Are you ready to unlock a world of incredible travel experiences and make your stays even more rewarding? Dive into the fascinating world of Marriott Bonvoy points! This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how Marriott points work, from earning them to redeeming them for unforgettable adventures.
Step 1: Welcome to Marriott Bonvoy! Let's Get Started
First things first, are you already a Marriott Bonvoy member? If not, joining is absolutely free and your first step to unlocking a wealth of benefits. It takes just a few minutes to sign up on the Marriott Bonvoy website or through their mobile app. Once you're in, you're officially part of a loyalty program that spans over 30 extraordinary brands and thousands of hotels and resorts worldwide. Imagine the possibilities!
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| How To Marriott Points Work |
Step 2: Understanding How You Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
Earning Marriott Bonvoy points is the exciting part, and there are multiple avenues to build up your balance. The more points you accumulate, the closer you get to free nights, amazing experiences, and exclusive perks.
2.1 Earning Points Through Hotel Stays
This is the most straightforward way to earn points. When you stay at a participating Marriott Bonvoy hotel, you'll typically earn:
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10 points per U.S. dollar spent on eligible charges, including your room rate and other incidentals like dining, spa treatments, and resort fees that can be charged to your room.
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Exceptions exist: Some brands, like Element, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites, earn 5 points per dollar. Always check the specific earning rates for the brand you're staying with.
Important Note: To ensure you earn points, always book directly through Marriott's official channels (website, app, or phone) and provide your Marriott Bonvoy member number at the time of booking or check-in. Bookings made through third-party online travel agencies (OTAs) generally do not earn points or elite night credits.
2.2 Boosting Your Earnings with Elite Status
Marriott Bonvoy has several elite status tiers, and achieving a higher tier means you earn bonus points on your stays:
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Silver Elite (10 nights/year): 10% bonus points
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Gold Elite (25 nights/year): 25% bonus points
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Platinum Elite (50 nights/year): 50% bonus points
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Titanium Elite (75 nights/year): 75% bonus points
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Ambassador Elite (100+ nights/year + $23,000+ USD qualifying spend): 75% bonus points
These bonus points can really add up, accelerating your path to free nights!
2.3 Maximizing Points with Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
One of the fastest and most efficient ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is through co-branded credit cards. Marriott partners with financial institutions like American Express and Chase (depending on your region) to offer a range of credit cards. These cards often come with:
Tip: Reread key phrases to strengthen memory.
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Generous welcome bonuses upon meeting a minimum spending requirement.
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Accelerated earning rates on Marriott purchases, often 6x points per dollar or more.
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Bonus earning categories for everyday spending (e.g., dining, gas stations, grocery stores).
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Annual free night certificates, which can be incredibly valuable.
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Automatic elite status, often Silver Elite or Gold Elite, just for holding the card.
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Elite Night Credits, which help you qualify for higher elite status tiers faster.
Do your research to find the credit card that best suits your spending habits and travel goals.
2.4 Earning Points Beyond Stays and Credit Cards
Marriott Bonvoy offers several other ways to earn points:
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Marriott Bonvoy Events: If you're planning a meeting, conference, or even a wedding at a Marriott property, you can earn points for eligible event spending.
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Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities: Book tours, activities, and experiences through the Marriott Bonvoy portal and earn points.
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Car Rentals: Earn points on car rentals booked through Marriott's partners, such as Hertz.
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Cruise Bookings: Book cruises through Cruise with Points and earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
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Marriott Bonvoy's Eat Around Town: Dine at participating restaurants and earn bonus points.
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Shopping with Partners: Keep an eye out for special promotions and partnerships that allow you to earn points for shopping with various retailers.
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Purchasing Points: While generally not the best value, you can buy Marriott Bonvoy points if you need to top up your account for a specific redemption.
Step 3: Redeeming Your Hard-Earned Marriott Bonvoy Points
This is where the magic happens! Your accumulated points open doors to a variety of redemption options, with free nights being the most popular and often the most valuable.
3.1 Free Night Stays
The most common and often the best use of Marriott Bonvoy points is for free nights at Marriott properties worldwide. Here's how it works:
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Dynamic Pricing: Marriott utilizes dynamic pricing for award nights, meaning the number of points required can fluctuate based on factors like demand, season, and hotel category. There isn't a fixed award chart, so you'll need to search for your desired dates and location to see the point cost.
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"Stay for 5, Pay for 4" Benefit: This is a fantastic perk! When you book five consecutive nights with points, you'll only pay for four. This effectively gives you a 20% discount on a five-night award stay.
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Cash + Points: If you don't have enough points for a full free night, or if you want to conserve your points, you can often redeem a combination of points and cash. This option can sometimes offer good value.
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PointSavers: Marriott occasionally offers PointSavers rates at select hotels, allowing you to book award nights for fewer points. These are worth looking out for if you have flexible travel dates.
3.2 Transferring Points to Airline Partners
Marriott Bonvoy points are incredibly versatile because you can transfer them to a wide array of airline loyalty programs. This can be a great option if you have a specific flight redemption in mind or need to top up an airline account.
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Transfer Ratio: For most airline partners, the transfer ratio is 3 Marriott Bonvoy points to 1 airline mile.
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Transfer Bonus: You'll typically receive a 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to airline miles. This sweetens the deal significantly! For example, if you transfer 60,000 Marriott points, you'll get 20,000 airline miles + 5,000 bonus miles = 25,000 airline miles.
