With the merger of Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Ritz Carlton, the new Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program is now the largest hotel loyalty program in the world with more than 6,700 global properties covering the spectrum of ultra luxurious to budget-friendly and extended stay.
While Marriott Bonvoy can seem a bit confusing at first with its many elite status levels and somewhat confusing elite status benefits (which vary a great deal by property!), the program remains one of the best in the industry.
Marriott Bonvoy points are pretty easy to earn and can be used with a great deal of flexibility for properties around the world. Marriott's portfolio mostly leans to upper upscale and luxury properties but you're bound to find a Marriott branded hotel at any destination you have in mind.
The program also includes valuable perks with elite status like 5th night free stays with award stays, free breakfast, late checkout, and other great amenities.
If you're ready to get started with Marriott Bonvoy, you'll find plenty of options for earning points quickly. Here are the best ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points so you can get started earning your first free stay.
Quick Answer
How to Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
1. Earn points with Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
2. Earn American Express Membership Rewards points and transfer to Marriott
3. Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards and transfer to Marriott
4. Stay at Marriott hotels
5. Book travel with Marriott partners
6. Buy or book destination activities through Marriott
6. Transfer points or miles to Marriott from other programs
7. Earn Marriott points through other offers
Earn Marriott points to stay for free at more than 6,700 Marriott properties around the world. Image courtesy of Marriott.
First Step: Enroll in the Marriott Bonvoy Program
To start earning Marriott points for your Marriott stays and spending, you'll need a free Marriott Bonvoy account. It's completely free and easy to sign up for Marriott Bonvoy in just a few minutes.
Here's how to sign up for Marriott Bonvoy: visit the Marriott Bonvoy sign-up page and create your free account with your name, email address, and physical address or use your Facebook credentials. After signing up, you get a Marriott Bonvoy member number and can start earning points right away.
Why Marriott Bonvoy Points Are Worth Earning
There's plenty of hotel loyalty programs out there. Why choose Marriott Bonvoy?
It's the largest hotel loyalty program in the world thanks to its recent merger with Ritz Carlton and Starwood Preferred Guest, now boasting over 6,700 hotels in more than 4,000 locations and 110 countries and territories.
Marriott Bonvoy points offer a great value for many reasons:
- They're pretty easy to earn
- Marriott offers the largest hotel portfolio in the world
- Marriott points can be transferred to a huge network of 44 airline partners, almost half of which are unique. That makes Marriott the only "good" way to earn miles in some of these programs outside of revenue flights and credit card spending.
- Points can be redeemed for more than Marriott stays, including unique experiences and flights
- You can combine cash and points to book award nights or even use Points Advances.
Of course, Marriott points are best spent on award nights if you want the best value. In addition, the elite status benefits you can enjoy through the Marriott Bonvoy program, you can redeem free nights for just 7,500 to 85,000 per night, depending on the category. When off-peak awards are introduced in the near future, this can drop to as low as 5,000 points per night -- an amount that's very easy to earn with just one or two night stays. You can also get a 5th night free on award bookings for a tremendous value.
How Do Marriott Bonvoy Points Compare to Other Hotel Points?
The Marriott Bonvoy program is one of the best hotel loyalty programs with good cause. It offers excellent flexibility in how you can use your points plus many ways to earn points.
Marriott Bonvoy points are easy to earn -- although not quite as easy as points in Hilton Honors, the most comparable loyalty program. Unlike Hilton, however, Marriott has an award chart that's easy to understand like World of Hyatt. You'll always know how many points you need for a Marriott stay based on the hotel category, no matter what the cash price.
It's hard to put a value on Marriott Bonvoy points as it depends on how you use them. With 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, for example, you can get 13 night stays at a category 1 hotel (or 15 nights if booked consecutively with the 5th night free benefit) or just one night at a top category 8 hotel with 15,000 points left over.
When redeemed for hotel stays, Marriott points are usually worth anywhere from 0.6 to 1 cent each but there are ways to get a better or worse value.
