Marriott Reduces Points and Elite Night Credits at Protea Hotels

Marriott is making some negative changes to the way Marriott Bonvoy members earn points and elite night credits at Protea Hotels, as flagged by One Mile at a Time.

While this will only impact a limited amount of Marriott Bonvoy customers who frequent these properties, these changes represent a questionable direction for the Marriott brand.

What Are Protea Hotels?

Protea Hotels, headquartered in South Africa, is just one of 30+ brands in Marriott’s portfolio. Protea Hotels are located primarily in Africa, across 10 countries with roughly 80 properties. This brand is similar to Delta Hotels or even a lower-end, full-service Marriott hotel.

These hotels usually aren’t high-end stays but provide comfortable mid-level accommodations for travelers.

New Points Earning at Protea Hotels

At most Marriott properties, you’ll earn 10x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent.

However, if you stay in a Protea Hotel, you’ll only earn 5x points per dollar, effective March 2023. This is similar to the earning structure Marriott has in place for stays at a few brands, including Element by Westin and TownePlace Suites by Marriott, which are usually intended for extended stays. As Marriott assumes one might stay in these hotels for a long period of time, the hotel chain has reduced earning capabilities significantly.

While Protea Hotels certainly aren’t meant for long-term stays, it’s uncertain why this brand would necessitate fewer points earned.

New Elite Credit Structure

If you stay in most Marriott hotels — even at the cheapest accommodations — you earn 1 Elite Night Credit for every night you stay.

Starting this March, Protea Hotels will be the first to provide only 1 Eite Night Credit for every 2 nights spent, significantly downgrading the previous earning structure.

If you only spend 1 night at a Protea Hotel, Marriott doesn’t have the capability to earn a half-night’s credit — so presumably, you wouldn’t earn any elite credit at all.

Hot Tip: Marriott Bonvoy’s credit cards automatically come with annual Elite Night Credits to help you qualify for that next tier of Marriott Bonvoy elite status. 

Final Thoughts

If you travel to Africa often and stay at Protea Hotels, it will be that much harder to qualify for elite status. It’s uncertain if Marriott Bonvoy plans to implement these changes at other hotel brands, as Protea becomes the first to not award full elite nights on stays.