Have you ever dreamt of traveling the world, staying in luxurious hotels, and doing it all without breaking the bank? If so, then accumulating Marriott Bonvoy points is your golden ticket! Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest and most rewarding hotel loyalty programs globally, offering a vast portfolio of brands from the opulent St. Regis and The Ritz-Carlton to the comfortable Courtyard and Fairfield Inn.
Getting more Marriott Bonvoy points isn't just about booking hotel stays; it's a strategic game that, when played right, can unlock incredible travel experiences. Ready to dive in and supercharge your points balance? Let's get started!
Step 1: Enroll in Marriott Bonvoy (If You Haven't Already!)
First things first, if you're not already a Marriott Bonvoy member, you're leaving free points on the table! It's completely free to join, and the benefits start immediately.
How to Enroll:
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Visit the Marriott Bonvoy Website: Head over to Marriott's official website and look for the "Join" or "Enroll" option for the Marriott Bonvoy program.
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Provide Your Details: You'll need to fill in some basic personal information.
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Confirm Your Membership: Once you've completed the registration, you'll receive a confirmation email. And just like that, you're on your way to earning points!
Why is this so important? Even as a basic member, you immediately gain access to benefits like complimentary in-room Wi-Fi and exclusive member rates. But more importantly, you can start earning points on every eligible stay.
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| How To Get More Marriott Points |
Step 2: Master the Art of Earning Points Through Stays
The most straightforward way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is by staying at Marriott properties. However, there's a nuanced approach to maximize these earnings.
2.1 Base Point Earning:
At most Marriott Bonvoy brands, you earn 10 points per US dollar spent on eligible charges, including room rates and other incidentals (like dining and spa services charged to your room). Some brands, like Element, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites, earn 5 points per dollar.
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Always Book Directly: To ensure you earn points and receive elite benefits, always book your stays directly through Marriott's official website, app, or by calling their reservations line. Bookings made through third-party online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia or Booking.com generally do not qualify for point earnings or elite night credits.
2.2 Leverage Elite Status for Bonus Points:
This is where the real acceleration begins! As you climb the Marriott Bonvoy elite status ladder, you'll earn a significant bonus on your base points.
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Silver Elite: Earns a 10% bonus on base points (requires 10 qualifying nights per year).
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Gold Elite: Earns a 25% bonus (requires 25 qualifying nights per year).
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Platinum Elite: Earns a 50% bonus (requires 50 qualifying nights per year).
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Titanium Elite: Earns a 75% bonus (requires 75 qualifying nights per year).
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Ambassador Elite: Earns a 75% bonus (requires 100 qualifying nights per year + $20,000 in qualifying spend).
Imagine this: A Platinum Elite member spending $100 on an eligible stay would earn 1000 base points + 500 bonus points, for a total of 1500 points! That's a 50% increase just for having status.
2.3 Seek Out Promotions and Offers:
Marriott frequently runs global and regional promotions that offer bonus points or bonus elite night credits. These can significantly boost your earnings.
QuickTip: Break reading into digestible chunks.
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Register for Promotions: Always check the "Promotions" section of your Marriott Bonvoy account and register for all eligible offers. Even if you don't think you'll use them, it's better to be safe than sorry.
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Targeted Offers: Keep an eye on your email for targeted promotions, which might offer even more generous bonuses based on your past stay patterns.
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Brand-Specific Promotions: Sometimes, specific brands within the Marriott portfolio will offer bonus points for stays. For example, you might see offers for 2,000 bonus points per stay at Courtyard or Fairfield Inn.
Step 3: Unlock Earning Potential with Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards are arguably the fastest and most efficient way to accumulate a large number of points. These cards offer substantial welcome bonuses and accelerated earning rates on everyday spending.
3.1 Welcome Bonuses:
Many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards offer generous welcome bonuses after meeting a certain spending requirement within the first few months. These bonuses can range from 50,000 to over 100,000 points, sometimes even including Free Night Awards.
