Destinations

The award traveler’s information to Marriott Bonvoy

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Marriott Bonvoy is a well-liked resort loyalty program, particularly amongst U.S. vacationers. This system has modified considerably over time, together with Marriott’s elimination of award charts in early 2022. However, there’s nonetheless loads of worth to be discovered within the Marriott Bonvoy program.

Whether or not you are a long-term Marriott loyalist or new to this system, it’s best to know learn how to get essentially the most worth from of your Marriott Bonvoy redemptions. On this information, I am going to arm you with the entire data you want.

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Elite standing

The JW Marriott Maldives. (Photograph by Nicky Kelvin/The Factors Man)

Earlier than we get into incomes and redeeming factors, let’s begin by taking a look at Marriott’s elite standing advantages. You will get entry to those advantages if you e book instantly with Marriott.

Marriott affords 5 printed ranges of elite standing: Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite. You will sometimes attain every stage by finishing qualifying nights. However choose Marriott bank cards present computerized standing and elite night time credit that you need to use towards assembly the qualifying night time necessities for every standing. Particularly, you may earn as much as 30 elite nights per 12 months with Marriott bank cards.

You may get a whole breakdown of the advantages of every standing stage in TPG’s valuation of Marriott Bonvoy’s elite standing, however I am going to present a high-level overview under.

Member

By signing up and changing into a Marriott Bonvoy Member, you may get free commonplace Wi-Fi, entry to member charges and cell check-in. You will earn factors which you could redeem without spending a dime nights or different redemptions. So, even in the event you do not suppose you’ll earn Marriott elite standing, you may at the least need to join the Bonvoy program.

Silver Elite

You will earn Marriott Silver Elite standing after finishing 10 qualifying nights in a calendar 12 months. Silver Elite advantages embody a ten% level bonus on stays and late checkout, based mostly on availability.

You will robotically get Silver Elite standing as a cardholder of the next cobranded Marriott bank cards:

You’ll be able to earn Lifetime Silver Elite by accumulating 250 lifetime nights and incomes Marriott Silver Elite standing or greater for at the least 5 years.

Gold Elite

Le Roch Lodge and Spa. (Photograph by Andrew Kunesh/The Factors Man)

You will earn Marriott Gold Elite after finishing 25 qualifying nights in a calendar 12 months. Along with Silver Elite perks, Gold Elites obtain enhanced web entry, a 25% level bonus on stays, 2 p.m. late checkout based mostly on availability, upgrades to an “enhanced room” (excluding suites) based mostly on availability and a welcome reward of factors every time you keep.

Cardholders of the next playing cards get Marriott Gold Elite standing as a perk of their card (enrollment required):

The knowledge for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit score Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Members will obtain Lifetime Gold Elite standing as soon as they earn 400 lifetime nights and have held Gold Elite standing or greater for seven years.

Associated: Free nights and straightforward standing: This is why I’ve 4 Marriott Bonvoy bank cards

Platinum Elite

You will earn Marriott Platinum Elite standing after finishing 50 qualifying nights in a calendar 12 months. Along with Gold Elite advantages, Platinum Elite members obtain a 50% level bonus on stays, space-available room upgrades (together with choose suites), lounge entry, assured 4 p.m. checkout (topic to availability at resort and conference resorts) and a welcome reward alternative every time you keep.

Welcome reward selections range by model however usually embody a alternative of factors, an amenity or breakfast. For Platinum Elites, breakfast is both included or accessible as a welcome reward alternative at most manufacturers. Breakfast is normally supplied within the lounge or on-site restaurant, though some properties provide a room service credit score as an alternative.

From expertise, I like to recommend bookmarking TPG’s full information to Marriott elite breakfast advantages so you may refer again to it earlier than check-in.

Platinum Elite members can select from one Annual Present Alternative after incomes 50 nights: 5 Suite Evening Awards, the chance to reward Silver Elite standing, 40% off a mattress, 5 Elite Evening Credit or a $100 charitable donation. Until you finish the 12 months with 70-74 nights or want a brand new mattress, I like to recommend selecting the Suite Evening Awards.

