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Marriott Bonvoy is one of the world's largest and most well-known hotel loyalty programs. The program has many diverse aspects, from ever-changing award prices to multiple elite status tiers. And you can redeem Bonvoy points for everything from free hotel stays to topping off your airline mileage account.
If you want to know more about the Marriott Bonvoy program, you've come to the right place. Now, let's dive into our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy.
Page Contents
Marriott Bonvoy Brands
Marriott Bonvoy currently has 30 brands, ranging from luxurious Ritz-Carlton to home-like TownePlace Suites.
Across the 30 Marriott Bonvoy brands, there are more than 8,000 properties in 139 countries. One of the reasons many travelers love Marriott is that there's usually a Marriott nearby regardless of your destination.
Note that Marriott is in the process of adding several new brands — including City Express and Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status
The Marriott Bonvoy rewards program offers five elite tiers in addition to a basic Member tier. Unlike other hotel programs, members can't qualify for elite status via stays or points. Instead, you can only earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status by accumulating Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
Here's a quick look at the requirements and perks of each Marriott Bonvoy elite status:
| ELITE STATUS TIER | NIGHTS/SPEND REQUIRED | BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
| Member | 0-9 | Complimentary In-Room Internet Access Member Rates Mobile Check-In/Services |
| Silver Elite | 10-24 | Member benefits plus: 10% Points Bonus Dedicated Elite Reservation Line Priority Late Checkout (Not Guaranteed) Ultimate Reservation Guarantee |
| Gold Elite | 25-49 | Silver Elite benefits plus: 25% Bonus Points on Stays 2 p.m. Late Checkout (Based on Availability) Enhanced In-Room Internet Welcome Gift of Points Enhanced Room Upgrade (Based on Availability) |
| Platinum Elite | 50-74 | Gold Elite benefits plus: 50% Bonus Points on Stays 4pm Guaranteed Late Checkout Welcome Gift Choice (Points, Breakfast Offering, or Amenity - Varies by Brand) Enhanced Room Upgrade Including Select Suites (Based on Availability) Lounge Access Annual Choice Benefit (After 50 Qualifying Nights) |
| Titanium Elite | 75-99 | Platinum Elite benefits plus: 75% Bonus Points on Stays Additional Annual Choice Benefit (After 75 Qualifying Nights) United MileagePlus Premier Silver Status |
| Ambassador Elite | 100 Nights + $20K Qualifying Spend | Titanium Elite benefits plus: Ambassador Service Your24™ |
If you book multiple rooms on a single night, you can earn points on all of the rooms. But you'll only earn Elite Night Credits for the room you occupy.
Check out our full guide to Marriott Bonvoy elite status for more details. But, here are a few notes about some of the perks listed in the above table.
Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite Welcome Gift Options
Marriott Bonvoy offers Platinum Elite (and above) members a welcome gift choice on each stay. However, the choices you'll get vary depending on the brand you stay with and the region you stay in.
To see what type of choice you might have on an upcoming stay, check out the “guaranteed welcome gift” tab on this Marriott Bonvoy website page. Alternatively, you can read section 4.3.c.iii of the Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions. Note, at some properties, you'll need to choose breakfast as your welcome gift if you want breakfast included in your stay.
Upgrades
Gold Elite members can expect upgrades to enhanced rooms based on availability. Enhanced rooms “may include rooms with desirable views, rooms on high floors, corner rooms, rooms with special amenities, rooms on Executive Floors.” However, rooms with direct club-level access at Ritz-Carlton are excluded.
Platinum Elite members and higher can expect upgrades “to the best available room, subject to availability on the day of arrival, for the entire length of stay.” Potential upgrades include “suites, rooms with desirable views, rooms on high floors, corner rooms, rooms with special amenities, or rooms on Executive Floors.” Only Titanium Elite members and higher are eligible for suite upgrades at Ritz-Carlton properties. But, rooms with direct club access are still excluded.
Regardless of your elite status level, know that you won't get upgraded at the following brands and properties, which don't participate in this elite benefit:
- Marriott Vacation Club
- Marriott Grand Residence Club
- Sheraton Vacation Club
- Westin Vacation Club
- Aloft
- Element
- The Phoenician Residences, a Luxury Collection Residence Club
- Scottsdale
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Remember that you can select Suite Night Awards as your Annual Choice Benefit after 50 and 75 nights each calendar year.
Earn Marriott Elite Status via Credit Cards
Many Marriott Bonvoy cards offer elite status and Elite Night Credits toward earning a higher status just for holding the card. Here are the currently available cards you might want to consider:
Silver Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits:
Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Platinum Elite status and 25 Elite Night Credits:
You can earn the Elite Night Credits mentioned above from at most one consumer card and one small-business card (currently only the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card) for up to 40 Elite Night Credits per year. In addition, one of these cards — the Marriott Boundless — lets you earn additional Elite Night Credits as you hit specific spending thresholds.
You can also snag complimentary Marriott Bonvoy elite status as a cardmember perk of the following cards:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express — Enroll to get complimentary Gold Elite status.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — Enroll to get complimentary Gold Elite status.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Will Marriott Status Match Other Loyalty Programs?
