Marriott Bonvoy: Complete guide to the hotel loyalty program

1 month ago 10

Marriott Bonvoy is a popular hotel loyalty program, especially among U.S. travelers. The program has changed significantly over the years — including the removal of published award charts in early 2022. However, you can still get plenty of value when you travel as a Marriott Bonvoy member.

Whether you're a loyal Marriott customer or new to the program, it's important to know how to maximize your Marriott Bonvoy redemptions. This guide will provide you with all the essential information you need.

What is Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy was established after Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz-Carlton Rewards joined forces in 2018. With more than 30 brands under its umbrella, Marriott Bonvoy has over 8,000 properties in around 140 countries and territories worldwide.

Members can earn points for their stays by joining the program, then redeem those points for various benefits such as free nights, room upgrades and exclusive experiences. As of August 2024, TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.85 cents apiece. However, since Marriott uses dynamic pricing, you may wind up getting more (or less) value, depending on your individual redemption.

What are Marriott's status levels?

Marriott offers five levels of elite status: Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite. Each level requires a set number of nights stayed, but some Marriott credit cards can fast-track you to the next status tier or even provide automatic status. There are also ways to earn elite status for life.

It's important to note that you can only enjoy elite status benefits when you book directly with Marriott. If you book through online travel agencies like Expedia or Hotels.com or through a credit card travel portal, you generally won't receive these benefits even if you add your Marriott Bonvoy number to your reservation.

For a detailed breakdown of the benefits of each status level, check out our guide to Marriott Bonvoy elite status. Here's a high-level overview of what each level offers.

Member

Anyone who registers for a free Bonvoy account can access the following perks — so it's worth signing up even if you don't plan to stay at Marriotts often.

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Free standard Wi-Fi
Discounted member rates
Mobile check-in
Earn points and elite night credits on paid stays
Fifth night free on award stays

Silver Elite

You'll earn Marriott Silver Elite status after completing 10 qualifying nights in a calendar year. Benefits include:

10% points-earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
Late checkout, based on availability

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card provide automatic Silver Elite status. The Bold is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus one free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Gold Elite

You'll reach the Gold Elite tier after completing 25 qualifying nights in a calendar year. Perks include all the benefits of Silver status, plus:

Enhanced internet access
25% points-earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
2 p.m. late checkout, based on availability
Space-available upgrades to "enhanced rooms" (excluding suites)
A welcome gift of points each time you stay

Holders of the following cards get Marriott Gold Elite status as a perk:

The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment is required)
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card (after spending $35,000 on purchases each calendar year; terms apply)
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants)
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

The information for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Platinum Elite

Platinum Elite status requires a minimum of 50 qualifying nights in a calendar year. This level offers additional benefits beyond Gold Elite, including:

50% points-earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
Space-available room upgrades (including select suites)
Lounge access at brands with lounges
Guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout, subject to availability at resort and convention hotels
Choice of welcome gift during each stay (varies by brand but often includes points, breakfast or an amenity)
24/7 dedicated support line

Upon staying 50 nights, Platinum Elite members can choose one Choice Benefit. Options include five elite night credits, five nightly upgrade awards, $1,000 off a mattress, a $100 charitable donation and gifting Silver Elite status to another member.

Having the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card grants you Platinum Elite status. Alternatively, holders of the Ritz-Carlton card can reach Platinum Elite by spending $75,000 on purchases during a calendar year.

Titanium Elite

You'll reach Titanium Elite status after completing 75 qualifying nights in a calendar year. The benefits are similar to those of Platinum Elite, with a few additions:

75% points-earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
48-hour guaranteed room availability
United MileagePlus Premier Silver status through Marriott's RewardsPlus partnership with United

Titanium Elite members are also eligible for a second Choice Benefit selection after completing 75 nights in a year. The options at this tier are similar to the 50-night threshold, but you also can pick a free night award worth up to 40,000 points or gift Gold Elite status (instead of Silver) to another member.

Ambassador Elite

Marriott's top published status tier is Ambassador Elite, which requires spending 100 qualifying nights and $23,000 in qualifying Marriott purchases in a calendar year. In addition to all the benefits of Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite members receive:

Dedicated ambassador service to help you out with booking and managing stays
Choose the 24 hours you want to stay (e.g., if you arrive on a 10 p.m. flight for a one-night stay, you could check out the following night at 10 p.m.)

Cobalt program

You won't find "Cobalt" in any official Marriott Bonvoy promotional material, but TPG received leaked information in August 2019 about this secret Marriott status level. Cobalt status is so exclusive that it's only available through an invitation from Marriott International's president and CEO.

The benefits are largely that of Marriott Ambassador Elite status but with additional touches, such as a personalized note from the general manager, a meeting with the general manager and a "distinctive experience on-property" at luxury brands.

