500 points
The only Sheraton Grand hotel that falls into Category 1 in Europe, which is one of Marriott’s top-end brands. Great choice if you’d like to have a very cheap beach holiday by the Black Sea.
Honourable Mentions the Four Points Izmir hotel in Turkey is also Category 1, however considering how cheap Turkey usually is I probably prefer to pay cash for a better full-service hotel instead.
16. Morocco – Le Meridien N’Fis Cat 2 / 12,500 points
I stayed here as SPG Gold when visiting Marrakesh a few years back. The hotel felt very worn-out everywhere and was by no means living up to five-star standard, but if you don’t like the idea of staying in a Riad this Le Meridien can possibly offer you better comfort.
17. Qatar – Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel Cat 3 / 17,500 points
One of the very few Marriott Marquis hotels around across the globe. There was once a Doha Marriott hotel which was only Category 2 but it seems to have left the Marriott group.
18. Kuwait – Residence Inn Kuwait City Cat 2 / 12,500 points
When you are looking for a tourist destination Kuwait City is unlike to be on your list. But if it is, using points is a great idea as hotels tend to be overpriced in this country.
Honourable Mention Courtyard Kuwait City is also Category 2.
Marriott has thousands of hotels in Europe so this list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it gives you some inspiration at least!
My review of Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa
Having stayed three nights at the InterContinental, I wanted to switch to a different hotel for change of scenery. I thought about the Crowne Plaza at the beginning, but opted for the Sheraton instead in the end because of its spa facilities, and also better elite benefits from Marriott.
The hotel is quite far out from the city centre, and you do need the bus network or Uber / Bolt to get around, which is an important consideration.
On the other hand, it is huge and very modern. Unlike the InterContinental, most of the hotel guests are here on business travel.
I’m upgraded to a Club room on the 11th floor.
I was very surprised to learn the hotel was opened in 2003 – I don’t see any sign of age to be honest. Both the public areas and the room look fairly new.
There’s a “city view” from the room.
According to the discussions on Flyertalk, Platinum members used to only get breakfast in the Club lounge. The lounge is still closed at the moment, and breakfast is served in the main restaurant.
The breakfast is pretty good overall, almost on par with the InterContinental although there’s no a-la-carte menu.
There’s no service charge for room service here, so you can also have breakfast in the room should you wish. As a guest on the Club floor, you can order refreshments and snack throughout the day:
And Happy Hour offering between 6pm and 8pm:
But the highlight got to be the spa. Only Club floor guests have free access to the spa centre, otherwise you’d have to pay a fee. If you have Platinum status or above though it shouldn’t be an issue.
Again it feels quite new.
The Jacuzzi is most amazing, one of the biggest I’ve ever seen with different function areas, that focus on foot, shoulder, back and full-body respectively.
The sauna room and Turkish sauna are quite impressive too.
The Sheraton is a totally different genre compared to the InterContinental, and in a way I like it more than the latter. If you don’t mind travelling around in a car, or if you have a lot of time in Porto, you may want to consider staying here too.
10 best Marriott hotel redemptions in the UK
After its merger with SPG , Marriott Bonvoy has now a massive footprint worldwide and become arguably the most popular hotel loyalty program globally.
One of the major fun you get from toying with such programs is exchanging your points for hotel stays, which can sometimes generate extremely outsized value at certain properties or during certain times. And today let’s have a look at such options with Marriott hotels in the United Kingdom.
Just a reminder – Marriott Bonvoy has eight redemption categories at the moment, and the number of points required for standard / off-peak / peak are slightly different:
1. Courtyard Oxford City Centre Cat 2 / 12,500 points
I personally make this hotel top of my list, given its great location and how expensive accommodation in Oxford can easily get – it’s trivial to realise more than 1.5p-per-point value if you are staying here in the summer.
I stayed here last year on points and was quite happy about the stay. Of course it is just a Courtyard so nothing to get too excited about, but the hotel is very new, and nothing can really go wrong at this price.