Traditionally, Marriott doesn't status match your elite status in another program. However, Marriott does periodically offer status challenges. So keep an eye out for the next time a status challenge is offered if this is of interest.
Read more: How to Get Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)
Marriott's Agreements with United and Emirates
Marriott has reciprocal agreements in place with United and Emirates.
United and Marriott's RewardsPlus program allows for reciprocal status for some elite levels. Marriott Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elites can sign-up for complimentary United MileagePlus Premier Silver status. And United Premier Gold and above are eligible for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
The partnership between Emirates and Marriott offers reciprocal benefits like priority check-in and boarding at the airport for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elites and higher. Meanwhile, perks like late check-out at hotels are available for Emirates Skywards Gold and Platinum members.
Lifetime Status
You can earn lifetime status with Marriott Bonvoy based on your total nights stayed and the number of years you've spent at an elite tier. Here are the current requirements for lifetime status at each level:
- Silver Elite — 250 lifetime nights and 5 years with Silver Elite status or higher.
- Gold Elite — 400 lifetime nights and 7 years with Gold Elite status or higher.
- Platinum Elite — 600 lifetime nights and 10 years with Platinum Elite status or higher.
You can check your progress toward Marriott Bonvoy lifetime elite status by logging into your account.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
You can earn a substantial number of Marriott Bonvoy points through stays, credit card spending, partnerships, and promos. Here's an overview.
Stays and Spending at Marriott Properties
You'll earn a base of 10 points per dollar spent at most Marriott properties. However, your earning rate is lower at some brands:
- 5x points at Element, Residence Inn, Homes & Villas by Marriott International, and TownePlace Suites properties
- 2.5x points at Marriott Executive Apartments
In addition to the base points earned by all members, those with elite status also get bonus points:
- Silver Elite — 10% bonus
- Gold Elite — 25% bonus
- Platinum Elite — 50% bonus
- Titanium & Ambassador Elite — 75% bonus
If you charge your purchases to your room, you'll usually earn points for on-property spending including dining and spa services. However, note that you won't earn points on some charges, including resort fees, gratuities, and the cash part of Cash + Points awards.
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
The easiest way to earn Marriott points is Marriott credit cards. Here's an overview of the Marriott Bonvoy cards, including welcome offers, key benefits, and the annual fee for each card.
| CREDIT CARD | WELCOME OFFER | KEY BENEFITS | ANNUAL FEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card | Limited Time Offer! Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card! | • 3x on Marriott spend • 2x on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) • 1x on all other eligible purchases • Automatic Silver Elite status • 15 elite night credits per calendar year • No foreign transaction fees | $0 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (previously the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card) | Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card! | • 6x on Marriott spend • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 35,000 points • Automatic Silver Elite status • Path to Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 on the card in an account year • 15 elite night credits per calendar year • 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend | $95 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card | Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you make $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months. | • 6x on Marriott spend • 4x at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year) • 2x on all other eligible purchases • 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points with each qualifying stay • Gold Elite status • 15 Elite Night Credits • Free Night Award up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in value after making $15,000 in purchases per year. | $250 - Rates & Fees |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card | Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in the first three months. | • 6x on Marriott spend • 4x at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year) • 2x on all other eligible purchases • 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points with each qualifying stay • Gold Elite status • 15 Elite Night Credits • Free Night Award up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in value after making $15,000 in purchases per year. | $250 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (previously the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express) | Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23. | • 6x on Marriott spend • 4x at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 35,000 points • Automatic Gold Elite status • 15 elite night credits per calendar year | $125 - Rates & Fees |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (previously the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card) | Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months. | • 6x on Marriott spend • 3x at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 85,000 points • Automatic Platinum Elite status • $300 dining credit each calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide) • Priority Pass Select membership • Global Entry/TSA Pre credit every four years • 25 elite night credits per calendar year | $650 - Rates & Fees |
| Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card | No longer accepting applications | • 6x on Marriott and SPG spend • 4x at restaurants, gas stations, shipping, internet, cable and phone service purchases • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 35,000 points • Automatic Silver Elite status • Path to Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 on the card in an account year • 15 elite night credits per calendar year (starting 2019) | $99 |
| Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card | No longer accepting applications | • 6x on Marriott and SPG spend • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 35,000 points • Automatic Silver Elite status • Path to Gold Elite status when you spend $30,000 on the card in an account year (rising to $35K from January 1, 2019) • 15 elite night credits per calendar year (starting 2019) | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95. |
| The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card | No longer accepting applications | • 6x on Marriott and SPG spend • 3x at restaurants, rental car agencies, on flights booked direct with the airline • 2x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any property up to 50,000 points • Automatic Gold Elite status • Path to Platinum Elite status when you spend $75,000 on the card in an account year • $300 annual incidentals travel credit • Save $100 on multi-passenger domestic airfare purchases • Priority Pass Select membership • 3 annual club level upgrades on paid stays up to 7 nights • Global Entry/TSA Pre credit every 4 years • 15 elite night credits per calendar year (starting 2019) | $450 |
| Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card | No longer accepting applications | • 5x on Marriott and SPG spend • 2x restaurants, car rental agencies, and airfare purchased directly from the airline • 1x on all other eligible purchases • Anniversary free night certificate valid at any Cat 1-5 property up to 25,000 points • 15 elite night credits per calendar year • 1 Elite Night Credit per $3,000 spent in purchases | $85 |
| Marriott Rewards® Consumer Credit Card | No longer accepting applications | • 3x on Marriott and SPG spend • 1x on all other eligible purchases • Free night certificate valid at any Cat 1-4 property after you spend $25,000 on purchases each year • 10 elite night credits per calendar year • 1 Elite Night Credit per $3,000 spent in purchases | $45 |
| Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card | No longer accepting applications | • 3x on Marriott and SPG spend • 1x on all other eligible purchases • 10 elite night credits per calendar year • 1 Elite Night Credit per $3,000 spent in purchases | $45 |
You can only earn Elite Night Credits from at most one personal card and one business card, though. For example, you can earn 40 Elite Night Credits each year if you carry the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business Card.
