MAR - Marriott International

[gfp]

Sorry to derail this Marriott topic.

 

Jurgis, I promise you will get over your reservations as soon as you spend a few days in a property/location so nice you would never be able to afford to buy it.  Hell, we've split near-mansions and ridiculous high end units with friends and it is sometimes surprisingly affordable (only if the group splits up the cost).

[chrispy]

Hotels are great but if traveling to experience a culture and really get to know it, Airbnb is perfect. We will be visiting Norway for the first time and I can't wait to stay in a normal Norweigan home in a normal neighborhood, shopping at the local grocery store. It will be much more culture interaction.

 

I know people to who have rented out penthouses by the great barrier reef with their family for a fraction of what multiple hotel rooms would have cost. I just picture it as staying at a friend or family members house.

[mbreject]

I've stayed at both a Hyatt and a Sheraton recently and was carded at both (maybe I look suspicious?)

I also know somehow who wasn't allowed to check in at a hotel in Vegas, because she didn't bring her id.

[Jurgis]

Sorry to derail this Marriott topic.

 

Jurgis, I promise you will get over your reservations as soon as you spend a few days in a property/location so nice you would never be able to afford to buy it.  Hell, we've split near-mansions and ridiculous high end units with friends and it is sometimes surprisingly affordable (only if the group splits up the cost).

 

Yeah, I got this from you and rb. As I said, I'll let you guys know in couple years (travel plans this year already set - no AirBnB, not sure about anything next year). Thanks for all the info and encouragement.  8)

[ScottHall]

Sorry to derail this Marriott topic.

 

Jurgis, I promise you will get over your reservations as soon as you spend a few days in a property/location so nice you would never be able to afford to buy it.  Hell, we've split near-mansions and ridiculous high end units with friends and it is sometimes surprisingly affordable (only if the group splits up the cost).

 

It doesn't bother me if this becomes a travel advice topic, it's not a stock that is an urgent buy on valuation by any stretch but it is a good one to watch on weakness. My position - rather small unfortunately - has an average cost of just shy of $70. I would be a buyer again if that price came back.

 

I've used Airbnb to get a feel for different neighborhoods in LA, and once around Coney Island. It has usually been a pretty good experience; the only complaint is that there was sand in my bed at Coney Island left over from the last traveler, because of the beach! But I've never had a particularly bad experience, and it is a fun way to explore new areas. That said I do understand the hesitance to using it, I felt similarly at first.

 

Also I never rent single rooms when I do Airbnb, that is TOO personal for me. I want the whole place or not at all. I went to a bed and breakfast in North Carolina with a couple friends of mine. It was run by a sweet elderly couple, but there were other guests and creepy dolls decorating the place and my room in particular. We were almost out of the woods when at breakfast the next morning, one of the proprietors started telling us about UFOs and how we "looked like we would understand," while he loaded up some 1995-looking alien conspiracy website and gave us a list of important articles to read about the situation.

 

It was ultimately harmless but that place gave me the heebie jeebies. It wasn't an Airbnb place, though.

 

 

[cameronfen]

Sorry to derail this Marriott topic.

 

Jurgis, I promise you will get over your reservations as soon as you spend a few days in a property/location so nice you would never be able to afford to buy it.  Hell, we've split near-mansions and ridiculous high end units with friends and it is sometimes surprisingly affordable (only if the group splits up the cost).

 

Lol if anyone should apolpgize its me for bringing up Airbnb.    At least we have some idea of competitor dynamics and traction ;).

[chrispy]

ScottHall, thank you for bringing this interesting business model to my attention.

 

It has been enlightening to me how many successful companies make a large portion of their profits from some type of fee.

[fareastwarriors]

 

fun article

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-08-01/the-marriott-starwood-merger-puts-a-points-program-to-the-test

 

Points-Obsessed Travelers Are Terrified of Losing Perks

 

 

Starwood fans fear Marriott mediocrity in the world's largest hospitality merger.

 

[Scuttlebutt Plunger]

I find the cyclicality/EPS sensitivity for MAR and HLT to be somewhat confusing.  When I look at the revPAR industry data, pricing power has decoupled from occupancy this revPAR cycle -- likely due to the advent of Airbnb and continued dominance of the OTAs.  Both MAR and HLT have decent build pipelines, which should provide sustainable top-line growth for many years to come.

 

Does revPAR not really matter?  Thanks.

