[ { "post_id": "415", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "Marriott Bonvoy makes some minor changes to its T&C's - September 2023", "post_content_short": "The start of September 2023 saw some minor, clarifying changes made to Marriott Bonvoy T&C's.
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\n(1)<\/strong> Under T&C's 2.1.b Bonvoy members can earn points on their own room plus 2 additional rooms during a stay.  Previously\nthis required the member to "stay in one of the 3 rooms".  This has now been clarified to say that all 3 rooms must have the same\ncheck-in and check-out dates<\/strong>.\nPresumably this is to prevent the member collecting points for say 11 nights by staying only 1 night, while guests in the other rooms\nstayed  5 nights each.
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\nThe member must pay for all 3 rooms by paying a "qualifying" (non-discounted) rate or apply an Award Redemption for all\nof the rooms<\/strong>.
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\nThe benefit is aimed at families or groups staying together for a single vacation.
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\n(2)<\/strong> T&C's for Marriott Homes & Villas were also clarified in a similar manner to align with hotel stays.  A\nmember can earn (5) points per USD spent for up to 3 homes,<\/strong> provided the homes are in the same city<\/strong> and\nthe bookings are for identical check-in and check-out dates.  <\/strong>Also, as with hotels, Elite Night Credits\nare only received for 1 of the homes<\/strong>\n(ie the one in which the member stayed).
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", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/media\/website_posts\/415\/Bonvoy-logo-dark.jpg", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/hotels\/ma\/marriott-bonvoy-guide\/", "post_date": "2023-09-01 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "387", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "Renovated resort will become the first Marriott-branded all-inclusive resort in the world", "post_content_short": "The former Marriott Cancun Resort will reopen in early 2024<\/strong> as an all-inclusive renamed Marriott Cancun, An\n\tAll-Inclusive Resort.<\/strong>\n\n

The resort will become the first Marriott-branded all-inclusive resort in the world.\n

\n\tThe former Marriott Cancun Resort closed its doors in March 2023<\/strong> to undergo an extensive renovation for the conversion.\n\n

\n\tIt’s also the latest step in Marriott International’s quest to grow its all-inclusive footprint. In 2019 Marriott International announced it planned to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in all-inclusive resort product. Since 2019 Marriott has grown its All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy portfolio to 31 resorts<\/a><\/strong>.\n\n

\n\tMarriott and its competitors may be relative newcomers to an all-inclusive market already dominated in Mexico and the Caribbean by Spain-based hotel conglomerates (Iberostar, Barcelo etc), and other dominant players including Sandals Resorts. But they’re making up for\n\tlost time in a hurry.
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\n\tMarriott says the renewed Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort will redefine what it means to be ‘all-inclusive’ and will debut newly\n\tredesigned rooms, suites, lobby, meeting spaces, and public areas, including new restaurant concepts, expansive pools, and a lazy river and\n\twaterpark.\n\n

\n\tThe resort began renovations in March 2023. Meanwhile the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa sister resort is open and fully operating.\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/media\/website_posts\/387\/Bonvoy-logo-dark.jpg", "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2023-06-08 23:00:00" }, { "post_id": "375", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "Marriott first to \"prominently display\" Resort Fees - effective from May 15", "post_content_short": "In response to a court settlement in 2021, by mid-May Marriott will be the first to respond to consumer pressure with upfront full rates on\nits website and app.
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\nMarriott International in mid-May is going to prominently display on its website and mobile app rates inclusive of resort or\ndestination fees<\/strong>, according to multiple reports. Marriott is making this required moved based on a 2021 settlement in a Pennsylvania court regarding resort\nfees as a deceptive practice. 
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\nNow the question becomes how quickly other hotels, hotel companies and online travel agents will follow suit before similarly pursued by\nstates.
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\nAs of now,<\/strong> online travel agencies such as Expedia can show Marriott rates with resort fees displayed much less\nprominently<\/strong>.
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\nMarriott issued a statement on the afternoon of Monday May 1st (local time):  “Marriott International is committed to providing\ncustomers with clear and transparent pricing. We have long been focused on ensuring that any resort\/destination fees charged by hotels are\nseparately and clearly stated. We have been working diligently over the last several months on the technology required to update our room\nrate display and further enhance the way these fees are disclosed, in accordance with our agreement with the State of Pennsylvania. In fact,\nwhen we deploy our changes by May 15, 2023, we expect to be the first hospitality company to change its display, leading the industry on\nthis important issue."
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\nOther hotel chain have also had resort fees associated with some properties that were not fully disclosed until payment.  Some resort\nfees were applied to properties that were clearly not "resorts".
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\nFurther, even though the members of some loyalty progrms may have had resort fees waived, not all programs did so.
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\nThis added price transparency is a win for consumers.  We hope the online travel agencies join the party soon.<\/em>", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/media\/website_posts\/375\/The-Ritz-Carlton-Barcelona-.jpg", "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2023-05-05 14:00:00" }, { "post_id": "374", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "Marriott expands its affordable\/midrange presence in Caribbean and Latin America region", "post_content_short": "Marriott announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the City Express brand portfolio from Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V.\n(BMV: HCITY). With this acquisition, Marriott International has entered the affordable midscale segment and is launching its 31st<\/sup> brand,\nCity Express by Marriott.<\/em>
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\nWith this brand acquisition, Marriott has significantly grown its presence in the Caribbean and Latin America, making it the\nlargest hotel company in the region,\n\n

