There’s been much debate among the Marriott community regarding a Fall 2018 promotion. The time in which they usually announce promotions came and went, leading some to believe there might not be one this year. However, the Big M finally came through. Marriott finally offers a Fall 2018 promotion as its competitor’s offers are already well underway.
Honestly, I was skeptical Marriott would offer a Fall 2018 promotion. While it would be insane for them not to, especially with all the animosity the integration created, I feel like they’ve got more important things to worry about. The integration, after all, still isn’t going so well and we’re already about a month into it. But, Marriott (thankfully) proved me wrong and a Fall 2018 MegaBonus is now available for registration.
Fall 2018 MegaBonus
If you’ve been a Marriott Rewards member for a while, the Fall 2018 MegaBonus (login to view promo) will look familiar to you. Members that register for the promotion will receive 2,000 bonus points for every stay of two nights or more. Additionally, members will earn an additional 1,000 bonus points for each brand they stay with after your second brand. These bonuses apply to stays between September 26, 2018, and January 31, 2019. Members need to register for this offer to be eligible.
As you might imagine, Marriott Vacation Club owner-occupied weeks don’t qualify for this promotion. And, nights paid with points, certificates, etc. don’t qualify either.
29 Ways to Stay
What is different about this year’s Fall MegaBonus is the addition of a game. The game, which is called 29 Ways to Stay, will give members the opportunity to win prizes, such as free nights and points while learning about Marriott’s expanded portfolio of brands. Little is know about this contest beyond this, though. And the contest will not be available until October 4, 2018, concluding on November 1, 2018.
Marriott Finally Offers a Fall 2018 Promotion, Final Thoughts
Again, I’m happy to be proven wrong and have a Fall 2018 MegaBonus. And I’m even more happy that it’s a promotion I’ll be able to take advantage of! After all, when I’m in NorCal later this year, I’ll be visiting three different brands with a total of eight nights. Then, at the end of the year, I have another stay at another brand for another two nights. So, in all, I expect to be able to earn at least 8,000 bonus points, which really isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing I suppose. That could have been 9,000 points, but one of my stays is an award stay.
Compared to the other promotions, Marriott’s Fall promo is a bit of a mixed bag. Hiltons double points (triple at resorts) is by far a better option. With that promotion, as Aspire cardholder staying at a resort can earn a whopping 64 points per dollar; 20 points/$ base as a Diamond, 3x points for the promo, and 14 points/$ for using the card. And, of course, there’s the World of Hyatt promotion, which is based on the total number of nights stayed. If you’re a road warrior and can attain 40 nights during the promotional period, you’ll scoop up 60,000 bonus points. But, for someone that doesn’t stay as often such as myself, then Marriott’s promotion is clearly the better one. With my upcoming travels, I’d be able to earn only 7,500 bonus points. Not a huge difference, but a difference nonetheless.