Rome, Italy | August 2-5, 2024
We redeemed 540,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for three nights in Rome.
That’s a lot of points. A lot.
Everyone asks the same question: Was it worth it? Here’s what’s wild – it would have been cheaper to buy the points than pay cash. Even if we’d started from zero points.
Keep reading for the math breakdown that proves why points redemptions at luxury hotels are the sweet spot. But first, let me show you what we actually got by watching the room tour:
Quick Facts
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What We Booked vs. What We Got
Booked: Two King Superior rooms at The St. Regis Rome (270,000 points each)
Got: St. Regis Suite connected to a Deluxe King room (Ambassador status upgrade for the win)
The upgrade made the stay. A standard King Superior room is nice. The St. Regis Suite? Was a different experience entirely.
The St. Regis Suite
The suite consisted of a living room, a separate bedroom, and a spacious luxurious bathroom.
You entered the suite into the living room, which had a couch, desk, TV, and bar area with a coffee machine. A pocket door slides between the living room and bedroom. We kept it open most of the time, but closed it several times when emergency work calls interrupted our vacation.
The bathroom was big enough to do a cartwheel in. It had a separate tub and shower, the toilet in its own enclosed room, and it was stocked with Acqua di Parma toiletries – the kind that smell expensive (and probably cost more than our grocery budget). The bathroom was much larger than our master bathroom at home, though about on par with a modern US home master bath.
The bed? Like sleeping in a supportive cloud. The sheets were cool and smooth, the kind you don’t want to get out of in the morning. The pillows, the mattress – everything felt expensive, because it was.
The Deluxe King Room
Had all the things the suite had just in a much more compact space. The room had a TV with a desk underneath, a bar area with a coffee machine, and two luxurious beds that let you sleep like a dream. The bathroom had the same setup – separate tub and shower, enclosed toilet room.
Not nearly as big as the suite, but just as luxurious. Still nicer than most hotels we stay at.
The Connecting Setup
Both rooms connected through a shared hallway. Each room had its own door to the hallway, plus an outer door.
The genius part: Prop open both room doors, close the outer hallway door, and you’ve created a private connected suite. Perfect for families who want connection without leaving doors wide open all night. We felt comfortable letting the kids sleep in the other bedroom knowing there were no locked doors between us.
Kids Perks
The hotel provided activity boxes for the kids – coloring books, colored pencils, pencil case. Plus small plush stuffed animals.
Simple, but effective. Kept the boys occupied during downtime and made them feel special.
The Breakfast Buffet
Breakfast came with our status, and it was completely worth it.
If you’re a croissant-and-espresso person, you can find that on any Roman street corner for two euros. However, if you want a proper hot and cold breakfast buffet? The St. Regis delivers.
Fresh pastries that flaked apart when you bit into them. Italian specialties we couldn’t pronounce but ate anyway. Eggs cooked exactly how you asked. Coffee that actually tasted like coffee, not burnt water.
We took our time every morning, the kids loading plates with more food than they could finish while we savored the one meal we didn’t have to hunt down in unfamiliar streets.
Location
The St. Regis sits walking distance from Roma Termini (Rome’s main train station).
The day we arrived, we walked from the station with luggage. About 10 minutes, manageable even with kids and 2 giant suitcases + backpacks for everyone.
However, the day we left, one kid woke up sick, so we took a car from the hotel instead. Sometimes it’s worth the money to take the easiest option.
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Why You Stay at the St. Regis
You don’t stay at the St. Regis for location or budget value.
You stay for luxury.
First, the sheets and beds were exceptional. Second, the breakfast was excellent. Finally, the staff was friendly, attentive, and never overbearing.
When you’re traveling with kids and need space to spread out, the connected suite setup worked perfectly. When you want to feel like you’re treating yourself after days of sightseeing, the St. Regis delivers.
The Points Question
540,000 points for three nights.
Was it worth it?
Here’s the honest answer: It depends on how you value points and what else you’d spend them on.
We could have stayed somewhere cheaper and saved points for other trips. Alternatively, we could have paid cash and saved points entirely. But we wanted this experience in Rome – luxury accommodations where we could decompress after long sightseeing days with two kids.
The St. Regis suite upgrade made it even better. But honestly? Even with two standard King Superior rooms, the points value would still beat paying cash. Ultimately, the luxuriousness of the St. Regis – sleeping well, eating well, the attentive service – that’s why we stayed.
Would we stay again? Absolutely.
Especially if we can score another suite upgrade with status. Overall, the combination of space, comfort, and service made our Rome trip better.
The Points vs. Cash Breakdown
People always ask me when to use points and “are they worth it?” Yes! An emphatic “YES!” When I get this question I always reference 2 trips: 1. When we used 284,000 points for 5 nights at the EDITION in Reykjavik and 2. This Trip. Look at the math below and see why it’s worth it to sign up for loyalty accounts.
The Cash Cost
If we’d paid cash: It would have been around $1,200 per night per room for a King Superior room in early August. Three nights in two rooms = $7,200 total.
What we actually paid: We used 540,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Our cash out of pocket was $0.
The Points Purchase Option
But what if we’d bought the points? Marriott sells points at $12.50 per 1,000. To buy 540,000 points would have cost us $6,750.
The savings: Even if we’d bought every single point at full price, we still would have saved $450 compared to paying cash ($7,200 cash vs. $6,750 to buy points).
The Real Value
The actual value: We earned these points through credit card spending and hotel stays. Our real cost was zero. The redemption worked out to 1.33 cents per point in value.
For comparison: The Points Guy values Marriott points at 0.7 cents per point. We got nearly double that.
What We Actually Received
BUT What we ACTUALLY got: Those numbers don’t tell the full story. We didn’t get two King Superior rooms, thanks to Ambassador status, we got UPGRADED to a St. Regis Suite (worth $2,000 to $2,500 per night) plus a King Superior room.The actual cash value of what we received for three nights was somewhere between $9,600 and $11,100.
Bottom line: This is exactly why you save points for luxury properties during peak season in expensive cities. The math works heavily in your favor.
Quick Facts
💡 BOOKING TIP:
Ambassador status (100+ nights per year + spend) significantly increases your upgrade chances at St. Regis properties. If you’re close to that threshold and planning a luxury points stay, it might be worth pursuing.
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Planning your Rome trip?
Stayed as Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite members. Suite upgrade and breakfast included with status. Booked on points (540,000 total). Not sponsored.