I thought this was a great insight for newbies how you can still earn tons of points in the UK! - http://pointsuncovered.com/earning-points/fast-track-yourself-to-250000-marriott-bonvoy-points/
I like the step-by-step breakdown approach and the specific points target is a fun way to do things. That said, there's no way I'd recommend (to most people - obv everyone's circumstances are different) turning essentially an entire year's worth of 2 people's churning efforts into a 5 night hotel stay. I like nice hotels, but there are usually better value ways to stay at them (unless, perhaps, you definitely wish to stay at a specific property). Also, the thought of what else I could do with those points...