2. Aloft Liverpool Cat 4 / 25,000 points
It used to the best UK SPG redemption sweet spot in the past, as a weekend night cost only 3,000 points (or 9,000 Marriott points). Unfortunately the price has almost tripled nowadays and it’s no longer outstanding, but assume a point stay can still save you loads on event days.
The building itself is very stylish and full of history. I’m not sure why it’s converted to a low-end Aloft, instead of W or at least Sheraton.
Honourable mentions the Liverpool Marriott hotel is also Cat 4 and full-service, which may be more favourable if don’t care about the Aloft’s background that much.
3. University Arms Hotel Cat 4 / 25,000 points
I don’t think we can get away from mentioning Oxford but not Cambridge 🙂 Likewise the University Arms is one of the few decent hotel choices in the university town, but with a much longer history.
I stayed here last year in the summer and the experience was positive, however I can’t for my life justify paying £200+ for a night here. In terms of points it costs twice as much as the Courtyard in Oxford, but you can’t really compare an Autograph to a Courtyard!
4. Moxy Aberdeen Airport Cat 1 / 7,500 points
This is the only Category 1 hotel left in the UK now, which is definitely something not miss out. As it is an airport hotel, I can’t recommend it for tourist purpose. However, if you are a few nights short of reaching Marriott elite status, you could fly to Aberdeen to “buy” some cheap ones here 🙂 After all, 5 nights at this hotel should cost you only 30,000 points, assuming standard pricing.
Honourable mentions Aberdeen Marriott and Aloft Aberdeen TECA are both only Category 2 too.
5. Abbey Hotel Bath Cat 4 / 25,000 points
25,000 points a night is a bargain for a weekend getaway in Bath, although this hotel seems to close its redemption options at busy times.
The hotel is very boutique, but similar to many hotels in old buildings there were a few teething issues during my stay, including creaky floor and rain leaks from the window.
6. Trump Turnberry Hotel Cat 5 / 35,000 points (Update: no longer Marriott-affiliated)
One of the few top-end resort hotels in Marriott’s UK portfolio. It’s a pain to get there (from London) so I’ve never set afoot yet, but all my friends who’ve been there were quite impressed.
35,000 points compared to the retail price is a steal. However do check the website or Virtuoso as they tend to have pretty good sale prices from time to time with good perks including dinner or golf rounds.
7. Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel Cat 5 / 35,000 points
I went to Bournemouth for the first time recently and really liked the city. The Marriott is probably one the of the best located hotel in Bournemouth, with a great sea view and quick access to the beach.
Standing at 35,000 points, the redemption is not cheap, but more than reasonable in summer seasons.
8. The Langley Cat 7 / 60,000 points
Another luxurious resort in the Luxury Collection portfolio, and pretty accessible given its proximity to London. I did finally manage to stay here earlier this year in the Spring, and had an overall pleasant experience.
Since its opening its redemption price hiked from 35,000 points to 60,000 points in just two years but it was hardly a surprise. However its cash price usually hovers around £400, so 60k points still isn’t a lot to ask for.
9. Moxy York Cat 3 / 17,500 points
There has been a number of additions to the hotels in York city centre in recent years. Like Bath, accommodation cost is steep on weekend nights, especially when it’s warm.
Personally I’m not a big fan of the Moxy brand and there isn’t much information available for this new hotel. However if you just need a bed to sleep on it should be sufficient, and the location is great.
Honourable Mentions Moxy Southampton and Moxy Milton Keynes are another two moxies that opened quite recently, and they are both Cat 2 which requires only 12,500 points per night.
10. Leicester Marriott Hotels Cat 3 / 17,500 points
To be honest I know very little about Leicester or this hotel, and it seems quite far out. However the reviews are pretty good, and there’s an executive lounge which is good news to Platinum members 🙂
Marriott dining benefits in Asia Pacific
Marriott has a special dining scheme in Asia Pacific, which you should know if you are a resident or plan to visit the region.
Unlike Accor Plus, you don’t need to join a separate membership plan to take advantage of it. In a way it works quite similar to Shangri-La. Before I go into any details, all of the following benefits apply even if you not a hotel guest, and this makes a big difference.