Marriott Bonvoy Events
Whether you’re an event organizer, planning a reunion, or want to maximize the points earned on your wedding, Marriott Bonvoy Events offers bonus points and elite credits for meetings and events at many brands participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
Marriott Executive Apartments, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Design Hotels, Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hidden Boutique Resort, Vistana Hotel, and Homes & Villas by Marriott International do not take part in Marriott Bonvoy Events.
Members can earn up to 60,000 points per event (2 points per dollar spent, up to $30,000 per event). Elite members get a points bonus, so they're allowed to earn more points per event.
Plus, you can earn one Elite Night Credit for every 20 room nights you book (up to 20 Elite Night Credits per event) when you host an event.
Marriott Bonvoy Promotions
Marriott runs regular promotions for its members. These promotions run year-round, so bookmark our Marriott promotions post (we update it with each new promotion).
Marriott BreakAway Program
Employees of eligible companies can book discounted rates through Marriott BreakAway. Discounts can be up to 30% off standard rates but may not always be the cheapest rate (ex: your “member” rate when logged into your Bonvoy account might be cheaper).
You can view the eligible list of companies here. The good news is that these discounted rates still count as a “qualifying rate” on which you earn points and elite nights toward status.
Marriott Bonvoy Partners
There are many ways to earn Marriott points through partners. For example, you can earn up to 2,000 Marriott points through Hertz rental cars or 3x points when you book select cruises through Cruise With Points.
You can earn up to 6,000 bonus points after your first three dines with Marriott's Eat Around Town program. And you can also earn Marriott points on Uber and Uber Eats after you link your Marriott and Uber accounts.
Check out all the ways to earn points through partners on Marriott's partner page.
Referrals
You can earn 2,000 bonus points every time the person you refer stays, up to 5 stays per referral. You can refer up to 5 new members each calendar year, letting you earn up to 50,000 points on referrals each year.
Your referrals will also receive an additional 2,000 points per stay (up to 10,000 points).
Purchase Points
You can purchase or receive as a gift a maximum of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per calendar year. The purchases are processed through Points.com so you won't receive any travel-related bonus for credit card spend. Purchase points in increments of 1,000 points at the rate of $12.50 per 1,000 points.
Transfer Points
You can also transfer American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy.
Related: How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Do Marriott Points Expire?
Yes, Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months without qualifying activity on the account. You can keep them alive by spending on a Marriott Bonvoy card, enjoying a stay at a Marriott property, and much more.
For all the details, see our dedicated post on Marriott points expiration.
Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy Points
With a massive global footprint of more than 8,000 hotels, the combined Marriott portfolio is home to 30 brands catering to every budget.
It's becoming more difficult to find outsized value when redeeming Marriott points for stays now that Marriott has moved to dynamic pricing. But, there are many ways to redeem Marriott points for luxury stays as well as budget-friendly stays. And Marriott offers a few other options for redeeming points.
Redeem Points for Stays
Marriott Bonvoy now uses dynamic pricing for its free night awards. So you'll have to do a search on the Marriott website or app to determine how many points you'll need for a stay.
But, you can get a complimentary award night when redeeming points for a stay of at least five consecutive nights at the same hotel. Specifically, you'll get the lowest point-value night free. Best of all, you can use this perk multiple times on longer stays. For example, you could get two nights free when redeeming points for a 10-night stay.
And even in the world of dynamic pricing, you can still find Marriott PointSavers awards. PointSaver awards are a rotating list of properties featuring discounts of up to 33% off the standard award rate. The properties featured in the PointSavers list are available for a limited time, and you must book your stay within the dates listed on the PointSavers page.
You can also redeem points for a Marriott Cash + Points award. These awards start at just $55 plus 3,500 points but aren't available for all stays.
Redeem Points for an Upgraded Room
When booking a stay, you may have the option to upgrade to a better room or a suite using points or cash. Upgrade awards are only available at select properties, though. And requirements vary by property, room type, and season.
Booking Award Stays for Other People
You can use your points or free night awards to book stays for other guests up to five times each calendar year. To do so, contact Marriott and request to make a “Gifted Award Redemption Stay.”
You'll need to provide your name and Bonvoy number, plus the name of the staying guest, to make the booking. You won't be able to change the reservation once it's booked, but you can cancel and rebook (assuming you're still within the free-cancellation window).