You’ll be able to spend your method to Platinum Elite standing if in case you have The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit score Card (not open to new candidates) and spend $75,000 on purchases throughout your account anniversary 12 months.

To lock in Lifetime Platinum Elite standing, you may must accumulate 600 lifetime nights and 10 or extra years as a Platinum Elite or greater.

Associated: The key to getting the discontinued Ritz-Carlton bank card — and 4 causes you want it

Titanium Elite

Royalton Blue Waters Montego Bay. (Photograph by Benji Stawski/The Factors Man)

You will earn Titanium Elite standing after finishing 75 qualifying nights in a calendar 12 months. Titanium Elite advantages are much like Platinum Elite advantages, with a number of additions: a 75% level bonus on stays, 48-hour assured availability and United MileagePlus Silver standing via the RewardsPlus partnership.

Titanium Elite members are additionally eligible for a second Annual Alternative Profit after finishing 75 nights in a 12 months. Along with the choices Platinum elites obtain, Titanium members even have the choice of selecting a free night time award value as much as 40,000 factors or gifting Gold Elite standing. This free night time award or 5 Suite Evening Awards are my high selections.

Associated: The case for burning 80,000 factors to earn Marriott Titanium standing

Ambassador Elite

Marriott’s high printed elite standing tier is Ambassador Elite. Successfully an enhanced model of Titanium Elite, Ambassador Elite standing is earned after accumulating 100 qualifying nights in a calendar 12 months and reaching $20,000 in qualifying Marriott spending.

Ambassador Elite members get all Titanium Elite advantages, plus devoted Ambassadors that will help you out with reserving and managing stays. You additionally get entry to the Your24 profit that permits you to select your 24-hour check-in and checkout time. So in the event you arrive on a late 10 p.m. flight for a one-night keep, you might take a look at the next night time at 10 p.m.

Associated: What purchases rely towards incomes Marriott Ambassador elite standing?

Cobalt program

You will not discover any mentions of “Cobalt” in any official Marriott Bonvoy promotional materials. However TPG acquired leaked data in Aug. 2019 about this secret invitation-only Marriott standing. This elite stage is so unique that it is solely accessible via an invite from Marriott Worldwide’s President and CEO.

The advantages are largely that of Marriott Ambassador Elite, however with extra touches comparable to a customized word from the Common Supervisor, a gathering with the GM and a “distinctive expertise on-property” at luxurious manufacturers.

Associated: VIP therapy: Your information to invitation-only airline and resort elite standing

Assured advantages

An important facet of Marriott Bonvoy is that most of the advantages are assured. For instance, the “Final Reservation Assure” guarantees elite members as much as $200 and 90,000 Marriott factors — plus lodging at a close-by resort — for being “walked” from a Marriott resort.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

Marriott has charts itemizing your compensation in the event you do not obtain what you are entitled to.

Associated: Walked from a resort? This is how a lot compensation you are owed

Methods to earn Marriott factors

There are a number of methods to earn Marriott Bonvoy factors, from staying at Marriott properties to spending on bank cards. You’ll be able to take a look at our information on the greatest methods to earn Marriott factors for added particulars, however this is a abstract.

Lodge stays

JW Marriott Charlotte. (Photograph by Taylor Jenkins/The Factors Man)

Marriott Members earn 10 factors per greenback spent on qualifying prices for stays at most Marriott resort manufacturers. There are a number of exceptions to that normal rule, although. For instance, you may earn 5 Marriott factors per greenback spent on qualifying prices at Factor, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Properties & Villas by Marriott. In the meantime, at Marriott Government Flats, you may earn 2.5 Marriott factors per greenback spent on qualifying room charges.

However, elite standing and present resort promotions can increase your incomes charges. For instance, throughout a three-night keep as a Platinum Elite, I as soon as earned 16,375 Marriott factors — value $131 at TPG valuations — on a $270 4 Factors keep:

  • 2,250 factors from base earnings ($225 qualifying spend x 10 factors per greenback spent).
  • 1,125 factors as an elite bonus (50% bonus as a Platinum Elite).
  • 500 factors as a welcome reward.
  • 12,000 factors as a bonus for finishing 5 stays via the Unlock Extra promotion.
  • 500 factors for declining housekeeping for 2 days.

