Complete Guide to Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the world’s largest hotel rewards programs, with more than 9,300 hotels across 144 countries. With over 30 brands, you’ll find everything from budget-friendly chains to boutique and luxury options dotting all corners of the earth — from major tourist cities to more off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Let’s dive into how the Marriott Bonvoy program works, how to earn and redeem points and how to get the most value from your next stay.

What is Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy is a free loyalty program that lets you earn points on hotel stays, credit card spending and more. You’ll unlock increasing elite status tiers and perks along the way, which will bolster your future Marriott redemptions.

Marriott has an extensive list of brands in its portfolio:

No matter your travel style or budget, you’ll likely find a brand that fits your needs.

How to Earn Marriott Points

There are several ways to earn Marriott points. Let’s walk through some of the most common ones.

🛏️ Hotel Stays

You earn points when you book hotel stays directly with Marriott. The majority of Marriott’s properties award 10 points per dollar spent. However, a few extended‑stay brands earn at lower rates:

• 5 points per dollar at Element, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Homes & Villas.

• 4 points per dollar at StudioRes.

• 2.5 points per dollar at Marriott Executive Apartments.

On top of base points, elite members earn a bonus percentage:

• Silver Elite: 10% bonus points

• Gold Elite: 25% bonus points

• Platinum Elite: 50% bonus points

• Titanium Elite: 75% bonus points

• Ambassador Elite: 75% bonus points

And that’s before factoring in any bonus points you’ll earn from holding one of Marriott’s co-branded credit cards.

💳 Credit Cards

Holding a Marriott‑branded credit card is one of the fastest ways to earn points.

Marriott offers several co-branded cards, issued by Chase and American Express. You’ll find options ranging from no annual fee to more premium cards with higher-end perks — so there’s something for everyone, depending on the earning rates, perks, and benefits you’re hoping to get.

*Receive 1 certificate every year after your card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional certificate after you spend $60k in a calendar year. **Receive 1 certificate after spending $15k on eligible purchases per calendar year. ***Receive 1 certificate after spending $15k on eligible purchases per calendar year.

🎉 Promotions

Marriott frequently runs promotions that award extra points or bonus elite nights. The best way to keep tabs on these promotions is to log into your account and head to the dedicated promotions page.

Some promotions may require you to register for them, especially if it’s a targeted offer, so be sure you’re taking the right steps to lock up any given deal.

Not only are these promotions a little exciting and motivating, but depending on the offer, they’ll also give you a sweet boost to your points pool. 🚀

🤝 Transfer Partners

Marriott is a transfer partner of both American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards — so you’ve got a few different ways to rack up those points; however, this isn’t always the best idea. Even though you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio from both partners, it’s not fair and equal.

In general, both Amex and Chase points are valued quite a bit higher than Marriott points are worth. You’ll most likely lose value if you transfer them in this way.

But if there’s a good deal, or you just need a few extra points to top off your Marriott stash, then who are we to tell you no?

🍽️ Dining

Marriott has its own dining rewards program called Eat Around Town, where non-Marriott elites will earn 4 points per dollar spent, and Elites (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador) will earn 6 points per dollar at participating restaurants.

Different restaurants can opt into this dining program, so you never know what you’ll find. A quick search of Seattle shows a decent amount of restaurants, and some that I’ve even eaten at before.

It’s important to note that you’ll earn these Marriott points in addition to whatever points you’d earn from the card you use to pay for these dining purchases. Some of our favorites include:

• American Express® Gold Card: 4x points on global restaurants (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1x points thereafter) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x points thereafter).

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 3x points on eligible dining purchases

💸 Buy Points

Marriott occasionally offers sales or discounts on buying points. It’s not always the best value, but if you have a specific redemption in mind or just need to top off your account, it can be a nice strategy.

What are Marriott Points Worth?

Marriott uses dynamic award pricing, so point values fluctuate. This means that award costs change with the cash price of the hotel.

That said, we typically value Marriott Bonvoy points at about 0.9 cents each, so 50,000 Marriott points would yield around $450, though it’s possible to get more or less value depending on when and where you travel.

How to Redeem Marriott Points

Now here’s the fun part! It might still take a little bit of work, but you’re at the point where you’ll finally reap some rewards (literally… 🤭) for your efforts.

Award Nights

Booking free hotel nights is the most popular redemption. Because Marriott uses a dynamic award pricing system instead of fixed award charts, redemptions are often directly affected by the ever-changing cash prices for their rooms.

This means you won’t know how much your award stay will cost until you go to book. So basically, it’s the Wild West out here.

