What are seasonal rates?

How do seasonal rates work?

A rate is more than a number. It is a set of conditions attached to a price for a room type on a given set of nights, and a booking engine typically shows several of them side by side: one may be cheaper but stricter, another may cost more but bundle extras or allow changes. The date is the first filter, because demand for a destination is rarely flat across a year, and the rate plan is the second, because hotels use different plans to sell the same inventory to different buyers.

Accor's site, as of 18 October 2026, describes its advertised prices as subject to the hotel's conditions, period and availability, and notes that the price is only guaranteed at the time of reservation. [1] The same page separates its member offer from its general offers, with an exclusive rate for members alongside a discount for booking early. [1]

Marriott Bonvoy treats some rates as items a guest selects during the search. For Cash + Points, the programme instructs members to choose "Use Points/Awards" in the hotel search, look for participating hotels that display available cash + points rates, and then select the "Cash + Points" rate from the list. [5] PointSavers works the same way, with a dedicated rate shown at participating hotels. [5]

Why does the same room cost more on some dates?

Two mechanisms push prices apart. The first is timing: the price for a night depends on how the hotel expects that night to sell, which is why the site states that prices are subject to the hotel's conditions and period. [1] The second is the conditions bundled into the plan, such as how far ahead the booking is made or whether the guest holds membership.

Accor illustrates both. Its homepage offers a saving for travellers who book 15 days before the arrival date, and a member-exclusive discount of up to 10% on stays with additional benefits. [1] Marriott Bonvoy's PointSavers rate offers up to 20% off at participating hotels, again as a separate rate rather than as a change to the standard price. [5]

Points bookings follow the same logic. Marriott Bonvoy says Free Night Awards are redeemable at thousands of properties worldwide with varying point values, and it advertises stays starting at 12,000 points per night as of 18 October 2026. [5]

What does a seasonal rate include?

Inclusions are written into the rate, not the hotel. Accor sets out that its "prices start from" figures are based on a one-night stay in a standard double room for two guests, and that supplementary services, breakfast and tourist or city tax are not included. [1] The same note says that depending on the country, prices may exclude taxes, include VAT only, or include all taxes, and that where taxes are not fully included, the relevant taxes are stated in the later stages of the reservation process. [1]

Marriott Bonvoy shows the same principle on a specific property. At Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, award redemption stays include the standard room rate and room tax only; extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member's responsibility. [3]

Can the price change after booking?

Before a reservation is completed, the figure on screen is an offer rather than a commitment. Accor states plainly that the price is only guaranteed at the time of reservation. [1]

Programme rules can also move the value of a booking over time. The Marriott Bonvoy Program Rules reserve the company's right to change earning and redemption structures, point or mile accrual and redemption rates, redemption levels and award availability, with or without notice, even where the change affects the value of points or the ability to obtain certain awards. [3]

Exceptions and limits

• Headline prices are samples, not quotes. Accor says a price is observed on its site within the past 24 hours, for a one-night stay within the next eight days starting tomorrow, and remains subject to hotel conditions, period and availability. [1]
• Rate availability is limited by hotel and by rate. Cash + Points is bookable only at participating hotels that display cash + points rates [5], and PointSavers likewise applies at participating hotels [5].
• Tax treatment is country-specific. Accor says prices may exclude taxes, include VAT only or include all taxes depending on the country, with the position set out later in the booking process. [1]
• An award booking can lose its points. Marriott Bonvoy says an award redeemed before point forfeiture stays valid unless it is cancelled after the applicable points expiration date and the member has not completed qualifying activity to extend that date, in which case the points used expire. [3]
• A rate does not lock the programme. Marriott Bonvoy may amend its programme rules, and any changes are effective when posted on Marriott channels or otherwise communicated. [3]

Frequently asked questions

Is a seasonal rate the same thing as a rate plan?

A seasonal rate is the price for given dates; the rate plan is the set of conditions attached to it. Booking sites present the plan as the thing you choose, and Accor states that its prices are subject to the hotel's conditions, period and availability. [1]

Why do two guests pay different prices for the same night?

Because they may hold different rate plans. Accor offers a member-exclusive discount of up to 10% and a saving for booking 15 days before arrival [1], and Marriott Bonvoy lists PointSavers rates of up to 20% off at participating hotels [5].

Does a seasonal rate include breakfast and taxes?

It depends on the rate and the country. Accor's headline prices exclude breakfast, supplementary services and tourist or city tax, and the tax content varies by country, with details given later in the reservation process. [1]

Can I pay for a seasonal rate with points?

Marriott Bonvoy offers a Cash + Points rate at participating hotels that display it, selected from the list of available rates during a points or awards search. [5]

Is the price I see today still valid tomorrow?

Accor states that the price is only guaranteed at the time of reservation, so a figure seen earlier is not a held price. [1]

Related pages

Browse the full glossary of frequent flyer terms for definitions of pricing, earning and redemption language. See also cash and miles, dynamic pricing and points transfer, and start from the glossary index if you are new to the subject.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers rate information published by Accor and Marriott Bonvoy; other hotel groups, online travel agents and airline fare rules are not covered here, and their rate plans should be read on their own terms.

1. ALL Accor hotel booking site, including rate and tax notes, checked 18 October 2026
2. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
3. Marriott Bonvoy — Redeem points, including Cash + Points and PointSavers rates, checked 18 October 2026