The program's flat-rate and simple award chart puts it ahead of Hilton Honors in many ways, despite the similarities between the programs.
Here's how Marriott Bonvoy points compare to other hotel loyalty programs. Just remember that Marriott points are much easier to earn than some programs like World of Hyatt.
Earn Marriott Points when staying at Marriott Hotels. Image courtesy of Marriott.
Best Ways to Maximize Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
Even if you aren't a frequent traveler jet-setting off to new destinations every week, you can easily build up enough Marriott Bonvoy points to earn valuable free nights at destinations around the world.
That's because Marriott offers plenty of ways to earn Marriott points, including Marriott co-branded credit cards, elite status bonuses, promotions, and partner spending.
Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points from Credit Cards
Want to know how to earn Marriott points fast? You'll probably want to use a Marriott co-branded credit card.
With one of the co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, you'll earn an extra 6x Marriott points on your Marriott stays on top of the 10x Marriott base points, the elite status bonus (up to an extra 7.5x points), and promotional bonus points you can earn for Marriott stays.
This all adds up quickly. When you book a Marriott stay with a Marriott credit card, you can earn up to 23.5 points per $1 without any promotion. With a $200 stay, that's 4,700 points.
Promotions can give you 1,000 or more bonus points per night, extra free night stays at certain locations, and more.
Another bonus of earning points with Marriott Bonvoy credit cards? You can get automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold or Platinum elite status. In addition to elite status rewards, you'll automatically start earning more elite status bonus points on Marriott stays.
Here's how you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with the Marriott credit cards:
Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Welcome Bonuses
One of the best options to earn Marriott points quickly is taking advantage of the great Marriott Bonvoy credit card offers. As a first-time cardholder, you can qualify for a lucrative welcome bonus and get a card that will help you earn up to 23.5x points per $1 at Marriott.
Marriott Bonvoy credit card offers change frequently and the bonus depends on the Marriott Bonvoy credit card you choose. With that said, you can always expect the welcome bonus to be higher for premium cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees and the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees than for the standard Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card from Chase.
Don't overlook the value of the Marriott Bonvoy credit card bonus you can earn when you sign up. Marriott Bonvoy credit card offers change over time but they can reach 75,000 to 100,000 points. That has a value of up to $800 when Marriott Bonvoy points are worth about 0.7 cents each. It's possible to get an even higher value, though!
Everyday Spending on Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
You'll also earn Marriott points when you use your Marriott Bonvoy credit card for everyday spending at the grocery store, shopping, and paying bills.
Everyday spending includes any purchases aside from Marriott purchases. Two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards have categories with boosted reward rates. Spending that falls outside these bonus categories earns 2x Marriott points.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees, you'll earn 3x points at U.S. restaurants and flights purchased directly from the airline.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees offers several bonus categories to reward business spending. Earn 4x Marriott points on:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- U.S. shipping costs
- Wireless phone service
Earn Bonus Points When You Stay at Marriott Hotels
You'll earn the most points per dollar when you use a Marriott Bonvoy credit card on a Marriott stay. The points you earn from the credit card can be stacked with base points, elite status bonus points, bonus promotions, and the elite welcome gift (if you opt for points).
Here's how it breaks down:
- 10x base points as a Marriott Bonvoy member
- Elite status bonus points (an extra 1x point at Silver, 2.5x points at Gold, 5x points at Platinum, and 7.5x points at Titanium and Ambassador)
- 6x bonus points from your Marriott credit card
- Welcome gift points (if you choose points as your welcome gift instead of an amenity or breakfast; welcome points range from 250 to 1,000 points)
- Any bonus promotions, when applicable
Keep in mind there are some exceptions to the base points and elite status bonus points you'll earn. A few brands earn a reduced rate of Marriott Bonvoy points. At Residence Inn by Marriott, Townplace Suites by Marriott, and Element properties, you will only earn 5x base points. This also reduces the elite status bonus, which is a percentage of the base points up to 75% at Titanium and Ambassador levels.
