| Marriott Bonvoy quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Redemption options | |
| How many Marriott Bonvoy points for a free night? | Typically 5,000 - 100,000+ points |
| Marriott Bonvoy points value | $0.007 |
| How many hotels does Marriott have? | Almost 8,900 properties in 141 countries |
| Marriott Bonvoy rewards levels | Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite |
| Pros |
|
| Cons |
|
While this value is low compared with flexible rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards®, which are valued at up to 2 cents each, it’s a very good redemption value for hotel loyalty points. In fact, we value Hilton Honors points and IHG Rewards points at just $0.005 each.
Generally speaking, hotel points are valued lower because they’re so easy to earn. With an abundance of hotel credit cards and opportunities to earn hotel points, this drives down the value of each point.
But when you use Marriott Bonvoy points strategically, you can increase their value.
For example, if you’re looking at a trip that costs either $1,000 or 125,000 points, you’d be getting more than that $0.007 in value. So that would obviously be worth paying for with points, assuming you have enough to cover the full reservation.
But if you’re not going to be able to travel for quite a while after your upcoming trip, and you have points available to spend, you might want to use them now, even if you won’t get $0.007 in value from your points. You might be able to get a nicer room, stay an extra day or save some money on your trip, even if you’re not fully maximizing the value of your points.
When you join the Marriott Bonvoy program, you’ll quickly find that the program’s nearly 8,900 hotels range from quaint to luxurious. At each of Marriott International’s 30+ brands, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points for your stay. The points you earn can be redeemed for free nights at Marriott properties, for other types of travel, or for gift cards.
As you explore the Marriott Bonvoy program and all it has to offer, you should familiarize yourself with the various properties you can book with your points.
| Brand | # of locations |
|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton | 119 |
| St. Regis | 67 |
| JW Marriott | 129 |
| W Hotels | 71 |
| EDITION | 22 |
| The Luxury Collection | 122 |
| Brand | # of locations |
|---|---|
| Marriott | 603 |
| Sheraton | 439 |
| The Marriott Vacation Clubs | 92 |
| Delta Hotels | 141 |
| Westin | 230 |
| Le Meridien | 120 |
| Renaissance Hotels | 167 |
| Autograph Collection Hotels | 313 |
| Tribute Portfolio | 135 |
| Design Hotels | 153 |
| Gaylord Hotels | 6 |
| MGM Collection | 7 |
| Brand | # of locations |
|---|---|
| Courtyard | 1,353 |
| Four Points | 344 |
| Springhill Suites | 500+ |
| Fairfield | 1,357 |
| Protea Hotels | 70 |
| AC Hotels | 251 |
| Aloft Hotels | 240 |
| Moxy Hotels | 163 |
| City Express by Marriott | 149 |
| FourPoints Express by Sheraton | 2 |
| Brand | # of locations |
|---|---|
| Residence Inn | 937 |
| TownePlace Suites | 400+ |
| Element Hotels | 113 |
| Marriott Executive Apartments | 38 |
| Homes & Villas by Marriott | 2,000+ |
| Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy | 1 |
Because Marriott Bonvoy membership is free, joining the Marriott Bonvoy program is a no-brainer. You’ll get some instant perks just for being a member, and you’ll get the chance to earn points on each paid stay.
While the Marriott Bonvoy program is one of the biggest hotel rewards programs in the world, it definitely has its pros and cons. That said, some of the major benefits and drawbacks depend on the type of traveler you are, whether you want to pursue elite status, and how you prefer to spend your points. Here are some of the pros and cons of the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
There are multiple ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. While staying at Marriott properties is the best way to earn points, there are other options for those who travel less frequently.
Marriott Bonvoy has a unique portfolio of credit cards, split evenly between two different issuers: Chase and American Express. These co-branded credit cards are excellent for earning Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases. On top of the base points you earn through your Marriott Bonvoy account for your hotel stays, you will earn additional points by using one of these cards to pay for your stay.
