The Best Value Marriott Hotels in New York for Your Points

New York is always a popular tourist destination, but hotel stays in the Big Apple don’t come cheap. If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member, however, you can earn points that can help cover some of the cost of your NYC trip.

There are 212 New York metro area hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio (although just a few dozen in Manhattan proper came up in our search) for which you can use your points, ranging from moderate to luxury options. Because Marriott combined with two other loyalty programs in recent years (Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz Carlton Rewards), Marriott Bonvoy members have more property options to consider.

To help you narrow things down, we crunched the numbers and scoured the hotel choices to find which ones in some of the most popular Manhattan neighborhoods give you the best value for your points.

Marriott Bonvoy redemption values by hotel category

Marriott Bonvoy publishes an awards chart, which specifies the number of points you can expect to pay during off-peak, standard, and peak travel times. Depending on where you’re interested in staying, you can use as little as 5,000 points to book a one-night stay or up to 100,000 points. For New York City properties, though, you can expect to use a minimum of 20,000 points and up per night since the majority of accommodations are found in Category 4 properties and above. See Marriott’s redemption chart below:

After determining the best hotels to book from a points-cost perspective, we have also looked at cash rates over a variety of days to determine if the hotel also gives you a good value for your points overall. Since the value range is based only on the dates we searched in early February (Feb. 11, 2020) and late May (May 23, 2020), you should always check the value of your points on the specific days you are looking to stay at the hotel before you book.

Which credit cards earn Marriott points?

The easiest way to fast-track your Marriott Bonvoy points earning is to open a Marriott Bonvoy branded credit card. There are four main options from which to choose, depending on your spending and travel styles.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card has a $0 annual fee, and could be a good option for those just starting out in the world of hotel loyalty points. Being a cardholder also automatically moves you into Silver Elite Status, which has a number of additional perks.

For more frequent hotel guests, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card is the next level up offering a bigger welcome bonus and more points earning power, but it comes with a $95 annual fee. You’ll still start out as the Silver Elite level, but have a faster path toward Gold than the starter card. Plus, you’ll get one free night per year.

Those seeking a more luxury level of rewards and benefits should consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. The annual fee is steep at $450, but you’ll start off at Gold Elite status and get a $300 statement credit and one free night per year, which can help offset the annual fee.

Finally, for business travelers, there’s the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card. The annual fee is $125, and you’ll start at Silver Elite Status. You’ll also get two free awards (one on your anniversary, and one if you meet a certain spending level).

 

	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card	Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card	Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
Annual fee	$450	$95	$0	$125
Regular purchase APR	15.74% to 24.74% variable	15.99% - 22.99% variable	15.99% - 22.99% variable	15.74% - 24.74% variable
Rewards	Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X Marriott Bonvoy points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X on all other eligible purchases.	Earn 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ and 2X points on all other purchases.	Earn 3X points for every $1 spent at 7,000+ hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ and 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains).	4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
Welcome offer	Earn 75,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.	Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Limited Time Offer! Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 75,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
Foreign transaction fee	None	$0	$0	None

To see rates & fees for Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card please click here.

In addition to Marriott-branded credit cards, there are also some general travel rewards cards that allow you to transfer your points into the Marriott Bonvoy program. For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards® (which can be earned on the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cards, among others) transfer to Marriott at a 1:1 value. So if you have 5,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you may choose to transfer them and they become 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points.

If you used to collect Starwood (SPG) points, although that program is no longer a standalone since Starwood was acquired by Marriott, you can still merge your old SPG account into your Marriott Bonvoy membership and combine your points.

Now that you have some strategies on how to earn points, here’s a look at some of the best ways to redeem them if you’re travelling to New York City.

Luxury

Ritz Carlton New York Central Park – Category 8: 70,000-100,000 Marriott points

The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park is a fantastic five-star property located just about as close as you can get to Central Park. It’s going to give you amazing bang for your buck, points-wise, if you want to stay at a luxury hotel in New York City.

The comparable St. Regis New York costs the same amount in points, but a stay during a peak time like Memorial Day weekend is almost $300 less in cash than The Ritz-Carlton, which is why the latter offers a better points value.

Point values at the Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park were found to range between 1 and 1.1 cents per point on the dates we checked. Compared to 0.8 to 1 cent per point that St. Regis offered on the same dates, the Ritz-Carlton offers a stronger value for your Marriott points and is definitely a worthwhile redemption if you want to stay in luxury on your visit to the Big Apple.

Lower Manhattan

AC Hotel New York Downtown – Category 4: 20,000-30,000 Marriott points

The AC Hotel New York Downtown is located in the Financial District, near the Seaport area. Guests will be in close proximity to downtown attractions including One World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Wall Street and more. Plus, ferry access is nearby if you wish to take a ride to the Statue of Liberty.

With a 0.9 cents per point value during standard times, and an even better 1.2 cents during peak booking times, you’ll get a lot of value for your points here. Even better, you’ll have stunning views of the city, and beautifully designed modern rooms and amenities.

Midtown

Courtyard New York Manhattan/Herald Square – Category 5: 30,000-40,000 Marriott points

The fact that you’re within walking distance to the Empire State Building, Macy’s and Penn Station means you’re in a prime location at this hotel. As such, it boasts gorgeous views of the city. For the best view, head up to the 18th floor for the Monarch rooftop bar and indoor lounge

Value-wise, you’ll get 0.9 cents per point during both peak times and when standard room rates are charged.

Times Square

The Westin New York at Times Square – Category 6: 40,000-60,000 Marriott points

If you’re in town to see a few shows or just want to be in the center of the action, this property is a great choice. With a stylish design and amenities for your comfort including evening turndown service and bathrobes in most guest rooms, you’ll have a peaceful place to rest after a day and night on the town.

Redeeming your Marriott points for this location offers a 0.7 cent per point value for standard rates and 0.8 cents per point during peak times.

Central Park

Le Meridien New York, Central Park – Category 6: 40,000-60,000 Marriott points

If you don’t have enough points for a Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park stay, here’s another Central Park hotel you can book. This, too, is located just steps away from the beautiful Central Park, as well as Columbus Circle and the MoMA.

Hang out in the rooftop bar with views of the park or just settle down in sophisticated style.

This upscale hotel stay will be so worth it if you have Marriott Bonvoy points to spend. You’ll get 0.9 cents per point for standard bookings, and 0.7 cents during peak times.

Bottom line

There really are not many inexpensive options if you want the convenience and excitement of staying in New York City. While you might find deals in the outer boroughs or across the bridge/tunnel in New Jersey, if you want to stay in the heart of Manhattan, you’ll have many options, most of which are pricey. That said, Marriott – especially since merging with the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program and other hotel brands – offers a variety of properties in the city’s most coveted neighborhoods.

With a little research (and hopefully we’ve helped get you started), Marriott Bonvoy members can stretch their hard-earned points to score free or reduced price stays at some of the most beautiful hotels in the city that never sleeps. If a New York trip is in your future plans, use your Marriott or other travel rewards credit cards to rack up those points to splurge on your stay in the Empire City.

The information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has been independently collected by CompareCards and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.