Marriott Bonvoy is the world’s largest hotel loyalty program with over 7,000 mid-tier and luxury properties. There are several consumer and business rewards credit cards that can help you enjoy free stays and earn elite status sooner too.
This Marriott Bonvoy benefits guide reviews how you can maximize your loyalty and get more value from your leisure and business trips.
Marriott Bonvoy At A Glance
| Loyalty Program | Marriott |
| Cost to Join | Free |
| Membership Tiers | Member, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite |
| Total Destinations | 7,000+ |
| Number of Brands | 30 |
| Popular Brands | Marriott, Sheraton, W Hotels, Westin, Gaylord Hotels, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton |
| Average Point Value | 0.6 cents |
| Point Expiration Policy | After 24 months of inactivity (Point expirations are on pause through December 31, 2022) |
| Points Needed for Reward Nights | 5,000-100,000 |
| Point Redemption Options | Reward Nights, Experiences, Online Shopping, Airline Miles |
| Number of Co-Brand Credit Cards (Accepting New Applications) | 4 |
Here is everything you need to know about the Marriott loyalty program.
Table of Contents
Joining Marriott Bonvoy
You can join Marriott Bonvoy for free online or through the mobile app.
You will have entry-level Member status to get discounted rates, complimentary in-room internet, and the ability to earn Bonvoy points.
Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Club Tiers
Marriott Bonvoy has six loyalty tiers which is more than most hotel loyalty programs:
- Member
- Silver Elite
- Gold Elite
- Platinum Elite
- Titanium Elite
- Ambassador Elite
These are the requirements to reach each elite status level.
| Elite Status Level | Number of Nights Per Year | Lifetime Status Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Elite | 10 nights | 250 lifetime nights and 5 years of Silver status or higher |
| Gold Elite | 25 nights | 400 lifetime nights and 7 years of Gold status or higher |
| Platinum Elite | 50 nights | 600 lifetime nights and 10 years of Platinum Elite or higher |
| Titanium Elite | 75 nights | N/A |
| Ambassador Elite | 100 nights plus $20,000 in qualifying spend ($14,000 for 2021 only) | N/A |
Here are the featured benefits for each tier.
Member
An entry-level Member status tier has these initial perks:
- Complimentary in-room internet
- Member-only rates
- Mobile check-in
You have the basic loyalty status until you complete 10 nights in a calendar year.
Silver Elite
You’re a Silver Elite member when you stay between 10 and 24 nights per year.
Benefits include:
- 10% bonus points
- Late checkout
- Guaranteed reservations
You can also get automatic status with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card which has no annual fee. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card also provides this perk but has a $95 annual fee.
Gold Elite
Gold Elite status is yours when you have between 25 and 49 nights.
Featured benefits include:
- 25% bonus points
- Late checkout (up to 2 pm, based on availability)
- Points welcome gift
- Space-available room upgrades
You can also get automatic Gold Elite status with the The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee) or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card ($450 annual fee).
Platinum Elite
Platinum Elite status requires 50-74 nights and benefits include:
- 50% bonus points
- 4 pm late checkout
- Points, complimentary breakfast, or amenity welcome bonus
- Lounge access
- Space-available room upgrades (includes Suites)
- Guaranteed room type
- 5 Suite Night Awards or gift options after 50 nights
- Dedicated elite support
Titanium Elite
These Titanium Elite benefits activate with 75-99 nights:
- 75% bonus points
- 48-hour room guarantee
- 5 Suite Night Awards or Gift Options after 75 nights
Ambassador Elite
The Ambassador Elite tier is the only loyalty status that has two prerequisites. The other tiers only have you stay a minimum number of nights to climb the ladder.
This highest loyalty level requires staying at least 100 nights and spending $20,000 ($14,000 in 2021).
Additional benefits include:
- Ambassador service on-site
- Your24: You get to decide your check-in time. Your checkout time is 24 hours later.
You will continue earning 75% bonus points on stays and enjoying lounge access.
Marriott Bonvoy Status Match
You may be able to match your elite status from an existing loyalty program. Marriott doesn’t publish a public status match like some programs, but you can contact customer service to request a personal promotion.
