Overview
Marriott is the world’s biggest hotel brand for a reason. With over 1.5 million rooms spread across 9,200 hotels and a whopping 168 countries, you’re never far from one of their properties. That fact alone makes its loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, immensely valuable.
While it might not boast quite as much value as some of its competitors, the sheer reach of its footprint means a stash of points can take you further than any other hotel brand can.
However, maximizing your Bonvoy experience is only possible if you understand the program’s ins and outs. With that in mind, here’s a complete guide to Marriott Bonvoy.
The Bottom Line:
While its point values and redemptions can fluctuate, the reliability gained from Marriott’s immense global presence is more than enough to enhance your travel experience. Business travelers can make the most of its bells and whistles, but regular travelers can also seize the benefits of a strong hoard of Bonvoy points.
Marriott High-Level Overview
Marriott International is the world’s largest lodging company, boasting almost 9,500 properties across 144 countries and territories. Remarkably, the brand started as a root beer stand in Washington, D.C, before expanding into the drive-restaurant industry and airline catering space, before finally opening its first hotel in 1956 in Virginia. From there, the company grew exponentially, growing to a total of 30 brands with more on the way.
Its loyalty program operates similarly to its competitor, Hilton, offering tiered elite status, with each rung in the system adding new benefits and perks as well as the opportunity to earn free nights in the brand’s hotels.
Marriott Brands
Marriott’s impressive portfolio spans more than 30 distinct brands, each designed to offer a unique experience. Marriott Bonvoy benefits extend across all of these, though the application of some perks may vary depending on the brand and property. Here’s a look at the categories and some notable brands:
For when you want the very best, with top-tier service and stunning design:
The Ritz-Carlton®: Ultimate luxury and impeccable service.
St. Regis® Hotels & Resorts: Exquisite experiences and refined elegance.
EDITION® Hotels: Trendy, stylish luxury with unique vibes.
JW Marriott®: A haven for well-being and thoughtful care.
The Luxury Collection®: Iconic, independent hotels, each with a story.
W® Hotels: Bold, vibrant, and design-led luxury.
Ritz-Carlton Reserve®: Secluded, ultra-luxury escapes.
Bulgari Hotels & Resorts: High-end, glamorous hotels. (No Bonvoy points/benefits).
Premium brands:
Marriott Hotels®: The classic, reliable flagship brand.
Sheraton® Hotels & Resorts: Global hotels for connecting and community.
Delta Hotels by Marriott™: Streamlined, efficient stays.
Le Méridien®: European-inspired, celebrating local culture.
Westin® Hotels & Resorts: Wellness-focused for a healthier stay.
Renaissance® Hotels: Encourages discovery and local exploration.
Gaylord Hotels®: Large resorts with extensive event spaces and entertainment.
Marriott Vacation Club®: High-quality vacation ownership properties.
MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy: Iconic MGM resorts, now with Bonvoy perks.
Select brands:
Courtyard by Marriott®: Dependable, flexible spaces.
Fairfield by Marriott®: Stress-free stays at a great value.
Four Points by Sheraton®: Timeless style with the essentials done right.
AC Hotels by Marriott®: European-inspired, precise, and stylish.
Aloft® Hotels: Tech-forward, urban, and vibrant.
Moxy® Hotels: Playful, stylish, and fun at a good price.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott®: Spacious, all-suite hotels with added extras.
Protea Hotels by Marriott®: Leading African brand with local flair.
City Express by Marriott®: Leading midscale brand in Latin America.
Four Points Express by Sheraton: Budget-friendly, smart, and efficient.
Longer stays:
Residence Inn by Marriott®: Spacious suites with full kitchens.
TownePlace Suites by Marriott®: Homelike suites for productive, upbeat stays.
Element® by Westin: Eco-friendly, extended stays focused on well-being.
Marriott Executive Apartments®: Deluxe, serviced apartment living.
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy: Private home rentals.
Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy: Residential-style accommodations.
Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy: Modern, flexible apartment-style stays.
StudioRes: Value-focused for 20+ night stays.
Collections
Autograph Collection® Hotels: A distinctive collection of unique hotels.
Design Hotels™: Visionary properties with original design.
Tribute Portfolio™: Independent hotels with vibrant personality.
Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status
Similar to other hotel programs, Marriott Bonvoy operates a tier loyalty structure. Each level unlocks different benefits, starting with basics like free wifi and bottled water, all the way to epic suite upgrades and enhanced points-earning opportunities.
There are six tiers to work through, starting at the most basic “Member” level, which customers achieve just by signing up. At the other end of the scale is Ambassador Elite, which requires over 100 nights in Marriott hotels a year, plus a whopping $23,000 minimum spend. While traditional qualifying nights remain the primary method of achieving status, it’s also possible with certain co-branded credit cards.
Here’s a breakdown of each tier:
Member Level
Signing up for Marriott Bonvoy places you automatically at the Member level. Things aren’t too exciting here, but sets you up to earn points and gain access to member rates.
Perks:
Member-exclusive rates
Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi
Mobile check-in and mobile key
Earn points on stays
How to Earn:
Sign up for Marriott Bonvoy
Silver Elite
Silver Elite starts to include bonus points, and some added perks.
Perks:
All Member benefits
10% bonus points on stays
Priority late checkout (based on availability)
Dedicated Elite Support line
How to Earn (in a year):
10 nights
Or by holding certain co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
Gold Elite
Gold is where membership starts to become valuable, with the potential for room upgrades, late checkouts, and welcome gifts.
Perks:
All Silver and Member benefits
25% bonus points on stays
Enhanced room upgrade (subject to availability, excluding suites)
2 p.m. late checkout (based on availability)
Welcome gift of points (varies by brand)
Elite reservation line
How to Earn (in a year):
25 nights
Or by holding certain co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (e.g., Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card after $35,000 in spend, Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, or The Platinum Card® from American Express with enrollment).
Platinum Elite
Platinum Elite adds on even more perks, including an annual choice benefit after 50 nights and lounge access.
Perks:
All Gold, Silver, and Member benefits
50% bonus points on stays
Enhanced room upgrade (subject to availability, including select suites)
Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout (except at resort and convention hotels)
Annual Choice Benefit (at 50 nights)
Lounge access and complimentary breakfast at participating brands (e.g., JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels, Le Méridien, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels)
Welcome gift choice (points, breakfast offering, or amenity)
Ultimate Reservation Guarantee
How to Earn (in a year):
50 nights
Or by holding certain co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards (e.g., Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card).
Titanium Elite
Titanium not only gifts customers with Marriott perks, but also United Airlines and Hertz loyalty perks, too.
Perks:
All Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Member benefits
75% bonus points on stays
Second Annual Choice Benefit (at 75 nights)
48-hour room guarantee
Complimentary United MileagePlus Premier Silver Status (through RewardsPlus partnership)
Hertz Five Star Status
How to Earn (in a year):
75 nights
Ambassador Elite
The pinnacle of Marriott Bonvoy status, Ambassador Elite bestows a personal ambassador for your stays, as well as an incredible 24-hour check-in and checkout service.
Perks:
All Titanium, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Member benefits
75% bonus points on stays
Ambassador Service (a personal ambassador to assist with your stays)
Your24 (flexible 24-hour check-in and checkout)
Hertz President’s Circle Status
How to Earn (in a year):
100 nights AND $23,000 USD in annual qualified spend
Earning Status with a Credit Card
The reality is that most people just don’t stay in hotels enough to reach any significant tier level. Hitting Ambassador Elite would require a guest to live in Marriott hotels for almost a third of the year — no simple commitment. Credit cards can offer a way to bypass this by offering complimentary elite status.
