The Explore Rate is for Marriott employees and their family members. Luckily, the definition of what Marriott considers a family member is fairly broad and includes spouses, domestic partners, parents, parents’ in-law, brothers, sisters, and children.
When using the Marriott employee discount rate, the employee can book a maximum of 2 rooms per night and the immediate family member can book a maximum of 1 room per night with the discounted rate. The total rooms per night tied to the employee cannot exceed 2 rooms at the same time.
For example: If an employee has 2 rooms, a parent cannot book an additional room at same hotel on same date. However, if the employee has just 1 room, then a parent (or other immediate family member) can have 1 room at same hotel on same date.
The Marriott employee discount can be 50% up to sometimes 80% off the normal rates, so they have to provide a cap on it’s usage to make sure it is not abused.