Members Earn Points and Elite Credits at Half the Normal Rate at New Series by Marriott Brand

Back in May, we learned that Marriott would partner with a leading hotel chain in India to develop a new brand, Series by Marriott. In late September, Marriott announced it would also convert 5 U.S. properties from FOUND Hotels to the Series by Marriott brand through 2026.

We now know what earning rates will look like at the world’s largest hotel chain’s newest brand — here’s what you need to know.

Poor Earning Rates at Series by Marriott Hotels

Marriott’s new brand, Series by Marriott, is a result of a founding partnership with Concept Hospitality Private Limited, an Indian hotel brand. However, there’s some bad news associated with the introduction of this new brand. Marriott Bonvoy members will earn rewards — points for spending and elite night credits — at half the rate of most Marriott brands.

This means members will earn 5 points per dollar spent at these properties (half the rate of the typical 10x) and 1 elite night credit for every 2 nights stayed (half the rate of the typical 1 elite night for every night stayed).

About Series by Marriott

Marriott says Series by Marriott was created to bring “strong, regionally relevant brands and hotels” into the Marriott portfolio. The hotels joining the brand will be midscale and upscale.

Concept Hospitality Private Limited’s flagship brands, The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat, will be affiliated with the Series by Marriott brand. The 3 hotel brands have over 80 hotels open and 31 properties in the pipeline, totaling 8,000 rooms across India. The Fern hotels offer free Wi-Fi, daily coffee or tea, breakfast, fitness centers, and meeting and event spaces at select properties.

Additionally, 5 hotels in the U.S. under the FOUND Hotels brand will be reflagged as Series by Marriott properties, including locations in Chicago, Miami Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Monica.

“Series by Marriott furthers Marriott’s commitment to delivering lodging offerings in the right place at the right price with basics done well,” said Marriott president and CEO Anthony Capuano. “Creating a new, regional collection brand will further Marriott’s reach among value-conscious travelers, provide additional choice for our existing Marriott Bonvoy members and guests, and offer more affiliation opportunities for local owners.”

Marriott also wants to expand the Series brand to the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Final Thoughts

The Series by Marriott brand will launch in India in 2025 and the U.S. in 2026, and it looks like it’ll be expanding globally in short order. However, it’s disappointing to learn that Marriott Bonvoy members will only earn rewards at half the rate of most of its other brands. This could be enough to deter guests from picking Series by Marriott over another Marriott brand — or another chain altogether.