Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay

The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay sits on a cliff above the Pacific, roughly 30 minutes south of San Francisco, and it occupies Marriott Bonvoy's top redemption tier: Marriott LUX (Category 7). That tier designation matters because the property competes on cash rates with urban luxury hotels but prices its award nights at a ceiling that, on the right date, still delivers genuine value. For a coastal Northern California property with working cliff-edge golf courses and direct ocean exposure, the Bonvoy program is the only loyalty currency in play here.

The points math is straightforward on paper but meaningful in practice. Saver nights start at 70,000 Bonvoy points and top-end peak pricing runs 100,000 points per night. When cash rates for ocean-view rooms reach $1,000 or more per night, which is common on weekends and holiday periods, a saver redemption at 70,000 points implies roughly 1.4 cents per point (CPP) in raw value. That sits below our 1.0¢ conservative Bonvoy valuation on a raw-math basis, but the experience-to-cost ratio makes this one of the stronger Bonvoy LUX plays in Northern California when you are targeting a specific aspirational property rather than optimizing pure CPP.

Three bank currencies transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio: American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou. At our 2.0¢ valuation for Chase UR, 70,000 UR points carry approximately $1,400 in baseline value before the transfer, so moving them into Bonvoy at 1:1 is a deliberate trade-down in currency versatility. That trade makes sense only when you have confirmed the award night you want is available before initiating the transfer. Transfers from all three programs are generally irreversible, and Bonvoy award space at this property is inventory-controlled and fluctuates. Check availability under your Bonvoy account first, and watch for periodic Amex transfer bonuses to Marriott (they appear a few times per year) that can reduce the points cost effectively.

The coastal geography creates a specific seasonal watch-out that matters more here than at most luxury properties. The Half Moon Bay coastline sits in a marine-layer corridor, and the June through August period brings persistent morning and afternoon fog that can obscure ocean views for entire stays. If the view is part of the value calculation for your award redemption, target May or September for reliably clear conditions. On the cost side, Bonvoy's dynamic pricing means that summer weekend nights, even in fog season, can price at the 100,000-point peak rate rather than the 70,000-point saver floor, compressing the value case further. Check the award calendar across a two-week window to identify lower-demand dates where the saver rate applies.

The practical booking sequence here is to lock the hotel award first. Bonvoy allows free cancellation on most standard award nights up to a specified deadline, so reserving the room while your plans are still forming protects the date without committing bank points prematurely. Build any San Francisco or Bay Area flight itinerary around the confirmed hotel dates rather than the reverse. Find space first, then transfer.