Marriott Bonvoy guide: Points, status and rewards

Marriott Bonvoy has a broader global footprint than almost any other hotel loyalty program, with properties ranging from inexpensive roadside hotels and extended-stay brands to luxury resorts and overwater villas.

That scale is a major reason the program remains useful despite dynamic award pricing and some overly complicated policies. Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and redeem points across more than 30 brands, transfer points to dozens of airline programs and use cobranded Marriott credit cards to earn elite status and annual free night awards.

However, getting the most from Marriott Bonvoy requires understanding which stays qualify, how earnings vary by brand and which elite benefits you can expect at each property. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Marriott points, qualifying for elite status and maximizing the program.

What’s new with Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy has made several notable changes in 2026, including another round of award price increases and expanded airline partnerships.

• Award prices increased at many popular hotels: In early July, Marriott appeared to raise award rates across many properties.
• Marriott expanded its partnership with Japan Airlines: Early July also saw Marriott and Japan Airlines introduce new reciprocal benefits. Marriott members can receive annual Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Fly On points based on their Bonvoy status.
• Marriott added and improved airline transfer options: Marriott added Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles as a transfer partner in March. Plus, the transfer ratio from Singapore KrisFlyer to Marriott improved from 2:1 to 4:3 in April.

What is Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy launched in February 2019, following the 2018 combination of Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Ritz-Carlton Rewards. Marriott International has more than 9,900 properties across over 30 brands in 146 countries and territories, although participation and Marriott Bonvoy benefits vary at some properties and collections.

Here’s a look at how Marriott Bonvoy classifies its brands:

• Luxury: JW Marriott, St. Regis and The Ritz-Carlton
• Distinctive luxury: Edition, The Luxury Collection, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve and W Hotels
• Premium: Delta Hotels by Marriott, Gaylord Hotels, Le Meridien, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, The Marriott Vacation Clubs, Renaissance Hotels and Westin
• Select: AC Hotels, Aloft Hotels, CitizenM, City Express, Courtyard, Fairfield by Marriott, Four Points​, Four Points Flex by Sheraton, Moxy Hotels, Protea​ Hotels, Series by Marriott and SpringHill Suites
• Longer stays: Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Element Hotels, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Executive Apartments, Residence Inn, StudioRes and TownePlace Suites
• Collections: Autograph Collection, Design Hotels, MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy and Tribute Portfolio

As of July 2026, TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents apiece. However, since Marriott uses dynamic award pricing, you may get more or less value when you redeem your points.

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What are Marriott’s status levels?

Marriott Bonvoy offers five published levels of elite status: Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite. Here’s a quick overview of these Marriott elite status tiers.

Of course, this table is just an overview; many of the specific benefits have exceptions and exclusions. And although each tier has stated qualification requirements, it’s important to know that some Marriott credit cards can fast-track you to a higher status tier or provide status outright.

You can generally only enjoy elite status benefits when you book directly with Marriott (rather than through online travel agencies or credit card travel portals). However, there are some platforms where you can now book stays that are also considered qualifying by the hotel loyalty program. Such platforms include The Edit by Chase Travel℠ and American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, but select Chase Travel and Rove bookings that carry a loyalty-eligible flag are also eligible.

Now, here’s a high-level overview of what each Marriott elite status offers.

Member

Anyone who registers for a free Marriott Bonvoy account can access the following perks:

• Free standard Wi-Fi
• Discounted member rates
• Mobile check-in
• Points and elite night credits earned on eligible stays
• A fifth night free on award stays
• 2,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

Silver Elite

You’ll earn Marriott Silver Elite status after accruing 10 elite night credits in a calendar year. Benefits include:

• A 10% points earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
• Late checkout, based on availability
• 5,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

Travelers with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees) enjoy complimentary Silver Elite status as a cardmember perk.

Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status

Gold Elite

You’ll reach the Gold Elite tier after accruing 25 elite night credits in a calendar year. Perks include all the benefits of Silver Elite status, plus:

• A 25% points earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
• 2 p.m. late checkout, based on availability
• Space-available upgrades to “enhanced rooms” (excluding suites)
• A welcome gift of points each time you stay
• Ability to earn Marriott points on Emirates flights after linking your accounts
• 10,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

Travelers with the American Express Platinum Card®, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card enjoy complimentary Gold Elite status as a cardmember perk. Enrollment may be required.

Related: Get instant Hilton, Marriott and LHW hotel elite status with the Amex Platinum Card

Platinum Elite

Platinum Elite status requires at least 50 elite night credits in a calendar year. This level offers additional benefits beyond Gold Elite, including:

• A 50% points earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
• Space-available room upgrades (including select suites)
• Lounge access at brands with lounges
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, subject to availability at resort and convention hotels, Design Hotels and StudioRes
• A choice of a welcome gift during each stay (varies by brand but often includes points, free breakfast or an amenity)
• Access to a 24-hour dedicated support line
• Access to select in-airport benefits when flying with Emirates, including priority check-in and boarding, once you link your accounts
• A fast track to Five Star Hertz Gold+ status
• 20,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

Travelers with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status as a cardmember perk.