If Marriott approves your status match request, you may need to complete a minimum number of paid nights within three months.
For example, you may have three months to earn these status levels:
- Gold Elite: 8 paid nights
- Platinum Elite: 16 paid nights
United Airlines Status Match:
Another way to get automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status is by having United Airlines Premier Gold status or higher. If this is you, use this link to connect your accounts.
If you already have Marriott Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status, you can also get automatic United MileagePlus Premier Status.
Marriott Bonvoy Brands
Photo: news.marriott.com
The Marriott Bonvoy portfolio is larger than most as it has 30 brands. Long-time hotel enthusiasts will recognize that some brands were previously part of the Starwood Preferred Guest program, which merged with Marriott in 2018. To help distinguish between the best mid-tier hotels and luxury brands, there are five different categories.
Luxury
- The Ritz-Carlton
- St. Regis
- JW Marriott
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- The Luxury Collection
- W Hotels
- Edition
Premium
- Marriott Hotels
- Sheraton
- Marriott Vacation Club
- Delta Hotels
- Le Meridien
- Westin
- Renaissance Hotels
- Gaylord Hotels
Select
- Courtyard Hotels
- Four Points
- SpringHill Suites
- Protea Hotels
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- AC Hotels
- Aloft Hotels
- Moxy Hotels
Longer Stays
- Marriott Executive Apartments
- Residence Inn
- TownePlace Suites
- Element
- Homes & Villas by Marriott International
Collections
- Autograph Collection Hotels
- Design Hotels
- Tribute Portfolio
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
There are several ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
Hotel Stays
You can earn up to 10 Bonvoy points per $1 on Marriott stays:
- 10x on most Marriott paid stays
- 5x at Element, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, and Homes & Villas by Marriott
- 2.5x for Marriott Executive Apartments
You can also earn between 25-75% bonus points depending on your elite status.
Marriott can offer points packages to receive extra points at a discounted cash price when paying for a stay.
Buying Points
You may also decide to buy Marriott points so you have just enough to book an award night. Again, look for specials to save money as the standard price can be expensive. The annual purchase limit is 100,000 points.
Marriott Bonvoy Events
Renting a conference room for work meetings, family reunions, or wedding can also earn points.
Tours and Activities
Marriott partners with tourism and culinary providers for local and virtual experiences. You can earn approximately 5 points per $1 on these activities.
Some of the Marriott Bonvoy Moments include:
- Arts & Lifestyle
- Culinary
- Entertainment
- Sports
In addition to virtual cooking lessons and excursions, you can also buy tickets to major sporting events or VIP experiences at concerts and shows.
Restaurants
Earn up to 6x by linking your credit card and eating at participating restaurants and bars. Over 11,000 restaurants across the United States are in the Eat Around Town program.
Uber
You can earn up to 6x on Uber rides and eats purchases:
- 6x on Uber Eats during Marriott stays
- 3x on Uber Premium rides
- 2x on Uber Eats at home or while traveling
Connect your Marriott Bonvoy and Uber accounts here.
Cruises
Earn 3x when booking cruises through Marriott Bonvoy.
Rental Cars
You can rent cars through Hertz and earn Bonvoy points. One-day rentals can earn 500 points and more for multi-day rentals.
Tip: You can get automatic Hertz Presidents Circle status with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Card.
Flights
Instead of earning Marriott hotel points, you can earn up to 2 miles per $1 on most domestic and international airlines.
Most Marriott properties award 2x miles but some brands only award 1x miles.
Marriott Bonvoy also has unique partnerships with United Airlines and Emirates. As a result, elite members can earn more miles and enjoy other special airlines perks.
Further Reading: Best Ways to Earn United MileagePlus Miles
Transferring Credit Card Points to Marriott Bonvoy
Two credit card loyalty programs currently let you transfer points at a 1:1 ratio in 1,000-point increments.
American Express Membership Rewards
The various consumer and small business American Express credit cards that earn Membership Rewards let you transfer points.
Unlike the Chase credit cards, this transfer feature is available to cards without an annual fee too.
Some of our favorite cards include:
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Chase Ultimate Rewards
The three Chase credit cards with an annual fee that earn Ultimate Rewards are:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- (For small business owners) Chase Ink Business Preferred
Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy Points
Photo: Pixabay
These are some of the ways you can use your Marriott Bonvoy points for travel and shopping rewards.