The downside to booking a “Gifted Award Redemption Stay” is that neither you nor the person actually staying at the hotel can earn any points or miles or Elite Night Credit. Plus, the guest staying won't get to enjoy your elite benefits.
Points Advance
If you find award availability but don't yet have all the points needed to secure your reservation, Marriott offers a unique benefit called Points Advance. This allows you to make an award booking without the points required in your account if you book at least 30 days before your planned arrival.
Points Advance reservations only guarantee your room, not the redemption rate. So, due to dynamic pricing, the number of points you need may be higher or lower by the time you earn the points you need to pay for your stay.
Once you make a Points Advance reservation, you have up to 60 days from booking or 14 days prior to arrival (whichever comes first) to earn enough points and complete your reservation. Otherwise, Marriott will cancel your reservation.
Finally, note that you can only have up to three Points Advance bookings at any given time.
Airline Transfer Program
You can transfer Marriott points to airline miles at a 3:1 rate with most programs. You'll also get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred with most programs (excluding American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles, and Korean Skypass). As such, you'll get 25,000 miles for every 60,000 points transferred to most airlines.
Check out the full list of transfer partners below.
| FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM | TRANSFER RATIO (REWARDS:MILES) |
|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus | 3:1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 3:1 |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 3:1 |
| Aeroplan/Air Canada | 3:1 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 200:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 3:1 |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club | 3:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 3:1 |
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 3:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 3:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 3:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 3:1 |
| COPA ConnectMiles | 3:1 |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 3:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 3:1 |
| Etihad Airways | 3:1 |
| Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns | 3:1 |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 3:1 |
| Iberia Plus | 3:1 |
| InterMiles (formerly Jet Airways JetPrivilege) | 3:1 |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank | 3:1 |
| Korean Air SKYPASS | 3:1 |
| LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass | 3:1 |
| Multiplus Fidelidade | 3:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 3:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 3:1 |
| Saudia Alfursan | 3:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 3:1 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 3:1 |
| TAP Air Portugal Victoria | 3:1 |
| Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus | 3:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 3:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 3:1.1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 3:1 |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 3:1 |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 |
You can transfer up to 240,000 points to airline programs per day.
Marriott Moments
Marriott Bonvoy Moments allows members to redeem Marriott points for special culinary, entertainment, lifestyle, and sports experiences.
Through Marriott Bonvoy Moments, you can bid points on an auction or redeem points for fixed-price experiences. For a full rundown, check out our comprehensive Marriott Bonvoy Moments guide.
Shop With Your Points
You can redeem your Marriott points for various items on Marriott's website. But, the redemption rate is usually embarrassingly low so we don't recommend doing so.
Use Your Points for Other Travel
You can redeem Marriott points for various other travel, including:
- Air tickets and car rentals with more than 250 airlines and car rental companies.
- Cruises through the Cruise With Points program.
- TSA PreCheck.
- Priority Pass lounge access.
However, be sure to consider your redemption rate before redeeming for these types of travel. AwardWallet users have redeemed Marriott points at an average of 1 cent per point. If possible, we don't recommend redeeming your points for less.
Donate Your Points
Finally, you can donate your Marriott Bonvoy points to various charities. You must donate at least 2,500 points to do so online. But you can donate as few as 1,000 points to Hotels for Heroes by calling 1-801-468-4000.
Transferring Marriott Bonvoy Points To Another Account
Marriott Bonvoy members can transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar year between accounts that have been open for a minimum of 30 days with qualifying activity (or 90 days without qualifying activity).
The 100,000 point limit applies only to transfers from your account to another member. According to 2.8.a of the Marriott terms and conditions, you can receive up to 500,000 points into your account each calendar year from other members.
To transfer your points to another member, contact member support and provide the member number of the person to whom you wish to transfer points.
Marriott Bonvoy Best Rate Guarantee
Marriott Bonvoy has a best rate guarantee that provides assurance “that you’ll always get the best rate available when you book directly with Marriott.” To use this guarantee, Marriott says you should:
- Make a reservation using any official Marriott reservation channel.
- Submit a Best Rate Guarantee claim if you find a lower rate for the same hotel, same room type, and same reservation dates on a non-Marriott channel.
- If Marriott approves your claim, it will match the rate and give you either an extra 25% discount on the room (20% discount for Design Hotels) or 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
However, there are a lot of conditions and exclusions. So, head over to the best rate guarantee terms and conditions for all the details.
Final Thoughts
There's still a ton of value to be found in the Marriott Bonvoy program despite its move to dynamic award pricing in 2022. Marriott Bonvoy cards can give you a nice boost toward earning even high tiers of elite status. And you can get Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status just by having the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card now.
The top ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and elite status are usually credit cards and stays. Meanwhile, the top ways to redeem Marriott points are usually hotel stays and transfers to unique airline partners.
If there’s any info we’ve missed or you have questions about the Marriott Bonvoy program, don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments and we’ll do our best to dig up an answer.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
we signed up for a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless 4 months ago, spent over $3K in the 1st 3 months to earn the promised welcome reward bonus and no points have been added to our account despite hours on the phone. we are being bounced back and forth between the Marriott hotel and the Chase credit card companies. Any advice to get help making them honor their promise?
