18 best Marriott hotel redemptions in Europe

We covered the best Marriott redemptions in the UK in the last post, which unfortunately isn’t a very long list. Today we’re gonna take a look at Europe too (plus a few other territories nearby), where there are many more great choices!

Again, before we start: Marriott Bonvoy has eight redemption categories at the moment, and the number of points required for standard / off-peak / peak are as follows:

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The following recommendations are not in any particular order.

  1. Germany – Roomers Baden-Baden Cat 5 / 35,000 points
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This hotel is generally regarded as one the best Marriott properties in Germany, and was once the best place to use a 25,000 free night certificate in Europe. Nowadays a standard reward nights costs 35,000 points here, which is still a bargain for a spa holiday.

2. Germany – Gewandhaus Dresden Cat 3 / 17,500 points

One of the most recommended hotels in Dresden with high ratings across all booking sites, and that 17,500 points should be well worth it!

3. Germany – Courtyard Bremen Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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Despite being just a Courtyard, this hotel is one the of the most reputable in town for its history and excellent location, and has been on my wish-list for a while!

4. Italy – Eremito Cat 4 / 25,000 points

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Eremito is a retreat in the Umbrian hills that combines historical masonry techniques with modern technology. A room night here sells for £250+.

Honourable Mentions Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany is a similar hotel.

5. Switzerland – Courtyard Basel Cat 3 / 17,500 points

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It’s only a Courtyard and located by the highway, so not really very convenient for Basel. However we all know how expensive Switzerland is, and spending points here could be sensible if you are driving.

6. France – Marriott’s Village d’lle-de-France Cat 4 / 25,000 points

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More of a resort hotel close to the Disneyland near Paris, and 25,000 points a night is a steal if you want accommodation near the Disneyland.

7. Spain – The Ritz-Carlton Abama Cat 6 / 50,000 points

I’ve stayed here recently (review here), which was my first stay at a Ritz Carlton hotel, and unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. That said, you may find it more to your taste, and 50,000 points is bargain compared to the cash rate.

8. Spain – AC Hotel Valencia Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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A solid hotel in Valencia near the beach. I was hoping to visit it before the pandemic hit, and then sadly it jumped up to Category 2 from Category 1.

Honourable Mention AC Hotel Alicante is another city-centre hotel in South Spain.

9. Spain – AC Hotel Gran Canaria Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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An economical option for a holiday in Gran Canaria, especially as it usually sells for more than €100 a night. I have to say I really like this stock photo of their swimming pool 🙂

Honourable Mentions AC Hotel Iberia Las Palmas is also in Category 2 which caters to a similar audience.

10. Croatia – Westin Zagreb & Sheraton Zagreb Cat 3 / 17,500 points

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Both hotels are very similar in terms of location, condition and reviews. To be honest 17,500 points isn’t great value unless it’s peak season, however the Sheraton was one the very first hotels I stayed at with SPG, so it’s just for the sake of my memories.

11. Serbia – Courtyard Belgrade City Centre Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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The Metropol Palace used to be the top redemption sweet spot in the good old SPG times. Nowadays the Courtyard may have become a more reasonable option to spend your Marriott points.

12. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Couryard Sarajevo Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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Bosnia is still recovering from the unfortunate history of wars, and there aren’t many options when it comes to international hotel chains in the capital. I stayed at the Swissotel when I visited it last year.

I walked past the Courtyard a couple of times. It looked very new, and is ideally located for tourists.

13. Belarus – Renaissance Minsk Hotel Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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I’ve never been to Belarus, but 12,500 points seems very cheap for a five-star hotel in a country’s capital…

14. Turkey – JW Marriott Ankara Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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This is probably one of the best Marriott redemption out there in the entire world, and I still don’t understand why its category never got increased over the years. For only 12,500 points, you are getting a room worth more than 200 euros, and this is a very modern JW Marriott! I stayed here in a Junior Suite in 2020, and it didn’t disappoint.

15. Turkey – Sheraton Grand Samsun Cat 1 / 7,500 points

The only Sheraton Grand hotel that falls into Category 1 in Europe, which is one of Marriott’s top-end brands. Great choice if you’d like to have a very cheap beach holiday by the Black Sea.

Honourable Mentions the Four Points Izmir hotel in Turkey is also Category 1, however considering how cheap Turkey usually is I probably prefer to pay cash for a better full-service hotel instead.

16. Morocco – Le Meridien N’Fis Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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I stayed here as SPG Gold when visiting Marrakesh a few years back. The hotel felt very worn-out everywhere and was by no means living up to five-star standard, but if you don’t like the idea of staying in a Riad this Le Meridien can possibly offer you better comfort.

17. Qatar – Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel Cat 3 / 17,500 points

One of the very few Marriott Marquis hotels around across the globe. There was once a Doha Marriott hotel which was only Category 2 but it seems to have left the Marriott group.

18. Kuwait – Residence Inn Kuwait City Cat 2 / 12,500 points

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When you are looking for a tourist destination Kuwait City is unlike to be on your list. But if it is, using points is a great idea as hotels tend to be overpriced in this country.

Honourable Mention Courtyard Kuwait City is also Category 2.

Marriott has thousands of hotels in Europe so this list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it gives you some inspiration at least!

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