Marriott Rewards Nights
Like other hotel loyalty programs, award nights can be your most valuable redemption option. Rewards nights cost between 5,000 and 100,000 points per night.
Here are some tips to estimate how many points you need per night:
- Mid-tier hotels typically require 15,000 to 30,000 points
- Luxury hotels usually require 30,000 to 70,000 points
- PointSavers rates provide award night discounts
- Your average redemption rate is approximately 0.6 cents
Marriott is one of the few loyalty programs to publish an award chart that lets you easily estimate your award night cost by hotel category.
Unfortunately, the loyalty program is transitioning to a dynamic pricing model in 2022.
Here is the current Marriott Bonvoy award chart.
| Hotel Category | Off-Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 20,000 |
| 4 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
| 7 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| 8 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
Tip: Search for PointSavers bookings to pay fewer points on reward nights. For example, a 25,000-point night may only cost 22,500 points instead.
Points and Cash
You can also split your purchase between points and cash with hybrid payments starting at $55 and 3,500 points.
Travel Packages
It’s also possible to book flights or car rentals with your hotel room. The Air & Car packages start at 10,000 points.
You may also decide to pay cash for these vacation packages to save up to 20% and earn points.
Convert to Airline Miles
You can transfer your Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio (3,000 Bonvoy points = 1,000 miles) to over 40 airlines.
If you choose this option, try waiting until you can transfer at least 60,000 at a time. In this instance, you get a 5,000 miles transfer bonus for every 60,000 points that you convert.
You will also receive 10% more miles when you transfer to United Airlines.
Frequent Flyer Perks
You can also redeem points for Priority Pass or TSA PreCheck privileges.
An annual PreCheck membership costs 25,000 points, but you can also get this travel perk for free with many travel credit cards, including the Capital One Venture and the co-brand Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.
Marriott Bonvoy Moments
You can redeem your points for culinary, sports, entertainment, and cultural experiences. Some of these events may be exclusive to co-brand Chase and American Express Marriott cardholders.
Shopping
You can also redeem your points for merchandise, at online stores, and for gift cards.
Gift card redemptions start at 5,000 points for a $10 balance.
Small accessories and gadgets require up to 10,000 points.
If you have more points to spend, you can acquire Marriott Bonvoy bedding and shower items to bring your favorite hotel textiles home. You can also receive high-end products from brands like Bose or Dooney & Bourke.
Transfer Bonvoy Points
Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t have a points pooling feature like Hilton Honors but it’s possible to transfer points without a transfer fee.
You must call Marriott Bonvoy customer support to request the transfer. You can transfer up to 100,000 points per calendar and receive up to 500,000 points.
Both accounts must be open for at least 30 days and must also have at least 90 days since their last qualifying activity.
If you meet these stipulations, this perk can be an excellent way to transfer Marriott points fee-free.
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
There are four different co-brand Marriott Bonvoy credit cards that Chase and American Express issue.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card has no annual fee and sports these perks:
- Earn up to 3x Bonvoy points on purchase
- 15 elite night credits
- Silver Elite status
Chase Bank issues this credit card and it can be subject to the “5/24” application rules.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Chase also issues the mid-tier consumer Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card with a $95 annual fee and these benefits:
- Earn up to 6x on purchases
- 1 free night award each card anniversary (up to 35,000 points)
- 15 elite night credits
- Silver Elite status
- Earn Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 in one year
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
The premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has a $450 annual fee.
It combines hotel and air travel benefits, including:
- Up to 6x on purchases
- Annual $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit
- 1 free night award each card anniversary (up to 50,000 points)
- 15 elite night credits
- Gold Elite loyalty status
- Priority Pass Select lounge access
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Travel insurance benefits
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
American Express issues the only Marriott Bonvoy small business credit card.
Featured benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card ($125 annual fee) are:
- Up to 6x on purchases
- 15 elite night credits
- Silver Elite status
Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express ($695 annual fee) earns Membership Rewards instead of Marriott points. However, you can transfer points to your Bonvoy account in 1,000-point increments.