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Research Current Offers: Credit card offers change frequently, so it's crucial to research the latest welcome bonuses before applying.
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Consider Multiple Cards (Strategically): If you're a serious points earner, you might consider acquiring multiple Marriott co-branded cards over time, keeping in mind issuer rules (like Chase's 5/24 rule or Amex's once-per-lifetime bonus rule).
3.2 Accelerated Earning on Spending:
Marriott Bonvoy credit cards typically offer:
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High Earning on Marriott Stays: Often 6x points or more per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. This stacks with your elite status bonus for incredible earning potential!
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Bonus Categories: Enhanced earning rates on everyday categories like dining, groceries, and travel.
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Everyday Spending: A base earning rate (usually 2x points) on all other eligible purchases.
Example: With an HDFC Bank Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card in India, you could earn 8 points per Rs. 150 spent at Marriott hotels and 4 points per Rs. 150 on travel, dining, and entertainment. This is a fantastic way to accumulate points even when you're not traveling.
3.3 Annual Free Night Awards & Elite Night Credits:
Many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards come with valuable perks:
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Annual Free Night Awards: A free night certificate (often capped at a certain point value, e.g., 35,000 or 50,000 points) each year upon card renewal. These alone can easily offset the annual fee of the card.
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Elite Night Credits: Most cards provide a certain number of elite night credits annually (e.g., 15 Elite Night Credits), which gives you a head start towards earning or maintaining elite status. Some cards also offer elite night credits for meeting spending thresholds (e.g., 1 elite night for every $5,000 spent).
Step 4: Diversify Your Earning with Partnership Programs
Marriott Bonvoy has established partnerships that allow you to earn points outside of direct hotel stays and credit card spending.
4.1 Dining Programs (Eat Around Town):
Enroll your credit cards in the Marriott Bonvoy "Eat Around Town" dining program. You'll earn points when you dine at thousands of participating restaurants across the U.S. and pay with your linked card.
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Higher Earning for Elites: Marriott elite members often earn more points per dollar through this program (e.g., 6 points per dollar for elites vs. 4 points per dollar for general members).
QuickTip: Repetition reinforces learning.
4.2 Car Rentals:
Earn points when renting cars through Hertz. Provide your Marriott Bonvoy number when reserving, and you could earn hundreds of points per rental.
4.3 Uber Partnership:
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Link your Uber and Marriott Bonvoy accounts (available in the U.S.) to earn points on eligible Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. This is a super easy way to earn points on services you might already be using regularly.
4.4 Cruises and Tours:
Book cruises through "Cruise with Points" or explore "Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities" to earn points on your vacation experiences. You typically earn 3 points per dollar spent on cruises, with an additional 2 points for co-branded credit cardholders.
4.5 Hosting Events and Meetings:
If you organize business meetings or events, consider hosting them at Marriott properties. You can earn 2 points per dollar spent on eligible event charges, with elite bonuses applying up to significant caps.
4.6 Refer a Friend:
Marriott Bonvoy has a "Refer a Friend" program. If you refer friends or family members who join the program and complete qualifying stays, both you and your friend can earn bonus points. You can often earn up to 50,000 bonus points per year through referrals.
Step 5: Strategic Point Transfers
While directly earning points is great, sometimes you have points with other loyalty programs that can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy.
5.1 Transfer from Flexible Travel Currencies:
Some transferable points programs, like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, allow you to transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy.
Tip: Summarize each section in your own words.
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American Express Membership Rewards: Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy are typically at a 1:1 ratio. This can be a valuable option if you have a surplus of Amex points and a specific Marriott redemption in mind.
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Chase Ultimate Rewards: While Chase Ultimate Rewards points are generally more valuable when transferred to airline partners, you can transfer them to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. However, this is usually not recommended as the value per point is often lower compared to other transfer options.
