Marriott Bonvoy is a well-liked resort loyalty program, particularly amongst U.S. vacationers. This system has modified considerably over time — together with the elimination of printed award charts in early 2022. Nevertheless, you may nonetheless get loads of worth if you journey as a Marriott Bonvoy member.
Whether or not you are a loyal Marriott buyer or new to this system, figuring out how you can maximize your Marriott Bonvoy redemptions is necessary. This information will offer you all of the important data you want.
What’s Marriott Bonvoy?
Marriott Bonvoy was established after Marriott Rewards, Starwood Most well-liked Visitor and Ritz-Carlton Rewards joined forces in 2018. With over 30 manufacturers below its umbrella, Marriott Bonvoy has over 8,000 properties in round 140 international locations and territories.
Members can earn factors for his or her stays by becoming a member of this system, and you may then redeem these factors for numerous advantages comparable to free nights, room upgrades and unique experiences. Marriott Bonvoy elite standing supplies a wide range of advantages for frequent friends, together with bonus factors on paid stays, late checkout and complimentary breakfast.
What are Marriott’s standing ranges?
Marriott affords 5 ranges of elite standing: Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite. Usually, you’ll attain every stage by finishing qualifying nights. Nevertheless, sure Marriott bank cards supply computerized standing and elite evening credit that may depend towards assembly the qualifying evening necessities for every standing. With Marriott bank cards, you may earn as much as 40 elite nights yearly.
It is necessary to notice that you may solely get pleasure from these advantages if you e book immediately with Marriott. In case you e book by way of on-line journey companies like Expedia or Lodges.com, you typically will not obtain the elite standing advantages even if you happen to add your Marriott Bonvoy quantity to your reservation. This additionally applies to most bank card reserving portals.
Learn extra: 9 issues to contemplate when selecting to e book by way of a portal vs. reserving immediately
For an in depth breakdown of the advantages of every standing stage, you may consult with TPG’s valuation of Marriott Bonvoy elite standing. However here is a high-level overview of what every stage affords.
Member
By signing up and changing into a Marriott Bonvoy member, you may get free commonplace Wi-Fi, entry to member charges and cell check-in. You will earn factors that you may redeem free of charge nights or different redemptions. So, even if you happen to do not assume you’ll earn Marriott elite standing, you may not less than need to enroll in the Bonvoy program.
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Silver Elite
You will earn Marriott Silver Elite standing after finishing 10 qualifying nights in a calendar yr. Silver Elite advantages embody a ten% level bonus on stays and late checkout, primarily based on availability.
You will routinely get Silver Elite standing as a cardholder of the next cobranded Marriott bank cards:
You possibly can earn Lifetime Silver Elite by accumulating 250 lifetime nights and incomes Marriott Silver Elite standing or increased for not less than 5 years.
Gold Elite
You will earn Marriott Gold Elite after finishing 25 qualifying nights in a calendar yr.
Along with Silver Elite perks, Gold Elite members obtain enhanced web entry, a 25% level bonus on stays, 2 p.m. late checkout primarily based on availability, upgrades to “enhanced rooms” (excluding suites) primarily based on availability and a welcome present of factors every time you keep.
Holders of the next playing cards get Marriott Gold Elite standing as a perk of their card:
The data for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit score Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Members will obtain Lifetime Gold Elite standing as soon as they earn 400 lifetime nights and have held Gold Elite standing or increased for seven years.
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Platinum Elite
You will earn Marriott Platinum Elite standing when you full 50 qualifying nights in a calendar yr. This stage affords extra advantages past Gold Elite, together with a 50% level bonus on stays, room upgrades (together with choose suites) primarily based on availability, lounge entry, assured 4 p.m. checkout (topic to availability at resort and conference resorts) and a alternative of welcome present throughout every keep. Advantages rely upon the model you keep at.
The welcome present choices fluctuate by model however typically embody factors, an amenity and breakfast. Platinum Elite members often obtain breakfast within the lounge or on-site restaurant, though some properties could supply a room service credit score as a substitute. For extra data, you may consult with TPG’s complete information to Marriott elite breakfast advantages.
