Ever Wondered How to Unlock Incredible Savings on Your Marriott Stays? Let's Talk "One Point Drop"!
Hey there, fellow travelers and Marriott Bonvoy enthusiasts! Are you constantly on the lookout for ways to make your hard-earned Marriott Bonvoy points stretch further? Do you dream of snagging those luxurious stays for fewer points? Then you've come to the right place! Today, we're diving deep into a fascinating and often misunderstood aspect of the Marriott Bonvoy program: the "one point drop," more formally known as PointSavers awards or the general dynamics of flexible point redemption rates. While the term "one point drop" might sound like a secret trick, it's actually about understanding how Marriott's dynamic pricing works to your advantage. Get ready to become a point-savvy pro!
Let's begin this journey to smarter point redemptions, shall we?
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| How Does Marriott One Point Drop Work |
Step 1: Understanding the Shifting Sands of Marriott Bonvoy Point Redemption
Before we can truly grasp the "one point drop" concept, it's crucial to understand how Marriott Bonvoy prices its award nights. Gone are the days of rigid award charts with fixed categories. Since March 2022, Marriott transitioned to a dynamic pricing model for award redemptions. This means:
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No Fixed Categories Anymore: While hotels still have internal categories, the actual point cost for a night is no longer strictly tied to them.
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Fluctuating Prices: The number of points required for a free night can change daily and is influenced by various factors, much like cash rates. This is where the "one point drop" (or a significant point drop) comes into play.
Factors Influencing Point Prices:
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Demand: High demand for a particular hotel or destination on specific dates will generally lead to higher point costs. Think holidays, major events, or peak seasons.
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Seasonality: Travel seasons (peak, standard, off-peak) heavily influence pricing. You'll typically find lower point requirements during off-peak times.
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Hotel Occupancy: When a hotel has many empty rooms, they're more likely to offer lower point rates to fill them.
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Room Type: Standard rooms usually require fewer points than premium rooms or suites.
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Specific Promotions: Marriott occasionally runs promotions like PointSavers, which offer discounted redemption rates for a limited time at participating hotels.
Step 2: What is a "One Point Drop" (aka PointSavers/Flexible Redemption Savings)?
The "one point drop" isn't a magical, single-point reduction. Instead, it refers to the opportunity to book a Marriott stay for significantly fewer points than its typical or standard redemption rate. This can happen in a few ways:
Sub-heading 2.1: The Power of PointSavers
PointSavers are official Marriott Bonvoy offers that allow members to save points on standard or premium room redemptions. When a property offers a PointSavers rate, you can get up to 20% off the usual redemption rate. These are not always available and participation is at the discretion of each property.
Sub-heading 2.2: Dynamic Pricing Reductions (The Unofficial "Drop")
Tip: Focus on one point at a time.
More commonly, the "one point drop" refers to simply finding a date where the dynamic pricing for a hotel has decreased the point requirement. This isn't a specific promotion, but rather the nature of the dynamic pricing model working in your favor. If a hotel has lower occupancy predictions or less demand for certain dates, the point cost might drop. This can be a substantial drop, not just "one point."
Step 3: How to Actively Seek Out and Capitalize on Point Drops
This is where the rubber meets the road! Finding these point-saving opportunities requires a bit of strategy and persistence.
Sub-heading 3.1: Be Flexible with Your Dates
This is perhaps the single most important tip! Because point values fluctuate daily based on demand, having flexible travel dates is your greatest asset.
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Action: When searching on the Marriott website or app, use the "Flexible Dates" option. Instead of entering specific check-in and check-out dates, select "Flexible Dates" and then choose your preferred month or range of months. This will often display a calendar view showing the point cost for each night, making it easy to spot lower rates.
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Tip: Look for weekdays, shoulder seasons (just before or after peak season), or dates that don't coincide with major holidays or local events.
Sub-heading 3.2: Utilize the Marriott Website (Desktop Recommended!)
While the Marriott Bonvoy app is convenient, for finding the best PointSavers or dynamic rate drops, the desktop website is often superior.
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Action:
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Go to Marriott.com and log in to your Bonvoy account.
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Enter your destination and select "Use Points / Awards" before searching.
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If you have specific dates, perform a search. If a PointSavers rate is available, it should appear already discounted in the results.
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If your dates are flexible, use the "Flexible Dates" option as described above.
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Once you select a hotel, click "View Rates" to see the full calendar of point costs. This is where you can clearly see the fluctuations.
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Sub-heading 3.3: Search Broadly, Then Narrow Down
Instead of searching for a specific hotel, try searching for an entire city or region.
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Action: For example, instead of "The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore," search "Singapore." This allows you to see all participating Marriott properties in the area and quickly identify which ones might have lower point requirements on your desired dates.
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Benefit: You might discover a fantastic deal at a hotel you hadn't considered!
Sub-heading 3.4: The "Refresh" Trick (for existing bookings)
Marriott allows you to change an existing award reservation if the point price drops. This is a game-changer!
Tip: Train your eye to catch repeated ideas.
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Action:
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Book a refundable award stay at the current point rate if you find dates that work for you.
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Periodically check the point cost for the exact same dates and hotel leading up to your stay.
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If you see the point price drop, simply go into your existing reservation on the Marriott website or app and look for an option to "Modify" or "Refresh" the rate. The system should automatically reprice your stay at the lower point amount, and the difference will be credited back to your account.