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Bilt Rewards: Bilt Points can be transferred to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, and you get a bonus of 5,000 additional Marriott points for every 20,000 Bilt points converted in a single transaction. This can be a very attractive transfer option.
5.2 United MileagePlus Conversion:
United MileagePlus Premier elite members can transfer up to 100,000 United miles to Marriott Bonvoy points per calendar year at a 1:1 ratio.
5.3 Point Sharing with Other Members:
Marriott allows members to transfer points to another Marriott Bonvoy member's account. This can be useful if you're pooling points for a specific redemption.
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Rules for Transferring: You can transfer points online in increments of 1,000, up to a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year. You can also receive up to 500,000 points per calendar year from other members. Both accounts must be in good standing and open for at least 30 days with qualifying activity, or 90 days without.
Step 6: Consider Buying Points (with Caution!)
While generally not the best value, buying Marriott Bonvoy points can be a useful strategy in specific scenarios.
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Top Up for a Redemption: If you're just short of the points needed for a valuable award stay, buying a small number of points can make sense.
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Promotional Sales: Marriott occasionally offers sales on purchased points, sometimes with a bonus (e.g., a 25% or 30% bonus). This can make the per-point cost more palatable.
However, as a general rule, buying points at face value is not a good value for your money. Only consider it if it directly enables a high-value redemption you wouldn't otherwise be able to achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to get more points on Marriott stays?
You can get more points on Marriott stays by booking directly, achieving elite status for bonus points (10% to 75% extra), and registering for current Marriott Bonvoy promotions which often offer thousands of bonus points per stay.
How to earn Marriott points without staying at hotels?
You can earn Marriott points without staying at hotels by using a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card for everyday spending, enrolling in the "Eat Around Town" dining program, renting cars with Hertz, linking your Uber account, booking cruises or tours, hosting events, and referring friends to the program.
How to transfer points from other programs to Marriott Bonvoy?
QuickTip: Stop scrolling fast, start reading slow.
You can transfer points from flexible travel currencies like American Express Membership Rewards and Bilt Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. United MileagePlus Premier elite members can also transfer miles to Marriott.
How to get a Marriott Bonvoy credit card?
You can get a Marriott Bonvoy credit card by applying directly through the card issuer (e.g., American Express or Chase in the US, HDFC Bank in India) or through Marriott's website. Always compare welcome offers and benefits before applying.
How to achieve Marriott Bonvoy elite status faster?
You can achieve Marriott Bonvoy elite status faster by holding a Marriott Bonvoy credit card (which often provides elite night credits annually), maximizing points earnings during promotional periods that offer bonus elite night credits, and strategically planning stays to reach status tiers.
How to use Marriott Bonvoy points for free nights?
To use Marriott Bonvoy points for free nights, log into your Marriott Bonvoy account on their website or app, search for hotels and dates, and select the "Use Points/Certificates" option. The points required will be displayed dynamically.
How to maximize the value of Marriott Bonvoy points?
Maximize the value of Marriott Bonvoy points by redeeming them for high-value hotel stays (especially during off-peak dates), taking advantage of the "Stay for 5, Pay for 4" benefit (get the 5th night free on award stays), and using them for "Marriott Bonvoy Moments" if you find an experience that aligns with your interests.
How to combine Marriott Bonvoy points with another member?
You can combine Marriott Bonvoy points with another member online. Both accounts must be in good standing, and you can transfer a maximum of 100,000 points per calendar year to another member, and receive up to 500,000 points from other members annually.
How to earn Marriott points on business events?
You can earn Marriott points on business events by booking eligible meetings and events at Marriott properties. You typically earn 2 points per dollar spent on room rentals, food, beverages, and audio/visual charges, with elite bonuses applying.
How to track Marriott Bonvoy promotions?
You can track Marriott Bonvoy promotions by regularly checking the "Promotions" section on the Marriott Bonvoy website or app, subscribing to Marriott's email newsletters, and following travel points blogs that frequently update on new offers.
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