Nonetheless, to earn factors for a keep, you may must e book instantly with Marriott. Stays that do not earn factors embody rooms booked via on-line journey companies (like Expedia, Motels.com and Priceline), as a part of an occasion, via a tour operator or as a comped keep.

Associated: How a lot worth does Marriott standing present if you e book direct?

Bank card bonuses and spending

There are a number of playing cards you need to use to earn Marriott Bonvoy factors, however solely 4 can be found to new candidates — two from American Categorical and two from Chase:

  • Marriott Bonvoy Good™ American Categorical® Card: Finest for Marriott loyalists in search of perks.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise® American Categorical® Card: Finest for Marriott enterprise vacationers.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit score Card: Finest for Marriott loyalists in search of a modest annual charge.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Daring Credit score Card: Finest for Marriott loyalists in search of a no annual charge choice.

(Photograph by Eden Batki/The Factors Man)The Marriott Bonvoy Good American Categorical Card is the one private Marriott cobranded card accessible via Amex. This card at the moment affords a welcome bonus of 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus factors after you utilize your new card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases inside the first three months of card membership.

The Marriott Bonvoy Good Amex has a hefty $450 annual charge (see charges and charges) however comes full of advantages. Plus, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places and on flights booked instantly with airways and a couple of factors per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.

Associated: Marriott Bonvoy Good American Categorical Card evaluate

Enterprise house owners can apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise American Categorical Card, which at the moment affords a welcome bonus of 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus factors after you utilize your new card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases inside the first three months of card membership. This card has a $125 annual charge (see charges and charges), nevertheless it makes up for that charge with an as much as 35,000-point certificates awarded every year after your card renewal month.

Plus, you may earn 6 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program, 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places, fuel stations, transport suppliers and wi-fi telephone companies bought instantly from service suppliers and a couple of factors per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.

Associated: Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise Amex bank card evaluate

(Photograph by John Gribben/The Factors Man)

Chase’s Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit score Card is at the moment providing 3 Free Nights (every night time valued as much as 50,000 factors) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. This card comes with perks like computerized Silver Elite standing and the power to earn one elite night time credit score for each $5,000 you spend.

The Bonvoy Boundless Card additionally earns 6 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating in Marriott Bonvoy, 3 factors per greenback on the primary $6,000 spent in mixed purchases every year on fuel stations, grocery shops and eating and a couple of factors per greenback on all different purchases. You will additionally get one free night time award yearly after your account anniversary that is legitimate for a one-night resort keep at a property with a redemption worth as much as 35,000 factors.

Associated: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless bank card evaluate

(Photograph by Wyatt Smith/The Factors Man)

For these in search of a no annual charge bank card, Chase affords the Marriott Bonvoy Daring Credit score Card. Regardless of the cardboard not having an annual charge, you may earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. This card additionally affords 15 elite night time credit every year.

However, you may solely earn 6 factors per greenback spent at resorts collaborating in Marriott Bonvoy (half the speed of different Bonvoy bank cards), 2 factors per greenback spent on different journey purchases and 1 level per greenback spent on the whole lot else.

Associated: Marriott Bonvoy Daring bank card evaluate

Organizing occasions

Occasion planners will earn two factors per greenback spent for any qualifying occasion held at a Marriott property, with a most base incomes of 60,000 factors per occasion. Nonetheless, Marriott elite members get a bonus on these base earnings and have the next most variety of factors they will earn per occasion.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

You will earn a further elite night time credit score for each 20 rooms you e book as a part of your occasion, as much as 20 elite night time credit per occasion.

Associated: Maximizing factors and miles when planning your wedding ceremony and honeymoon

Refer pals

Marriott Bonvoy will reward you for referring pals to this system. You’ll be able to refer as much as 5 new members every calendar 12 months, and you may earn 2,000 factors for as much as 5 of their paid stays.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

If all 5 of your referred pals full at the least 5 stays, you may earn 50,000 bonus factors a 12 months. The chums you refer can even earn 2,000 bonus factors for every of their first 5 paid stays for a most of 10,000 bonus factors.