[Dining Discount]
All Marriott Bonvoy members enjoy a dining discount at participating hotels, and the actual percentage depends on the membership tier plus the country. In general:
- Member & Silver: 10%
- Gold: 15%
- Platinum, Titanium & Ambassador: 20%
In Greater China the percentages are higher, at 10%, 20% and 30% respectively.
[Earn Points]
In addition to the discount you also earn points, at the regular rate of 10 points per USD.
[Redeem Points]
This is a new feature they introduced recently. Instead of paying cash and earning points, you can now redeem your points. The rate is the same as Instant Redemption, i.e. 10,000 points for $40.
The discount above can be applied in conjunction with the redemption.
The redeeming option doesn’t look very attractive, however the discount is significant (up to 30% off) and earning points on top is even better. In fact Hilton and IHG have similar programs in China / Asia Pacific, not sure why nobody has introduced them to Europe or Americas.
New Marriott promotion – earn 1,500 points per stay
Marriott has finally launched a new global promotion, although not a very tempting one.
You can sign up to the offer here.
- Register by November 28
- Stay between September 14 and December 12
- Earn 1,500 bonus points per stay
- And 3,000 bonus points in addition when staying at All Inclusive by Marriott
All Inclusive is a Marriott hotel collection in Mexico and the Caribbean, therefore irrelevant to most of us who cannot travel freely at the moment. 1,500 bonus points is quite unattractive unless for one-night stays, but still better than nothing I guess.
Great Hilton & IHG Deals: 3-for-2, $100 credit, breakfast, room upgrade and more
A lot of us are probably looking forward to some summer staycations in the UK at the moment, and if you fancy a luxury one within budget, you may find this article useful.
First of all, if you hold the Amex Platinum or Centurion card, it’s always worth checking the FHR options on Amex Travel. Many London hotels are doing Complimentary Third Night at the moment, for example:
Baglioni is a Leading Hotels of the World member, which means you could take advantage of the Amex cashback offer if you have them to reduce the cost of three nights down to £540. Don’t forget to sign up to the free LHW membership offer too, which may help you fare a better room upgrade and earns some points.
But most of the good deals can’t be booked via FHR. Hilton Impresario and IHG Luxury & Lifestyle, which are the luxury booking programs offered by the two hotel groups respectively, offer similar stay benefits with FHR, and are both running 3-for-2 deals with some of their hotels.
You must contact a qualified travel agent to book the rate though. If you happen to speak Chinese, or know friends from China, there’s an app called Badazhou which enables you to book such deals very easily. You can scan the following barcode using Wechat to claim free membership:
If not it’s a bit tricky to book such rates. Virtuoso supports some of these hotels where you can book online, otherwise you’ll have to find a qualified agency using google and talk to them.
Here are some of the best deals I found on Badazhou. Note that Amex has targeted cashback offers for both hotel groups so check your cards before making any bookings.
- Rate: £490 for 3 nights (Deluxe Room)
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; $100 credit; early check-in and late check-out; double Hilton points
One of the five-star hotels in London that I stayed earliest, and probably the best Hilton property in London. The rate is insanely good for a five-star in London, not to mention the many benefits on top.
InterContinental Park Lane, London
- Rate: £930 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; Club benefits; early check-in and late check-out
I’ve redeemed my credit card free night voucher for a one-night stay in June. The rate still looks a bit steep to be honest. and I’m not sure their Club Lounge has re-opened – in which case I suppose you’ll get $100 credit instead.
Hotel Indigo Kensington, London
- Rate: £303 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; $50 credit; early check-in and late check-out
A “budget” option for London, especially if you like museums or luxury shopping. Note that breakfast isn’t included and the credit is lower, due to Kensington not being a top brand.
Kimpton Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
- Rate: £488 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; $100 credit; early check-in and late check-out
My favourite hotel in Edinburgh so far (review here), which I can genuinely recommend.
InterContinental the George, Edinburgh
- Rate: £453 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; $100 credit; early check-in and late check-out
Also a conversion from former Principal, and I intend to try it out next time I’m in town.
