Marriott Bonvoy is about to make a change to its Events-program that will become effective on January 1, 2020.
Previously, Marriott Rewards members could earn an unlimited number of nights yearly from meetings and events (10 per one) that was changed in 2018 to max one 10 nights annually (read more here). This is now removed.
You can access Marriott Bonvoy page for meetings here.
READ MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
Here’s the update:
Beginning January 1, 2020: Members will no longer earn ten (10) Elite Night Credits for the first event of the calendar year with Marriott Bonvoy Events. This change does not affect the current points/miles earn structure Members who hold qualifying events at participating properties will continue to earn one (1) Elite Night Credit for every twenty (20) room nights actualized up to a maximum of twenty (20) Elite Night Credits per contract.
Here’s how to book a meeting before the end of 2019:
Booking Marriott Meeting To Get 10 Nights Needed For Status?
Conclusion
Marriott Rewards members were able to earn their status entirely on these events, and back in the day when all the nights over 75 rolled over, these nights could be rolling over for years (and lifetime status earned in the process).
This has been a very convenient way, and still is for another 12 days, to earn 10 elite qualifying nights by having a $100 meeting.
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Such a shame that it’s another benefit they are taking away. They found the loophole that people were using to earn elite night credit. So now this benefit is gone along with the rollover nights, such a shame. I am still kicking myself that I didn’t have the foresight to book a room for a meeting or book the cheapest room for the number of nights I needed to achieve Lifetime Titanium, I was definitely close enough that it was doable. I would have been grandfathered in.
I don’t know why they eliminated the rollover nights because they have a spending threshold for ambassador elite status. Right now there is little incentive to staying with Marriott once you spend $20,000 and stay 100 nights. It’s not like you get additional suite night award certificates at intervals of 125 or 150 nights. Same for titanium elite, especially in Asia and the Pacific where nightly room rates at upscale brands (outside of Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai) are regularly under $100. If you can’t get $20,000 in spending what’s the point of staying with Marriott after 75 nights? Marriott could have easily designed a meetings and events component that stopped being from taking advantage of the system. Frankly, I am so disgusted at FlyerTalk and so many of the blogs. Genuine frequent flyers and hotel loyalty program guests (as opposed to those who manipulate the system) have lost a lot of benefits over the years because of the people who manipulate the system. Heck the FAA took the side of airlines on error fares because of all the bloggers. The merger of Marriott and Starwood is also to blame because Marriott has a monopoly in most of the markets that clients want to have meetings and events at.
I did last week and got 10 Elite night my total cost was $80. This 10 Elite night help me reach to titanium
And because of the people that did this, the benefit was taken away.
I’m an event planner. I gave Marriott $150,000 a year in business for five years until when Ritz-Carlton Rewards, Marriott Rewards and SPG merged in August 2018. When they merged the 10 nights PER event went away.
The replacement, which was 10 nights for your first meeting or event of the year and additional nights based on a formula, was a HUGE devaluation because many meetings and events don’t have a room component to them.
If I rent out a ballroom for $30,000 I won’t get any elite qualifying nights. Moreover, the $30,000 in spending does NOT count toward the ambassador status threshold of $20,000.
There is no incentive to hold meetings and events at Marriott properties.
Since August 2018, I can count on ONE HAND the number of events I’ve done at a Marriott property. Total spend has been maybe $70,000.
In your case they are losing a lot of business because of this.
I don’t understand what Marriott Bonvoy is doing, and why they don’t think their new policies will hurt business. For years we’ve been loyal members, and have consistently achieved gold status. We do not travel for business, so this has been entirely for leisure stays. We stayed at high end properties, spending lots of dollars.
This year they eliminated the access to the executive lounge benefit for gold members. This was one of the only truly worthwhile perks. It allowed for a quick breakfast, and and perhaps a bottle of water during the day and an appetizer or cup of tea in the evening. But it kept us loyal to the brand, even when staying at the St. Regis in D.C., which didn’t have a lounge, but was very expensive. We wanted to maintain our status.
So, we just booked a vacay in Florida. We will stay at the Conrad Hilton instead. Without the lounge access, it’s no longer worth searching for a property in the Marriott SPG group. I know many, many others who are equally disappointed, and will be showing their displeasure similarly.
What shortsighted thinking. I hope whoever is making these decisions takes a long look at the outcomes. No one likes to have something taken away. And annoyed people drop their loyalty fast.
I’m also an event planner, and I’m almost always dealing with events that have a local audience rather than will take a block of rooms, so no additional rooms for me.
But I don’t think any of the other hotel loyalty programs give you nights toward personal status either? (at least, I haven’t gotten any from Hilton or Hyatt for the events I’ve booked on their properties; I think Omni might but haven’t gotten my rewards from the one I did there this year). Marriott gives 2 points per dollar, plus elite level bonuses. And I get points on the a/v costs – Hyatt doesn’t even do that. For roughly the same spend at Hyatt and Marriott properties this fall, I earned 48,000 points at a Marriott vs 13,000 at a Hyatt. Hilton also gives 1 point per dollar and no nights (My events are all US based, not sure if this changes at all for nonUS booking). I think Marriott has moved toward what is more industry standard, as annoying as it is. (And it’s annoying. I’m pretty much never going to hit titanium; I’ll have to take all my vacation at Marriotts to even make platinum now).
But the bottom line for me as an event planner, is well, the bottom line. I’m not choosing properties based on what they give me, the individual, I’m looking at value and quality for my event. For instance, I’m moving towards independent ballrooms/facilities where the service fee will be considerably less than the 24-25% the big three charge. I don’t get anything from these ballrooms; I just save $40K on the $200K I spend there since there’s no service fee.
I am super happy to take the hotel points, the status, the free nights I get incidentally as a planner – it’s awesome, it’s a huge perk, it’s part of why I have this job – but I can’t make my business decisions based on it, any more than I’m going to choose a vendor just because they send me a box of chocolates at Christmas.
I’m curious – now that you are using Marriott less, where are you taking your events, and what are you getting from the other brands/venues that’s more incentivizing?
You have a link “Here’s how to book a meeting before the end of 2019”, but I am a little confused. Booking a meeting for a future date in 2020 will not earn one credits, right? Thanks for the heads-up.
Just another greedy move by Marriott. That Sorensen guy needs to go already. He has f’d up the program especially for us SPG legacy folks. He is worthless
I’m Hilton Diamond and IHG Spire. See little incentive to start Marriott these days. Sad.
Just another greedy move by Marriott. That Sorensen guy needs to go already. He has f’d up the program especially for us SPG legacy folks. He is worthless
Rewards program benefits will continue to erode until the economy has a downturn. Airlines, Credit Cards and Hotels are doing well. They don’t feel they need to incentivize customers.
If I sign the contract for a meeting today, but the meeting takes place in 2020, will I get the 10 nights credit?
Updated Terms and Conditions:
5.3.d. Elite Night Credit. Members who hold Qualifying Events at Participating Properties receive one (1) Elite Night Credit for every twenty (20) room nights booked and actualized, up to a maximum of twenty (20) Elite Night Credits per contract. The earning of ten (10) Elite Night Credits per calendar year for the first Qualifying Event will end on December 31, 2019.