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Exceptions exist: A few airline partners have different transfer ratios or do not offer the 5,000 bonus. Always verify the specific transfer details for your chosen airline.
3.3 Marriott Bonvoy Moments
For unique and often exclusive experiences, explore Marriott Bonvoy Moments. You can use your points to bid on or instantly redeem for:
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Concert tickets
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Sporting events
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Culinary experiences
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VIP access to special events
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And much more!
These can offer incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that cash can't always buy.
Tip: Focus on one point at a time.
3.4 Other Redemption Options (Generally Lower Value)
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While available, these options usually offer less value per point compared to free nights or airline transfers:
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Gift Cards: Redeem points for gift cards to various retailers.
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Merchandise: Purchase items from the Marriott Bonvoy shopping portal.
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Car Rentals and Cruises (Directly with Points): While you can book these directly with points through Marriott, transferring to airline partners for flights or using cash for car rentals usually offers better value.
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Instant Redemption: Use points to pay for incidental charges (dining, spa) during your stay.
It's generally recommended to save your points for high-value hotel redemptions or strategic airline transfers.
Step 4: Managing Your Marriott Bonvoy Account and Points
Staying on top of your points balance and account activity is crucial.
4.1 Checking Your Points Balance and Activity
You can easily check your Marriott Bonvoy points balance and view your earning and redemption history by:
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Logging into your Marriott Bonvoy account on the website.
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Using the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app.
4.2 Understanding Point Expiration
Marriott Bonvoy points do expire if your account is inactive for 24 consecutive months. Inactivity means no earning or redeeming of points. To keep your points from expiring, simply:
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Complete an eligible hotel stay.
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Make a purchase with your Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card.
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Redeem points for any eligible activity.
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Earn points through a Marriott Bonvoy partner (e.g., car rental, dining program).
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Note: Transferring points to another member or receiving points from another member does not count as qualifying activity to reset the expiration clock. However, transferring out to an airline partner generally does.
4.3 Lifetime Elite Status
For the ultimate loyalty, Marriott Bonvoy offers Lifetime Elite status. Once achieved, you'll enjoy elite benefits for life, without needing to requalify each year. This requires a combination of eligible nights and years of elite status.
Note: Skipping ahead? Don’t miss the middle sections.
Step 5: Maximizing the Value of Your Marriott Bonvoy Points
To get the most out of your points, consider these tips:
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Be Flexible with Dates and Locations: Dynamic pricing means some dates or properties will require significantly more points. If you have flexibility, you can often find better deals.
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Utilize "Stay for 5, Pay for 4": Always aim for five-night stays when redeeming points to get the complimentary night.
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Compare Cash vs. Points: Before booking, always check the cash rate for the room. Divide the cash price by the number of points required to get a "cents per point" (CPP) value. Aim for redemptions that give you 0.7 cents per point or higher, as this is generally considered a good value for Marriott points.
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Target High-Value Redemptions: Luxury properties or stays during peak season often yield a higher cents-per-point value than budget hotels or off-peak dates.
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Leverage Elite Benefits: Your elite status perks like free breakfast, lounge access, and room upgrades can save you significant money during your stays, enhancing the overall value of your points redemption.
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Strategic Airline Transfers: If you find a great award flight redemption, transferring Marriott points can be an excellent way to secure it, especially with the 5,000 bonus miles per 60,000 points transferred.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marriott Bonvoy Points
Here are 10 common questions with quick answers to help you navigate the Marriott Bonvoy program:
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points quickly?
The fastest ways are through hotel stays at participating properties, especially with elite status bonuses, and by using a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card for everyday spending and to earn welcome bonuses.
How to check my Marriott Bonvoy points balance?
You can easily check your points balance by logging into your Marriott Bonvoy account on the official website or through the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app.
How to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for free nights?
Log in to your Marriott Bonvoy account, search for your desired destination and dates, and select the "Use Points/Awards" option. The system will show you the point cost for available rooms.
How to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to airlines?
Visit the Marriott Bonvoy website's "Transfer Points to Miles" section. You'll need to link your frequent flyer account and follow the steps to initiate the transfer. Remember the 3:1 ratio and the 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points.
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How to keep Marriott Bonvoy points from expiring?
Ensure you have at least one qualifying earning or redemption activity on your account every 24 months. This can include a hotel stay, using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, or redeeming points.
How to determine the value of my Marriott Bonvoy points?
Divide the cash price of a hotel room (including taxes and fees) by the number of points required for that same room. This will give you the "cents per point" value. Aim for 0.7 cents per point or higher.
How to get Marriott Bonvoy elite status faster?
In addition to eligible nights from stays, consider obtaining a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card, as many offer automatic elite status (like Silver or Gold) and annual Elite Night Credits.
How to use Marriott Bonvoy "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" benefit?
When you search for award nights and select five consecutive nights, the system will automatically deduct the points for one night, giving you the fifth night free. This only applies to point redemptions.
How to buy Marriott Bonvoy points?
You can purchase Marriott Bonvoy points directly from the Marriott website. However, be aware that the purchase rate might be higher than the typical value you'd get from redeeming them.
How to contact Marriott Bonvoy customer service?
You can contact Marriott Bonvoy customer service through their official website, mobile app, or by calling their dedicated member support number.
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