Upon incomes 50 nights, Platinum Elite members can select one Alternative Profit; choices embody 5 Suite Evening Awards, gifted Silver Elite standing, 40% off a mattress, 5 elite evening credit and a $100 charitable donation. Choosing the Suite Evening Awards is usually advisable until you finish the yr with 70-74 nights.
Having the Marriott Bonvoy Good® American Categorical® Card grants you Platinum Elite standing. Alternatively, holders of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit score Card can attain Platinum Elite by spending $75,000 on purchases in the course of the calendar yr.
To lock in Lifetime Platinum Elite standing, you should accumulate 600 lifetime nights and 10 or extra years as a Platinum Elite member or increased.
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Titanium Elite
You will earn Titanium Elite standing after finishing 75 qualifying nights in a calendar yr.
Titanium Elite advantages are much like Platinum Elite advantages, with just a few additions: a 75% level bonus on stays, 48-hour assured availability and United Airways MileagePlus Silver standing by way of Marriott’s RewardsPlus partnership with United.
Titanium Elite members are additionally eligible for a second Alternative Profit choice after finishing 75 nights in a yr. The choices at this tier are much like the 50-night threshold, however you can also decide a free evening award price as much as 40,000 factors or present Gold Elite standing (as a substitute of Silver Elite). This free evening award or 5 Suite Evening Awards are my prime decisions.
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Ambassador Elite
Marriott’s prime printed elite standing tier is Ambassador Elite. Successfully an enhanced model of Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite standing is earned after accumulating 100 qualifying nights in a calendar yr and reaching $23,000 in qualifying Marriott spending.
As with Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite members get pleasure from complimentary United MileagePlus Silver standing by way of RewardsPlus.
Ambassador Elite members get all Titanium Elite advantages, plus Ambassador service that will help you out with reserving and managing stays. You additionally get entry to the Your24 profit that permits you to select your 24-hour check-in and checkout time upon availability. So if you happen to arrive on a ten p.m. flight for a one-night keep, you may take a look at the next evening at 10 p.m.
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Cobalt program
You will not discover any mentions of “Cobalt” in any official Marriott Bonvoy promotional materials. However TPG acquired leaked data in August 2019 about this secret invitation-only Marriott standing. This elite stage is so unique that it is solely accessible by way of an invite from Marriott Worldwide’s president and CEO.
The advantages are largely that of Marriott Ambassador Elite, however with extra touches comparable to a customized be aware from the final supervisor, a gathering with the GM and a “distinctive expertise on-property” at luxurious manufacturers.
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Assured advantages
An amazing facet of Marriott Bonvoy is that most of the advantages are assured. For instance, the “Final Reservation Assure” guarantees elite members as much as $200 and 90,000 Marriott factors — plus lodging at a close-by resort — for being “walked” from a Marriott resort.
Marriott has charts itemizing your compensation if you happen to do not obtain the advantages to which you are entitled.
When does Marriott standing expire?
When you earn Marriott Bonvoy elite standing, will probably be legitimate for the remainder of the calendar yr you have earned it and an extra 14 months after that.
For instance, if you happen to earned Marriott Platinum standing in August 2023, you’d get pleasure from advantages by way of the remainder of this yr, all of 2024 and the primary two months of 2025. Your standing past that interval could be primarily based on the qualifying exercise in the course of the 2024 calendar yr.
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Learn how to earn Marriott Bonvoy factors
There are a number of methods to earn Marriott Bonvoy factors, from staying at Marriott properties to spending on bank cards. For the total scoop, take a look at our information on the greatest methods to earn Marriott factors, however here is a abstract.
Lodge stays
At most Marriott resort manufacturers, Marriott members sometimes earn 10 factors per greenback spent on qualifying costs. Nevertheless, there are just a few exceptions. As an example, you may earn 5 Marriott factors per greenback at Factor, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Properties & Villas by Marriott properties. Qualifying room charges at Marriott Government Flats earn 2.5 Marriott factors per greenback.
Your incomes charges might be boosted by elite standing and ongoing resort promotions.
