Vacations by Marriott: Simplify Trip Planning and Earn Points

Vacations by Marriott makes it easy to book a complete holiday package to destinations around the world. Importantly, when you purchase a Marriott vacation package, Marriott Bonvoy members can also earn points and elite night credits.

If you're not familiar with Vacations by Marriott, here's a closer look at what the program offers to help you decide whether it's worth it.

How Vacations by Marriott works: Bundled package deals

Vacations by Marriott is the culmination of a partnership between Marriott International and Expedia.

You can use the program to book vacation packages that combine Marriott hotels with:

• Discounted flights.

• Rental cars.

• Tours.

• Tickets.

• Activities.

Booking vacation packages is convenient since you can get your room, flight, activities and car rental in one place. But the real benefit lies in the money you could save, and the fact that loyalty program members can earn points and elite night credits when they book.

Depending on your choice of vacation package, Marriott says you could save as much as 20% on your booking.

What else you need to know

Before you book, keep the following in mind.

Marriott vacation packages can be customized

Travelers can pick and choose what to include in their vacation package. For example, you can build a package that includes:

• Rooms and flights.

• Rooms and car rentals.

• Rooms, flights and car rentals.

There's also the option to select Marriott vacation packages by theme, destination or things to do. For example, current offerings include trips to Hawaii and Mexico and family getaways, as well as packages for couples and spa vacations.

These packages cannot be bought with points

Unfortunately, you can't use your Marriott Bonvoy points to book Marriott vacation packages. What's more, you have to pay for the whole package in full at the time you confirm your booking.

To potentially save money, keep your eye on Marriott's daily deals. These are updated regularly and offer special discounts at select properties in locations like Las Vegas, Orlando and Los Angeles.

Note: Marriott does offer an opportunity to redeem points for Hotel + Air vacation packages. However, you’ll need to crunch the numbers to make sure the bundled deal is worth it.

Changes and cancellations are allowed

If you need to change your travel plans, Vacations by Marriott does allow you to change or cancel your booking and get a refund for the hotel, rental car and activity portions of your vacation package. You'll need to reach out to the airline separately to see about getting a refund for flights.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Book with a Marriott credit card to earn more points

You can increase your Bonvoy points earnings by using a Marriott credit card to complete your booking.

However, when you book with Vacations by Marriott, you aren't booking directly with Marriott. That means that if you use a Marriott co-branded credit card to book, you'd be able to earn only the base amount of points available for non-Marriott travel purchases.

Marriott has four credit cards. Here are the points earning rates if you book a hotel with Marriott directly versus if you book a bundled deal from Vacations by Marriott:

Terms apply.

For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers 6 points per $1 when you book Marriott hotels; however, if you used this card to book a Marriott vacation package, you'd earn only 2 points per dollar instead since the booking is considered "all other purchases."

If you’re a cardholder and trying to maximize the number of Marriott points you’re earning, it may make sense to price out each part of the package separately to see if you’re really saving money.

However, if earning Marriott points isn’t that big of a deal and you’d rather save money, using your Marriott card will still earn points (albeit at a lower rate). That's still a nice incentive to use your card to book a package from Vacations by Marriott.

» Learn more: Which Marriott Bonvoy credit card should I choose?

Consider booking Marriott deals and packages

Booking Marriott vacation packages could take some of the stress out of planning your next trip. You could also save money by bundling your hotel, flight and rental car together or choosing an all-inclusive resort package.

If you're already enjoying the benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy program, Vacations by Marriott can add even more value when making travel plans.