Marriott Bonvoy is one of the most comprehensive hotel loyalty programs worldwide, boasting global reach and exquisite elite rewards. Additionally, cobranded credit cards bearing its logo provide generous welcome bonuses and other perks that enhance its offering.
Marriott points can be redeemed for free stays at participating hotels or converted to airline miles in 38 different frequent flyer programs, making this Guide to Marriott Bonvoy an invaluable source of knowledge on how to earn and redeem the points available to you.
Earning Points
Marriott provides many ways for guests to earn and redeem points. Their portfolio consists of over 8,000 hotels, as well as co-branded credit cards to help you accrue miles quickly. You can collect points through hotel stays as well as partner activities like dining and Hertz rental car rewards. Plus, this program boasts five tiers of elite status that unlock benefits that range from free hotel nights and priority reservations to airport lounge access!
Marriott points can be earned simply by staying in their properties – Sheraton, Westin and Ritz-Carlton all belong to this chain, where up to 10 points can be earned per dollar spent; these can later be redeemed for discounted stays or free stays! Furthermore, Marriott has partnerships with 38 airlines so points earned through these properties can also be converted to frequent flyer miles!
Book a paid stay using one of Marriott’s co-branded credit cards to increase your points totals even further. Many offer generous signup bonuses and additional points on every purchase – for example, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card awards 10 points for every dollar spent at hotels while 5 are awarded when buying airfare, dining out or gas purchases are made. There are other opportunities too – signing up with an eligible employer to create a Marriott Rewards account then booking stays through Marriott BreakAway where discounted rates exist – these stays count towards elite qualifying stay nights status!
Redeeming Marriott points is now easier than ever, although finding great value from this program’s redemption options might prove challenging. Their website and app both allow users to search hotels to see how many points are required before redeeming.
Marriott points can be used towards airline tickets through their partnership with United Airlines. Titanium and Ambassador members of Marriott can sign up for United MileagePlus Premier Silver status and benefit from reciprocal benefits such as exclusive member privileges and upgrades.
Redeeming Points
Although paid stays are the ideal way to accumulate Marriott points, members also have many ways to redeem them through various programs. You could redeem your Marriott points for free hotel nights (provided there are enough points left), transfer them into airline frequent flyer programs or use them toward purchases at Amazon Marketplace.
Marriott’s loyalty program is one of the world’s most extensive. Boasting 30 brands ranging from luxurious Ritz-Carlton properties to homelike TownePlace Suites, its presence has become popular with travellers across North America.
Marriott points are easy to earn and have many uses. Their loyalty program offers several credit cards that can help maximize earnings, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card – each offers attractive welcome bonuses and great earning rates; one also gives a free night award each year and automatically grants Gold elite status status.
Marriott provides travelers who don’t yet have enough points for free stays with a cash + points redemption option that allows them to book hotel rooms using half the usual number of points and pays the remainder in cash. This option makes maximizing points more manageable or who don’t have enough time to achieve elite status easier, however these bookings do not count towards qualifying stays towards elite status such as Platinum Elite status.
Marriott points can be used for hotel stays, or transferred directly into 40+ airline frequent flyer programs – often earning at least 1,000 miles for every 60,000 points transferred depending on which program it’s applied to – making these transfers an effective way of earning in hard-to-earn programs like Korean Air SKYPASS and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.
If you find a lower price for a Marriott hotel on non-Marriott channels, their loyalty program allows you to submit a Best Rate Guarantee Claim and could get you either one free night, or at minimum 5,000 Marriott points depending on conditions. In addition, Marriott provides additional opportunities for earning extra points through attending events at its hotels or renting cars through partner Hertz.
Transferring Points
Marriott Bonvoy is the result of the merger between Starwood Preferred Guest, Ritz Carlton Rewards and Marriott Rewards programs, officially becoming effective early 2019 and providing travelers of all types an extensive suite of hotel loyalty benefits. Members can earn and redeem points towards hotel stays while boosting elite status for added perks on future travels – the program also allows for easy points transfers between accounts!
Marriott Bonvoy makes transferring points between accounts easy – but there are a few key requirements you need to remember. Both the giver and recipient must both be active Marriott Bonvoy members with recent activity in their accounts that has qualified as qualifying activity, like booking a hotel stay or earning points through credit cards. In addition, only up to 100,000 points may be transferred per calendar year per member account.
Gifting points is a fantastic way to help friends and family earn Marriott hotel stays for free or earn elite status faster. Simply log into your account, select “Transfer Points,” enter their name, Marriott Bonvoy number and click on “Submit Transaction”, complete the transaction, and gift their points will arrive directly in their accounts!
Transferring points is also an ideal way to build an airline loyalty program balance before booking an award flight. Marriott partners with many airlines, and its standard transfer ratio of three Marriott points per mile of air travel makes this strategy particularly useful if reaching redemption thresholds requires large number of miles or if fuel surcharges apply to specific carriers.
Only downside of transferring Marriott points to an airline account is that it won’t count toward elite status qualification; to achieve that status you need to earn or spend at least 35,000 Marriott points each year – although these transferred points can still be used to book reward flights and unlock other elite-related perks when staying at Marriott hotels.
Elite Status
Marriott offers five Elite Status Tiers that each offer benefits such as complimentary room upgrades and access to hotel executive lounges, though achieving these perks requires staying a certain number of qualifying nights – but getting a Marriott co-branded credit card may give you an advantage in reaching these status tiers more quickly.
Marriott loyalty program members earn 10 Bonvoy points per dollar spent, including room rates and eligible incidentals, but having the right Marriott card can accelerate points accumulation and help you attain elite status more rapidly.
With the Marriott Bold card, for instance, you’re automatically eligible for Gold Elite status (which typically requires 25 qualifying stays annually) as well as receiving 15 Elite Night Credits annually — enough to quickly increase your total to 50 elite nights and Titanium Elite status in just two years! That gives you a significant headstart compared to what would typically be needed – and could make for an ideal solution if spending over $125 annually is a concern.
Marriott points can also be earned in other ways, including transferring miles from other programs and purchasing directly through their website. Keep in mind when purchasing points this way that each point currently equals about $0.09 when redeemed against hotel rooms.
Elite member benefits for Marriott hotels include discounted member rates, mobile check-in and check-out, priority room selection and free breakfast. If you book an award stay using the Marriott card, one free night (worth up to 35,000 points) may also be awarded after every renewal month of your card membership.
Marriott’s Eat Around Town program makes it easier than ever to earn Bonvoy points when dining out, even if you aren’t a cardholder of theirs. Simply register, make a reservation, pay with that card and collect points on every purchase – some cards offer up to 17.5 points per dollar spent! Furthermore, United MileagePlus customers can convert their miles directly into Marriott points at a 1-to-1 conversion rate!