Multiple cards offer Marriott Elite Status, some co-branded like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, while others, like The Platinum Card® from American Express, are general travel cards. Keep in mind that these cards typically won’t come cheap, especially if they’re offering higher-tiered status.
- Best for: Luxury Perks
- Annual Fee: $695
- Pay Over Time APR
- Reward Rate: 5X
- Recommended Credit: Good to Excellent
The Platinum Card® from American Express
As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Offer Details:
You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Why we like it
The Amex Platinum was once the sole dominating force in the luxury credit card space. While it now faces some stiff competition, it still offers unbeatable perks like unprecedented airport lounge access, elite status at Hilton and Marriott, and some outstanding statement credits making the mammoth $695 worth it for some.
Reward details
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®
Pros & Cons
Pros
Earn as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Incredible lounge access
Statement credits worth over $1,000 annually.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
Cons
The $695 annual fee is brutally high. Too high for many that can’t, or don’t want to take full advantage of its benefits.
Points-earning rates are low unless spending directly on flights or with the Amex Portal.
Some of the benefits, like travel credits, are more limited and are harder to use than competing cards’ offerings.
How To Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott Bonvoy points are the currency that unlocks free stays with the brand. The number required to book a free night will vary drastically depending on the specific hotel, the city, and the dates you’re booking.
There are multiple ways to earn Bonvoy Points — some easier than others. Here’s a look at all the options.
Stays
The most straightforward way to earn is by staying in Marriott properties. Of course, you’ll need to sign up first and book using your account. The amount you’ll earn for each stay is dictated by your elite status level, the hotel brand, and the amount you spend.
Most hotel brands under Marriott’s umbrella have a base earning rate of 10 points per dollar spent, as well as an elite night credit that counts towards your elite tier. A few of the dedicated longer stay brands offer 5 points per dollar spent, with a few more earning just 4 and 2.5 points per dollar. That rate will apply to all qualifying charges, including the room rate and any incidentals.
As mentioned above, your elite status dictates the actual amount you earn. If staying at one of the properties, earning 10 points per dollar, the earning rates would look like this:
Member: 10 points per dollar
Silver Elite: 11 points per dollar (10% bonus)
Gold Elite: 12.5 points per dollar (25% bonus)
Platinum Elite: 15 points per dollar (50% bonus)
Titanium Elite & Ambassador Elite: 17.5 points per dollar (75% bonus)
Co-branded credit cards
As with elite status, earning a significant amount of points isn’t easy for most people. While an expensive vacation might represent a nice injection, it’s still unlikely to change too much in regards to free nights. Co-branded credit cards are a handy workaround for this, allowing customers to earn thousands of points on their everyday spending.
While our general advice isn’t to put all your eggs in one co-branded basket, those with their attention taken solely by Marriott can take full advantage. Depending on the product, customers will earn bonus points on specific spending categories and added benefits and earnings on Marriott properties. Most of these cards also offer amazing introductory offers, which are the fastest way to earn thousands of points. Some can even offer boosts on elite nights.
Transfer partners
If you’re not fully set on Marriott, there’s still hope. It’s possible to transfer points from flexible credit card issuers when the timing is right. This allows customers to maximize their spending and only use Marriott points when there’s a good deal. Here are the programs that allow transfers:
Chase Ultimate Rewards: Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
American Express Membership Rewards: Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
You can also transfer points from some airline programs like United MileagePlus, but these rates are usually poor and we don’t recommend using them in this way unless you’re only short a few points and there’s an excellent deal on the table.
Other earning opportunities
Marriott Bonvoy offers several other ways to earn points:
Marriott Bonvoy Events: Earn points when you host eligible meetings and events at participating properties.
Eat Around Town: Link your credit card and earn points for dining at participating restaurants across the U.S.
Uber Partnership: Link your Marriott Bonvoy and Uber accounts to earn points on eligible Uber rides and Uber Eats orders.