These cards also offer generous welcome bonuses, which can be worth up to three free nights or more right off the bat.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*
|
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | Earn up to 17X total points at participating Marriott hotels. Earn 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points on all other purchases. | $95 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*
|
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. | Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, and cable and phone services. Plus, earn 1X point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases. | $0 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card*
|
Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. 4x points 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 points on all other eligible purchases. | $125 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card*
|
Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. | $650 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card*
Learn More
on American Express's secure site |
Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points). Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card. | $250 |
Learn More
on American Express's secure site |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card*
Learn More
on Chase's secure site |
85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ credit card. Plus, up to 10X points from Marriott for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and up to 2.5X points from Marriott with Gold Elite Status. 4X points for every $1 on the first $15,000 in combined purchases each year on grocery stores and dining. 2X points for every $1 you spend on all other purchases | $250 |
Learn More
on Chase's secure site |
You can earn anywhere from 2.5 to 10 points per dollar spent across 35 Marriott Bonvoy brands. Plus, some hotels offer Elite Night credits.
10 points per $1, plus one Elite Night Credit per night stayed
10 points per $1
5 points per $1, plus 1 Elite Night Credit for every 1 night stayed
5 points per $1, plus 1 Elite Night Credit for every 2 nights per stay
2.5 points per $1, plus 1 Elite Night Credit for every 3 nights stayed
When you have Marriott Bonvoy elite status, you also earn bonus points for paid stays with Marriott.
| Status Level | Additional Points Earned |
|---|---|
| Silver Elite | 10% points bonus |
| Gold Elite | 25% points bonus |
| Platinum Elite | 50% points bonus |
| Titanium Elite | 75% points bonus |
| Ambassador Elite | 75% points bonus |
Marriott runs promotions from time to time to encourage customers to book hotel nights. These promotions usually involve awarding bonus Marriott Bonvoy points. For example, someone who registered by Nov. 12, 2024 could earn up to 4,000 bonus points for each stay of at least two nights.
You can find a list of active promotions here (online account required), or by checking the Marriott Bonvoy app. Some promotions are not widely available, and may be tailored to individual members.
The Eat Around Town by Marriott Bonvoy program lets you earn up to 6,000 bonus points during the first 60 days of joining. To earn bonus points, simply sign up for the program, link a credit or debit card, dine at or order takeout from participating restaurants, and pay with your linked card. You can also earn the following earning rate on dine-in and takeout orders (including tax and tip):
| Membership Level | Earning rate |
|---|---|
| Eat Around Town members | Up to 4 points per $1 spent |
| Marriott Bonvoy Elite members | 6 points per $1 spent |
You can also buy Marriott points to add to your balance, in 1,000-point increments. However, this strategy is only recommended if you are short a few thousand points for an award stay as purchasing points can be expensive.
If you need to purchase points, it’s best to wait until there’s a promotional offer. These occur occasionally and can help you get a better value.
Travel credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points let you transfer your rewards to your Marriott Bonvoy account at a 1:1 ratio. Cards eligible for points transfers include:
American Express cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points also let you transfer your rewards to your Marriott account at a 2:3 ratio. Here’s a list of the cards that let you earn Membership Rewards points, including some no-annual-fee credit cards:
Marriott lets you transfer points to other members without any fees, although you can only transfer a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year. Recipients can only get up to 500,000 Marriott rewards points in a calendar year with this method of accruing points.
Either way, having the option to pool points is excellent for couples who want to earn together toward free stays, or even for family members saving up for a special group trip.
Marriott Cruise with Points lets you earn Marriott points when you book a cruise through their portal. You can earn up to 30,000 points for each cruise you book, and you may even be eligible for special offers.
Marriott also offers its own refer-a-friend program that lets you earn bonus points when friends sign up for memberships and book paid stays. Currently, you can earn the following:
Your friends also get to earn points on their end:
You can also earn points for referring friends to a Marriott Bonvoy credit card with Chase:
Marriott members can earn 500 hotel points each time they rent a car with Hertz, and Marriott Elite members can earn an additional 200 points per Hertz rental. To qualify, you have to supply your Marriott Bonvoy number to Hertz when you pick up the car at the rental counter.