Actually it is still an option. You can change to earning miles in your preferences. You have to designate an airline and account number where the miles are to be transferred. I contacted Marriott today on this very question. The rep said the miles typically transfer immediately. Your existing points stay on your account.
Can I use bonvoy to extend my advantage expiration?
FYI I do not see the popup on my comment to earn miles.
Unfortunately, earning miles option is no longer available.
I used to be loyal to Marriott, but find it’s not that appealing anymore because elite status offers no really worthwhile benefits until the platinum level. I feel it benefits those who travel under business accounts, but not those traveling for leisure unless willing to pay out more just to stay at a Marriott. I would like to get back to using Marriotts more because they do have some really nice properties, but I don’t currently find their pricing competitive. I am checking out their cobranded credit cards in the hopes of finding a great deal, but this article makes it seem like any bonus won’t be made available to me so I might be wasting my time.
Is the amex bonvoy card a good card to have as compared to the hilton aspire?
Why cant I redeem my Marriott Bonvoy Points when traveling with children?
There used to be a Hertz Five Star status award for Bonvoy Titanium members. The old sign-up link is dead. Does anyone have any info or a new link for that? Thanks
As more and more Americans get the COVID vaccine, are the Concierge Lounges open? How soon can we expect the breakfast buffets in brands such as the Residence Inn to be open?
While the Marriott Bonvoy program took a lot of heat in the transition a few years back, I could not be more pleased with their recent response to the pandemic and how they extended lots of options to members to retain their travel status. Well done!
Excellent overview of the Bonvoy program. I have been focused on building elite with Marriott and Hilton in ’21 as we look to ramp travel back up the second half of the year.
Question regarding Chase card. I have held this card for 5+ years. I think cancelling the card and then looking for an optimal signup bonus in the next few months is still a decent strategy. Other than potential credit report issues (which should not affect me), are there any issues that I should be concerned about before doing this? I am not travelling much currently, have 130k points banked and lifetime Gold…hoping to travel more in 2022.
Hey Brian, which Chase card do you have? There are a few that have been discontinued that can be worth keeping if you use the free night certificate. (Existing cardholders are grandfathered in).
But if you know you don’t want the old card, you should be alright with cancelling and looking for a new product. Check out this post to see if the card you have now impacts your eligiblity for other Marriott cards
Chase Marriott Rewards.
Hey Brian, If this is the card I am thinking of—officially called the Marriott Rewards Premier—you may want to consider whether it is worth losing the annual free night certificate.
If you have the Marriott Rewards Premier (I believe it has an $89 annual fee), you can’t get the Bonvoy Bold or Bonvoy Boundless cards. T&C are:
Yes it is called Premier. I actually have 2 of those certs that expire in March.
Thanks. So in that case you can’t get the Bold or Boundless as long as your Marriott Rewards Premier remains open. If you don’t have plans to use the FN Cert, call Marriott and ask them to extend them. We’ve heard lots of reports of accommodations being made on that front lately.
Sad to read that the business card is not longer available
I’m looking into applying for the Bonvoy card and found this while researching points/redemptions and trying to figure out if it’s worth having the card and loyalty to the brand. I’m am forever grateful that these blog posts compile everything I need to know in one place and that it’s always thorough and easy to understand. Definitely bookmarking this page for future reference!
Does the AX Bonvoy Brilliant credit card $75,000 annual spend (Platinum status) set your Marriott account day count to 50? – and then your actual day stays added to that 50 number? …so if your actual Marriott nights are 38 and meeting the 75K Platinum status (50 nights) you end up with 88 nights for the year? I can/t get that answered anywhere?
No, you don’t receive an additional 50 nights and won’t get rollover nights for the next year. When you hit $75K, you are gifted Platinum Elite status for the remainder of the year in which you receive it, and the entire next year. So, if you hit $75K in 2020, you’ll get Platinum status for the rest of 2020 + all of 2021. In your example above, you would have Platinum status courtesy of the card, but only 38 nights on your account.
Excellent 4 day hotel stay at ATL Marriott Peachtree Corners 11/27/2019 – 12/01
While the site does boast that it has 681 different loyalty programs to track, there are some notable exceptions. For example, United, Delta and Southwest do not allow AwardWallet to pull data from their systems, so those are some big holes in the platform. However, you are able to manually add your balances to the program or even set up eStatements from these three airlines to be sent directly to your unique AwardWallet email address. While not ideal, it still gives you a pulse on these accounts in a single location.
Hello, love your site. My husband is an Ambassador Elite as he racks up long stays for business. His employer pays the hotel directly. In reviewing his points I see that he racks up the bonus points for Ambassador status but on most of the stays he is also racking up what is termed, extra points. They appear to be in 500 point increments with the highest being 2000 extra points. Some stays give no extra points. Can you advise what these extra points mean and how they are awarded and whether we should be asking for any missing points? He currently has 10 suite night awards and I am wondering if there is a way to request free night awards instead. Thank you so very much.