Associated: refer pals and earn factors, miles or money credit

Consuming out

In Oct. 2019, Marriott launched a brand new manner of incomes factors: consuming. The “Eat Round City” program affords Marriott elites 6 Marriott factors per greenback spent and nonelite Marriott members 4 Marriott factors per greenback spent. To earn, all you should do is join your bank card to this system and use your card to eat at collaborating eating places.

(Screenshot from eataroundtown.marriott.com)

Word that factors earned via the Eat Round City program are along with the factors you’d in any other case earn from the eating buy, comparable to bank card rewards or rewards from the restaurant’s loyalty program.

Associated: 10 of essentially the most beneficiant airline and resort eating rewards applications

Journey companions

You’ll be able to earn as much as 2,000 Marriott factors per Hertz automobile rental by reserving via Marriott’s Excursions & Actions web page.

And, you may earn bonus Marriott factors if you e book a cruise via Marriott Cruise With Factors.

Shopping for a mattress

Bonvoy members can earn 10,000 Marriott factors by shopping for a mattress from any of Marriott Worldwide’s retail shops on-line: Store EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton Retailers, The Luxurious Assortment Retailer, St. Regis Boutique, W Motels The Retailer, Curated by JW, Store Marriott, Sheraton Retailer, Westin Retailer, Store Le Méridien, Accumulate Renaissance, Gaylord Motels The Retailer, Store Courtyard, Fairfield Retailer and Store 4 Factors.

Transferring factors from different applications

You’ll be able to switch Chase Final Rewards (39-hour switch time) and American Categorical Membership Rewards (immediate switch) factors to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 switch ratio. Whereas it is not one of the best use of more-valuable factors, it may possibly make sense to switch in factors to high off your Marriott Bonvoy account for a precious redemption.

Combining factors with different members

The Tasman. (Photograph by Eric Rosen/The Factors Man)

A incredible facet of Marriott Bonvoy is combining your factors with one other Marriott Bonvoy member. Every member can switch as much as 100,000 factors to a different account per 12 months. And every member can obtain as much as 500,000 factors per 12 months.

Not like in different applications, these member-to-member transfers are utterly free. Word that there are restrictions on new members, and you should name Marriott to finish the switch.

Associated: Your final information to household factors pooling

Purchase factors

You should purchase as much as 100,000 factors every year. The acquisition charge is mostly $12.50 per 1,000 factors, however Marriott will periodically run promotions that decrease the value.

Associated: When does it make sense to purchase factors and miles?

Earn miles as an alternative of factors

It is also value noting which you could earn airline miles with choose airline loyalty applications as an alternative of Marriott factors in your resort stays. Typically, you may earn two miles per greenback spent on all qualifying prices at most Marriott manufacturers. However, you may earn much less at some manufacturers, and you could earn otherwise with choose airline loyalty applications.

Associated: We examined incomes American Airways miles for 3 completely different resort stays — this is what we discovered

redeem Marriott factors

There are various choices for utilizing your Marriott Bonvoy factors. TPG values Marriott factors at 0.8 cents every, so that is the minimal worth you may wish to get when redeeming Marriott factors.

You will sometimes get essentially the most worth out of your Marriott factors when redeeming for resort stays or transferring to airline loyalty applications. Nonetheless, on this part, I am going to overview all kinds of how you may redeem Marriott factors.

Award nights

Marriott not makes use of an award chart. Nonetheless, award nights at 97% of Marriott properties will nonetheless fall inside the earlier off-peak to peak award costs for stays via the top of 2022. You’ll be able to see Marriott’s earlier award chart under:

Marriott award chart earlier than dynamic pricing. (Screenshot from marriott.com)

Now Marriott makes use of dynamic pricing, with award charges based mostly on paid resort charges and occupancy ranges (amongst different components). As such, you will not know till you go to e book precisely how a lot your award keep will price.

