Your stay at a Marriott hotel near national parks might have just become more affordable.

On September 17, 2020, Marriott teamed up with the National Park Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, to offer lower rates at hotels close to U.S. national parks. This partnership also allows Marriott Bonvoy members to use their points for "America the Beautiful" annual park passes and contribute points to the National Park Foundation.

Brian King, Marriott's global officer for digital strategies, distribution, revenue, and global sales, shared insights about this new collaboration:

"We are excited to provide Marriott Bonvoy members with an easy way to plan road trips and discover historical landmarks and natural wonders with family and friends through this unique travel partnership. The chance to enjoy stunning views in untouched natural settings while supporting the National Park Foundation is priceless and will aid in the preservation of parks for future adventurers."

This collaboration is perfect for road trippers and those eager to explore the outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. It will not only save you money but also bolster the National Park Service, ensuring a bright future for America's treasured landscapes.

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Rates now begin at just $99 per night, although discounts are rare.

The most intriguing aspect of this promotion is the availability of discounted hotel rates near all national parks across the country. There are currently 419 national parks, each state housing at least one. Marriott operates 406 hotels near these parks, and each is reportedly eligible for discounted rates through the partnership.

According to the partnership, you can reserve rooms at these hotels starting from $99 per night when booking through Marriott's national parks page. Alternatively, you can make reservations via the main Marriott website and use promo code "M96". We suggest utilizing the promo code, as the search function on the landing page struggled to locate many of the places we searched. We conducted several hotel searches and compared prices.

Some hotels offered substantial savings with the code. Summer Hull, TPG's director of travel content, booked three nights at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Springdale Zion National Park, saving over $100 with the code, which is a fantastic deal.

Moreover, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Moab, just five minutes from Arches National Park, offers rates starting at $87 per night through this partnership. Without the promo code, the rate was $98 per night, providing a solid 11% discount on an already affordable stay.

Conversely, most hotels near national parks showed no price changes on most dates, which is quite disappointing compared to the press release. We hope the national parks discount will become more widely available in the future.

Use your Marriott Bonvoy points to obtain parks passes.

Want to use your points for an "America the Beautiful" parks pass? You can exchange 22,500 points for a one-year pass that provides access to all national parks in the U.S. The pass is valid for the cardholder and any additional passengers in their vehicle when entering the park. Typically, this pass costs $80 annually, plus a $5 processing fee. This translates to a value of just 0.37 cents per point.

This value is 0.43 cents per point lower than TPG's latest valuation, so we highly recommend against this redemption. It's much wiser to pay cash for your parks pass and save your points for a hotel stay nearby.

You can also donate points to the National Park Foundation.

This partnership enables Marriott Bonvoy members to contribute up to $500 worth of points to the National Park Foundation. It's a wonderful way to support the National Park Service during these challenging times. If you're interested, a full $500 donation requires a significant 125,000 points.

Before donating, ensure you don’t have an alternative use for your points. You might find it more beneficial to make a cash donation and use your points for an expensive stay. You could redeem 100,000+ Marriott Bonvoy points for nearly a week's accommodation near a national park.

Earning Marriott Bonvoy points

While this partnership might not offer the best value, it will encourage many travelers to visit national parks in 2020 and 2021. If you’re planning a trip to one of America's parks, consider earning Marriott Bonvoy points in advance. These points can be redeemed for stays at any Marriott property around the globe.

The quickest way to accumulate Marriott Bonvoy points is through a Marriott co-branded credit card. Here’s a summary of their current offers:

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 within the first three months of account opening. You'll earn up to 14x points per $1 spent at eligible Marriott hotels; 2 points per dollar on travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other expenses. No annual fee.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. You'll earn up to 17x Bonvoy points per dollar spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels; 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent annually on gas, groceries, and dining, and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. You’ll also receive a free night award (up to 35,000 points) each year after your account anniversary. $95 annual fee.

You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy, but we advise against it. Generally, these transfers result in a loss of value due to Marriott Bonvoy's low points worth.

Bottom line

It's encouraging to see Marriott partnering with the National Park Foundation. This collaboration makes sense, especially as more travelers are visiting national parks these days and will need accommodations. Both Marriott and the National Park Foundation are seeking additional revenue, and this partnership can help facilitate that.

However, we do wish the hotel discounts were more extensive. Our team conducted multiple searches around major national parks for various dates in 2020 and 2021, finding very few dates and locations with discounted rates. It's always a good idea to check Marriott's national parks page, but don't expect significant discounts every time you book.

Featured image by CrackerClips Stock Media/Shutterstock