Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel — 12,500 Points
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 5: Marriott Cheap Category Hotels in South America
Part 6: Marriott Cheap Category Hotels in Spain
Welcome to the next installment of my my curated list of best cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels. Better late than never, right?
I’m changing the format of this series. My last cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels post was in August. So, it wouldn’t make much sense to reminisce about the old redemption rates anyway.
In addition, I’ve found that trying to tie a redemption rate into cash prices can be a fool’s errand. For example, I might believe that a Marriott Rewards point should cost around 0.8 cents, but it doesn’t give us enough information to be able to say that one redemption is good, and another one isn’t, and the problem is not that the prices fluctuate — we’ve always known that. The problem is the extent to which they fluctuate! I’ll explain a little later, but first —
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Methodology
I love doing extensive research, but I also value my sanity.
That means, no, I didn’t research every hotel on this list. However, I did compile this list based on the certain criteria:
- Tourism value. While not all cities in this list are major tourist destinations, they all appear to be worth visiting, at least according to web sources I have a reason to trust.
- Monetary value. It’s not a deal to redeem 12,500 Marriott Rewards points on a hotel room that’s worth $50, so I did take that into consideration.
Finding the right value, however, is where the problem lies, because, as I mentioned before, hotel cash prices fluctuate widely. How did I research the prices? Just google the name of a hotel, and that’s it. Yep, very low-tech of me!
Here is an example.
On the left, you can see that a room at Sheraton Poznan hotel can be booked for as low as $65 (or even $56 if you look below), and yet if you look at the right side of the page, you can see the lowest rate of $177.
Sheraton Poznan Hotel is a Category 2 property. It costs 12,500 points. Spending them for a room that costs $56 is a crime against this hobby.
On the other hand, paying 12,500 points for a room that costs $177 is a fantastic deal, since it gets you 1.4 cents per Marriott point, way beyond my (I believe, reasonably accurate) valuation.
So you can see my problem. There is no way to reconcile these extremes, which means that the cash prices I show below are “from” prices. They are very likely to be “bait and switch” prices that would be difficult to find. In some cases these prices can be prepaid or valid for one or 2 days a year. In other cases, these low “from” prices are seasonal — and there are some cities on this list where you don’t want to be caught dead in a wrong season. In other words, just use them for reference and do your own research around the days you’ll want to visit. If redeeming points doesn’t make sense, pay cash, but there are some caveats.
Points or cash? The reminder
- Just like with most other hotel programs, my approach is that you can benefit the most if you use your points at the cheapest or most expensive properties, but there are exceptions.
- My lowest value for Marriott points is 0.8 cents – yours may differ, but add taxes to look at the whole picture (because you don’t usually pay taxes on an award stay).
- Consider the length of stay – with Marriott you get the 5th night free.
- If you stay for 4 days and have the Citi Prestige credit card, try to see if you can get a cheaper cash stay with the 4th night free. There are also all kinds of stackable discounts you can find at Hotels.com and other OTAs, especially if you use gift cards.
- See if you can find a cheaper comparable hotel or vacation rental in an area you want to stay in.
- If you are a Marriott Rewards Platinum member, consider free food and booze you will not be getting elsewhere.
| HOTEL | POINTS | CAT | LOWEST PRICE |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Italy
Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel
Just like Spain, Marriott hotels in Italy can offer an amazing value. You’ll find cheap Marriott hotels in some of Italy’s most celebrated cities, like Rome, Pisa, Genoa, Bologna, and more.
| AC Hotel Brescia | 7,500 | 1 | From $71 |
| AC Hotel Vicenza | 7,500 | 1 | From $63 |
| AC Hotel Arezzo | 12,500 | 2 | From $64 |
| AC Hotel Genova | 12,500 | 2 | From $73 |
| AC Hotel Padova | 12,500 | 2 | From $61 |
| AC Hotel Pisa | 12,500 | 2 | From $64 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Siena | 12,500 | 2 | From $69 |
| AC Hotel Bologna | 17,500 | 3 | From $55 |
| AC Hotel Torino | 17,500 | 3 | From $69 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Bolzano | 17,500 | 3 | From $91 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Catania Hotel & Conf. Cntr | 17,500 | 3 | From $66 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Padova | 17,500 | 3 | From $45 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Venice Mestre | 17,500 | 3 | From $62 |
| Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $70 |
| Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center | 17,500 | 3 | From $83 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Portugal
Villa de Conde is a beautiful, quaint beachside town, just a short, 1-hour train ride from Porto, and the hotel gets excellent reviews.