Upon accruing 50 elite night credits, Platinum Elite members can choose one Annual Choice Benefit. Options include five elite night credits, five Nightly Upgrade Awards, $1,000 off a mattress, a $100 charitable donation and the ability to gift Silver Elite status to another member.

Related: Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them

Titanium Elite

You’ll reach Titanium Elite status after accruing 75 elite night credits in a calendar year. The benefits are similar to those of Platinum Elite, with a few additions:

• A 75% points earning bonus on stays and eligible hotel purchases
• A 48-hour guarantee for room availability
• United MileagePlus Premier Silver status
• Complimentary Five Star Hertz Gold+ status
• 30,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and a status match to Crystal status or higher

Titanium Elite members are also eligible for a second Annual Choice Benefit selection after completing 75 nights in a year.

Ambassador Elite

Marriott’s top published status tier is Ambassador Elite, which requires accruing 100 elite night credits and spending $23,000 on qualifying Marriott purchases in a calendar year. In addition to Titanium Elite benefits, Ambassador Elite members receive:

• Dedicated Ambassador service to help with booking and managing stays
• Ability to choose the 24-hour period you want to stay (e.g., if you arrive on a 10 p.m. flight for a one-night stay, you could check out the following night at 10 p.m.)
• Complimentary President’s Circle Hertz Gold+ status
• 40,000 Fly On points each year with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and a status match to Crystal status or higher

If you earn Ambassador Elite status and reach at least $40,000 in annual qualifying spending, you may also be eligible for the Plus One benefit, which lets you gift Ambassador Elite status to an eligible spouse, significant other or companion who shares your address.

Cobalt program

You won’t find “Cobalt” in any official Marriott Bonvoy promotional materials, but TPG received leaked information about this secret Marriott status level in August 2019. Cobalt status is so exclusive that it’s reportedly only available through an invitation from Marriott International’s president and CEO.

The benefits are largely the same as Marriott Ambassador Elite status but with additional touches, such as a personalized note from the general manager, a meeting with the general manager and a “distinctive experience on-property” at luxury brands.

Related: Invitation-only airline and hotel elite status: What it is and how to earn it

Which Marriott elite tier should you aim for?

The best Marriott elite status tier for most travelers is the one they can obtain from travel they’d book anyway. However, if you’re eligible for a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, it’s worth considering whether you can snag a higher tier simply by adding a card to your wallet.

For example, if you normally accrue 35 elite night credits with Marriott each calendar year, adding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card would give you 15 additional elite night credits each year. These additional elite night credits would be enough to get you to Platinum Elite status, which has much more valuable benefits than Gold Elite.

Platinum Elite is the sweet spot status for Marriott Bonvoy, though. So, for most travelers, it won’t be worth trying to secure Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status if they wouldn’t earn it organically.

How to earn Marriott lifetime status

You can currently earn three tiers of Marriott lifetime status, each of which carries the following requirements:

• Lifetime Silver Elite: 250 elite night credits and five years as Silver Elite or higher
• Lifetime Gold Elite: 400 elite night credits and seven years as Gold Elite or higher
• Lifetime Platinum Elite: 600 elite night credits and 10 years as Platinum Elite or higher

These are some of the most reasonable lifetime status requirements offered by any hotel loyalty program. TPG’s Nick Ewen already claimed lifetime Platinum Elite status, and Katie Genter is excited to be just a few years away from earning lifetime Platinum Elite status.

Elite night credit earnings by brand

On qualifying stays at participating Marriott properties, you’ll earn elite night credits. However, you won’t necessarily earn one elite night credit for every qualifying night stayed. Instead, here’s how you’ll earn elite night credits on qualifying stays based on brand:

• No elite night credits: StudioRes
• 0.5 elite night credits per qualifying night: City Express, Four Points Flex, Protea Hotels and Series by Marriott locations outside the United States, Canada and Greater China (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan)
• One elite night credit per qualifying night: Series by Marriott properties in the United States, Canada and Greater China, plus all other participating Marriott brands

Most Marriott Bonvoy cards give cardholders a set number of elite night credits per year, and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card lets you earn additional elite night credits when you meet specific spending thresholds.

Plus, you can earn one elite night credit per 20 rooms booked and actualized (up to 20 elite night credits per contract) when you hold a qualifying event at a participating Marriott Bonvoy property.

