Estimated read time: 4 minutes and 27 seconds

Good morning and welcome back to another edition of Daily Drop.

Today’s newsletter is going to be a little Marriott-heavy, which half of you will love and the other half will hate. Which side are you on? 😉

Let’s get into it:

• 🏨 A new global promotion from Marriott

• 💳 70% hotel transfer bonus

• 🌭 Like food? Come to EEEEEATSCON

• 🥵 It was 94 degrees and I was arguing with a skeleton

🏨 A new global promotion from Marriott

Marriott Bonvoy is out with a new global promotion that’s giving some serious “meh” vibes.

Unlike the promotion earlier this year (where I stayed at a different Marriott every day for a month), this one won’t earn you a ton of points or get you closer to status.

Here’s the deal:

You can earn up to 4,500 points per stay at Marriott hotels, broken down as follows:

• Earn 1,500 points on a stay of at least two nights

• Earn 3,000 more points at resorts

There is some fine print, so let’s get that out of the way:

• You must register for this offer

• This is valid for stays between September 22 and November 22

• Only cash stays qualify

As you can see, this promo doesn’t start until next week. So don’t go staying at a Marriott this weekend hoping for those points. 😉

Anyway, here’s my opinion:

This is a trash promo… but register for it now anyway.

1,500 points are worth less than $15. And even a stay of ten nights will still earn you the same 1,500 points.

Sure, the extra 3,000 points at resorts are nice – but resorts are more expensive.

If you happen to have some short, cheap Marriott stays coming up, it could be a nice little bonus.

For example, Japan actually has a lot of dirt-cheap Marriott properties like this one in Morioka for less than $30 per night:

Two nights here would run you $58, so getting 1,500 more points on the stay isn’t bad at all.

So here’s the bottom line:

We were spoiled earlier this year with Marriott’s other promo, so now we have to suffer mediocrity until next year.

But that’s okay.

💳 70% hotel transfer bonus

If you want a MUCH faster way to rack up Marriott points, I’ve got good news for you:

There’s a new 70% transfer bonus from UR points to Marriott from now through October 15.

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that Marriott points are typically worth less than other programs.

Still, for the right redemption, this could be a huge win.

Combine this with the 5th night free perk

The best way to save Marriott points is to book in 5-night increments, and Marriott will give you the cheapest of those nights for free.

When you combine that discount with the transfer bonus, things get fun.

For example, check out this Marriott hotel in Istanbul, which costs 15,000 points per night:

A 5-night stay would cost you 60,000 Marriott points, or just 35,000 UR points with the 70% bonus.

35,000 points for 5 nights is a great deal.

Even in the States, you can find some properties that don’t charge an arm and a leg.

For example, this Courtyard in Miami is charging just under 34,000 points per night.

A 5-night stay here would run you around 134,000 Marriott points, which is not bad against the cash cost of almost $2,000.

But with the transfer bonus, you’ll only need to shell out 79,000 UR points for the same five nights.

This is why you need UR points around

When you can trade 79,000 points for a $2,000 hotel stay, you’ll want to have the points on hand to make it happen.

I recommend signing up for one of these two cards. Everyone on the Daily Drop team has at least one of these in their wallet:

• This card for a low annual fee and solid everyday earning

• This card for solid earning with amazing travel perks and credits

Enjoy your free hotel stays! 🤗

🌭 Like food? Come to EEEEEATSCON

If you like food, I’ve got some fun news for you.

The Infatuation, a restaurant recommendation and review site, is hosting its EEEEETSCON event in New York City next month, and there’s a fun credit card element to it.

This event is exclusively for people who hold a card from this bank.

Holding any card will allow you to buy a ticket to the event for $25, but if you hold this premium card or this low-fee card (the same two I just mentioned in the previous Marriott section), you’ll get to enter the event an hour before everyone else, which is kind of cool.

EEEEEATSCON will feature tons of food from some of New York City’s best restaurants, along with live performances.

This is the kind of thing that gets me excited to hold onto cards like the ones I just told you about.

If you live in New York (or plan to visit on October 3 and 4), go eat some dank food and have a good time.

Who knows, maybe I’ll even pop over for a visit, too. 😉

That’s it for today, friends! Take care, have a nice day, and see you again tomorrow. ❤️

43.6532° N, 79.3832° W

With contributions by Sam Anthony and Katie Begnoche.