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Why this works: Marriott's flexible cancellation policy for award stays makes this strategy virtually risk-free.
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Important Note: This "refresh" feature generally works for point bookings, not for Free Night Awards (FNAs) unless you're adding points to an FNA.
Sub-heading 3.5: Consider the "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" Benefit
This isn't a point drop in itself, but it's a guaranteed way to save points on longer stays.
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Action: When you book five consecutive nights at the same hotel using points, Marriott will give you the cheapest night free. This effectively gives you a 20% discount on a five-night stay.
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Combination: This benefit can be combined with PointSavers or dynamically lower rates, maximizing your savings even further!
Step 4: Monitoring Tools and Strategies for Continuous Savings
Staying on top of point drops can be a bit like playing a game, but with real savings as the prize!
Sub-heading 4.1: Set Up Alerts (If Available)
While Marriott doesn't have a built-in "point drop alert" system, some third-party tools or forums might offer ways to track specific properties.
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Strategy: Manually check your desired dates and hotels regularly, especially if you have a specific redemption in mind. A quick check a few times a week can pay off.
Sub-heading 4.2: Understand Point Value
Knowing the approximate value of a Marriott Bonvoy point (typically around 0.7-0.9 US cents per point) can help you determine if a "drop" is a good deal.
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Calculation: (Cash Price of Room / Number of Points Required) = Value per Point. Aim for redemptions that give you a value equal to or higher than the average.
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Context: A "drop" might bring a redemption from poor value to good value, or from good value to excellent value.
Sub-heading 4.3: Leverage Free Night Awards (FNAs) with Points
Many Marriott co-branded credit cards offer annual Free Night Awards. While these have a point cap (e.g., 35,000 or 50,000 points), you can often top them off with up to 15,000 additional points from your Bonvoy account.
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Action: If a hotel is priced slightly above your FNA's value, check if a dynamic "drop" brings it within reach, or allows you to use fewer of your own points for the top-off.
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Strategic Use: Look for off-peak dates where a higher-category hotel might fall within your FNA's value, or require a smaller top-off.
Tip: Don’t overthink — just keep reading.
Step 5: Patience and Persistence are Key!
Finding the absolute best point redemptions often comes down to patience. Don't jump on the first available option unless your travel dates are extremely rigid.
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Keep checking back: Point values can literally change day to day, sometimes even hour to hour. A property that was too expensive yesterday might be within reach today.
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Don't be afraid to cancel and rebook: As long as you book a refundable award, you have nothing to lose by waiting for a better deal or rebooking if one appears.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marriott Bonvoy Point Redemptions:
Here are 10 common "How to" questions related to understanding and maximizing Marriott Bonvoy point redemptions:
How to find PointSavers rates on the Marriott website?
PointSavers rates are typically integrated into the regular search results on Marriott.com when you select "Use Points/Awards." They won't be explicitly labeled as "PointSavers" but will appear as a lower-than-expected point cost for certain dates. It's best to use the desktop site for searching, as the discount might only show up when you click "Select Room" in the app.
How to know if a hotel uses dynamic pricing for points?
All Marriott Bonvoy hotels now use dynamic pricing. This means the point cost for a night is not fixed and will fluctuate based on various factors like demand and seasonality.
How to combine Free Night Awards with points for a stay?
When redeeming a Free Night Award (FNA), you can often "top off" its value with up to 15,000 additional Marriott Bonvoy points from your account. During the booking process, if the hotel requires more points than your FNA covers, the system will automatically prompt you to use points to cover the difference.
How to get the "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" benefit?
Tip: Take mental snapshots of important details.
Simply book five consecutive nights at the same Marriott Bonvoy hotel using only points. The system will automatically deduct the points for the cheapest of the five nights, giving you one night free.
How to check the value of my Marriott Bonvoy points?
To calculate the value of your points for a specific redemption, divide the cash price of the room (including taxes and fees) by the number of points required for that same room. For example, if a room costs $150 or 20,000 points, your points are worth $150 / 20,000 = $0.0075 or 0.75 cents per point.
How to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points quickly?
You can earn points through hotel stays, co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (which often have generous sign-up bonuses and earning rates), transferring points from credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards (at varying rates), and participating in promotions or dining programs.
How to change an existing Marriott award reservation if the points drop?
Log into your Marriott Bonvoy account, find your existing award reservation, and look for an option to "Modify" or "Refresh" the reservation. If the point cost for your dates has dropped, the system should allow you to rebook at the lower rate, and the difference will be refunded to your account.
How to utilize "flexible dates" effectively on Marriott.com?
When searching for a hotel, click on the check-in date field and select "Flexible Dates" instead of "Exact Dates." You can then choose a specific month or a range of months to view a calendar of point costs per night, helping you identify the lowest rates.
How to understand peak and off-peak pricing in Marriott Bonvoy?
While Marriott no longer has a fixed "award chart" with distinct peak and off-peak categories, the dynamic pricing model inherently reflects these concepts. Dates with high demand (peak season, holidays, events) will automatically have higher point requirements, while low-demand periods (off-peak) will have lower requirements.
How to find specific hotels offering PointSavers rates?
Marriott previously maintained a list of PointSavers hotels, but this is less common now with dynamic pricing. The best way to find them is to simply search for your desired destination and dates (or flexible dates) on Marriott.com using points. If a PointSavers rate is active, it will show the discounted point value for eligible properties.
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