Villa C Boutique Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels Villa de Conde
| Villa C Boutique Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels Villa de Conde | 12,500 | 2 | From $82 |
| AC Hotel Porto | 17,500 | 3 | From $64 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Croatia
OK, so Dubrovnik is not on this list, but Croatia’s capital Zagreb is cute and historic (reportedly). You probably won’t regret spending a couple of days there.
Sheraton Zagreb Hotel
| Sheraton Zagreb Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $98 |
| The Westin Zagreb | 17,500 | 3 | From $98 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Serbia
The Serbian capital may be a bit chaotic, but it’s one of the most happening (and cheapest) capitals in Europe with a fantastic art scene and nightlife.
Metropol Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Belgrade
| Courtyard Belgrade City Center | 12,500 | 2 | From $88 |
| Metropol Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Belgrade | 17,500 | 3 | From $96 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Slovenia
Ljubljana doesn’t have any world-class touristy sights, but it’s a lovely, green city ideal for walking, biking, and slowing down for a day or two.
Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons
| Four Points by Sheraton Ljubljana Mons | 12,500 | 2 | From $83 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Germany
I had to eliminate (LOL) almost all Marriott Cat 1-3 German cities from my list, but these might be interesting. And I’ve heard very good things about Bremen.
Marriott Courtyard Bremen
| Marriott Courtyard Bremen | 12,500 | 2 | From $93 |
| Courtyard Munich City East | 17,500 | 3 | From $70 |
| Moxy Duesseldorf South | 17,500 | 3 | From $67 |
| Moxy Frankfurt East | 17,500 | 3 | From $66 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Belgium
Excellent location near Avenue Louise.
Four Points by Sheraton Brussels — the Grounds
| Four Points by Sheraton Brussels | 17,500 | 3 | From $74 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Switzerland
Courtyard Basel provides “direct access to the Aquabasilea water park with pools, slides, sauna, spa and fitness area.”
Aquabasilea water park adjacent to Courtyard Basel
| Courtyard Basel | 17,500 | 3 | From $86 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: France
I’ve never even heard about Montpellier, but everything I’ve read tells me you can’t go wrong there.
Courtyard Montpellier
| Courtyard Montpellier | 12,500 | 2 | From $92 |
| AC Hotel Marseille Prado Velodrome | 17,500 | 3 | From $81 |
| Courtyard Paris Saint Denis | 17,500 | 3 | From $96 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: United Kingdom
Leicester is just a 1.5-hour train ride from London, and they claim the city is Richard III’s burial grounds. Sounds good to me.
Leicester Marriott Hotel
| Aloft Liverpool | 17,500 | 3 | From $71 |
| Leicester Marriott Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $63 |
| Moxy Glasgow Merchant City | 17,500 | 3 | From $64 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Austria
Austria is represented by 3 hotels in Vienna and Innsbruck. And yes, Innsbruck is worth visiting too.
AC Hotel Innsbruck
| AC Hotel Innsbruck | 17,500 | 3 | From $89 |
| Courtyard Vienna Prater/Messe | 17,500 | 3 | From $85 |
| Courtyard Vienna Schoenbrunn | 17,500 | 3 | From $68 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Poland
All 3 cities are worth visiting if you want to explore Poland beyond Krakow and Warsaw.
Courtyard Gdynia Waterfront
| Sheraton Poznan Hotel | 12,500 | 2 | From $65 |
| AC Hotel Wroclaw | 17,500 | 3 | From $74 |
| Courtyard Gdynia Waterfront | 17,500 | 3 | From $61 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Hungary
Courtyard Budapest City Center
| Courtyard Budapest City Center | 17,500 | 3 | From $63 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Czechia
Pilsen is not to be missed if you’re a beer lover.
Marriott Courtyard Pilsen Pin’N’Grill Bar
| Courtyard Pilsen | 7,500 | 1 | From $44 |
| Courtyard Prague City | 17,500 | 3 | From $58 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Romania
Marriott Sheraton Bucharest
Romania and Bucharest in particular have become quite touristy in the recent years. Sheraton is a great centrally located hotel and a good use of points if the cash price gets around $150 during your travel.
| Sheraton Bucharest Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $85 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Russia
If you’ve never been to Russia, you probably won’t (or shouldn’t) venture beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg on your first trip, although you must visit both. However, if you want to explore Russia beyond these 2 capitals, the cities in this list are well worth the visit. I would say Kazan should be your #3; it’s a beautiful city with a strong Muslim influence in architecture unlike any other Russian city. Then Sochi (in summer), then Nizhny Novgorod, then Irkutsk (definitely stay for a couple of days if you’re traveling on Trans-Siberian Express).
