I am not a huge fan of the Marriott Rewards program.  From my experiences, Marriott properties are the most consistent of any major chain…..and that bothers me a little.  80% of my goal in collecting hotel points is for aspirational stays and the remaining 20% is to save money. I use Marriott almost exclusively in the 20%.

Generally if I can find a halfway decent promotion from Hyatt or SPG, I will go that route to increase my balance of points to be used for aspirational stays.  Unfortunately the current promotions running across most every chain are yawners. In a fit of desperation I logged into my Marriott account to find two stackable promotions that are lucrative enough to steer my business away from my two favorite programs.

First off is the Unexpected Bonus which is offering me a free category 1-5 hotel stay for two stays at a Marriott.  Keep in mind everyone has a specific offer but this appears to be the most common offering this time around.  Generally I have only been offered a category 1-4 which still doesn’t get me into most larger airport hotels.  I perused the Category 5 listings and found several great properties, some of which move into that hypothetical “aspirational” range.

Second is the Escape the everyday which adds a 5000 bonus if the two stays are at a SpringHill Suites.

The bottom line

While I wouldn’t go mattress run to take advantage of these offers, I do believe the tandem creates the best hotel promotion currently on the market by a solid margin.  I had a couple of SPG stays booked but I will cancel them to move my business to Marriott.  I would recommend checking your Marriott account online to see which promotion(s) you are offered.  The first promotion starts May 15 while the second is live now.