While Marriott Bonvoy no longer offers a member discount on dining, members can still earn points on hotel dining and spa visits, regardless of whether they’re staying at the hotel.
However, the earn rate will be cut significantly from November 2023 for non-staying guests, with an approximate 40% reduction in earn rates.
Marriott Bonvoy cuts Dine & Earn rates
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| Marriott Bonvoy Dining |
Currently, Marriott Bonvoy members earn 10 points per US$1 spent on hotel dining and spa treatments, regardless of whether they’re an in-house guest. Points are earned based on the pre-tax and service charge amount, and a minimum spend of US$10 applies.
From 1 November 2023, the earn rate for non-staying guests will be cut to 5 points per US$1, with earning based on the total amount due (including tax and service charge), and no more minimum spend.
On first blush, it looks like the earn rate has been cut in half, but we need to factor in the difference in calculation methodology. Currently, points are awarded on pre-service charge, pre-tax amounts; going forward, points will be awarded on post-service charge, post-tax amounts.
Consider the following example:
| Old System | New System | |
| F&B Bill | US$50 | US$50 |
| 10% Service Charge | US$5 | US$5 |
| 8% GST | US$4.40 | US$4.40 |
| Total | US$59.40 | US$59.40 |
| Amount Eligible for Points | US$50 | US$59.40 |
| Earn Rate | 10 points per US$1 | 5 points per US$1 |
| Total Points | 500 points | 295 points (-40%) |
Because of the difference in calculations, the reduction in earn rates is actually 40%, not 50%. Of course, this example is Singapore specific; if you’re in a country with lower tax rates then the cut will be higher.
Points will be posted immediately at venues where crediting is done via the Marriott Bonvoy app. Elite bonuses apply, and will be posted separately at the end of the calendar month.
Do note that the changes only affect non-staying guests. In-house guests who charge the bill to their room will continue to earn points according to the usual Marriott Bonvoy elite tiers:
| ๐จ Marriott Bonvoy Earn Rates | |||
| Tier | Base | Elite Bonus | Total |
| Base | 10 | – | 10 |
| Silver Elite | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| Gold Elite | 10 | 2.5 | 12.5 |
| Platinum Elite | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| Titanium Elite | 10 | 7.5 | 17.5 |
| Ambassador Elite | 10 | 7.5 | 17.5 |
What items are eligible to earn points?
Marriott Bonvoy points will be earned on the total food and beverage bill, including alcoholic drinks except where prohibited.
Points will not be earned on:
- Corkage fee
- Cake cutting fee
- Non-F&B items such as tobacco and retail products (e.g. mooncakes, Christmas hampers)
Marriott Bonvoy points cannot be earned when using other card benefits such as AMEX Love Dining.
Paying the bill with Bonvoy points
Marriott Bonvoy members can continue to use points to offset the cost of their F&B bill, at a fixed rate of 200 points per US$1.
However, they must offset the entire bill with points; points + cash is not permitted. If a member does not have a sufficient points balance, then they must pay with cash (or card, obviously).
In any case, I don’t think this is an option you should really be considering unless you have orphan points in your account (in which case you probably won’t have enough to pay the entire bill!). The value of 0.5 US cents per point is below the 0.7-0.8 US cents per point you should be aiming for when redeeming hotel rooms.
Conclusion
From November 2023, Marriott Bonvoy members will earn 5 points per US$1 spent on dining or spa treatments when they’re not staying at the hotel in question.
That’s a reduction from the previous earn rate of 10 points per US$1, though it’s offset somewhat by the fact that points will be awarded on the total bill, as opposed to the pre-service charge and pre-tax amount. The minimum spend has also been scrapped, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal since it’s hard to spend less than US$10 at a hotel dining outlet anyway.