Hi Susan, I’m sorry I don’t know where those points are coming from. Maybe a targeted promotion he registered for in the past? Some hotels also offer extra points for declining housekeeping, so it could be something like that. Anyone know of a 500 point Ambassador Elite bonus?
I have a Marriott Visa (Boundless) and had the SPG American express , which now has been replaced by the Marriott Bonvoy American Express. Is there any advantage of using one over the other? Or are they the same. Thank you
The biggest difference is likely with the card’s insurance benefits, which will vary between Amex and Chase. Both cards earn 6x at Marriott and 2x on everything else and otherwise have similar benefits.
How do stays booked with Marriott Vacation Club points count towards Bonvoy? Do these stays earn Bonvoy points at all?
Hey there, info is a little hard to come by. As far as I can tell, you can use points to book VC stays, but you won’t earn Bonvoy points or status from these stays. If anyone has personal experience with this, or a good link that explains in more detail, please share in the comments.
Thank you for the information about these cards. Are the Marriott points considered to be valued at 1/3 the value of airline miles? Is that the basis for the 3:1 conversion with transfers?
Thank you for the research and information about the Marriott credit cards. I am most interested in ways to transfer miles to Korean Air. I see that most transfers go at the rate of 3:1. Is that a pretty equitable exchange, based on the value of each? Is this one of the best strategies for gaining Korean Air miles?
It can be a great value, even at 3:1 with the right trip—Especially if you’re looking at Korean flights in business class.
You’d probably be giving up 3-4 nights at a nice (higher tier) Marriott for a one-way biz class ticket to Asia.
How long after spending the $3,000 in the first 3 months do you see the points? I plan to spend the 3k immediately upon receiving the boundless card. Will the points post relatively soon following? I am looking to score a nice room for my upcoming vacation.
Cheers
Hey Roger, the bonus points usually post a few weeks after the statement on which you meet the spending threshold closes. That means that even if you spend $3K on day two, you won’t see the points until after your first statement closes. I’d plan on 6 weeks minimum.
However, Marriott offers the option to make a reservation before you have earned the points required. You can learn more here.
@kevingeiger I just spent 25 nights on Bonvoy hotels. All posted 2-3 days after each stay ended.
Is anyone else noticing that nights and points from stays are not posting regularly? I find myself on the phone with Bonvoy CS more often than not asking for my points to be posted some two weeks after the stay. Thoughts?
Quick question for you, I am trying to boost my nights to meet the 600 nights for lifetime platinum status and I have acquired the Marriott chase credit card to add my spend to the mix as well. What is the rule for how the spend adds nights to my lifetime status? Appreciate the info
If a member of Starwood rewards has 15 bonus nights. How does that work? Are those free nights they are entitled to?
The 15 bonus nights are nights towards elite status qualification. So you don’t get 15 free nights; you get credit towards elite status as if you had stayed (and paid for) 15 nights.
Comment on the new fake No BlackOut Dates which entitles hotels to cap the available nights so they are indeed multiple BlackOut Dates in place now and how the cheat Marriott Vacation Club Owners by not increasing ever the amount of points they get when they trade in their weeks reaching the point that the 110,000 points obtained for a red season week only gets you an average of 2 nights at a hotel or 1.5 at a top quality one.
Hi,
Did anyone have any issues with the Marriott app this year ? As of Dec 31st 2018, my app showed I have 50 nights and I thought I should be eligible for choice benefits bonus for reaching 50 nights ? but now when I call customer service to check, they claim to see only 43 nights + 5 nights from Amex SPG card ?
Can someone clarify ?
Also where can I view if the 5 elite night credits and 2 stays per 2018 SPG Amex card was credited or not ?
Any idea if 5n Travel Packages are still a thing? Haven’t read any DPs from people buying them since the merge.
I think those have been phased out completely. At one point you could still book them by phone, but we also haven’t heard any confirmed success stories recently. Please keep us posted if you get something booked by phone.
How do I cancel membership in Marriott Rewards? Can’t find that anywhere on the site.
Out of all the cards above, if you spent over 75k a year on them, which would you choose?
Spending $75K on the Luxury Card will land you Platinum Elite status so that would be my first choice. On another note, it’s worth researching which cards offer the best bonus categories for your spending categories and check the opportunity cost of dropping $75K on a Marriott/SPG card vs. a set of cards earning flexible rewards. We detail some different strategies in this post – https://awardwallet.com/blog/create-ultimate-travel-rewards-credit-card-combo/
I am a gold elite member wtih 7-night hotel and air package expiring end of March. My husband is a platinum elite with 3 club upgrade certificates.
Is there a way to combine/transfer accounts to best take advantage of our current status and rewards?
Hey Keana, that’s a really good question. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer for sure. It might be possible to redeem the hotel package and then change the loyalty number on the reservation to your husband to take advantage of his elite benefits. Marriott has been less than clear about the rules for these things since the SPG merger. I’d recommend giving them a call.