If you are someone who books work or business events regularly, booking with Marriott can pay off. Planners who are Marriott Bonvoy™ members get the chance to earn up to 60,000 points for qualifying events booked at participating properties, plus an Elite Night credit per 20 booked rooms (capped at 20 credits per event). On top of that, Elite members can earn up to 105,000 points per event.
Once you earn Marriott Bonvoy points, you can begin strategizing how to redeem them. Fortunately, this program makes it easy for Marriott Bonvoy members to use their points.
You can use your points for free night stays at Marriott properties. When searching for a stay online, enter the destination and date, and select the “Use Points / Awards” option. The amount of points needed to book a stay can vary depending on the date, location, hotel brand and room type.
For example — on the low end — we found a stay at a Courtyard by Marriott in Atlanta for 10,500 points per night in November 2024. On the higher end, we found a stay at The Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad on the same date for 130,000 points.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a more luxurious night at the Ritz-Carlton in South Beach, Fla.
This option is a much better value than the previous one. After taxes and fees, this room will cost $882 or 109,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. This means your points will be worth approximately $0.00809 each — which is more than our estimated value of $0.007 per point.
If you plan on using Marriott Bonvoy points in the future, be very strategic about how you use them in order to stretch the value of your points.
Marriott 5th night free
When you redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for a four-night stay, you will automatically get the fifth consecutive night free at the same hotel. This is an effective way to earn more travel for the same amount of points. And this promotion works for stays that are multiple of four. An eight-night stay will earn you two free extra nights, or 12 nights will earn you three free nights, and so on.
With this in mind, avoid using points for stays of three nights or fewer. Consider paying cash instead to save your points for a five-night stay.
In some cases, you may be awarded a free night certificate from the Marriott Bonvoy brand, although certificates are normally good for stays up to a certain amount of points (e.g. up to 85,000 points). For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card gives cardholders one free night award (worth up to 85,000 points at participating hotels) each year after your card renewal month.
To make the most of any certificate, you should strive to use it for properties that offer the most value. For example, you should use a certificate worth up to 85,000 points for a hotel that costs that many points (or at least close to it), and not for a lower-tier hotel that only costs 5,000 or 10,000 points per night.
Also, be aware that you can top off free night certificates with up to 15,000 additional points. This means, if the price of a hotel is out of range of your certificate, you may be able to make up the difference with points. This benefit will be useful since Marriott uses dynamic award pricing, which means the values of different hotels and stays fluctuate based on demand and other factors.
TSA PreCheck
You can use your Marriott Bonvoy points to cover your TSA PreCheck application fee. But because this benefit will run you 25,000 points — and is only valued at about $78 — it’s usually not a good use of your points.
Other travel
You can also use your Marriott Bonvoy points or points plus cash to book flights or rental cars with partner companies. You can also use points to book cruises through Marriott Bonvoy’s Cruise with Points program.
Upgrade with points
The Marriott Bonvoy program also lets you use your points for hotel room upgrades. In many cases, you will be given the option to book a stay with points then use additional points for an upgrade like an oceanfront room or a suite.
Marriott Cash and Points
If you’re a little short on a Marriott redemption you want to make, you may also want to consider using a combination of cash and points.
To know if using cash and points is truly worth it, you’ll need to run the math for the hotel stay you want (taxes and fees included) versus the cost in taxes and fees for using the Cash + Points option.
Marriott Pointsavers
The Marriott Bonvoy PointSavers program lets members save on regular point redemption rates, when available.
Transfer Marriott points
You can also transfer your Bonvoy rewards to an array of airline partners, although doing so is generally a poor value due to the lower transfer ratios. For example, most transfer partners offer a ratio of 3:1, which means you only get 1 airline mile for every 3 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer.
