Do you dream of luxurious stays, unforgettable experiences, and endless travel possibilities? Then mastering the art of accumulating Marriott Bonvoy points is your key! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, ensuring you unlock a world of exclusive benefits.
Step 1: Let's Get Started! Are you ready to transform your travel into a rewarding adventure?
If you're reading this, chances are you're already eyeing those incredible free nights or dreaming of an upgrade to a plush suite. The good news is, earning Marriott Bonvoy points is easier than you think, and there are multiple avenues to quickly build up your balance. So, let's dive in!
 |
| How To Get Marriott Points |
Step 2: Join Marriott Bonvoy - Your Foundation for Earning
The very first and most crucial step is to become a Marriott Bonvoy member. It's free and takes just a few minutes. Without a membership, you won't be able to earn or redeem points.
-
How to Join:
-
Visit the official Marriott Bonvoy website.
-
Look for the "Join Now" or "Sign Up" button.
-
Follow the prompts to create your account, providing your basic information.
-
Once you're a member, you'll receive a unique Marriott Bonvoy membership number. Keep this handy!
-
Step 3: The Most Obvious Way: Staying at Marriott Hotels
This is the bread and butter of earning Marriott Bonvoy points. Every time you stay at a participating Marriott property, you'll earn points on your qualifying charges.
Tip: Read actively — ask yourself questions as you go.
-
Base Earning Rates:
-
Most Marriott properties: You'll earn 10 base points per dollar spent on qualifying charges. This includes your room rate and other incidentals charged to your room, like food, beverages (excluding alcohol/tobacco where prohibited), in-room phone/fax, and movies.
-
Certain extended-stay brands (e.g., Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Protea Hotels, City Express, Four Points Express, Element, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Sonder Apartments, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy): You'll typically earn 5 base points per dollar.
-
Marriott Executive Apartments: Earn 2.5 base points per dollar.
-
StudioRes: Earn 4 base points per dollar.
-
-
Maximizing Stays with Elite Status: The more you stay, the higher your elite status, and the more bonus points you'll earn! Marriott Bonvoy has several elite tiers, each offering an escalating points bonus:
-
Silver Elite: Earn 10% more points on eligible purchases.
-
Gold Elite: Earn 25% more points on eligible purchases.
-
Platinum Elite: Earn a significant 50% more points on eligible purchases.
-
Titanium Elite & Ambassador Elite: Enjoy a generous 75% more points on eligible purchases.
Pro Tip: Always charge any on-site expenses like restaurant meals, spa treatments, or gift shop purchases to your room to ensure you earn points on them!
-
Step 4: Supercharge Your Earnings with Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
This is arguably one of the fastest ways to accumulate a large sum of Marriott Bonvoy points, especially through generous welcome offers. Marriott partners with various banks to offer co-branded credit cards.
-
Welcome Bonuses: Many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards offer substantial welcome bonuses after you meet a specific spending requirement within a set timeframe. These bonuses can range from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand points!
-
Accelerated Earning on Purchases: These cards provide enhanced earning rates on Marriott stays and often on everyday spending categories like dining, groceries, and travel.
-
For example, you might earn 6X points per dollar at Marriott hotels, 3X points at restaurants, and 2X points on other eligible purchases. The specific rates vary by card.
-
-
Elite Night Credits: Many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards provide a set number of elite night credits each year, giving you a head start towards achieving or maintaining elite status. Some even offer complimentary elite status (e.g., Gold Elite or Platinum Elite) just for holding the card!
-
Free Night Awards: Several cards offer an annual Free Night Award, which can be incredibly valuable for a complimentary stay at an eligible Marriott property.
Important Note for Indian Users: In India, HDFC Bank offers the Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card. It provides excellent earning rates (e.g., 8X points per INR 150 at Marriott hotels, 4X on travel, dining, entertainment, and 2X on other spends) and often includes a welcome Free Night Award and complimentary Silver Elite status.
Step 5: Transfer Points from Partner Programs
If you already earn points with other transferable loyalty programs, you can convert them into Marriott Bonvoy points.
-
American Express Membership Rewards: This is a fantastic option. You can typically transfer Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, and sometimes American Express offers promotional transfer bonuses.
-
Chase Ultimate Rewards: Similar to Amex, Chase Ultimate Rewards also allows transfers to Marriott Bonvoy, usually at a 1:1 ratio.
-
United MileagePlus (for Premier Elite members): Premier elite members of United's MileagePlus program can convert up to 100,000 miles to Bonvoy points per calendar year at a 1:1 ratio.
How to Transfer:
-
Log in to your Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards account.
-
Navigate to the "Transfer Partners" or "Redeem Points" section.
-
Select Marriott Bonvoy as your transfer partner.
-
Enter your Marriott Bonvoy membership number and the desired number of points to transfer.
-
Confirm the transfer. Note that transfers are usually irreversible.
Tip: Scroll slowly when the content gets detailed.
Step 6: Earn Points on Everyday Activities and Travel Partners
Marriott Bonvoy has expanded its earning opportunities beyond just hotel stays and credit cards.