Marriott Courtyard Kazan Panoramic Roof Cafe
| Courtyard Kazan Kremlin | 7,500 | 1 | From $41 |
| Courtyard Nizhny Novgorod City Center | 7,500 | 1 | From $44 |
| Courtyard Irkutsk City Center | 12,500 | 2 | From $47 |
| Courtyard Moscow Paveletskaya | 12,500 | 2 | From $55 |
| Courtyard St. Petersburg Center West/Pushkin Hotel | 12,500 | 2 | From $47 |
| Renaissance Moscow Monarch Centre Hotel | 12,500 | 2 | From $66 |
| Sheraton Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin | 12,500 | 2 | From $56 |
| Courtyard Moscow City Center | 17,500 | 3 | From $60 |
| Courtyard St. Petersburg Vasilievsky | 17,500 | 3 | From $51 |
| Moscow Marriott Hotel Novy Arbat | 17,500 | 3 | From $66 |
| Sochi Marriott Krasnaya Polyana Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $81 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Turkey
Turkey is so cheap that I was considering not including it in this list, but then again, it’s hard to beat 7,500 points for a central hotel, even in Istanbul. You’ll also notice the JW Marriott in Ankara — that’s a steal for 12,500 points, and I’ve heard good things about Ankara, too.
JW Marriott Hotel Ankara
| AC Hotel Istanbul Macka | 7,500 | 1 | From $67 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Izmir | 7,500 | 1 | From $45 |
| Istanbul Marriott Hotel Asia | 12,500 | 2 | From $64 |
| JW Marriott Hotel Ankara | 12,500 | 2 | From $279 |
| Renaissance Izmir Hotel | 12,500 | 2 | From $61 |
| Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel | 12,500 | 2 | From $109 |
| Sheraton Ankara Hotel & Convention Center | 12,500 | 2 | From $85 |
| Sheraton Grand Istanbul Atasehir | 12,500 | 2 | From $77 |
| The House Hotel Bomonti, Istanbul, a Member of Design Hotels | 12,500 | 2 | From $81 |
| Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler | 17,500 | 3 | From $96 |
| Renaissance Istanbul Polat Bosphorus Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $82 |
| Sheraton Cesme Hotel, Resort and Spa | 17,500 | 3 | From $75 |
| Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel | 17,500 | 3 | From $71 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Georgia
Technically not Europe, but if airlines can make up geographical regions, so can I. It’s a shame Georgia doesn’t get more play with international tourism. Tbilisi is a gorgeous, colorful, old city with a lot of history and character. I remember it from its Soviet days, and I’m pretty sure it’s become much better since then.
PIC MARRIOTT EUROPE COURTYARD TBILISI
| Courtyard Tbilisi | 17,500 | 3 | From $95 |
| Moxy Tbilisi | 17,500 | 3 | From $67 |
Cheap Marriott Rewards Hotels Hotels in Europe: Azerbaijan
Not Europe either, but whatever. I remember Baku from its Soviet days, as well. Nowadays, it’s both historic and modern due to Azerbaijan’s oil riches. It’s those riches that made it very expensive at some point, but since oil went down, so did Baku prices. All 3 Baku hotels are good options, but I’m a sucker for JWs.
JW Marriott Absheron Baku
| Boulevard Hotel Baku Autograph Collection | 12,500 | 2 | From $76 |
| Intourist Hotel Baku Autograph Collection | 12,500 | 2 | From $71 |
| JW Marriott Absheron Baku | 17,500 | 3 | From $133 |
Bottom Line
While there are only a few fancy hotels in this list, Marriott has a huge footprint in Europe and covers many places you might want to visit. Here are some highlights.
Italy: Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel
Portugal: Villa C Boutique Hotel, a Member of Design Hotels Villa de Conde
Serbia: Metropol Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Belgrade
Austria: Courtyard Vienna Prater/Messe
Belgium: Four Points by Sheraton Brussels
Romania: Sheraton Bucharest Hotel
Russia: Moscow Marriott Hotel Novy Arbat
Turkey: JW Marriott Hotel Ankara
Georgia: Courtyard Tbilisi
Have you stayed at any of the hotels or visited the places in this list?
helpful