Marriott vs. European Boutiques: When is the Points Redemption Actually Worth It?

Renaissance Naples Italy was basic but a decent redemption rate.

During our trip to Europe for E’s milestone birthday, we looked to utilize points earned from Marriott Bonvoy. During this trip we were Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members (currently Ambassador) and had options in two of the cities we visited -- Paris and Naples. 

Naturally, we had far more options to consider in Paris as Marriott has over a dozen properties to consider. I will say that overall, Marriott properties tend to be a decent amount more expensive for cash payments than European hotel chains. Likely because North American business travelers prioritize the Marriott brand for points earning -- afterall, it is why we use it!

We regularly checked redemption rates for highly rated hotels near the tourist center of Paris and had success in finding redemptions for around 50,000 points per night. 

We find Marriott Bonvoy points to be less valuable than airline points and far less valuable than Chase Sapphire Reserve redemption points, so 50,000 per night for a room that was priced near $500 seemed like a decent redemption.

We booked the Renaissance Paris Nobel Tour Eiffel Hotel for our first night in Paris following our arrival on La Compagnie from Newark. 

Arriving at the hotel around 9:30am, we were told at check-in that our room was not available. We asked if there was another room available and after some conversation, the front desk agent provided us with a “courtesy room” where we could rest until our room was available. We could not have been more appreciative of this gesture given we had just flown in and desperately needed a quick nap. 

We were able to get a few hours of sleep in this courtesy room and after about 4 hours, received a call from the front desk to tell us that our room was ready. 

The following morning, we enjoyed a complementary breakfast with eggs, juices, pastries and French cheeses. We left our bags with the bell desk while we explored Paris before our 5pm flight from Orly that afternoon. 

In Naples, we booked the Renaissance Naples for two nights for 58,000 points for each night, which was located two blocks from the touristy Toledo Street and walkable to all restaurants we visited in town. 

We were “upgraded” per the card at check-in and the room was fine. It has a nice large King sized bed. The bathroom was a bit dated and the tub shower combo is not my favorite. 

The hotel had a rooftop restaurant with great views of the city and we enjoyed breakfast there one of our two mornings. In addition, the rooftop has two hot tubs which were a great place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine before we went to dinner. The rooftop hot tub areas was supposed to have a bar open, but it was closed during our stay. Probably as we traveled in mid-September. Though it was still warm enough to get in the hot tub. 

The hotel provided us with an umbrella on a night where it rained heavily, which was a nice offer.

Back in Paris for our final night of our trip, we stayed at La Maison Champs Elysées for 48,000 points. It was listed as a five star property, but I did not see a significant difference in room quality for this room compared to the Renaissance hotels we stayed in in Naples and earlier in Paris. Other than the sweets that were left for us when we arrived in the room. 

The room was very hot despite having AC, but we opened the windows which allowed some fresh air in. 

The location was terrific, allowing us to walk to dinner, the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysee. Walking the streets at night was a perfect end to our trip. 

Overall

The Marriott rooms were serviceable and worked for our stays. There was value in the point redemptions, averaging around 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. 

The locations of each hotel were excellent and each hotel provided a significant European breakfast.