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Update: Marriott is eliminating the 10 elite qualifying nights for first meeting benefit, effective 1/1/20.
When Marriott rolled out its ‘unified loyalty program’ in August 2018, a big change to Marriott Rewarding Events took away the benefit of earning 10 elite qualifying nights per meeting. Many people earned Platinum status year after year on the back of meetings.
The new August 2018 terms changed to, “Get 10 Elite Qualifying Nights (EQNs) with your first meeting.”
Hunt around the fine print of Marriott’s site in 2018 and you would find no clear definition of ‘first meeting.’ Reports via Marriott PR said that this means once per year, as in your first meeting every calendar year. I never saw this in writing in an official statement.
Terms Updated for 2019
Good news that the new Marriott Bonvoy terms as of February 2019 make this explicit as once per calendar year:
4.2.a.iv When booking a qualifying group event or meeting with Rewarding Events, ten (10) Elite nights per calendar year will be awarded to the Member for his/her first group, event or meeting, and thereafter, one (1) Elite Night Credit will be awarded for every twenty (20) rooms booked and actualized, up to a maximum of twenty (20) Elite Night Credits per contract. Points or Miles may be earned in addition to Elite Night Credits for Rewarding Events.
Shouldn’t Rewarding Events now be called Bonvoyding Events?
Confirmed by My Meetings
I held a meeting in November 2018 that earned 10 elite nights:
I held a meeting in February 2019 that also earned 10 elite nights:
Tips for Booking Meetings
The following brands do not participate in Marriott Reward Events, so don’t book them:
- Residence Inn
- TownePlace Suites
- Marriott Executive Apartments
Some hotels can be booked and paid for online. Most hotels you need to submit a RFP. If you submit a RFP for a small meeting you’ll probably never get a response.
You can call hotels. Even better, I’ve found when I am staying at a hotel or passing by, asking to see the meeting manager quickly determines if this is a person that can meet my needs. Turnover among meeting planners at hotels in the U.S. seems incredibly high so don’t expect the contact to stay the same for long.
Be aware that on top of the quoted price, most hotels help themselves to generous service charges in addition to taxes.
Now, I wonder, have they really hard-coded their system to give only one set of 10 nights per calendar year?
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[…] quickly: in years past you’ve been able to book at meeting room at a Marriott hotel and earn 10 elite qualifying nights for the first meeting of the year. You can still do that for the rest of 2019 if you’re a little shy. I have a […]
How to book 1 Hr meeting? Do you call any participating marriott hotel and ask them that you want to host a 1 Hr meeting OR is there any specifi reservation number to call and book? Do you need to specify number of attendees etc.?
@desitrasveller – no central number, meetings are booking directly with hotels, with the exception of some are listed on the Marriott meetings website for instant booking, though rates may not be as cheap as you can negotiate with the hotel. More useful than calling, I’ve found asking in person when I am at a hotel is more likely to get someone to cut a deal, for instance, they have a room open that day and happy to have a one-hour booking.
In addition to booking the meeting, do you have to reserve a room at the hotel and stay overnight in order to earn the 10 elite night credits? Or is booking the meeting alone sufficient as long as it’s your first meeting of the year?
@SeekingPlatinum – no room, just the meeting.
I used a Fairfield Inn and did a 1 hour meeting for $75. Don’t do an online RFP, just call and explain what you’re looking for. My guy knew the drill and so did the Marriott Courtyard I used last year. It was about $159 out the door after tax and a nonsense 20% beverage charge that applied to the whole rate.
do you have to be Titanium to get 10 nights credits? Will it work for Plat?
@ktc – any member of any status can get the 10 nights credit.
great! thx for the tip.
Am in conversation with CY for a room, quoted $150 + 22% surcharge + tax. I think she knows how it works: “After the meeting I will post the meeting points and Marriott adds the Elite Nights.”
I believe I should ask for a contact… anything else to ensure its correct posting?
@ktc – only that the points and nights take 4-6 weeks to post. If it gets over 8 weeks, then contact the hotel again.
Thanks for the guidance!
Just walked out of meeting 30 min ago. Got an email about points pointed & bam! 10 Elite Nights already in the account! It tool all of max 30 minutes, could have been posted when I was in there too!
Paid ~$200 but worth it for my 1st ever meeting event.
@ktc – amazing that it posted so fast.
Would you mind sharing which Marriott. ?
Great Article. However I browsed through the Marriott Meeting Reward website but never found any online availability. All you can do is select a max. of 3 hotels and ask for a quote. Any ideas how to do this online?
@Stefan – website lately seems broken so I recommend telephone or in person.
[…] of a giant. Yesterday, points-and-miles OG Stefan Krasowski of Rapid Travel Chai published an excellent article about the Marriott Bonvoy “Rewarding Events” program. The gist of the program is that you can earn Marriott elite nights and points when you hold a […]
Stefan, do you need to be there “physically” to have the meeting or is this one of those as long as I pay, it will count and I don’t have to be there?
@Ben – if you don’t turn up it is YMMV if the hotel processes it as if the meeting were held or a no show / cancel. I have seen reports of both.
Stefan, last year I held a meeting in July and received the 10 nights. Held another meeting in November and did not receive the 10 nights. Battled with the Manager and she was not able to add them either. The new rule I think was already enforced after the Aug system update.
@LeoM – thank you for the valuable report!
I got the elite nights posted on 4 events held in 4 different hotels in Italy last October.
@Mary Lide – thank you for the report, let me know if you have similar in 2019 as well.
[…] Confirmed: Marriott Meetings 10 Elite Qualifying Nights is Annual by Rapid Travel Chai. […]
Another excellent and useful article. Thank you.
@ken – thank you, glad it is useful. I try to ‘be the data point’ to inform others. Too much writing is based on what is theoretical or should be rather than what is.
Hi, can you explain how you book a qualifying group event or meeting? Is this one small room for one person for whole 8 hours day, or one room minium 2 hours, etc.
Also, how do you find and book this? I really want to get 10 elite qualifying nights to move up one elite level, so at least I can get breakfast with my reservation … :).
You are right, I submit a RFP for one small room and never got a response.
Thank you.
@Penny – however large or small the meeting will count if the hotel goes through the proper paperwork to contract it and process it. That’s why in person can be effective, you need a room for a couple of hours, they have an empty room, they cut a deal. Based on reports from more seasoned people, online you are not likely to find less than $100 + service + tax, while in person, $50. It can take some hunting in person, even a deserted Fairfield Inn might say $250. So some just pay the online $100.
Great. Thank you!