Guaranteed benefits

A great aspect of Marriott Bonvoy is that many of the elite status benefits are guaranteed — and if you don't receive them, you're entitled to compensation. Check out Marriott's page on which benefits are guaranteed and how you can be compensated if you don't receive them.

For example, the "Ultimate Reservation Guarantee" promises elite members up to $200 and 90,000 Marriott points — plus accommodation at a nearby hotel — for being "walked" from a Marriott hotel.

When does Marriott status expire?

Once you earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status, it will be valid for the rest of the calendar year in which you earned it and an additional 14 months after that.

For example, if you earned Marriott Platinum status in August 2024, you'd enjoy benefits through the rest of this year, all of 2025 and the first two months of 2026. Your status beyond that period would be based on your qualifying activity during the 2025 calendar year.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

There are several ways to earn Bonvoy points, from staying at Marriott properties to spending on cobranded credit cards. For the full scoop, check out our guide on the best ways to earn Marriott points, but here's a summary.

Hotel stays

At most Marriott hotel brands, Bonvoy members earn 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying charges. However, there are a few exceptions. You'll earn 5 points per dollar at some brands, including Element, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Homes & Villas by Marriott. Qualifying room rates at Marriott Executive Apartments earn only 2.5 Marriott points per dollar.

Your earning rates can be boosted by elite status and hotel promotions.

However, you'll need to book directly with Marriott to earn points for a stay. Stays that don't earn points include those booked through online travel agencies and credit card travel portals, as part of an event, through a tour operator or as a comped stay. You also won't earn points on stays where you redeem a free night certificate or Marriott Bonvoy points, though any eligible on-property purchases should earn points.

Credit card bonuses and spending

There are several cards you can use to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. These all earn bonus points on Marriott purchases, and many of them come with additional perks like elite status and annual free night awards.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: Best for Marriott loyalists looking for perks
Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card: Best for Marriott loyalists who travel for business
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card: Solid bonus with lackluster benefits
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Best for Marriott loyalists looking for a modest annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Best for Marriott loyalists looking for a no-annual-fee option
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card: Limited benefits

If you'd like to get a Marriott card but you're unsure where to start, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is currently offering 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases on the card within the first six months of card membership. As a cardholder, you'll also get complimentary Gold Elite status.

Check out our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy.

Organizing events

Event planners will earn 2 points per dollar spent for any qualifying event held at a Marriott property. Basic members can earn up to 60,000 points per event, while elite members can earn more depending on their tier. You'll also earn an additional elite night credit for every 20 room nights you book as part of your event, up to 20 elite night credits per event.

Referring friends

Marriott Bonvoy will reward you for referring friends to the program. You can refer up to five new members each calendar year and earn 2,000 points each for up to five of their paid stays, for a total of up to 50,000 bonus points. The friends you refer will also earn 2,000 bonus points for each of their first five paid stays for a maximum of 10,000 bonus points.

Eating out

Like many hotels and airlines, Marriott has a dining rewards program that lets you earn points when you eat out. The Eat Around Town program offers Marriott elite members 6 points per dollar spent and nonelite members 4 points per dollar spent. To earn, you must register for Eat Around Town, connect a credit card to your account and pay with the same card when you dine at participating restaurants.

Note that points earned through Eat Around Town are in addition to the rewards you'd otherwise earn on the dining purchase, such as credit card points or rewards from the restaurant's loyalty program.

Earning points with partners

Marriott Bonvoy partners with a handful of programs, allowing members to earn Bonvoy points on other purchases. These include:

Car rentals: Earn up to 500 Bonvoy points per rental at Hertz or 250 per rental at Dollar and Thrifty when you book through Marriott's car rental page.
Cruises: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on cruises (up to 30,000 points per cruise) booked through Cruise with Points.
Starbucks: With the launch of the new Marriott-Starbucks partnership, you can link your accounts to earn 100 Bonvoy points when you make three qualifying Starbucks purchases during any Marriott Bonvoy Week.
Uber and Uber Eats: Link your Marriott and Uber accounts to earn Bonvoy points on Uber rides and food orders. You'll get 6 points per dollar on deliveries to Marriott properties, 2 points per dollar on pickup orders and deliveries elsewhere in the U.S. and 3 points per dollar on premium Uber rides.

Buying a mattress

In case you didn't know, Marriott sells mattresses. In fact, it has 15 online retailers where you can shop for a better night's sleep. When you make your purchase, provide your Bonvoy account number, and you'll earn 10,000 points per mattress.

Transferring points from other programs

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards (instant) and American Express Membership Rewards (instant) to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 2:1 ratio, which can take up to four days.

