Currently, Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a 40% transfer bonus to Marriott Bonvoy. This means that for every 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points transferred by June 15, 2024, you’ll receive 1,400 Marriott Bonvoy points.
While this is a good deal, it’s not the highest transfer bonus offered by Ultimate Rewards. Last fall, there was a 50% bonus. However, it may not always be the best use of your points, as Marriott Bonvoy points are typically worth about .08 cents per point.
For example, a 3-night stay at the new JW Marriott St. Marteen Beach Resort & Spa requires 231,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and $150 in resort fees. With the transfer bonus, this would require 165,000 Ultimate Rewards points.Â
However, the cash price of the stay would be $975.70, making it a poor value for your Ultimate Rewards points, which are worth a minimum of 1 cent per point (cpp). You could redeem those same 165,000 points for $1,650, although we don’t typically recommend using points for cash redemptions.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike their competitors, World of Hyatt and Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy requires guests to pay resort fees on award stays. These fees can quickly add up, especially for week-long vacations.
Fifth Night Free
One of the good things about Marriott Bonvoy is that they still offer the fifth-night-free benefit when you book award nights with points or Free Night Certificates (FNC), which can increase the value of your points.
For instance, a 5-night stay during peak season at the Ritz Carton Turks & Caicos would require $6,424 or 482,000 points. However, while stacking this stay with the fifth night free benefit and the 40% transfer bonus, you would only need 345,000 points.
Since this resort doesn’t charge resort fees, you’d get over 1.8 cents per point value from this stay, which is a much better option than the JW St. Marteen option.
Is it worth it?
If you’re a loyal Marriott Bonvoy member or have upcoming stays at Marriott resorts, this bonus presents a good opportunity to maximize both value and point savings. However, as with any transfer bonus, it’s best to run your searches for availability and determine if the offer makes sense for you before you transfer your points. Remember that points are a one-way street and cannot be returned to your Ultimate Rewards account.
If you’re still looking for ideas for possible Marriott stays, check out our recent trip to the Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman Reef in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. We earned over 2 cents per point value from our stay, which would have been even better if this bonus had been available when we booked.
By taking advantage of opportunities like the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus, you can enhance your travel experiences while optimizing the value of your rewards points.