Nevertheless, you may must e book immediately with Marriott to earn factors for a keep. Stays that do not earn factors embody rooms booked by way of on-line journey companies (like Expedia, Lodges.com and Priceline), as a part of an occasion, by way of a tour operator or as a comped keep. You additionally will not earn factors on stays the place you redeem a free evening certificates or Marriott factors, although any eligible on-property purchases ought to earn factors.
Associated: How a lot worth does Marriott standing present if you e book immediately?
Bank card bonuses and spending
There are a number of playing cards you should utilize to earn Marriott Bonvoy factors, however six can be found to new candidates — three from American Categorical and three from Chase:
The Marriott Bonvoy Good Amex is among the extra interesting private Marriott playing cards. This card at the moment affords a welcome bonus of two free evening awards (every price as much as 85,000 factors) after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the cardboard in your first six months. Sure resorts have resort charges.
The Marriott Bonvoy Good Amex has a hefty $650 annual payment (see charges and costs) however comes filled with advantages — together with computerized Platinum standing, as much as $300 in assertion credit for eating purchases every year (as much as $25 per thirty days) and an annual 85,000-point certificates. Plus, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places and on flights booked immediately with airways and a couple of factors per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.
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Enterprise house owners can apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise American Categorical Card, which at the moment affords a welcome bonus of 125,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy factors after you utilize your new card to make $8,000 in purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. This card has a $125 annual payment (see charges and costs), however it makes up for that payment with computerized Gold standing plus an annual 35,000-point certificates awarded every year after your card renewal month.
Plus, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program; 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places, gasoline stations, transport suppliers and wi-fi telephone companies bought immediately from service suppliers; and a couple of factors per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.
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The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex card is the most recent addition to Marriott’s suite of cobranded bank cards; nevertheless, with a $250 annual payment (see charges and costs), we might have preferred to have seen some extra beneficiant advantages. As with the 2 beforehand talked about Amex playing cards, you may earn 6 factors per greenback on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program. You additionally earn 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide, together with takeout and supply within the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $15,000 in mixed purchases at eating places and supermarkets, then 2 factors per greenback), and a couple of factors per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Bevy card members additionally obtain 1,000 bonus factors for every eligible Marriott keep booked immediately with Marriott Bonvoy. Sadly, it’s essential to spend $15,000 on the cardboard inside a calendar yr to earn a free evening certificates (legitimate for as much as 50,000 factors). The Bevy card has a welcome supply of 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus factors after utilizing your card to spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership.
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Chase’s Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit score Card affords three free evening awards (every evening valued at as much as 50,000 factors) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months of card membership. This card has perks like computerized Silver Elite standing and the flexibility to earn one elite evening credit score for each $5,000 you spend.
The Bonvoy Boundless Card additionally earns 6 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating in Marriott Bonvoy; 3 factors per greenback on the primary $6,000 spent in mixed purchases yearly on gasoline stations, grocery shops and eating; and a couple of factors per greenback on all different purchases. You will additionally get one free evening award yearly after your account anniversary, legitimate for a one-night resort keep at a property with a redemption worth of as much as 35,000 factors.
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Lastly, Chase affords the Marriott Bonvoy Daring Credit score Card for these in search of a no-annual-fee bank card. Regardless of the cardboard not having an annual payment, you may earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus factors after utilizing your card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months. This card additionally affords 15 elite evening credit every year.
However, you may solely earn 3 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating in Marriott Bonvoy (half the speed of different Bonvoy bank cards), 2 factors per greenback spent on different journey purchases and 1 level per greenback spent on the whole lot else. Even rare Marriott vacationers will seemingly profit from a higher-end card.
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Organizing occasions
Occasion planners will earn 2 factors per greenback spent for any qualifying occasion held at a Marriott property, with a most base incomes of 60,000 factors per occasion. Nevertheless, Marriott elite members get a bonus on these base earnings and have the next most variety of factors they’ll earn per occasion.
You will earn an extra elite evening credit score for each 20 rooms you e book as a part of your occasion, as much as 20 elite evening credit per occasion.