United MileagePlus members can convert up to 100,000 miles to Marriott Bonvoy points per calendar year at a 1:1 ratio. We generally don't advise this because United miles are more valuable than Marriott points, per TPG's valuations, but transferring points to top off your Bonvoy account for a valuable redemption can make sense.

Combining points with other members

A fantastic aspect of Marriott Bonvoy is the ability to combine your points with other members, which can help families or friends get closer to their next free vacation. You can do this online.

According to Marriott, both accounts must be in good standing and have been open for at least 30 days with qualifying activity or 90 days without qualifying activity. You must transfer in 1,000-point increments, with a limit of six transactions per year and two transactions per month. You can transfer up to 100,000 points total from your account per calendar year, and you can receive a maximum of 500,000 points per calendar year.

Elite night credits, lifetime status and free night certificates are nontransferable.

Buying points

You can buy up to 100,000 Bonvoy points each year. The purchase rate is generally $12.50 per 1,000 points, but Marriott will periodically run promotions that lower the price. This isn't generally the best way to earn points, but it can make sense if you're short a few points for an upcoming redemption.

Earning miles instead of points

It's also worth noting that you can earn airline miles with select airline loyalty programs instead of Marriott points on your hotel stays. Generally, you'll earn 1 or 2 miles per dollar on qualifying hotel charges, depending on the brand.

Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?

Marriott Bonvoy points will expire after 24 months if your account has no qualifying activity. You can avoid this by earning points through stays, redeeming points or purchasing points at least once every 24 months. Earning points through the Eat Around Town dining program also counts as a qualifying activity, but gifting or receiving points to or from another member does not.

How to redeem Marriott points

You'll typically get the most value from your Marriott points when you redeem them for hotel stays or transfer them to airline loyalty programs. Here's an overview of the various ways to redeem Marriott points; for more information, see our complete guide to Marriott redemptions.

Award nights

Since Marriott ditched its award chart in favor of dynamic pricing, award rates are now based on cash prices and occupancy levels (among other factors). As such, you won't know exactly how much your award stay will cost until you go to book. But Marriott's website has a useful calendar feature that can help you see which dates have the lowest prices.

When booking a standard room, you'll have the option to pay with cash, points or a combination of cash and points. And you'll receive the lowest-priced night for free if you redeem points for five or more consecutive nights thanks to Marriott's "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" perk.

You can also redeem Marriott points for upgraded rooms. This option isn't available at every property, so you'll need to search for award nights and see if upgraded rooms are bookable via "Redemption with Cash Upgrade" or "Redemption with Points Upgrade." For example, in this search at the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa, an overwater bungalow costs just 10,000 points more per night.

When booking, don't forget about Marriott's Best Rate Guarantee. If you find a lower rate elsewhere and submit a claim within 24 hours of making your reservation on Marriott's website, Marriott will match that rate -- and give you your choice of a 25% discount or a 5,000-point bonus.

Marriott Bonvoy Moments

If you're looking for a different type of redemption, consider exploring the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. This allows you to cash in your points for unique experiences like concert tickets, culinary events and seats to see your favorite sports team.

Check out Marriott's current options here. The packages change regularly, and while some are handled as auctions, others offer fixed-price redemptions. It's hard to peg a value on these, as many aren't easily replicable using cash. How do you put a price on living out your "Fast & Furious" fantasy in L.A.?

Room credits, merchandise and gift cards

If you don't have enough points to book a free night, you can take what Marriott calls an "instant redemption." This allows you to redeem your points for a specific dollar amount, which acts as a credit toward your total room bill. But the redemption rate is only 0.4 cents per point, less than half of TPG's August 2024 valuations — so we recommend avoiding this option.

The same goes for redeeming Marriott points for merchandise and gift cards. You'll get 0.4 cents per point or less, so this isn't the best use of your points.

Travel redemptions and airline transfers

There are many options for getting free travel with your Marriott Bonvoy points.

Marriott has around 40 airline partners; you can transfer your points to most of these at a rate of 3 Bonvoy points to 1 airline mile. Air New Zealand Airpoints (200:1 ratio) is the only exception. You'll also get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer to most airline partners and 10,000 bonus miles when you transfer 60,000 points to United. However, transfers to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles aren't eligible for the 5,000-mile bonus.

Keep in mind that transfer times vary by airline.

You can also redeem points toward cruises via Cruise with Points or toward flights and rental cars through Marriott's Air + Car program, but these redemptions have a value of less than 0.4 cents per point.

Bottom line

There are many ways to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points. Redeeming points for hotel stays has become less predictable with dynamic pricing, but this is still one of the best ways to get the most from your points. Marriott also offers several cobranded credit cards to help you earn elite status and get free nights faster.

Despite some devaluations, many TPG staffers remain loyal fans.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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