Related: On the hamster wheel of chasing hotel elite status? Buy it instead

Guaranteed benefits

A great aspect of Marriott Bonvoy is that some elite status benefits are guaranteed to members with select elite status tiers. Specifically, Marriott offers guarantees for stays at select brands as follows:

• Ultimate reservation guarantee: Silver Elite and higher members will get their accommodation for the night and additional compensation (starting at $50 but based on the brand you book and your elite status tier) if a Marriott property isn’t able to honor their reservation.
• Guaranteed welcome gift: Platinum Elite and higher members should be given the choice of an amenity gift or points when checking into participating hotels. This guarantee applies if you aren’t given a choice when you’re entitled to one.
• Guaranteed room type: Platinum Elite and higher members are guaranteed their choice of bedding on stays in the U.S. and Canada when they book at least one day in advance.
• Guaranteed lounge access: Platinum Elite and higher members are guaranteed lounge access for themselves and one guest at eligible properties within participating brands (numerous brand and property exclusions apply).
• 48-hour guaranteed availability: Titanium Elite and higher members can book a paid standard room at most participating properties as long as they book by 3 p.m. local time 48 hours prior to arrival.

However, for each type of guarantee, you’ll find exclusions and limitations. Check out Marriott’s Elite Benefit Guarantees page to learn the specific guarantee details and how to request compensation.

When does Marriott status expire?

Once you earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status, it is valid for the rest of the calendar year in which you earned it and for an additional 14 months thereafter.

For example, if you earn status in 2026, you’ll enjoy benefits through the rest of this year, all of 2027 and the first two months of 2028. If you requalify for that status or a higher one based on activity in 2027, you’ll keep it through February 2029. Otherwise, Marriott will give you a status one tier lower than your current level starting in March 2028.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

There are several ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, from hotel stays to spending on cobranded credit cards.

Hotel stays

Bonvoy members earn 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying charges at most Marriott hotel brands. However, there are a few exceptions, so here’s the earnings you can expect on qualifying stays at each brand:

You can often boost your earning rates on hotel stays by enrolling in promotions. Plus, elite members earn bonus points on stays as follows:

• Silver Elite: 10%
• Gold Elite: 25%
• Platinum Elite: 50%
• Titanium Elite and higher: 75%

When booking, don’t forget about Marriott’s Best Rate Guarantee. If you find a lower rate elsewhere and submit a claim within 24 hours of making your reservation on Marriott’s website, Marriott will match that rate and give you a 25% discount or 5,000-point bonus.

Keep in mind that you’ll generally need to book directly with Marriott to earn points for a stay. Stays that don’t earn points include those booked through online travel agencies and most credit card travel portals (unless the booking is specifically marked as loyalty eligible), as part of an event, through a tour operator or as a comped stay. You also won’t earn points on stays where you redeem a free night certificate or Marriott Bonvoy points, though eligible on-property purchases can usually earn points.

Credit card bonuses and spending

There are several cards you can use to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Marriott Bonvoy cards are often better used for perks than for spending. TPG’s Katie Genter has two Marriott Bonvoy cards that she primarily uses for their annual free-night awards and elite night credits. However, if you need to earn more Marriott points for an upcoming trip, it could be worth spending on your Marriott card.

Related: Why I’m keeping my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for the long term

Organizing events

Event planners can earn 2 points per dollar spent on any qualifying event held at a Marriott property. Event earning is capped at 60,000 points per event, but elite members still get their standard elite bonus, meaning the effective earnings cap per event is as follows:

• Member: 60,000
• Silver Elite: 66,000
• Gold Elite: 75,000
• Platinum Elite: 90,000
• Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite: 105,000

You’ll also earn an additional elite night credit for every 20 room nights you book for your event (up to 20 elite night credits per event).

Referring friends

Marriott Bonvoy rewards you for referring friends to the program. You can refer up to five new members each calendar year and earn 2,000 points per stay for up to five of their paid stays within 365 days of enrollment. Friends you refer also earn 2,000 bonus points per stay for up to five paid stays in their first year, for a maximum of 10,000 bonus points.

Dining out

Like many hotel brands and airlines, Marriott has a dining rewards program that lets you earn points when you dine at participating restaurants. To start earning, register for Eat Around Town, connect a credit card to your account and pay with the same card when you dine at participating restaurants.

Points earned through Eat Around Town are in addition to the rewards you’d otherwise earn on dining purchases, such as with credit cards and restaurants’ in-house loyalty programs.