- Rate: £600 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; $100 credit; early check-in and late check-out
- Rate: £635 for 3 nights
- Benefits: Room upgrade; breakfast; round of gold or afternoon tea; early check-in and late check-out
Hotel Indigo Victoria Station, Manchester
- Rate: £99 for 1 night
- Benefits: Room upgrade; $50 credit; early check-in and late check-out
I’m not sure about Hilton, but for IHG you must stay by June 30 to take advantage of the 3-for-2 offer.
Other IHG offers:
- Save 20% on IHG hotel bookings with Railcard
- IHG Europe offer: 10% off, £80 credit and room upgrade with Mastercard
- IHG Luxury & Lifestyle: 3-for-2, $100 credit, breakfast, room upgrade and more
My review of The Langley, a Luxury Collection Hotel
It’s been a long wait, but I’ve finally managed a stay at the Langley, which is generally deemed as the best Marriott hotel in this country!
Opened in the summer of 2019, The Langley is a fairly new addition to the Luxury Collection family. It was previously the private residence of Duke of Marlborough the Third, and now has the same owner of the The Wellesley, which is also a Luxury Collection hotel in London. For many it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – how many royal hunting houses are there an ordinary person like me could stay at?
I booked the stay before the hotel moved up to Category 7 in March. It cost 40,000 points as it was an off-peak redemption, and I just used my free night certificate from staying 75 nights last year.
A friend of mine wrote a blog post for me (here, but in Chinese) in 2019, which is a very good one and contains many amazing photos. My post today won’t be as detailed, more of a sketch of my personal experience.
Located between London and Slough, the hotel is only about 20 minutes’ drive from Heathrow Airport. Upon entering the Langley park you’ll notice a signage of the hotel, although the majority of the park is actually public.
The Main House itself is well, stunning!
As Titanium elite, I’m upgraded to a Junior Suite in the Main House. It needs to be stressed that every room and suite in the hotel is unique, so one junior suite can be very different to the other. My Junior Suite is right next to the Duke of Marlborough suite, and unfortunately an average kind.
Don’t get me wrong, as the room itself is totally OK, and I’m especially impressed by its high ceiling. Being a rather new hotel it’s also equipped with modern technology, for which you can adjust the room’s lighting mode by pressing buttons. A bit too modern sometimes though, as I can’t for my life figure out how the TV system works!
Bathroom products are from Hermes. There’s no bathtub.
What my friend had last time was the Bateson Harvey Suite, which by the look of it is even more superior to standard one-bedroom suites. It is under renovation at the moment though so not open to guests.
Separate from the Main House, a second part of the hotel is the Brew House. it’s slightly younger than the Main House and was used for brewery obviously, and there’s still some historic remains in it.
Most of the Classic Rooms are located in the Brew House, although it’s also got a few Junior Suites. Most people prefer the Main House since it’s where all the facilities are, although the Brew House can be significant quieter if you are a light sleeper.
There are an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and a lake behind the houses.
Don’t forget to book the spa! It’s got a large swimming pool:
Jacuzzi with steaming and sauna rooms on either side:
And some stone beds:
The spa facilities are definitely newer than the Kimpton in Glasgow, however I actually prefer the latter.
The hotel is about 40-minutes’ walk from the Langley town centre, therefore most hotel guests choose to dine in. I paid a visit to the Churchill bar, and ordered lobster croquettes, a pizza and a glass of beer.
The total comes to £38 including service charge, which isn’t too bad given it’s a luxurious hotel.
For breakfast you can order from either the Continental Set or Full Set. The free option offered to Platinum members and above is Continental only.
The price difference on the menu is £5, which is what I suppose you pay for the upgrade.
The hotel is definitely great, and I’m convinced it’s one of the best Marriott hotels in the UK. However there’s still quite a few flaws I’ve noticed during the stay, e.g. soundproofing issues, non-blackout curtain and the ungenerous breakfast offering. That said, if you’ve got some Marriott points to spend and fancy a weekend getaway near London, the Langley could be an excellent option.