I’m a gold customer , I had a horrible experience with the new merger. Firstly, we are a family of 5 when you book a room which accommodates for 5, you are charged ontop of the room charge $120 usd per extra person being the 3 children which equals $ 360.00 and plus the room rate per night. The only thing the hotel has to do is make sure there is 3 extra towels because the beds are made up. Secondly, Just now I was organising our holiday for June and I was going to use points and the points have jumped from 7000 per room per night to 25000 point per room per night we stay at this hotel in Europe a number of times and 25000 points it’s unfair. I wish they would be more reasonable because I have to go to another hotel group. As well the hotel we stayed at recently where striking for 50 days regarding the merger.
Thanks to this post I decided to check my SPG account (which I haven’t used in a looong time) and apparently I lost it. Not a big deal as it was probably empty, but thank you anyway to bring this to my attention! I’ll have to register again.
Still think the IT from Marriott is terrible. I still prefer the IT from SPG
Agreed. Overall SPG loyalists are feeling the pain. I’m hoping for some improvements moving forward.
Nice to see the off peak rewards for 2019
really helpful- thank you 🙂
So are there no rollover nights at all?
I’ve been a long-time SPG member. Recently used points post-merger and not quite the same level of service, but will hope it will improve after some growing pains.
Curious about points advance. Are you charges taxes and local fees up front or when you complete the booking?
Depends on the booking rules — you’ll see it during checkout.
When staying at Marriott hotels, check your rewards account statement carefully to make sure your points are posted properly. I’ve had three stays in the past couple months, none of which were automatically credited. In each case, I had to submit a “missing credit” report on their website and wait 10 days for an investigation.
Yes, in my book, this is one of the biggest mistakes such a loyalty program can make – not having points properly, easily credit. Having to work for your points, by requiring the additional step of submitting “missing credit” reports is a big ding. Getting that function right is the very essence of a program.
I currently have 27 stays and 33 nights for 2018. Will I qualify for Platinum Elite Status for 2019? From what I’ve read and the limited (poor) customer service support I’ve received, I believe I will, but am still not sure.
If at least 25 of 27 of those stays were at previously Starwood branded properties, yes. Otherwise, no.
Howie, sorry if this was asked somewhere above but I can’t find the answer. Can I use my free SPG night and my free Marriott night at the same property for two consecutive nights? I have not combined my accounts as of yet because somehow wound up with Marriott Platinum by mistake and don’t want to chance losing it. Not sure if both free certs would show up only if I merge. Thanks!
Yes, you can.
Great write up Howie, very useful.
Let’s see.
The old certificate expires in April, in February or March I’ll ask for the cancellation and have points in my account or ask for the conversion to the new certificate.
I have some questions:
– how many points will I receive if I cancel the old category 5 – 7 nights package?
– if I convert it to the new category 4 – 7 nights package and then I can’t use it, can I cancel also the new package?
– the credit of points in my account for the cancellation of the travel package reset the expiration date of my Marriott points?
Looks like 150k points. I don’t know for sure if it’ll reset your expiration — but I would assume no.
Very useful! I’m assuming the separate credit cards will get nixed at some point? Or will they continue as normal?
At this point, we really don’t know.
I just wish they could fix their IT. It really is still much deficient.
These write-ups are much better than the membership guides.
Fantastic summary! Thank you.
Great break down, thanks!
I have a question about a Gift of 5 Elite Night Credits. If I claim that will it be added to 2018 nights or 2019? I do not need 5 nights in 2018, since will not be able to reach next level. It says I have till Jan 14th to claim. Thanks.
2018.
Now that’s a thorough review. I’m keeping this post handy
Thank you so much, Howie. For better or worse, we are “Marriott people”. We own Vacation Club properties, and my husband is Lifetime Premier Platinum Elite–primarily on leisure travel. I feel like I know the Marriott system pretty well. AND yet, I keep a screen shot of the 76 different Welcome Amenity options/breakfast offerings, etc on my phone. And before we check into a Marriott property, I do my research so I know what to expect. It’s crazy!
Great info, thanks!
Thanks for your excellence in breaking this down! It’s still a bit overwhelming, but you’ve inspired me to pursue more knowledge and act upon the status challenge!
wow!! Great write up!! Thanks for all the details!
This summary is OUTSTANDING!!
Thanks
I agree with everyone else. This is an awesome post! They used to have Marriotts Rewards More but discontinued it. I had the app and the browser extension and now they do not work. I liked those too. Wonder what happened.
nice list, love marriott.
Wow, so comprehensive article. Great job.
Customer service surely has gone downhill. I was missing lifetime nights after combining accounts and I emailed customer service. It’s been 2 weeks and they never replied.
Program has been devalued so much…..
A superb comprehensive rundown on the program. Thanks!
Thanks, this is awesome. The merger has been quite confusing, glad you have compiled such an extensive guide.
This is very comprehensive, thank you!
WOW that is a lot of info….I guess now that there is no more SPG I better learn this stuff…
Really comprehensive article on a very complicated merger. Thanks. I really miss SPG but I’m happy that Marriott didn’t get rid of the airline transfer program.
Thanks for the great info.
Thanks for the comprehensive overview.
Thanks for the post, it is very helpful.
Marriott’s latest program is really too big and too confusing.
Really nice breakdown Howie. This is definitely a bookmark post. Thanks.
Very useful info summarized. Thanks!