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. Image Courtesy of Marriott.
To demonstrate how many Marriott Bonvoy points you can earn during your stay, let's say you spend a night at a Marriott property for $200 and use a Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
At Silver status (complimentary with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, or the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees), you'll earn 2,000 base points + 200 elite status bonus points + 1,200 credit card bonus points. That equals 3,400 points for the stay.
At Gold status (complimentary with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees, The Platinum Card® from American Express Terms Apply; Rates and Fees, or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Terms Apply; Rates and Fees), you'll earn 2,000 base points + 500 elite status bonus points + 1,200 credit card bonus points. That comes out to 3,700 points for your stay.
At Platinum status, you'll earn 2,000 base points + 1,000 elite status bonus points + 1,200 credit card bonus points. That comes out to 4,200 points for your stay.
At Titanium or Ambassador status, you'll earn 2,000 base points + 1,500 elite status bonus points + 1,200 credit card bonus points. That equals 4,700 points for your stay.
Note that elite members at Gold level and above have their choice of a welcome gift at check-in. This welcome gift can include an amenity, breakfast, or bonus points which varies by brand. The bonus points can range from 250 to 1,000 points depending on the brand and your elite status but it's important to note that this applies to your entire stay -- not each night.
Make sure you check for bonus promotions when booking a Marriott stay, too.
Marriott often has several promotions running that can give you anything from free nights added to your stay to bonus points on your Marriott stay.
One recent promotion offered double points for all stays beginning with your second stay. This promotion also offered Marriott Bonvoy cardholders an extra 500 bonus points on weekend stays starting on the first stay. Marriott even celebrated its first global double points promotion in 2019, a sign that more will follow.
The most important thing to remember is you need to register for Marriott promotions through your Marriott Bonvoy account! If you aren't registered, you won't qualify for the promotion.
Earn Extra Points with Marriott Amex Offers
Marriott is an American Express partner. If you have any American Express card, including one of the two Marriott co-branded American Express cards, you may receive targeted, limited-time offers through the Amex Offers program. This program offers statement credits or extra Marriott points when you use your card and take advantage of targeted Marriott offers.
This program allows you to earn even more Marriott points on Marriott stays, especially when you use your Marriott credit card to book a stay. Any points or statement credit you earn through Amex Offers can be stacked with other Marriott points you earn!
You can easily double or triple-dip with Amex Offers to get a great return on your next Marriott stay.
Just remember that all Amex Offers are targeted. You may see offers advertised online but that's no guarantee you will have the offer on your card. Offers aren't just targeted to cardholders: they can also be targeted to specific cards such as the American Express Gold card or a Marriott card.
There are three types of offers you can receive on Amex Offers:
- Earn X bonus points for spending a certain amount at the merchant
- Earn X cash back for spending a certain amount at the merchant
- Earn X bonus points per $1 at the merchant
You'll need to read the terms carefully and register for the offer by adding it to your credit card. The same credit card must be used to book the Marriott stay to receive the offer. Some offers require that you sign up through a unique Amex link while others just require booking directly through Marriott.
All Amex Offers come with an expiration date and most offers will not apply to advance purchase and non-refundable rates. Be sure you read the terms carefully.
Earn Extra Points with Marriott Chase Offers
Chase Offers isn't as well-known as Amex Offers and, honestly, it's just not as great. Still, you can find gems in the Chase Offers program including targeted Marriott offers, just like Amex Offers.
One recent Chase Offer gave 15% back when you spent $100 to $400 at Marriott properties. Definitely not bad! The program may also offer bonus Marriott points at some point.
You can access your Chase Offers through the Chase app, Chase Pay app, and targeted email links -- but you won't see them when you log into your regular Chase account.
Earn Points Via Other Amex Credit Cards
If you don't have a Marriott co-branded American Express card like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees and the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees -- or another American Express card would offer a better return on certain purchases -- you can still use other American Express cards to earn Marriott points.