This card offers Gold Elite loyalty status for Marriott. In addition, you also get Hilton Honors Gold status.
Other perks include:
- Up to 5x on flights and prepaid hotels
- Airline and hotel statement credits
- Airport lounge access
- Expedited airport security application fee credits (i.e., Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, and CLEAR)
FAQ
Is it free to join Marriott Bonvoy?
Yes, you can join Marriott Bonvoy for free online or through the mobile app.
What are the Marriott Bonvoy levels?
The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty tiers are Member, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite.
How do you qualify for Marriott Bonvoy Elite status?
Marriott only requires guests to complete a minimum number of nights each calendar year to earn elite status. One exception is the Ambassador Elite tier which also has an annual spending threshold.
Silver Elite: 10 nights
Gold Elite: 25 nights
Platinum Elite: 50 nights
Titanium Elite: 75 nights
Ambassador Elite: 100 nights and $20,000 in qualifying spend
You can also apply for a co-brand Marriott Bonvoy credit card and get automatic Silver Elite or Gold Elite status.
When does Bonvoy Elite status expire?
Due to the pandemic, your current Bonvoy Elite status currently has an extension through March 2023.
Typically, the status is valid for the remainder of the current calendar year and all of next year.
When do Bonvoy points expire?
Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of account inactivity. Therefore, all point expirations are temporarily on pause through December 31, 2022.
Your points won’t expire if you have a Marriott Bonvoy credit card and periodically make purchases.
What are Bonvoy points worth?
Bonvoy points are worth approximately 0.6 cents for most reward nights.
However, you may find deals that let them be worth up to 0.8 cents or more.
How many points to stay at a Marriott?
Marriott Bonvoy award nights start at 5,000 but can cost as much as 100,000 points. However, most properties only require between 15,000 and 50,000 points.
How do Suite Night Awards work?
You can receive Suite Night Awards after staying 50 nights and 75 nights per calendar year. It’s possible to redeem these awards for standard or premium rooms.
These nights expire on December 31 of the following year after you earn them. So, for example, an award that you earn in 2021 expires at the end of 2022.
What are the Marriott Bonvoy United Airlines perks?
Some of the United Airlines perks that Bonvoy members can enjoy are:
10% more United miles when converting Bonvoy points
10% more miles when redeeming points for Bonvoy travel packages
Convert United miles to Bonvoy points at a 1:1 ratio
Complimentary Premier status with a qualifying Bonvoy Elite status
What are the Marriott Bonvoy Emirates perks?
Bonvoy members can enjoy these benefits when flying Emirates:
Up to 3x Emirates miles on flights (Bonvoy Gold Elite status or above)
Elite in-airport benefits (Bonvoy Platinum Elite status or above)
Additional on-site Marriott benefits (Emirates Silver status or above)
How does the Marriott airline transfer bonus work?
You will receive 5,000 bonus miles when you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy at a time. It’s possible to stack this offer if you make multiple 60,000-point transfers.
The transfer ratio is 3 Bonvoy points:1 airline mile for the 40+ participating airlines.
What is the Bonvoy Ultimate Reservation Guarantee?
You can receive up to $200 and/or 90,000 points in compensation plus the replacement room costs if Marriott overbooks and gives your room to another guest.
The compensation amounts depend on the brand and your Elite status level.
This benefit is available to all Bonvoy Elite members.
The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts
Marriott Bonvoy can be one of the easiest hotel loyalty programs to earn loyalty points with as it’s the world’s largest. They also have a fine collection of mid-tier, luxury, and extended stay brands that can suit just about any traveler.
Bonvoy points are also reasonably valued for reward nights. You can maximize your benefits by having a co-brand Marriott Bonvoy credit card or by being a United Airlines frequent flyer.
Perhaps the most glaring downside of this program is the numerous loyalty tiers that can make it difficult for frequent guests to get the best benefits. Other programs, like IHG One Rewards, make it easier for regular travelers to get the most valuable perks by staying fewer nights or by trying for a co-brand credit card.
Also, the Marriott credit cards make it easy to get fast-track loyalty status and get free night awards. However, you will still need to be a frequent guest to enjoy the highest loyalty tiers and the accompanying benefits.