-
Dining Programs: Enroll in "Eat Around Town by Marriott" (for U.S. members) and link your credit cards. You'll earn Bonvoy points for dining at thousands of participating restaurants.
-
Ridesharing with Uber: Link your Marriott Bonvoy and Uber accounts (for U.S.-based members) to earn points on eligible Uber and Uber Eats transactions.
-
Car Rentals with Hertz: Earn 500 Bonvoy points on each car rental from Hertz by providing your Marriott loyalty number when reserving.
-
Booking Cruises: Book a cruise through the "Cruise with Points" program and earn 3 points per dollar spent. Co-branded Marriott credit cardholders can earn an additional 2 points (for a total of 5 points).
-
Emirates "Your World Rewards": Link your Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards accounts. Depending on your Bonvoy elite status, you can earn 3 points per dollar spent on Emirates flights, in addition to Skywards miles.
-
Hosting Events and Meetings: If you're planning a meeting or event, consider hosting it at a Marriott property. You can earn 2 points per dollar spent on room rentals, food, beverages, and audio/visual charges (up to 60,000 points for general members, with elite bonus earnings possible).
-
Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities: Explore local experiences through Marriott's Tours & Activities page and potentially earn points.
Step 7: Take Advantage of Marriott Bonvoy Promotions
Marriott frequently offers limited-time promotions that allow you to earn bonus points. These can be incredibly lucrative.
-
Double Points Promotions: Often, Marriott will offer promotions where you earn double points on all eligible stays, or a fixed number of bonus points per stay, or after a certain number of nights.
-
Targeted Offers: Keep an eye on your email and your Marriott Bonvoy account dashboard for personalized, targeted promotions.
-
Regional Promotions: Marriott also runs promotions specific to certain regions or brands, offering significant bonus points.
-
Refer-a-Friend: If you have a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, you can often earn a bonus (e.g., up to 40,000 points per person) by referring friends or family members who are approved for the card. New members can sometimes get a bonus for signing up through a referral too.
Always register for promotions when they become available, even if you don't have immediate travel plans. It's better to be registered and not use it than to miss out on bonus points.
Step 8: Purchasing Marriott Bonvoy Points (Use with Caution!)
While generally not the best value, you can purchase Marriott Bonvoy points directly. This can be useful in specific situations, such as:
QuickTip: Read again with fresh eyes.
-
Topping Off for an Award Stay: If you're just short of enough points for a desired redemption, buying a small increment can make sense.
-
During Sales: Marriott occasionally offers discounts on purchased points. If you can buy points at a significantly reduced rate and redeem them for a high-value award, it might be worthwhile.
Limits and Considerations:
-
There's an annual limit on the number of points you can purchase (typically 150,000 points per calendar year, with an additional 100,000 points if purchased during a hotel booking).
-
Points typically post within 72 hours.
-
Compare the cost of buying points to the cash rate of the hotel you want to book to ensure you're getting good value.
Step 9: Consider Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
If you prefer private home rentals, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy allows you to earn points on your bookings. The earning rate is typically 5 points per dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions about Getting Marriott Points
Here are 10 common questions about earning Marriott Bonvoy points, along with quick answers:
How to earn Marriott points on business travel? You earn points on business travel stays at Marriott properties just as you would for leisure stays, provided the rate is qualifying. Ensure your Bonvoy membership number is on the reservation.
How to check my Marriott Bonvoy points balance? You can check your points balance by logging into your Marriott Bonvoy account on the Marriott website or through the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app.
Tip: A slow skim is better than a rushed read.
How to keep my Marriott Bonvoy points from expiring? Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 months of inactivity. To keep them active, you need to have a qualifying activity (e.g., a paid stay, points earned from a credit card, transferring points, or purchasing points) in your account within that timeframe.
How to get Marriott Bonvoy elite status faster to earn more points? You can accelerate elite status by holding a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card that offers elite night credits or complimentary elite status, or by participating in promotions that offer bonus elite nights.
How to earn Marriott points without staying at a hotel? You can earn Marriott points without a hotel stay by using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card for everyday purchases, dining through Eat Around Town, using Uber (U.S.), renting cars with Hertz, or transferring points from partner loyalty programs.
How to refer a friend to earn Marriott points? If you have a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, check your issuer's website for a "Refer a Friend" program. You'll typically get a unique referral link to share, and you earn points if your friend is approved.
How to combine Marriott Bonvoy points with another member? Marriott Bonvoy allows members to transfer points to another member's account. Both accounts must be in good standing and open for at least 90 days (or 30 days with qualifying activity). There's usually a limit on how many points can be transferred per year.
How to maximize points on group bookings or events? For group bookings or events, earn 2 points per dollar on qualifying charges (room rentals, F&B, A/V). Elite members receive bonus points on top of this. Work with the Marriott sales team to ensure your Bonvoy number is linked to the event.
How to find Marriott Bonvoy promotions? Always check the "Promotions" or "Offers" section on the Marriott Bonvoy website after logging into your account. You'll also receive email notifications about new promotions if you've opted in.
How to get Marriott points through car rentals? Provide your Marriott Bonvoy membership number when reserving a car with Hertz. You will typically earn 500 Bonvoy points per eligible rental.
 |