You can use points to book your next award stay in a few different ways:

• Use 100% points to pay

• Combination of cash and points

• Redeem points for upgraded rooms

Remember the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” perk — if you use points for four consecutive nights, your fifth night is free.

Airline Transfer Partners

Marriott has a staggering 40+ airline transfer partners, with many of those airline currencies otherwise hard to come by (like Alaska Airlines and American Airlines).

We don’t always recommend transferring points this way, as many of those transfer ratios come at 3:1 — not the best value. But if there’s a killer deal, or you’re willing to sacrifice some of your Marriott points to top off one of your airline accounts, then you can choose to use your points however you wish!

Other Redemptions

You can redeem points for experiences through Marriott Bonvoy Moments, such as sporting events, concerts or culinary tours. Marriott points can also be used for rental cars, gift cards and cruises, but these options usually provide less value than free hotel nights.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status: Tiers and Perks

A big reason many of us enter the hotel rewards realm is to earn and maintain elite status. Marriott has six levels of status, with each offering more perks the higher you get:

• Member (free to join)

• Silver Elite (10 qualifying nights/year)

• Gold Elite (25 qualifying nights/year)

• Platinum Elite (50 qualifying nights/year)

• Titanium Elite (75 qualifying nights/year)

• Ambassador Elite (100 qualifying nights/year)

Member (Free to Join)

Anyone can sign up for a free Marriott Bonvoy Member account. By doing so, you’ll gain access to these perks:

• Mobile check-in

• Free standard Wi-Fi

• Discounted member rates

• Points and elite night credits earned on paid stays

• Fifth-night free perk on award stays

Silver Elite

You’ll earn Silver Elite status by staying 10 qualifying nights in a calendar year. In addition to the standard Member benefits, you’ll also receive:

• 10% bonus points earned on stays and eligible hotel purchases

• Late checkout, when available

You can also receive automatic Silver Elite status by holding one of these cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

Gold Elite

You’ll need to stay 25 qualifying nights per year at a Marriott property to receive Gold Elite status. On top of the perks you’ll receive with Silver Elite, you’ll also get:

• 25% bonus points earned on stays and eligible hotel purchases

• 2:00 p.m. late checkout, when available

• Space-available upgrades to enhanced rooms (excludes suites)

• A welcome gift of points at check-in

• Reciprocal benefits with Emirates Skywards: Earn Skywards miles on Marriott stays and earn Marriott points on Emirates flights

You can also receive automatic Gold Elite status as a perk from holding these cards:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express, enrollment required

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, enrollment required

• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, after meeting spending requirements

• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful^TM Card

To offer you some street cred, one of my favorite upgrades — thanks to my Gold Elite status from my Amex Platinum — came during a stay at the Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa in Jordan.

I was offered a larger, top-floor room with stunning views of the Dead Sea. And yes, it was *chef’s kiss* 😘👌

Platinum Elite

Personally, I think this is the level at which Marriott status starts to get really good. It requires staying 50 qualifying nights, but you’ll get the Gold Elite benefits, plus:

• 50% bonus points earned on stays and eligible hotel purchases

• Space-available room upgrades (includes suites!)

• Lounge access at brands with lounges (hello, free food and bev)

• Guaranteed 4:00 p.m. late checkout

• Your choice of a welcome gift (could be points, free breakfast, or another amenity)

• Access to a 24-hour dedicated support line

• Fast-track to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star status

If you want to forego the 50-night requirement, snag the Platinum Elite title with these cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, after meeting spending requirements

Titanium Elite

You’ll reach Titanium Elite status after staying 75 qualifying nights in a calendar year. On top of Platinum Elite benefits, you’ll also receive:

• 75% bonus points earned on stays and eligible hotel purchases

• A 48-hour guarantee for room availability

• Complimentary Hertz Five Star status

• United MileagePlus Premier Silver status through Marriott’s partnership with the airline

• Get a second Annual Choice Benefit after completing 75 nights in a year

Ambassador Elite

Marriott’s top-dog status is Ambassador Elite, which requires staying 100 qualifying nights and spending $23,000 on qualifying Marriott purchases in a calendar year — so you’re basically living in Marriotts at this point, right?

On top of Titanium Elite benefits, you’ll also receive:

• A dedicated Ambassador concierge service to assist you with booking and managing stays

• 24-hour stay period (if you check in at 11:00 p.m., you can hold the room until 11:00 p.m. the next night)

• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status

Bottom Line

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the most extensive hotel loyalty programs out there. With the largest portfolio of hotel co-branded cards, valuable elite status tiers, and plentiful promos, it’s easy to see why any hotel enthusiast would choose Marriott.

If you’re looking for a hotel program that will likely have a property available no matter where you travel — Marriott is your answer.