\n\tThe existing City Express hotel portfolio, consisting of approximately 150 properties<\/strong>, is now part of Marriott’s franchise system. These properties include urban, suburban, and extended stay offerings in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Chile<\/strong>.. The transaction has increased Marriott’s presence in the CALA (Caribbean and Latin America) region by approximately 45 percent.
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\n\tThe City Express brand portfolio consists of five sub-brands: City Express, City Express Plus, City Express Suites, City Express Junior, and\n\tCity Centro.
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\n\tIn the coming months, the City Premios loyalty program is expected to be retired during 2023, as it is integrated into the Marriott Bonvoy\n\tplatform.", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/media\/website_posts\/374\/Bonvoy-logo-dark.jpg", "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2023-05-02 02:15:00" }, { "post_id": "367", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "JW Marriott enters the Luxury Safari market", "post_content_short": "Marriott today announced the opening of JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, marking the company's highly anticipated debut in the luxury safari\nsegment.
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\nSitting within the Masai Mara National Reserve in Southwestern Kenya, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife and wilderness conservation\nregions, the lodge is a sophisticated sanctuary from which to discover animals and breathtaking vistas in harmony. Exhilarating guided game\ndrives offer guests the opportunity to observe the “Big Five” that Masai Mara is home to, including lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceros,\nand elephants. Between June and September, the reserve is host to the annual great wildebeest migration, which sees more than 10 million\nanimals travel a distance of 1,800 miles from the Serengeti in neighboring Tanzania.\n\n

JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge is a 30-minute drive from Keekorok Airstrip and a 25-minute drive from Sekenani Main Gate.\n

\n\tBookings for JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge are now open with prices from US$1,450 per person, per night (all-inclusive board basis). For more\n\tinformation, visit <\/em>www.marriott.com<\/em><\/a>.or\n\tcontact Neil at Rewarding Travel<\/a>, our associated agency which is an affiliate of Fora Travel\n\tInc.<\/em>\n\n

\n\tSingita is the historical leader in this market, so it will be interesting to see how Marriott's new entrant will measure up.<\/em>\n", "post_icon": "https:\/\/www.pointsnplaces.com\/media\/website_posts\/367\/zebra-1170177_640.jpg", "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2023-04-04 09:00:00" }, { "post_id": "348", "post_category_id": "2", "post_title": "Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance Feature Ends 28 March 2023", "post_content_short": "<\/a><\/a><\/a>Marriott\n\tBonvoy had a unique feature that allowed members to make an unlimited number of award reservations that were not backed up points in\n\tthe accounts. Instead, you needed to have them 14 days before the intended stay. <\/a>Under\n\tBonvoy, the Points Advance has been devalued several times; the number of active award reservations without backed points was reduced to\n\tthree, you needed to have the points within 60 days of making such a reservation or 14 days before the stay, and these reservations no\n\tlonger locked in the points rates. 
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\n\tNow, Marriott Bonvoy is ending them altogether on March 28, 2023, citing low demand as a reason.  <\/strong>You\n\tcan access Marriott Bonvoy here<\/a>.  <\/strong>\n\n

Important points to note:\n