How to Make the Most of Your Marriott Points in Europe This Summer

If you’re sitting on a pile of Marriott Bonvoy points and dreaming of European adventure, now is the moment to spend them. With luxury hotel prices surging in peak season and Marriott’s award chart now dynamically pricing rooms, your points can lose value the longer you wait. Whether it’s a romantic escape to Paris, a sun-soaked stay in Santorini, or a food-focused trip to Lisbon, redeeming Bonvoy points in Europe this summer offers some of the highest value we’ve seen all year—but only if you know where to look.

Let’s talk math. Marriott Bonvoy points are generally worth about 0.94 cents per point, but with smart redemptions, savvy travelers consistently get 1.2 to 1.5 cents per point in Europe. And if you catch one of Marriott’s buy points promotions—like a 40% bonus—you unlock even more value. For example, if you buy 50,000 base points with a 40% bonus, you’ll receive 70,000 total points for $625, effectively reducing your cost to 0.89 cents per point. The trick is using those points where they’re worth far more than you paid for them.

That’s exactly where Gondola.ai shines. With summer in full swing, Gondola’s hotel deals page highlights Marriott redemptions across the continent—from Italy to the French Riviera, Spain to Scandinavia—where your points unlock real luxury. The site filters for deals where Marriott points beat the cash rate by a wide margin, so you can find properties that give you over 1.4 cents per point in value. These are the kinds of redemptions where that “free” hotel night actually saves you hundreds.

For example, Gondola recently surfaced a standout summer deal: The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice. This is one of Marriott’s most iconic properties in Europe—directly on the Grand Canal, known for opulence, Michelin-level dining, and once-in-a-lifetime views. During peak summer travel, this hotel commands 152,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night—a huge number, but the cash rate is an eye-watering $2,581 USD per night. That’s a redemption value of 1.7 cents per point, nearly double the average Marriott point worth.

Exterior view of The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Venice, set along the Grand Canal at sunset, showcasing historic architecture and gondolas on the water.

Now let’s break it down if you used purchased points with a 40% bonus. Buying 152,000 points outright during a promo would require just ~109,000 base points, costing you about $1,362.50 at the standard $12.50 per 1,000 points rate. That means you’re “paying” $1,362 for a stay worth $2,581—a net savings of $1,218, or a 48% discount on one of the most exclusive rooms in Europe. And that doesn’t even account for the 3% Gondola Cash you earn on cash bookings, or the ability to combine this with elite benefits like room upgrades or breakfast.


Ready to book smart this summer?
Go to Gondola.ai/deals, select your destination or let the map guide you, and filter by Marriott + highest value. You’ll see why Europe is one of the best places in the world to spend your Marriott points right now.

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