American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy at a straight 1:1 ratio.
You usually won't get a great value for your Membership Rewards points when you transfer them to Marriott, however. Membership Rewards are valued at around 1.8 cents each compared to just 0.7 cents for Marriott points. You Membership Rewards points will have their value cut by more than half.
Membership Rewards points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed directly for airfare or up to 0.85 cents each directly on cruises, hotels, and car rentals. Cardholders of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Terms Apply; Rates and Fees do get a bonus on redeemed points, however.
You'll get the best value for your Membership Rewards points when they're transferred to a partner loyalty program.
Still, it all depends on how you plan to use your points. If you were never going to use Membership Rewards points for airfare and you're getting a great deal on a Marriott stay -- or you just need to top off your Marriott points balance to redeem an award stay -- it's good to have this option.
Note: You can sometimes get an even better transfer ratio between Membership Rewards and Marriott.
American Express often offers targeted transfer bonuses. You can get a bonus of anywhere from 10% to 50% more miles or points when transferring Membership Rewards points. One recent bonus offered a 50% bonus on transfers to Marriott Bonvoy. That made the transfer ratio 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,500 Marriott Bonvoy points.
There's one important thing holding you back from really getting a great value: Marriott does charge resort fees on award nights. With Hilton, you can still get an awesome value by transferring American Express points to Hilton Honors when you redeem points for stays at the best resorts because all resort fees are waived on Hilton award stays.
Earn Points Via Other Chase Credit Cards
Marriott is also partnered with Chase and they now have already two co-branded Marriott Bonvoy Chase cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card.
If you have another Chase credit card, you can still earn Marriott points on spending by transferring Chase points to Marriott. Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
You'll face the same dilemma as with Membership Rewards, however. Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the most valuable credit card rewards points with a typical value of 2 cents each. You'll cut the value of your points by more than half.
It can sometimes make sense to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott but it's usually not the best idea as there are plenty of Marriott co-branded credit cards you can use instead.
Note that you can only transfer Ultimate Rewards points if you have a qualifying Chase card. Their no annual fee cards do not qualify.
Chase generally doesn't offer transfer bonuses like American Express but this may be changing. In spring 2019, Chase offered its first transfer bonus and this may be a sign that it's ready to take on American Express more directly.
Refer-a-Friend for Marriott Bonvoy Chase Credit Cards
If you have a friend or family member who wants to join Marriott Bonvoy and earn free rewards, you can refer them to a Marriott Bonvoy credit card to earn Marriott points.
The referral bonus you can get depends on the card and whether you're referring friends to a Chase or American Express card.
If you have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card you can get 20,000 bonus points for every referred friend who is approved for the card and up to 100,000 bonus points per year.
Quick Guide: How to Refer-a-Friend for Chase Credit Cards
Chase allows you to refer friends with a Chase referral link. You'll see all eligible cards with referral bonuses and how many points you can get.
You can send referral links from the Chase app where you will see your active cards. Click on the three dots in the lower right corner to see your "Refer friends" options.
You can also go to the Refer a Friend landing site above and sign in or enter your card number to refer friends. You can send an invitation from the website to your friend's email or Twitter or copy the link and send it to them directly.
Refer-a-Friend for Marriott Bonvoy American Express Credit Cards
The American Express program is a little bit different than Chase. In the not-so-distant past, American Express only offered a bonus when the person you referred signed up for the same card as you. If you had the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees and a friend signed up for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Terms Apply; Rates and Fees, you were out of luck.
Fortunately, the program is a lot more generous and easy-to-understand today. In 2018, American Express updated its refer-a-friend program and allows you to send a referral link that lets friends sign up for virtually any American Express card they want and you'll still get a bonus -- even if you don't have the card they get.
You will still get the referral bonus for the card you referred no matter which card they choose.
