Homes & Villas by Marriott Last Minute Points Bonus
You can now earn up to 20,000 bonus points on stays at Homes & Villas by Marriott for stays completed before 31st December 2025.
To get the bonus, you’ll need to:
- Register for the promotion – You can do this here
- Book your stay before 15th December
- Spend at least $2,000 (approx £1,526)
- Stay at least two consecutive nights.
You’ll also earn the usual rate of 1 Elite Night Credit per night and five base points per $1 spent, plus your Elite Tier bonuses, which range from 10% for Silver to 75% for Titanium.
Homes & Villas by Marriott includes a range of managed holiday rentals, ideal if you’re looking for somewhere with more space. In most cases, Marriott doesn’t own the rental, but it vets the properties and works with a range of property management companies. Many of Marriott’s elite benefits, such as free night awards, can’t be used. You can read more about the Marriott loyalty programme in our guide here.
Marriott’s Curated Collection also includes properties in the Homes & Villas category, including ski-in/ski-out rentals perfect for last-minute bookings, vineyard and winery homes and even penthouse apartments.
If you’re planning a trip before the end of the year, Homes & Villas by Marriott is well worth a look if you meet the criteria for the bonus points. Just make sure you remember to register for the promotion.
Virgin Wines Launches New Limited-Edition Advent Calendars
Virgin Wines has run Advent calendars for several years, but this 25th-anniversary range is its most premium edition yet. This unique, limited-edition Advent Calendar collection includes three wine calendars. Some bottles are even exclusive to the calendars!
All wine calendars include 24 mini bottles (187 ml each) plus a full-size Anniversary Edition bottle revealed behind door 25:
- White: Global wines including Italian Carricante, New World Chardonnay, and a zesty New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
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Red: A rich, all-red selection with Chilean Merlot, a South African blend and other winter warmers.
- Mixed: A festive mix of reds, whites, rosé, and fizz, from Chilean Merlot to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Italian Prosecco.
There’s also a Gin Calendar and a Beer Calendar to enjoy. The Gin Advent Calendar includes 24 craft 5cl gins, ranging from classic dry varieties to seasonal limited-release botanicals, all in festive ‘Christmas Street’ packaging. The Beer Advent Calendar (non-redeemable) includes 24 cans of IPAs, lagers, and stouts.
You can redeem 20,000 Virgin Points for these calendars via Virgin Red. You can also purchase with cash for £99.99 (£79.99 for the Beer Calendar).
The value per point is 0.5-0.54p, taking delivery into account, which is in line with Virgin Red’s typical non-travel redemption rates. However, if you redeem for flights, upgrades, experiences, or cruises, you can often get a much higher value per point.
If you usually buy from Virgin Wines or enjoy exploring smaller independent producers, the calendars can be a surprisingly fun way to sample new labels. Calendars sell out fast each year, so if you’re planning to get one, act fast!
Eurostar Tickets Include 2-for-1 Museum/Gallery Entry
Eurostar has relaunched its popular 2-4-1 promotion at selected museums and galleries in Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels. If you’re a non-UK resident, some venues in London are also included.
To redeem the offer, you need to show your ticket and passport at the ticket office. Only one person needs a Eurostar ticket to redeem. Some museums let you pre-book using the code EURO2FOR! on their website.
The deal is valid for up to five days after your outbound travel, and can be used once per venue per journey. Most places will stamp your ticket on entry.
Museums and galleries include:
- Paris: Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Musée de l’Homme and Bourse de Commerce – Collection Pinault
- Amsterdam: Moco Museum and H’ART Museum
- Brussels: WIELS and Bozar
The offer does not include fast-track or special events, and some venues limit the number of redemptions each month. Blackout dates also apply.
This is one of those benefits well worth knowing about and surprisingly underused.
