There is often a simple trick to save money on hotel stays through points purchases. You can buy points through the loyalty programs to save a significant amount of money. However, there are certain themes which I have found that need to be true, to create those significant savings:
- Luxury hotels across the world, or,
- Mid-tier to luxury hotels in low cost of living nations, or,
- Special events
You might be able to use these strategies to save money in other scenarios, however, these are the most common scenarios I have experienced.
Saving Money on Travel
I am one of the few full service travel agents who helps people with their end-to-end itinerary planning. As part of my work, I often come across different opportunities to help customers save money. I hope to share some of my findings with the wider public. As usual, in the world of travel hacking, not everything will be shared publicly. Too much public exposure can often undermine the deal we work to get for our customers.
Other posts about saving money include:
- Save Money by Purchasing Two One-Way Ticket
- Save Money with Air Canada Same Day Change
- Save Money by Searching on Several Travel Portals
- Save Money by Checking Air Canada US Dollar and Air Canada Canadian Dollar Website
- Save Money by Checking WestJet US Dollar and WestJet Canadian Dollar Website
- Save Money on WestJet by Booking with a Travel Agent
- Save Money with Same-Day Flight Change on Delta
- Save Money on Hotel Stays with Buying Points
Research of Hotel Pricing
The same logic applies to all the criteria I listed above. However, I will use a special event as a representative example of the savings available for consumers.
I was booking a stay during the Calgary Stampede. A one night stay, from July 12, 2025 to July 13, 2025. A quick search on Marriott.com showed me the following search results:
I clicked on the Calgary Marriott Downtown hotel. It is a very nice hotel, and one which I have stayed in quite frequently.
Reservation Using Marriott Bonvoy Points
A room night costs 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points.
The cancellation policy is very generous; allowing free cancellations up to 72 hours prior to arrival.
Revenue Using Cash
A room night costs C$786, after taxes and fees for that evening.
The cancellation policy is very egregious, it requires a full prepayment in advance. You will have to cancel 30 days in advance. Otherwise, you will pay for the entire room reservation.
Cost of Buying Points
Marriott Bonvoy constantly has promotions for buying points. As of the time of this writing, Marriott Bonvoy has a 30% bonus when you purchase points. I can buy 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Oiubts for US$487.50 or C$665.
This example is not a huge saving. However, I have used this strategy to help save clients more than 50% during their stays.
Risks of Buying Points
This strategy does not come without risks. The biggest risk is you are paying cash for a currency that has no physical value. The value is entirely dependent on Marriott Bonvoy, and they aren’t known to conserve the value of points.
If you were to cancel your reservation, you would be out over C$650, and you would only get points back. There could be a situation where you use your points at a lower value than that, causing your points purchase to be a poor decision.
However, I would argue, you should always seek to obtain outsized value of your points. At a minimum, I would be looking at rooms greater than $750 to use Marriott Reward Points.
Conclusion
When used strategically, buying points to save money on hotel stays can represent savings. My largest saving to date has been on a points reservation that saved the client 65%.
Yes, booking on points does not benefit me, however, it benefits the client, which is my most important criteria.