The referral link you provide first shows your friend the card you referred them to and the card family but they can follow a link to explore other American Express cards.
Quick Guide: How to Refer-a-Friend for American Express Credit Cards
It's easy to refer someone to American Express by generating an Amex refer-a-friend link through your American Express account. You can provide this email directly through a text or send an email through American Express.
Most credit cards are eligible for an American Express referral bonus. The bonus you receive depends on the card and these bonuses can change. Each card has a maximum referral bonus of up to 225,000 points per year. Referral bonuses are generally highest for premium credit cards.
Earn Points For Marriott Stays
Whether or not you use a Marriott co-branded credit card, the backbone of the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program is Marriott stays. The best way to earn Marriott points is by staying at participating Marriott properties.
Every time you stay at Marriott, you can potentially earn points in many ways:
- Base points through Marriott Bonvoy
- Elite status bonus points through Marriott Bonvoy
- Marriott Bonvoy promotions such as hotel- or location- specific promos
- Marriott Bonvoy credit card bonuses
- Welcome bonuses (in lieu of complimentary breakfast or an amenity)
- Amex Offers
- Chase Offers
The best part? These points are all stackable!
Earn Marriott Bonvoy points to redeem at hotels like The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Image courtesy of Marriott.
You can earn Marriott points at most Marriott brands. Some properties have reduced base and elite status bonuses, however. Earn points on stays at:
- AC Hotels
- Aloft Hotels
- Autograph Collection Hotels
- Courtyard Hotels
- Delta Hotels
- Design Hotels
- EDITION
- Element **
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- Four Points
- Gaylord Hotels
- Homes & Villas by Marriott **
- JW Marriott
- Le Meridien
- Luxury Collection
- Marriott Executive Apartments
- Marriott Hotels
- Marriott Vacation Club
- Moxy Hotels
- Protea Hotels
- Ritz-Carlton
- Renaissance Hotels
- Residence Inn **
- Sheraton
- SpringHill Suites
- St. Regis
- TownPlace Suites **
- Tribute Portfolio
- W Hotels
- Westin
** These properties have reduced reward rates, explained below.
Earn Extra Points with Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status
You'll earn 10x base points at the vast majority of Marriott properties around the world as a Marriott Bonvoy member. Once you reach elite status, you'll earn Marriott Bonvoy bonus points as a percentage of your base points.
Here are the Marriott elite status earning rates including base points:
- Silver: 10% bonus (11x points per $1)
- Gold: 25% bonus (12.5x points)
- Platinum: 50% bonus (15x points)
- Titanium & Ambassador: 75% bonus (17.5x points)
If you book a $200 Marriott stay, you'll earn 2,000 points as a base member. With Silver elite status, that's boosted to 2,200 points. By Platinum level, you'll earn 3,000 points on your stay. At Titanium or Ambassador level, you're getting 3,500 points.
Note that base points and elite bonuses are different at the brands designated above.
At these properties, you'll earn 5x base points. The bonus remains the same but your earnings will be lower. At Titanium level, the same $200 booking at one of these properties would earn 1,750 points instead of 3,500 points at most properties.
Enroll in Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Promotions
Marriott Bonvoy offers frequent bonus promotions that are really a mixed bag of rewards. You may get the chance to earn bonus points on a Marriott stay, free nights added to your stay, or a discount on cash bookings.
Whenever you see a Marriott Bonvoy promotion you like, you need to register through your Marriott Bonvoy account to get the reward.
Depending on the promotion, it may last weeks or months and there may be very specific terms to meet -- or it may be more open-ended and easy to earn. Some bonus promotions double the points you earn on Marriott stays during the promotion term but other bonuses are offered when you stay at specific properties or destinations.
When you're planning a trip or Marriott stay, check the Marriott Promotions Central page for any offers you might like and don't forget to sign up for them.
Get Extra Points with Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
If you skipped the section on earning Marriott points with Marriott co-branded credit cards, it's worth repeating. You'll earn even more points on Marriott stays when you book your stay with a Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
All three Marriott Bonvoy credit cards earn the same 6x Marriott points on Marriott stays and on-property purchases.
