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A few years ago, Marriott unveiled a novel feature in its booking system: the ability to mix award nights with cash nights on one reservation. However, as Loyalty Lobby reported, that functionality is no longer available — at least online. Here's why this news matters to loyal Marriott Bonvoy members.
You Can No Longer Make Marriott Cash + Points Reservations Online
The Marriott Cash + Points feature allows you to choose between paying points or cash for each night of your reservation. One downside to booking this method is you don't earn points on the cash portion of these reservations. However, Marriott has made this payment method a lot harder to use; you can't book with multiple currencies online anymore.
Per Loyalty Lobby, Marriott pulled this functionality on January 16, 2025. Since then, we've been checking to see if this removal was just a temporary bug. Unfortunately, the option to book a Cash + Points reservation still isn't available online.
However, it may still be possible to book this way, but it requires a phone call and hopefully a properly trained phone agent to assist you.
The online booking method was quite convenient. This was a great perk if you didn't want to worry about possibly moving rooms on back-to-back room reservations, as many award travelers do when mixing award nights with cash nights in other programs. It also allowed members to review cash rates against award nights for each night of their stay, allowing for peak money-saving opportunities with your points.
I often used this booking method with my Marriott Free Night Awards earned from my Marriott credit cards. I'd select the best night that maximized my certificate's value. I'll sorely miss this feature's ease of use online. Now, I'll have to call in to use it, which will make the process of booking a mixed currency award night take longer than it should.
Related: How Many Points Can You Earn on Marriott Stays?
Final Thoughts
Removing a convenient option to mix points and cash on Marriott Bonvoy reservations is a downgrade for members. If I were to put myself in Marriott's shoes, this was likely removed online as a cost-saving method. It's too easy for members to clearly see which nights are worth using points or certificates instead of paying cash. Having that convenience paired with it all being on one reservation will be something I'll miss.
Instead, I'll return to booking one-night reservations with my points and certificates. I'll pay cash where it makes sense to me. I'll call the hotel beforehand, as I did in years past, hoping my reservations are linked correctly. A downside here is when it comes to elite upgrades, as each individual reservation may be treated differently by the hotel, so your upgrade might not clear for your entire stay.
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