[Jurgis]

Looking for some value investor wisdom. Any good ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points? I see NerdWallet valuing Bonvoy points at 0.9 cent per point ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airline-miles-and-hotel-points-valuations ). But when I look at their suggestions for Bonvoy point use ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/the-many-ways-to-use-marriott-bonvoy-points ), they are at best 0.5 per point (some hotel stays) or 0.25 cent per point (gift cards). Conversion to airline miles are 3:1, which makes the points ~0.33 cent (depending on how you value the miles).

Any suggestions of how to get anything close to 0.9 cent value? Any other great ideas?

Thanks

[bizaro86]

3 hours ago, Jurgis said:

Looking for some value investor wisdom. Any good ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points? I see NerdWallet valuing Bonvoy points at 0.9 cent per point ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airline-miles-and-hotel-points-valuations ). But when I look at their suggestions for Bonvoy point use ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/the-many-ways-to-use-marriott-bonvoy-points ), they are at best 0.5 per point (some hotel stays) or 0.25 cent per point (gift cards). Conversion to airline miles are 3:1, which makes the points ~0.33 cent (depending on how you value the miles).

Any suggestions of how to get anything close to 0.9 cent value? Any other great ideas?

Thanks

They are wrong. Bonvoy points aren't worth 0.9 cents, your estimate of 0.5 is more realistic for the average person. Black market price is around 0.5-0.6. 

 

The travel packages (hotel stay plus airline miles) have historically been the best value. You get a certificate for a 7 night hotel stay and a bunch of airline miles. There are also 5 night stay packages available. You're supposed to own a timeshare to get them, but enforcement of that rule has been uneven in the past.

Edited May 26, 2021 by bizaro86

[hasilp89]

I’ve never earned or used Marriott points. My main usage is chase points that can be transferred to various airlines/hotels. I typically transfer to Hyatt where redemption rates are decent. Park Hyatt’s for 25-30k points. 

[Gamecock-YT]

Back in the day you could transfer Starwood points to airlines and get a bonus if transferring a certain amount. Flew first class on Cathay and Qantas that way. These days I stay the hell away from bonvoy points. They keep diluting them to hell. Cash them out while you can get something of value for them. Stick to the bank cards so you have the option of transferring them to multiple airlines/hotels. 

[Jurgis]

Thanks @bizaro86 and @Gamecock-YT. Yeah, I prefer cash back cards. Just got Bonvoy card in 2019 for the sign up and tier bennies and was wondering what's the best I can do with points. I'll try to use them asap. 2020 was a lost year on that.

[Gamecock-YT]

30 minutes ago, Jurgis said:

Thanks @bizaro86 and @Gamecock-YT. Yeah, I prefer cash back cards. Just got Bonvoy card in 2019 for the sign up and tier bennies and was wondering what's the best I can do with points. I'll try to use them asap. 2020 was a lost year on that.

Alaska Air is probably the best use of bonvoy points besides the vacation package. US to Australia or vice versa on Qantas in first class is 70k, business 55k. 
 

2nd best is US to Asia or vice versa on Cathay 70k for first and 50k for business.

also you can book a free stopover. So could do DFW-SYD have a couple days there then fly SYD-PER on the same ticket. Some really good resource online if you search for best way to use Alaska air miles and how to do the stopover. 

Edited May 27, 2021 by Gamecock-YT

[bskptkl]

On 5/26/2021 at 10:59 AM, Jurgis said:

Looking for some value investor wisdom. Any good ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points? I see NerdWallet valuing Bonvoy points at 0.9 cent per point ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/airline-miles-and-hotel-points-valuations ). But when I look at their suggestions for Bonvoy point use ( https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/the-many-ways-to-use-marriott-bonvoy-points ), they are at best 0.5 per point (some hotel stays) or 0.25 cent per point (gift cards). Conversion to airline miles are 3:1, which makes the points ~0.33 cent (depending on how you value the miles).

Any suggestions of how to get anything close to 0.9 cent value? Any other great ideas?

Thanks

Not surprising - but generally you'll get the most value from booking a hotel (not transferring or buying gift cards). When I have tracked it, I would get around 1.1 cents per point. You'll get better value if you book 5 consecutive nights (because the 5th night is free). 

One suggestion: divide your point stash by 4 and look for a 5 night stay at the highest category hotel where you'd want to stay 5 nights.

I like these guys - as far as credit card analysis goes. They have 0.62 as a reasonable redemption value for Marriott points and explain why here: https://frequentmiler.com/what-are-marriott-bonvoy-points-worth/

I used to be a Fidelity 2% cash back guy until mid 2018 - then I saw the "churning" light. Around 60 opened cards later, I have millions of points, have taken several first class trips, and my credit score went up. It's become a hobby and fills the time when the markets are slow. That same web site has a "best cards" section that I recommend if you are looking for a valuable card to open.