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Referring associates
Marriott Bonvoy will reward you for referring associates to this system. You possibly can refer as much as 5 new members every calendar yr and earn 2,000 factors for as much as 5 of their paid stays.
If all 5 referred associates full not less than 5 stays, you may earn 50,000 bonus factors a yr. The chums you refer will earn 2,000 bonus factors for every of their first 5 paid stays for a most of 10,000 bonus factors.
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Consuming out
In October 2019, Marriott launched a brand new manner of incomes factors: eating out. The Eat Round City program affords Marriott elite members 6 factors per greenback spent and nonelite Marriott members 4 factors per greenback spent. To earn, you should join your bank card to this system and use your card to eat at collaborating eating places.
Observe that factors earned by way of the Eat Round City program are along with the factors you’d in any other case earn from the eating buy, comparable to bank card rewards or rewards from the restaurant’s loyalty program.
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Journey companions
You possibly can earn as much as 2,000 Marriott factors per Hertz automotive rental by reserving by way of Marriott’s Excursions & Actions web page by way of Nov. 30.
And you may earn bonus Marriott factors if you e book a cruise by way of Marriott’s Cruise With Factors.
Shopping for a mattress
Bonvoy members can earn 10,000 Marriott factors by shopping for a mattress from any of Marriott Worldwide’s retail shops on-line: Store Version, The Ritz-Carlton Retailers, The Luxurious Assortment Retailer, St. Regis Boutique, W Lodges The Retailer, Curated by JW, Store Marriott, Sheraton Retailer, Westin Retailer, Store Le Meridien, Accumulate Renaissance, Gaylord Lodges Retailer, Store Courtyard, Fairfield Retailer and Store 4 Factors.
Transferring factors from different applications
You possibly can switch Chase Final Rewards (39-hour switch time) and American Categorical Membership Rewards (on the spot switch) factors to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 switch ratio. You may also switch Singapore Airways KrisFlyer miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 2:1 ratio, which might take as much as 4 days. United MileagePlus members can convert as much as 100,000 miles to Marriott Bonvoy factors per calendar yr at a barely extra interesting 1:1 ratio.
Whereas it is not one of the best use of extra beneficial factors, transferring factors to prime off your Marriott Bonvoy account for a beneficial redemption could make sense.
Combining factors with different members
A unbelievable facet of Marriott Bonvoy is combining your factors with one other Marriott Bonvoy member; you may do that on-line.
In keeping with Marriott, each accounts should have been beforehand used (“Qualifying Exercise“) and be in good standing. Each the account transferring and the account receiving factors should have been open for not less than 30 days with qualifying exercise. If an account hasn’t had any qualifying exercise up to now 30 days, it should have been open for not less than 90 days.
You will need to switch not less than 1,000 factors; you may switch as much as 100,000 factors (in 1,000-point increments) out of your account to others in a calendar yr. Moreover, you may obtain as much as 500,000 factors from others in a calendar yr.
Elite evening credit score, lifetime standing and free evening certificates are nontransferable.
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Shopping for factors
You should purchase as much as 100,000 factors every year. The acquisition charge is usually $12.50 per 1,000 factors, however Marriott will periodically run promotions that decrease the worth.
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Incomes miles as a substitute of factors
It is also price noting that you may earn airline miles with choose airline loyalty applications as a substitute of Marriott factors in your resort stays. Typically, you may earn 2 miles per greenback on all qualifying costs at most Marriott manufacturers. However, you may earn much less at some manufacturers and will earn in another way with choose airline loyalty applications.
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Do Marriott Bonvoy factors expire?
You will need to have account exercise inside 24 consecutive months to stop Marriott factors from expiring. This may be achieved by incomes factors by way of stays, redeeming factors or buying factors not less than as soon as each 24 months. Nevertheless, gifting or transferring factors to a different member or receiving factors this fashion doesn’t depend as account exercise.
How a lot are Marriott factors price?
Nevertheless, since Marriott makes use of dynamic pricing, it’s possible you’ll wind up getting extra (or much less) worth, relying in your particular person redemption.