Sharing this and saving this so I can review, there are so many properties etc that I have trouble keeping track. Im new to SPG but know many who are loyal to Marriot brand. I hope this can clarify some of the confusion and im glad to see (at first glance anyways, the points balance is not needed for lifetime stay earners – it looked impossible to obtain)
Do you know if those free points through social media or whatever that they offer occasionally (like the contest entries a month or 2 ago) count as activity?
they do not.
Outstanding resource you all have put together. It is so nice to see all of this combined into one post. Thanks!
Have Cat 7 hotel rooms been allocated for points now.
Thanks for the comprehensive summary. I noticed on the credit cards summary that the “Marriott Rewards Premier” credit card is no longer accepting applications. However, for those of us that have this card, are we grandfathered into the “1 Elite Night Credit per $3,000 spent in purchases”? Secondly, I’m not 100%, but I think the annual fee for the “Marriott Rewards Business Credit Card” is also $85, and not $45.
A great program but so many confusing issues right now. Hopefully when they change the name and a few other things it will get easier.
Some of the changes are disappointing, but overall, still a good program.
Thanks for this excellent recap.
Wow!
A lot of useful information.
Wow, extensive great article. After the merger, I decided I wouldn’t push for status as in years past. I’ve been SPG platinum elite for several years, but it doesn’t seem worth it for Marriott. Really loved SPG.
Is there an advantage to merging Marriott Rewards in SPG or vica versa? Sorry if a duplicate question as I couldn’t tell if first one went through. Thanks.
All depends on which account # you prefer. Either/or work.
I had heard that would work, but even after initiating the account merger form the SPG side, I still ended up with my Marriott number…
Does it matter if you merge Marriott Rewards points into SPG or vica versa?
I have 49 nights and need 1 more this year to get platinum. If I use my Chase Marriott card anniversary free night will that count for my 50th night? A rep told me no but they didn’t seem very knowledgable.
I also heard that Marriott and Westin Vistana timeshare nights now count toward elite status. Can you confirm?
Free nights count towards status. As for timeshare nights, I cannot confirm.
I HAVE 114273 MARARRIOTT POINTS . HOW MANY FREE NITES WILL THAT BE AT THE COURTYARD IN HILLBOBO.OR.
Lowell, I’d suggest you go to Marriott.com, log in to your account, and you search to see how many points Marriott wants per night on your preferred dates.
Great answer to Lowell Johnson’s question, Howie!
HOW DO I A REDEEM CHART FOR COURTYARD HILLSBOBO OR.
I’m sharing this with as many folks as possible just so you know.
I’ve been a loyal marriott member for at least 20 years. Last checked I had about 300,000 points (I’ve used lots over the years).
They stole all the points. I now have zero. They changed their policy so that if you do not stay at a marriot location for 24 months they steal your points. And of course, they did not notify me so I’d have a chance to not loose them.
Be warned. Suffice to say I’ll never use marriott or an associated facility again which is fine. There are lots of great options out there.
Happy travels!
Bob, sorry you lost your points, but Marriott hasn’t changed their policy — we cover the policy here: https://awardwallet.com/blog/do-marriott-points-expire/
Can you potentially earn 16 points per dollar spent at Marriott with the Marriott rewards program (10 points/$1) along with the Marriott Premier Plus credit card (6 points/$1)?
Exactly, and even more with elite status.
I’m still a bit confused. I have the Marriott Business card, renewing in late November. Will I receive 15 nights stay credit after I pay the annual fee? I’m currently at 62 nights, so it’s kind of crucial.
Thanks –
It’ll come in 2019, not 2018.
At the risk of sounding really stupid…..why is that? Why not when I pay the annual fee this year?
Dems the rules.
Do you know if a stay using the credit card’s annual free night award counts towards elite status (i.e., in addition to the 15 elite nights credit)? Thanks in advance!
Yes, it does. All award nights count.
I waited 15 minutes to talk to an agent. I finally hung up in disgust. I will be needing a reservation in May of next year. I want to find out when rewards on my anniversary will be applied, so I’ll know if I can use them in May. My husband wants to know also, as he has an account too.
What about if we already have the Marriot rewards card as of June 2018? Will it roll over into the new card?
Your card will continue to work as is.
We have always been gold and we slipped to silver last year … I remember reading somthing that we could pay to be put back to gold status ? I was wondering if this is still available and how much it is if so ?
We’ve seen this at the beginning of the year, but this late in the year something like this wouldn’t be available.
gotcha! Thanks Howie, also for the mega-fast response 😉
great article and exactly what I was looking for… except: I still don’t quite understand what “qualifying charges ” are… can’t find it anywhere else online either… any thoughts?? Cheers, Wendy
Marriott doesn’t explicitly list this. A general summation is anything you can charge to your room minus taxes/fees would be considered eligible.
Unfortunately I suspect Marriott keeps this somewhat vague deliberately.
For example the restaurant that serves breakfast at the Wailea Marriott charges to your room, but they didn’t award points because it was not run by the hotel (although you’d struggle to know this).
Anything you charge minus fees.
Except be careful many Marriott properties DO NOT own adjacent restaurants even though connected via the lobby within the hotel and no points are awarded unless its all Marriott property.