Earning points with partners

Marriott Bonvoy partners with a handful of programs, allowing members to earn points on other purchases. These include:

• Car rentals: Earn up to 700 Marriott points per rental at Hertz or 500 points per rental at Dollar and Thrifty when you book through Marriott’s car rental page.
• Cruises: Earn 3 points per dollar spent — or 5 points per dollar spent when you pay with a Chase Marriott Bonvoy card — on cruises booked through Cruise with Points.
• Starbucks: Marriott launched a partnership with Starbucks in 2024. You can link your accounts to earn 100 Bonvoy points when you make three qualifying Starbucks purchases during any Marriott Bonvoy Week and earn double Stars at Starbucks on days of eligible stays at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Uber and Uber Eats: Link your Marriott and Uber accounts to earn Bonvoy points on qualifying Uber rides and food orders. Plus, you get automatic Marriott Silver Elite status with an annual Uber One membership.

Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques

You can earn 5 points per dollar when buying items from your favorite Marriott brand, including robes, soaps, bedding and mattresses. Be sure to log in to your Marriott Bonvoy account before making a purchase to earn points. But note that the money you spent on taxes, shipping and select fees won’t earn points.

Transferring points from other programs

You can transfer Bilt Points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and American Express Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. In our experience, points transfer almost instantly from all these programs.

You can also transfer MGM Rewards points to Marriott at a 5:4 ratio. Additionally, you can transfer the following types of airline miles to Marriott Bonvoy:

However, unless you are just topping off your account, there are usually higher-value ways to use your points and miles (and lower-cost ways to earn Marriott points).

Combining points with other members

A fantastic aspect of Marriott Bonvoy is the ability to transfer your points to other members. Best of all, you can do this online.

According to Marriott, both accounts must be in good standing and open for at least 30 days with qualifying activity or 90 days without qualifying activity. You must transfer in 1,000-point increments, with a limit of six transactions per year and two transactions per month. You can transfer up to 100,000 points total from your account per calendar year and receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year.

Buying points

You can buy up to 150,000 Marriott points each year. The purchase rate is generally $12.50 per 1,000 points, but Marriott sometimes runs promotions on buying points that lower the price. This isn’t generally the best way to earn Marriott points, but it might make sense if you’re short a few points for an upcoming redemption.

How to redeem Marriott points

You’ll typically get the most value from your Marriott points when you redeem them for hotel stays or transfer them to airline loyalty programs. Here’s an overview of the various ways to redeem Marriott points; see our complete guide to Marriott redemptions for more information.

Award nights

Marriott Bonvoy uses dynamic award pricing instead of award charts. This means you won’t know exactly how much your award stay will cost until you go to book. Thankfully, Marriott’s website has a useful calendar feature to help you see which dates have the lowest prices.

When booking a standard room, you can pay with cash, points or a combination of cash and points. Additionally, you’ll receive the lowest-priced night for free if you redeem points for five or more consecutive nights, thanks to Marriott’s “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” perk.

You can also redeem Marriott points for upgraded rooms. This option isn’t available at every property, so you’ll need to search for award nights and see if upgraded rooms are bookable via “Redemption with Cash Upgrade” or “Redemption with Points Upgrade.”

Related: 5 ways to maximize Marriott Bonvoy award night redemptions

Marriott Bonvoy Moments

If you’re looking for a different type of redemption, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. This lets you cash in your points for unique experiences like concert tickets, culinary events and tickets to see your favorite sports team. Packages change regularly; check out the current options here.

While most Moments are handled as auctions, others offer fixed-price redemptions, and some are available to a limited number of members for just 1 point. Some of these moments may provide extreme value to you, though it’s hard to put a price on most experiences since they’re often not easily replicable with cash.

Room credits, merchandise and gift cards

If you don’t have enough points to book a free night, you can take what Marriott calls an “instant redemption.” This allows you to redeem your points for a specific dollar amount, which acts as a credit toward your total room bill. You can also redeem Marriott points for merchandise and gift cards.

However, the redemption rate for all the above options is only 0.4 cents per point, so this isn’t the best use of your points.

Related: How to use points and miles to give gifts with 0 out-of-pocket cost

Travel redemptions and airline transfers

Marriott has around 40 airline partners; you can transfer your points to most of these at a rate of 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile. Air New Zealand Airpoints is the only exception, with a 200:1 ratio.

You’ll also get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer to most airline partners (75 bonus miles for Air New Zealand) and 10,000 bonus miles when you transfer 60,000 points to United Airlines. However, transfers to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca Lifemiles and Delta SkyMiles are not eligible for the 5,000-mile bonus.

You can also redeem points toward cruises via Cruise with Points or toward flights and rental cars through Marriott’s Air + Car program, but these redemptions have a value of less than 0.4 cents per point.

Bottom line

There are many ways to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points. Redeeming points for hotel stays has become less predictable with dynamic pricing, but this is still one of the best ways to get the most from your points. Despite the program’s devaluations, many TPG staffers remain loyal fans.

Marriott also offers several cobranded credit cards to help you earn elite status and get free nights faster. Adding the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card to your wallet could help you earn Marriott points and enjoy benefits on your upcoming stays.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click (see here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, click (see here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex, click (see here.