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Learn how to redeem Marriott factors
You will sometimes get probably the most worth out of your Marriott factors when redeeming for resort stays or transferring to airline loyalty applications. Here is an outline of the varied methods to redeem Marriott factors.
Award nights
Marriott now not makes use of an award chart. Now, Marriott makes use of dynamic pricing, with award charges primarily based on paid resort charges and occupancy ranges (amongst different elements). As such, you will not know till you go to e book precisely how a lot your award keep will value.
You may also redeem Marriott factors for upgraded rooms. This feature is not accessible at each property, so you may must seek for award nights and see if upgraded rooms are bookable by way of redemption with money improve or redemption with factors improve. For instance, on this search on the Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa, an overwater bungalow is simply 10,000 factors extra per evening on choose dates.
You will obtain the lowest-priced evening free of charge if you happen to redeem factors for 5 or extra consecutive nights in a normal room, because of Marriott’s “Keep for five, Pay for 4” perk. Marriott additionally lets you reserve nights with Money + Factors when reserving a normal room.
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Marriott Bonvoy Moments
In case you’re on the lookout for a unique kind of redemption, take into account exploring the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. This lets you money in your factors for distinctive experiences like live performance tickets, culinary occasions and seats to see your favourite sports activities crew.
Take a look at the present choices right here. The packages change usually, and whereas some are dealt with as auctions, others supply fixed-price redemptions. It is arduous to peg a worth on these, as many aren’t simply replicable utilizing money.
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Prompt redemption
You should utilize factors towards resort credit score towards your whole room invoice. This feature solely affords a redemption charge of 0.4 cents per level, so we advocate avoiding this selection.
Reward playing cards
You may also redeem Marriott factors for present playing cards. However you may get 0.4 cents per level or much less, so I like to recommend avoiding this redemption possibility.
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Journey redemptions and airline transfers
There are a lot of choices for getting free journey along with your Marriott Bonvoy factors.
With most airline companions, 3 Marriott factors will convert to 1 airline mile. Air New Zealand Airpoints (200:1 ratio) and United MileagePlus (3:1.1 ratio) are the exceptions that convert at completely different charges.
Marriott offers 5,000 bonus airline miles for each 60,000 Marriott factors you switch to most airline companions. Nevertheless, transfers to American Airways AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles and Korean Air SkyPass aren’t eligible for the 5,000-mile bonus.
Needless to say switch occasions fluctuate primarily based on the airline.
You may also e book air journey and rental vehicles along with your factors by way of Marriott’s Air and Automotive program, however you may get lower than 0.4 cents per level in worth towards these redemptions.
You may also redeem factors towards a free cruise with Marriott Cruise with Factors, however you may solely obtain about 0.4 cents per level in worth.
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Leveraging Marriott Bonvoy
Listed below are some methods to get probably the most worth out of your Marriott expertise.
Finest-rate assure
Marriott’s model of the best-rate assure will match the speed discovered on one other web site if you happen to submit a declare inside 24 hours of creating your reservation on Marriott’s web site. Marriott can even offer you a 25% low cost on that charge or a 5,000-point bonus.
Get not less than 1 Marriott Bonvoy card
You possibly can snag as much as 25 elite evening credit yearly on a private Marriott bank card and 15 on a enterprise card. These elite evening credit can simply put Platinum Elite or Titanium Elite standing in attain for a lot of vacationers.
Frequent Marriott vacationers could choose to pair the Bonvoy Good card with the Bonvoy Enterprise Amex. This mixture lets you earn 40 elite nights yearly by retaining these two playing cards open. This places you simply 35 nights away from Titanium Elite standing.
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Fifth evening free
All Marriott Bonvoy members get a free evening on five-night award stays or longer. Whereas some vacationers may not need to spend 5 or extra nights in a single place on a visit, this profit is an effective way to save lots of factors on longer stays.
Associated: Do Fifth-night-free awards apply to suites or solely to plain rooms?
Backside line
Regardless of some devaluations, many TPG staffers stay loyal followers.
