PART 6: Marriott Cheap Category Hotels in Spain

AC Alicante — minutes from downtown, Postiguet Beach the Marina

PART 1: Marriott Category 1 and 2 Hotels in the U.S.

PART 2: Marriott Category 3 Hotels in the U.S

PART 3: Marriott Low Category Hotels in Canada

PART 4: Marriott Cheap Category Hotels in Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic

PART 5: Marriott Cheap Category Hotels in South America

Marriott New Redemption Rates

• RED: WAIT! Book AFTER August 1, 2018
• GREEN: Book NOW before the price goes up on August 1, 2018

If you want to explore Spain (like really explore rather than stay in a luxury hotel) then Marriott holds amazing value for you. Spain is amazing, fantastic, incredible, and easy on your wallet. Not all of these hotels are good values on points, but it doesn’t hurt that:

• Marriott owns Spanish AC Hotels chain, which has 59 hotels in Spain.
• 33 AC Hotels in Spain are or will be Categories 1-3 on August 18.
• 31 AC Hotels are going down in points on August 18.
• Only 1 AC Hotel is going up.
• 16 are or will be Category 1 on August 18.
• 10 AC Hotels are or will be Category 2 on August 18.
• You will find the best point deals in smaller cities, away from Barcelona or Madrid.

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Madrid

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Madrid hotels can be very cheap. Like incredibly cheap, just $50-60 per night. The bad news is that using points on hotels that sell so cheaply feels wrong and wasteful, and besides, they are all away from downtown except AC Hotel Aitana. Of course, you need to compare cash and point rates in context: include taxes and consider how long you’re staying – if longer than 4 nights, every 5^th night is free.

So, if you stay at one of the Category 1 hotel on points for 5 nights, that’s going to cost you 6,000 points per night. Since I value Marriott points around 0.8 cents, I don’t see how you can go wrong – whatever the cash price is.

Still, I’ve only included Madrid hotels for the sake of thoroughness. I personally wouldn’t spend that much time in Madrid; 5 days are 2 days too many, IMHO. (But if you are a museum lover, I take it back).

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Barcelona

Unlike Madrid, Barcelona is an expensive city (hotelwise), but these 3 hotels seem to sell at around $100 per night. Even after the August 18 reduction, I don’t see the point (pun intended).

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Sevilla

I wish I could be more excited about Sevilla hotels, but the cash samples I “took” indicate a $50-70 range. Not worth the points.

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Gibraltar

AC Hotel Algeciras is just a 15-minute walk from The 7,000 sq yd Medieval Archeological Remains Complex and a 15-minute drive from the Carteia Roman Archeological Site

The following 3 hotels seem to be pretty good deals to me if you want to stay close to the Bay of Gibraltar and/or the ferry to Tangier, Morocco. $75-100.

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Valencia

Jānis Skribāns on Unsplash: Valencia

AC Hotel Valencia seems like a very good deal to me at 7,500 points. Close to the Aquarium and Malvarrosa Beach. $80-125. The other hotel is centrally located, but not worth the points (around $100).

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Gran Canaria

$70-115 cash price. Might be worth using points in winter.

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Basque Country

Spanish Basque Country is astonishing! Nature, architecture, food, wine – I visited Bilbao last summer and fell in love with the place. If I’d had more time to travel, I would’ve hopped in a car and visited a bunch of smaller cities and towns in the region. Burgos and Vitoria Gasteiz would’ve definitely been on my list based on what I’d read about them, and La Rioja will be my next project after I got to taste the wine.

Please, do yourself a favor and visit Bilbao. True, lodging there can cost a lot in the summer, but it’s worth the expense. Bilbao is now my second favorite large Spanish city after Barcelona.

The price range for the hotels below is $70-90 – so 7,500 points would be a great redemption.

AC Hotel Burgos

Cheap AC Hotels in Spain: Other Cities

I haven’t been to any of these cities, and don’t know anything about them. Here is some info from their respective websites.

AC Hotel Almeria ($70-80)

Our hotel is located in the historic and commercial center of the city and near the Alcazaba.

… quick access routes to Archaeological Museum.

… next to the beach and seaside promenade.

Antonio Lainez on Unsplash Cabo De Gata, Almería

AC Hotel Guadalajara ($65-80)

Close to… Siguenza, a beautiful medieval city.

…near the historic town center, near the beautiful Palacio del Infantado Mansion, constructed in a late Gothic style.

AC Hotel Leon San Antonio ($70-80)

… located in the center of the new city, just a few minutes from the Cathedral and the famous Casa de Botines.

AC Hotel Murcia ($75-85)

… near the center of Murcia and has fast transport links… to several places of cultural interest such as the Salzillo Museum, the Episcopal palace… and the Cathedral.

AC Hotel Palacio de Santa Ana ($70-90)

AC Hotel Palacio de Santa Ana, Valladolid : the ancient Convent of Jerónimos transformed into a five-star hotel

Next to the Puente de la Hispanidad Bridge in the majestic town of Valladolid.

…was built on the site of an 18th-century convent named “De los Jerónimos,” which is set in Arroyo de la Encomienda, close to Valladolid.

… located on the shores of the Pisuerga River.

AC Hotel Alicante ($75-80)

AC Hotel Alicante: view from the hot tub

Visit the island of Tabarca, discover its curious origins, and sunbathe on one of its beaches.

Take a dip at El Postiguet beach, located at the foot of Santa Barbara’s Castle.

Stroll in the sunset by the typical streets of Santa Cruz neighborhood, at the foot of the Castle.

… located near the city center, Paseo de la Explanada and the Postiguet Beach… easy access to the Valencia, Murcia, and Madrid highway.

AC Hotel Ciudad de Toledo ($65-70)

AC Hotel Toledo

… near the Tajo River with an impressive panoramic view over the city of Toledo.

AC Hotel Ciudad de Tudela ($110-130)

… located on the premises of an 18th century historic building that used to be known as Casa de Beneficencia.

… allows easy access to the Muñoz Sola Modern Art Museum, the Marqués de San Adrián Palace, Senda Viva Thematic Park.

AC Hotel Cordoba ($70-100)

… near the Renfe (AVE) train station.

… easy access to the historic center, Mezquita de Córdoba, Arabic Baths, and Julio Romero de Torres Museum.

So, to recap

• Use cash for hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Gran Canaria.
• Use points in Valencia, Toledo, Burgos, Alicante and for all other hotels in this post.
• But don’t forget to check the cash rates for your specific dates, just in case.

Easy-peasy.