Mattress running opportunity? S$75 nett rooms at Four Points by Sheraton Riverview

Thanks to our perennially high hotel rates, mattress running isn’t really a thing in Singapore. I’ve often stared enviously across the causeway at Malaysia, where you can snag S$25/night rooms at a Hilton Garden Inn and qualify for Diamond in no time flat, but we’re lucky to find sub-S$150 hotel rooms over here as it is. 

But here’s a potentially interesting opportunity that’s come to my attention: Marriott Community Caregiver Rates. These start at S$75 nett per night, and are available at the Four Points Riverview, Sheraton Towers Singapore and Courtyard Novena (although the last is currently serving SHN guests, and unlikely to come online anytime soon). 

Stack that with Marriott’s double elite night promotion and 50% elite night credits, and we might have something to work with…

Marriott Community Caregiver Rate

To recognise the contribution of frontliners during COVID-19, Marriott has launched Community Caregiver Rates. Here’s how Marriott describes it:

This special rate is available to COVID-19 First Responders from the medical, government, and relief communities who are serving our community or taking well deserved vacations. This rate is also available to companies involved with the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, including those participating in Operation Warp Speed. 

Now, the landing page further states that the rate is available at “participating hotels across the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America”, but I’m able to find and book this rate at hotels in Singapore too. 

 All guests checking in under the Community Caregiver Rate must show identification from a medical, government, military, or relief organization. A healthcare worker ID would certainly fall under this category, but come to think of it, so would your SAF 11-B (though it’d be best practice to check with the hotel if in doubt).

This rate is available for bookings and stays up till 30 June 2021, and from what I can see, these rates are static regardless of weekend or weekday.

Bookings are fully refundable up till 11.59 p.m one or two days before arrival (the actual policy differs by hotel). 

Mattress run potential?

I can’t say the Four Points Riverview is at the top of my staycation list, but at S$75 nett per night, it’s the cheapest option available for a mattress run. 

Marriott is currently offering double elite nights and double points for stays of at least two nights between 16 February and 27 April 2021. On top of this, they’ve also given all elite members a 50% elite night credit, based on their 2020 tier.

So if I were a Platinum, I’d be starting the year with 25 elite nights already. I require a further 25 to requalify, but if I stay during the double elite night period that drops to 13. That means I could requalify for about S$960 or so. 

While this is certainly the cheapest mattress run opportunity I can think of in Singapore (outside a mistake rate), you’ll need to decide for yourself whether Platinum benefits are worth paying that much for. You’ll get free breakfast and upgrades, but my sense is that the latter has become trickier now that Platinum is only the third highest tier in Bonvoy. 

Just in case you were wondering, Loyalty Lobby has confirmed that these rates are eligible for points and elite night credits. 

Conclusion

I’m personally not going to try for Marriott Platinum, since I already have top tier status with one hotel chain (Hilton). However, I think this is well worth taking a look at for Marriott loyalists, or those who have already done a few Marriott staycations and need that extra push over the top.