Marriott debuts Eat Around Town dining program

Marriott announced Oct. 2, 2019, the launch of a new dining rewards program, designed to offer loyalists of the brand a new way to rack up points to use on free nights.

The newly debuted Eat Around Town program is powered by Rewards Network, which boasts a portfolio of more than 11,000 participating restaurants – making it easy for participating Marriott Bonvoy members to earn whenever they dine out.

“Sharing an amazing meal with family, friends or colleagues will now be more rewarding as members can earn a significant number of points to enjoy the benefits of Marriott Bonvoy, even when they are not staying with us,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty at Marriott International in a press release.

To launch the program, Eat Around Town is offering a limited-time promotion. From now through Nov. 11, 2019, participants can earn 8 points per dollar on participating restaurants. Plus, new members can earn 1,000 bonus points by spending at least $30 at a participating restaurant in the first 30 days.

How to sign up for Eat Around Town

If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member ready to start earning when you dine out, you can sign up for the new Eat Around Town program here. You’ll be prompted to create a profile and link your credit and debit cards. That way, you are automatically rewarded when you make a purchase at a participating restaurant.

When you dine at a participating Eat Around Town location, you’ll earn Marriott points at the following rate:

Through Nov. 11, 2019

• 8 points per dollar on all purchases

After Nov. 11, 2019

• 6 points per dollar for Marriott Bonvoy elite members
• 4 points per dollar for other Marriott Bonvoy members

Note that all the points you earn from Eat Around Town are in addition to points earned on Marriott Bonvoy Credit cards. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card offers 3 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants. Since the card also comes with automatic gold elite status, you’ll earn a combined total of 9 points per dollar on qualifying restaurant purchases through the new program, when you pay with your card.

Joining other hotel dining programs

Eat Around Town is a brand-new program for Marriott Bonvoy – but it is not the first of its kind. Other large hotel loyalty programs including Hilton Honors and IHG Rewards Club are already offering dining programs through Rewards Network.

See related: How to make the most of an airline dining program

Nevertheless, the Eat Around Town program fills out a growing list of ways to earn Marriott points. If you prefer to stay at Marriott hotels, the program just got a bit more lucrative.