In the world of high points travel rewards, Marriott’s Hotel + Air package has long been regarded as one of the best values. Hotel + Air packages award 7 hotel nights + airline miles starting at 200,000 Marriott Rewards points. These rewards are available for any hotel category level 1-9 in Marriott Rewards or Tier 1-5 in Ritz Carlton Rewards.
Hotel + Air rewards can be viewed as offering 7 hotel nights at the regular reward rate, and with a better rate for Marriott points converted to miles.
Hotel + Air Package Rates range from 200,000 points for a Marriott category 5 hotel reward with 55,000 United miles to 540,000 points for a Ritz-Carlton Tier 5 for 7 nights and 132,000 United miles.
Hotel + Air Travel Packages Earn Miles at Best Reward Rate
The reward cost for a Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Travel Package with United miles is the same price in points as all other airlines, dependent on the hotel reward category level.
The difference between packages is the number of airline miles received, dependent on the airline.
United Airlines Hotel + Air Travel Packages earn 10% more United miles than airlines like Delta and American Airlines.
Marriott Rewards rates for United Airlines Hotel + Air Package. Rates for other airlines are available with the same webpage link.
Category 8 hotels are an easy reward level to explain the exchange rates for Hotel + Air Package rewards. The reward rate for 7 nights at a Marriott Rewards category 8 + 55,000 United miles = 290,000 Marriott Rewards points.
Normally a Category 8 hotel Standard reward = 40,000 points per night.
Category 8 hotels are 160,000 points for 5th night free + 80,000 points for nights 6 and 7 = 240,000 points. The 50,000 points difference between the standard reward rate for 7 nights and the Hotel + Air Travel Package at 290,000 points buys 55,000 United Mileage Plus miles.
Marriott Hotel + Air Package gives 10% more miles for United Mileage Plus than other airlines with the next best transfer rate for these rewards. Tier 1 airlines like British Airways, Delta and American earn 50,000 miles and Tier 2 airlines like Emirates and Lufthansa earn 35,000 miles at this same reward level.
Best Points to Miles Exchange Rate across hotel loyalty programs is
0.91 Marriott points = 1 United mile with Hotel + Air Package.
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Ritz Carlton Tiers 1, 2 and 4 hotels have reduced points-to-miles exchange rate.
Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Packages lump Ritz-Carlton Tier 1-3 and 4-5 together. The reward rates are higher than expected for Ritz-Carlton Tier 1, 2 and 4 hotels since the rate pattern is based on the highest Tier 3 and Tier 5 rates for these rewards.
Ritz-Carlton Standard Reward Rates for Tier 1-5 Hotels.
For example, Ritz Carlton Tier 1 hotels are 30,000 points per night and a member would expect the Hotel + Air Travel Package would be equivalent to the cost of Marriott Rewards Category 6 hotel, also at 30,000 points per night. Category 6 Hotel + Air Travel Package for 55,000 miles = 230,000 points.
The cost rises to 350,000 points Hotel + Air Package for a Ritz Carlton Tier 1 Hotel + United 55,000 miles. In this example, the cost for miles is 170,000 additional points above the Standard Reward rate for 55,000 United miles.
Exchange rate: 3.09 points = 1 mile.
At this rate the Marriott Rewards member is better off redeeming points for two separate rewards to get a Ritz-Carlton Tier 1 hotel stay for 7 nights (180,000 points) and exchange 112,000 points for 50,000 United miles through a regular points-to-miles transfer. The Hotel + Air Package when used at a Ritz-Carlton Tier 1 hotels costs an extra 58,000 points for only an additional 5,000 United miles.
Marriott Rewards Hotel + Air Travel Packages at Ritz Carlton Hotels are based on the Ritz Carlton Tier 3 Standard Reward rate and the Ritz-Carlton Tier 5 Standard Reward rate.
MegaPoints = Big Miles: 132,000 miles at 0.91 Marriott points per mile.
Ritz-Carlton Tier 3 Standard Reward stay for 7 nights with 5th Night Free is normally 50,000 points x 6 nights = 300,000 points. An additional 120,000 points for a Ritz-Carlton Tier 3 Hotel + Air package at 420,000 points buys 132,000 miles with United Mileage Plus.
Standard Exchange Rate for Marriott Rewards to United miles.
The regular exchange rates for Marriott Rewards points transfer to United Airlines Mileage Plus miles is 20% better than with other airlines in the top tier exchange rate. Marriott operates three main tiers of airlines.
Exchange Rates across Marriott Rewards different airline partners
56,000 points = 25,000 miles with Top Tier United Airlines
- United Airlines exchange rate: 2.24 points = 1 mile.
- Hotel + Air Travel Package transfer rate: 0.91 points = 1 mile.
Marriott Rewards Tier 1 airlines 70,000 points = 25,000 miles with
- Delta Airlines exchange rate: 2.8 points = 1 mile.
- Hotel + Air Travel Package transfer rate: 1 point = 1 mile.
Aeromexico, Aeroplan (Air Canada), Alaska, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, GOL/Varig, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia Airlines, US Airways, Virgin Atlantic
Marriott Rewards Tier 2 airlines 70,000 points = 17,500 miles
- Lufthansa exchange rate: 4 points = 1 mile.
- Hotel + Air Travel Package transfer rate: 1.43 points = 1 mile.
Aeroflot, airberlin, Air China, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, ANA, Asia Miles, Asiana Airlines, Avianca-TACA, China Eastern, China Southern, Emirates, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, LAN, Lufthansa Miles & More, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Saudia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal
There are other exchange rates with Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Virgin America.
Marriott Rewards has a great exchange rate if you are capable of earning these six-figure high levels of Marriott Rewards points for Hotel + Air Travel Packages.
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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.
Loyalty Traveler shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests.
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