How to Get Free Entries in Marriott’s Travel for Life Sweepstakes

Marriott is giving a very lucky winner free travel for life, via their latest sweepstakes. The entry dates for the sweepstakes are March 1, 2017 through May 31, 2017.

It is interesting to note that the sweepstakes administrator is none other than Hello World, Inc., the same company that paired up with IHG for the extremely lucrative IHG Priceless Surprises promotion last year.

A lifetime of travel in Marriott’s contest is defined as staying 5 nights per year for 30 years, at a Category 5 property.

To put it in perspective for Disney fans, that’s like staying for free for a week every year at Marriott’s Category 5 Village d’lle-de-France (which is 10 minutes away from Disneyland Paris), instead of paying the usual nightly rates that hover in the $200’s.

Another great option off the top of my head is the Renaissance Malmo Hotel in Sweden which was a steal as a Category 4 and is still a stellar property as a Category 5.

The total number of Marriott Rewards Points the winner will receive? 3,750,000 points.

That’s a lot of points!

Here’s how to enter (if a US Resident):

1. Download the Marriott® Mobile App and Sign-In on the app (and Join Marriott Rewards® if you aren’t already a member).

2. Use the app to make a reservation.

Reservations that count must have your Rewards account number entered at the time the reservation is made, and must be for the following participating brands: The Ritz-Carlton, RitzCarlton
Reserve, JW Marriott, EDITION, Marriott Hotels, Marriott
Vacation Club, Delta, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels,
Gaylord Hotels, Courtyard Hotels, SpringHill Suites, Protea Hotels,
Fairfield Inn & Suites, AC Hotels, Moxy Hotels, Marriott Executive
Apartments, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites.

You’ll earn one entry for each reservation made (regardless of number of nights or if there are multiple rooms), for a maximum of 20 entries.

3. Use mobile check-in on the App (not available at properties in Venezuela or Japan). The reservation must have been made through an official Marriott channel rather than via a third-party like Orbitz in order for the check-in to count as an entry.

Even if you made the reservation on a computer rather than through Marriott’s mobile app, you can still earn an entry for the check-in if you use the app. You’ll earn one entry per check-in, up to a cap of 20 check-in entries.

4. Use the mobile request feature on the App, while at properties worldwide. (Not available at Gaylord Hotels, Delta, or Protea Hotel chains). You’ll earn one entry for each request made per day, up to a maximum of 20 entries. Note that mobile requests are not available on Windows devices.

The maximum number of all forms of entry combined during the promotion period is 60.

Alternatively, you can enter without using the app, making reservations, or having any stays at Marriott properties. Here’s how:

Print (by hand) on a 3″ x 5″ card the following:

Name
Address
Day and evening phone numbers
Email address
Rewards Account number
Date of birth

Mail it in an envelope to:

Marriott mobile App Travel For Life
c/o HelloWorld, Inc.
P.O. Box 5029, Department 829846
Kalamazoo, MI 49003-5029

Each mail-in will count as three entries into the Prize Draw.

All mailed entries must be postmarked by May 31, 2017 and received by June 7, 2017. The maximum number of mail-ins allowed is 20, which would count as 60 total entries (since each card counts as 3).

Here’s how to enter (if a non-US Resident):

Click this link to fill out the entry form to opt-in. You’ll just need to enter your first and last name, email address associated with your Marriott Rewards account, Marriott Rewards number, and country of residence.

Once you have opted-in, steps 2, 3, and 4 above are the same for US and non-US residents.

In lieu of stays/reservations/app requests, non-US Residents also have the option of emailing to receive entries.

Send an email to MarriottMobileAppSweeps@HelloWorldfulfillment.com and include your:

Name
Complete residential address
Email address
Rewards Account number
Date of Birth

All emailed entries must be sent within the promotion period.

Each mail-in will count as three entries into the Prize Draw.

The email entry option is only available to non-US residents.

If you mail or email in some entries in combination with stays/reservations/app requests, the maximum total entries for everyone within the promotion period is 60.

Here’s a link to the Marriott’s Travel for Life sweepstakes page.

Oddly, if you are a US resident and don’t want to win, there is a link you can follow to opt-out. As in, you stay at Marriott properties and use the app but would rather someone else win all those free points. If you choose to opt-out, that’s fine with me since it takes one more person out of the pool of entries.

The chances of winning are admittedly not stellar, since there is only one grand prize and the contest is open all to all legal residents of the 50 United States, plus Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, France, Germany Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, and the UK who have reached the age of majority.

Still, someone has to win!

After the random prize draw is done near the end of June, the winner will be contacted and the points deposited into their account within a month.

Seeing as the contest is being held in many countries, the official rules are in English as well as Dutch, French, German, and Spanish.

Summary

I don’t see this contest as being anywhere near as compelling to enter by way of mail-ins as the IHG Priceless Surprises sweepstakes since that contest guaranteed a prize for every entry, while this one does not. I won’t be mailing in any envelopes, and any entries I receive will be automatic such as those for reservations made on Marriott’s website.

If you are a resident of any of the countries included in the contest other than the US though, it would be very easy and quick to cut, paste, and shoot off 20 emailed entries. UK folks, I’m especially talking to you. 60 entries (20 emails) could be had in mere minutes for no cost. There’s still just a slim shot at the grand prize, but if you don’t enter your chances are even less.

Good luck to everyone!