The points you earn on your Marriott credit card are stacked on top of your base points, elite points, and any other bonuses you earn for your stay.
Earn Points for Travel
The Marriott Bonvoy program offers opportunities to earn points outside of Marriott stays. No matter where your next trip is taking you, you can earn Marriott bonus points without even booking a hotel.
Travel Activities
Marriott allows you to book travel destination experiences and activities through Marriott Tours & Activities and earn Marriott points on your purchase. Activities range from culinary experiences, tours, and live music to theme park admission. For example, you can buy 1-day admission to Disney World in Orlando with transportation from Miami for $239 per person and earn 2,390 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Marriott Vacation Packages
When you book a package through Vacations by Marriott, you can take advantage of promotions to earn Marriott Bonvoy bonus points for your trip. These points will be on top of any points you earn on the purchase itself. As an example, one recent promotion offered 10,000 bonus Marriott points on a 4-night package at a W hotel. You'll also earn 5,000 bonus points after any stay through Vacations by Marriott as a Marriott Bonvoy member.
Renting a Car
Hertz is a Marriott Bonvoy partner. When you book a car through Hertz, you can enjoy Marriott discount rates on base rentals and unlimited miles plus bonus points on your rental. Marriott Bonvoy members get up to 5,000 bonus points for Hertz rentals of at least two days plus 1,000 bonus points when you upgrade. You need to use Marriott discount number CDP 154080 when you book your car.
Cell Phone Roaming
If you won't have cell phone coverage at an upcoming destination, you can sign up for free through TravellingConnect for cellular roaming service in 25 countries. You'll earn 2x Marriott points on services. While traveling, you'll need to manually switch your phone to one of the partner networks to earn Marriott points for every minute of outgoing roaming calls and sometimes incoming calls, data, and SMS messages.
Booking a Cruise
Marriott Bonvoy members get special pricing, extra amenities, and 2x Marriott points when booking a cruise through CruisesOnly.com, a discount cruise agency. You can earn more when you book a suite stateroom or balcony.
You can also check Cruise with Points through Marriott for deals. You can redeem points for cruises (usually with a poor value) or book a cruise to earn points.
The amount of points you earn through Cruises with Points depends on the cruise line and cruise length. There are also promotions to watch for. For example, a recent deal offered 3x Marriott points plus 50% off a second guest and specialty dinners with Royal Caribbean. You can also get up to $500 to spend on board when you book through Cruises with Points.
If you use your Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card to book a cruise through Cruises with Points, there may even be bonus points. Most recently, Marriott offered an extra 2x points for Marriott members who booked with their Chase Marriott Bonvoy card.
Before booking a cruise through CruisesOnly or Cruises with Points, it's still a good idea to make sure you're getting the best deal by shopping around first.
Earn and Transfer Other Points (and Miles) to Marriott
If you're a bit short on Marriott points for a reward stay (and you don't want to use the Points Advance feature) you can transfer points from other loyalty programs into Marriott Bonvoy. Before choosing this option, keep in mind you usually won't get a good value for your points. Still, it can be worth it on a case-by-case basis or if you have points in a program you really aren't going to use for a better purpose.
If you decide you want to transfer miles or points into Marriott Bonvoy, you can contact the partner's customer service and give them your Marriott Bonvoy number to complete the transfer.
In addition to Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards points (both transferred at a 1:1 ratio), you can transfer Diners Club Rewards points into Marriott Bonvoy at a ratio of 1,250:1,500.
You can even transfer miles from more than 40 airline partners to Marriott, usually at a ratio of 3 miles to 1 Marriott point.
Other Ways to Get Marriott Points
There are a few other ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points outside of hotel stays and travel.
- Select Green Choice at check-in. Get an extra 250 to 500 points per night by waiving daily housekeeping at most Marriott brands.
