You might not have heard of Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous before, but you've probably heard of Marriott – the world's largest hotel chain with over 8,000 hotels globally and one of the world's most popular loyalty programmes, Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous are two programmes run by Marriott for selected luxury travel advisors. Through membership in these programmes, advisors can offer their clients exclusive benefits on their next stay that often exceed the perks of top-tier Marriott Bonvoy status. Benefits include complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, room upgrades, and VIP treatment.
We at Lyxresan Travels are proud members of both Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous. In this article, we'll go through everything you need to know about these programmes.
What is Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous and what benefits are included?
The core benefits of both Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous are the same. Hotels may offer additional benefits beyond this, but you can always count on the following being included:
Marriott STARS/Luminous Benefits
- Daily full breakfast for two people
- Room upgrade to the next room category, subject to availability
- $100 USD hotel credit to be utilized during the stay
- Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
- Welcome amenity
- VIP status throughout your stay
- Discounted offers such as third/fourth/fifth night free
- Flexible booking with free cancellation until shortly before check-in
It's also worth pointing out that a good advisor works directly with the hotel to coordinate your stay and ensures you receive VIP treatment throughout. Our team at Lyxresan Travels have spent many years in the industry and have strong relationships with the management teams at the hotels we work with.
Marriott STARS
Marriott STARS applies to the following Marriott luxury brands, covering all hotels within these brands:
- BVLGARI
- EDITION
- The Luxury Collection
- Ritz-Carlton
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- St. Regis
Marriott Luminous
Marriott Luminous applies to premium brands. Participation is optional for individual hotels, so not all hotels within these brands participate, but a large selection does:
- Autograph Collection
- JW Marriott
- Le Meridien
- Marriott
- Renaissance
- Tribute Portfolio
- W Hotels
- Westin
Is it more expensive to book via Marriott STARS/Luminous?
The prices of the programmes usually correspond to the hotel's Best Available Rate, which is the most flexible price the hotel offers with the most generous cancellation policy. In practice, this means that the hotel may offer lower prices with a stricter cancellation policy – for example, a non-refundable booking, or prices that offer fewer or no benefits at all.
Let's look at a concrete example. A three-night stay at the Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection hotel in Budapest, comes to 1,321 EUR on the STARS rate. There is also a non-refundable rate at 1,135 EUR – meaning the STARS rate is 186 EUR more expensive. However, the STARS rate includes breakfast for two (worth approximately 60–70 EUR per day = 180–210 EUR for three nights), a $100 USD hotel credit, a room upgrade, flexible cancellation until days before check-in, and VIP status. In other words, the value of the benefits far exceeds the 186 EUR price difference.
It's also worth noting that at least 40% of all participating hotels globally offer some form of Marriott STARS/Marriott Luminous discount. In those cases, the STARS/Luminous rate often ends up being the cheapest option available.
Discounts: Third/fourth/fifth night free and more
In addition to the benefits listed above, Marriott regularly offers promotional rates at selected hotels via STARS and Luminous. Our experience shows that at least 40% of all participating hotels globally offer some form of discount at any given time. These typically come in two forms:
- Percentage discounts – for example, a 15% discount on stays of four nights or longer
- Free night offers – for example, the third, fourth, or fifth night free
Current examples of hotels offering Marriott STARS/Luminous discounts include:
- Ritz-Carlton Bali – fourth night free
- The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok – third night free
- JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay – third night free, or 15% discount for stays exceeding four nights
In practice, the discounts translate to the following savings:
- 3rd night free: 33% discount
- 4th night free: 25% discount
- 5th night free: 20% discount
How Marriott STARS/Luminous is combined with your Marriott status
One of the great things about Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous is that booking through these programmes is just like booking directly through Marriott. This means you earn Marriott Bonvoy points just as normal, receive elite nights towards your status, and can take advantage of all your status benefits.
Our experience shows that customers who book through Marriott STARS/Luminous and also have Marriott Bonvoy status tend to receive much better treatment from the hotels. The combination of having both a STARS/Luminous booking and elite status often results in better upgrades and more personalized service.
Customer Example: Marriott STARS stay at Ritz-Carlton Bali
We recently booked one of our clients at the Ritz-Carlton Bali, which currently offers the fourth night free. The client chose to stay four nights, effectively getting one night free.
Their four-night stay in the entry-level Sawangan Junior Suite came to approximately $1,040 USD with the fourth night free included. The lowest available rate from the hotel without benefits was a non-refundable rate that amounted to approximately $1,360 USD.
In other words, the client saved approximately $320 USD, had a fully flexible booking, and received the full STARS benefits including breakfast for two, a $100 USD credit, room upgrade, and VIP status throughout their stay.
Summary
Marriott STARS and Marriott Luminous are two outstanding programmes that allow you to get exceptional value from your stays at Marriott's luxury and premium brands. Whether you're staying at an ultra-luxury St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton through STARS, or a stylish W Hotel or JW Marriott through Luminous, you'll receive complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, upgrades, and VIP status. And with discounts available at over 40% of participating hotels, booking through STARS/Luminous is often the smartest financial choice as well.