Since Marriott points are worth approximately 0.7 cents each, you would need to get more than 2.1 cents in value for each mile for the transfer to be worth it. With that in mind, you should really only transfer your miles if you need to “top up” your account with a few thousand miles for a free trip.
Marriott transfer partners and ratios are as follows:
| Airline partner | Transfer ratio (Points to miles) |
|---|---|
| AEGEAN Miles+Bonus | 3:1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 3:1 |
| Aeromexico ClubPremier | 3:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 3:1 |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | 3:1 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | 200:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ | 3:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage® | 3:1 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 3:1 |
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 3:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 3:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 3:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 3:1 |
| China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club | 3:1 |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | 3:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles® | 3:1 |
| Emirates Skywards® | 3:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 3:1 |
| FRONTIER Miles | 3:1 |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles® | 3:1 |
| Iberia Plus | 3:1 |
| InterMiles | 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 Miles&Go | 3:1 |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 3:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 3:1 |
| United MileagePlus® | 3:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 3:1 |
| Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer | 3:1 |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 |
Other Marriott redemption options
If you have a large stash of Marriott Bonvoy points and no opportunities for travel on the horizon, there are other ways to use them. You can:
With that said, you should always check the redemption value to ensure you’re getting a good deal.
Elite status is a great way for frequent travelers to earn extra benefits while staying at Marriott properties, such as upgraded rooms, points bonuses, late checkout, an in-hotel welcome gift and more. Hotel elite status is usually earned through staying at qualifying hotel properties within a calendar year. However, some Marriott credit cards give out automatic elite status just for being a cardmember.
| Status level | Requirements to earn |
|---|---|
| Member status | None |
| Silver Elite | 10+ hotel nights per year |
| Gold Elite | 25+ hotel nights per year |
| Platinum Elite | 50+ hotel nights per year |
| Titanium Elite | 75+ hotel nights per year |
| Ambassador Elite | 100+ hotel nights per year + $23,000 annual qualifying spend |
Here are the different elite status levels you can achieve with the Marriott Bonvoy program, and an overview of the perks that come with each.
Member benefits plus…
Silver benefits plus…
Gold benefits plus…
Platinum benefits plus…
Titanium benefits plus…
Marriott Bonvoy Escapes is a discount program that lets you save on paid stays at participating properties on Wednesday through Sunday, every other week. While Marriott Bonvoy members save 20% through this promotion, non-members only save 15%.
If you’re planning a paid stay with Marriott already, taking advantage of this promotion makes sense. After all, you’ll save money on your hotel stay, and your paid night will count toward requirements for elite status.
Marriott status can be valuable for people ranging from jetsetters to infrequent travelers. However, Elite status can be difficult to achieve if you only stay in a hotel a few nights a year.
One common fast track to Marriott Elite status is signing up for the right travel credit card. You can automatically qualify for Silver or Gold status, depending on the card (enrollment required).
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Marriott Bonvoy elite status | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*
|
Automatic Silver elite status with a path to Gold elite status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year | $95 | ||
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*
|
Automatic Silver elite status | $0 | ||
|
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card*
|
Gold elite status (enrollment required) | $125 | ||
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card*
Learn More
on Chase's secure site |
Automatic Gold Elite status | $250 |
Learn More
on Chase's secure site |
|
The Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
Gold elite status (enrollment required) | $695 |
No. Although you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy, at a 1:1 ratio, only transfer them when you need to use the points, as you can’t transfer the points back to Chase.
Neither Chase nor American Express publicly disclose their minimum credit score requirements for Marriott co-branded cards. But you’ll generally need to have good credit to qualify. The best way to understand your options is to use prequalification.
Yes, you can join Marriott Bonvoy’s rewards program for free, with instant access to perks like free in-room Wi-Fi, member rates and mobile check-in and services.
Yes, your Marriott Bonvoy points can expire if your account is inactive for 24 consecutive months.
Yes. Since 2019, Marriott Bonvoy and the Marriott Rewards program have been the same thing.
The information related to the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express® Gold Card, American Express® Business Gold Card, American Express® Green Card, Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express, Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
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