Hertz Rentals: Earn points on car rentals with Hertz when you provide your Marriott Bonvoy number.
Marriott Bonvoy Moments: Redeem points for unique experiences, but you can also earn points for booking certain tours and activities.
How to Use Marriott Bonvoy Points
Now for the fun part — redeeming points. This is where the hard work and strategy come full circle. There is more than one way to spend them, though. So choose wisely.
How to redeem points for stays
Redeeming points for free nights is the primary way to use them. Points are redeemable at virtually every Marriott hotel around the globe, offering points holders the chance to stay at some truly remarkable properties.
It’s simple to do: just log into your Bonvoy account and search for stays as you would normally. Under the search bar will be a check box that says “Use Points”. The search will provide you with all hotels within your parameters, but feature both a cash price and a points price. If you’re happy with the rate, select the points rate and complete the booking. It’s also possible to be with a combination of cash and points, but we’d advise against this as it typically lowers the value of your points.
Sweet spots, perks, and strategy
To maximize the value of your Marriott Bonvoy points, consider these strategies:
5th Night Free: Similar to Hilton’s deal, booking four nights with Marriott points automatically unlocks a fifth for free, allowing you to take full advantage of your points.
Luxury Stays: As counter-intuitive as it may seem, the best value offers are often found at the most luxurious hotels and resorts. The points rate may look high, but compared to the cash rate, you’re getting an incredible deal.
PointSavers: PointSavers are periodic sale rates found on Marriott’s website. Make a habit of checking these out, as well as checking your inbox for new offers.
Flexibility: Flexibility remains a superpower in the points and miles world. The ability to choose cheaper dates at off-peak times will always help your points go further.
Marriott Bonvoy moments
Moments is Marriott’s experiential wing, offering countless opportunities to use your points for unbelievable days out, unique stays, and much more. Everything from VIP baseball tickets and hotel suites in soccer stadiums to backstage passes and culinary packages features on the site. Some require bids, while others can be bought outright. They’re not always top value in terms of cents per point, but they’re unique, and that’s priceless.
From experience
While I’m primarily a Hilton and Hyatt lover, Marriott has provided me with arguably one of the coolest hotel experiences in the world. Back in 2023, I stayed for three nights at the Marriott Mena House in Giza, Egypt. The luxury hotel is literally in the shadow of the Great Pyramid and remains one of the single greatest places I’ve ever stayed. Better yet, it was only 30,000 points a night – an absolute steal.
The Point
Marriott Bonvoy, while sometimes tough to grab maximum value, remains a popular brand and loyalty program for a reason. Its huge global footprint means one of its properties will almost always pop up in your searches, and with some of the most sought-after brands on the planet under its umbrella, you can’t go wrong. Just be thoughtful with your point usage and make the most of any perks offered, like the 5th night free.
- Best for: Beginner Travelers
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
- Reward Rate: 1X - 5X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
75,000 Bonus Points
Offer Details:
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Why we like it
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the ultimate all-around travel credit card—it fits perfectly into almost any points-earner’s wallet. Points novices can enjoy a significant intro bonus and easy to grasp spending categories with an approachable annual fee. The more experienced can utilize its high value earning potential as a secondary card and also gain access to Chase’s strong travel booking portal.
Reward details
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
2x on all other travel purchases.
1x on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
The $50 dollar hotel credit for stays purchased on the Chase Travel Portal already cuts the already approachable $95 annual fee significantly.
10% anniversary points boost – each account anniversary you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
Along with all of the above, cardholders also have access to a string of travel protections like rental coverage, cancellation insurance, and purchase protection.
Cons
It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So, if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Competing cards like the Capital One Venture have a better earning rate for non-bonus spend.
Chase has a once-per-lifetime rule for sign-up bonuses on their Sapphire cards, including the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and Sapphire Reserve for Business. So, once you’ve earned a welcome bonus on any of these cards, you’ll never be eligible for the bonus again on the same card.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