- Book a special event through Marriott Rewarding Events and get 2x points plus elite qualifying night credits.
- Buy Marriott points in 1,000 increments at $12.50/1,000 points up to 50,000 points per year.
Wrap Up
The Marriott Bonvoy program does have its faults, such as hard-to-reach loyalty programs and resort fees charged on reward stays. With that said, it's still one of the best hotel loyalty programs in the world with a huge portfolio of properties, great redemption options, a clear reward chart, and points that are pretty easy to earn.
Even as a fairly infrequent traveler, you shouldn't have trouble accruing enough points for free Marriott stays, especially using one of the Marriott co-branded credit cards.
FAQ
Which credit card earns the most Marriott Bonvoy points?
All Marriott credit cards from American Express and Chase earn the same 6x points at Marriott. Each card earns a different rate for other spending, however, but not exceeding this rate on other spending categories. You can learn more about Marriott Bonvoy credit cards here.
How much are Marriott Bonvoy points worth?
In general, Marriott Bonvoy points are worth about 0.7 cents each. You can get a better value or a lower value depending on how your points are used.
Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
Your points will expire after 24 months unless you stay active in the program by earning points, redeeming points, or staying at a Marriott property. Points never expire if you have a Lifetime Elite Status.
Can I share Marriott points with someone else?
You can share Marriott points with another Marriott Bonvoy member as long as each account is active and has been open for a minimum of 60 days. You can call Member Support to request the transfer by providing the recipient Membership Number. You can transfer 1,000 to 100,000 points per year.
How do I use my Marriott Bonvoy points?
You can use your Marriott points to book free Marriott stays and room upgrades which will usually offer the best value. Marriott points can also be used for travel packages, flights, rental cars, cruises, gift cards, and merchandise. Points can be transferred to an impressive list of 44 airline partners.
Can I use Marriott to earn miles?
An often overlooked benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy program is it allows you to choose between earning Marriott points and earning miles. You can choose to earn airline miles instead of points by updating your profile on your Marriott Bonvoy profile. You can earn miles with more than 40 partners through the program.
Are there any Marriott brands where I won't earn points?
Unlike some hotel programs, Marriott does have some brands that are excluded from its loyalty program and some brands that are earning partners only but can't be used to redeem points. Ritz-Carlton Reserve does not participate in Marriott Bonvoy in any capacity. Marriott Executive Apartments and ExecuStay are earning-only partner hotels where you earn just 2.5x points and 1 elite night credit for every 3 nights you stay.
How many Marriott points do you earn per night?
The answer depends on your elite status, the Marriott property, how much you pay for your stay, whether you use a Marriott credit card, and whether you qualify for any other promotions. To give you a basic idea, per $100 spent you can earn up to 1,000 base points, 600 points for using a Marriott credit card, and up to 750 elite status bonus points. You can earn bonuses through promotions and welcome bonuses on top of this.
How many Marriott Bonvoy points for a free night?
Free night awards through Marriott Bonvoy start at 7,500. When Marriott Bonvoy introduces its off-peak and peak award rates in 2019, free nights will start at 5,000 points during the off season.
Can I convert Marriott points to miles?
You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to more than 40 airline partners at a ratio of 3 points to 1 mile with most partners. You will get 15,000 bonus points for every 60,000 points which results in 25,000 miles.
Will I earn Marriott points on multiple rooms in a booking?
You can earn points on up to three rooms during a stay as long as you occupy at least one of the rooms, you are paying for all of the rooms, and your Marriott Bonvoy member number is on every room. The other rooms are also required to have at least one night in common with your room.
What charges will not qualify for earning Marriott Bonvoy points?
You won't earn Marriott Bonvoy points on service charges, taxes, and third-party services like a water sports rental during your stay. You also won't earn points on third-party bookings through websites like Priceline.com or Hotels.com except the standard points you earn through a Marriott credit card, but these purchases won't be treated as a Marriott stay.