As I discussed above, 97% of Marriott properties are nonetheless sure by the earlier award chart’s peak and off-peak pricing charges for stays via 2022. However, your award keep might price any quantity for the opposite 3% of properties and stays in 2023 and past. And that is why some consider this can be a critical devaluation of Marriott Bonvoy factors.

You’ll be able to redeem Marriott factors for upgraded rooms. This feature is not accessible at each property, so you may merely must seek for award nights at your property and see if upgraded rooms are bookable by way of redemption with money improve or redemption with factors improve.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

You will obtain the lowest-priced night time without spending a dime in the event you redeem factors for 5 or extra consecutive nights in a normal room, due to Marriott’s “Keep for five, Pay for 4” perk. Marriott additionally permits you to reserve nights with Money + Factors when reserving a normal room.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

You need to use this system’s Factors Advance performance to order an award keep if you’re brief on factors — which is an effective way to verify a room at a property earlier than you earn sufficient factors to cowl the keep.

Nonetheless, it is necessary to notice that you just aren’t locking in a charge by utilizing Factors Advance. Factors Advance merely confirms award house for you. So if the award keep turns into dearer earlier than you have earned the factors and paid for the room with factors, you may should redeem extra factors.

Associated: maximize longer resort stays by utilizing a free night time profit

Marriott Bonvoy Moments

Should you’re in search of a special sort of redemption, contemplate exploring the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. This lets you money in your factors for distinctive experiences like live performance tickets, culinary occasions or seats to see your favourite sports activities workforce.

Try the present choices right here. The packages change repeatedly, and whereas some are dealt with as auctions, others provide mounted worth redemptions. It is exhausting to peg a worth on these, as many aren’t simply replicable utilizing money.

Instantaneous redemption

You need to use factors towards resort credit score in opposition to your complete room invoice. This feature solely affords a redemption charge of 0.4 cents per level, so I like to recommend avoiding this feature.

Present playing cards

You may as well redeem Marriott factors for reward playing cards. However, you may get 0.4 cents per level or much less, so I additionally advocate avoiding this redemption choice.

Associated: use factors and miles to present presents with $0 out-of-pocket price

Journey redemptions and airline transfers

There are fairly a number of choices for getting free journey along with your Marriott Bonvoy factors.

You’ll be able to switch your Marriott factors into airline miles with greater than 40 airways. Most of those airways have a switch ratio of three:1. The exceptions to this rule are Air New Zealand Airpoints (200:1) and United MileagePlus (3:1.1).

Marriott additionally affords 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 factors you switch. You’ll get 25,000 airline miles for transferring 60,000 factors to most airline companions. Understand that switch occasions range based mostly on the airline.

You’ll be able to e book air journey and rental automobiles along with your factors via Marriott’s Air and Automobile program, however you may get lower than 0.4 cents per level in worth towards these redemptions.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

You may as well redeem factors towards a free cruise with Marriott Cruise With Factors, however you may solely obtain about 0.4 cents per level in worth.

Award reserving course of

You can begin your award reserving course of proper on Marriott’s homepage. Simply click on the “Use Factors/Certificates” field on the principle search, and outcomes will seem with the required factors proven.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

Click on the “Discover Motels” button, and you will be introduced with a view of the entire resorts that match your vacation spot alongside their respective pricing.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

Click on “View Charges” to see which room varieties can be found at these costs and your reserving choices.

(Screenshot from marriott.com)

Then, click on “Choose” subsequent to the room sort you wish to e book to maneuver ahead with the reserving course of.

Associated: Test your award bookings: Marriott’s change to dynamic pricing may allow you to reclaim factors

Leveraging Marriott Bonvoy

Listed below are a number of the methods you need to use to get essentially the most worth out of your Marriott expertise.

Finest charge assure

Camelback Inn. (Photograph by Ben Smithson/The Factors Man)

Marriott’s model of the greatest charge assure will match the speed discovered on one other web site in the event you submit a declare inside 24 hours of constructing your reservation on Marriott’s web site. Plus, Marriott offers you a further 25% low cost on that charge or a 5,000-point bonus.

Get at the least one Marriott Bonvoy card

You’ll be able to snag 15 elite night time credit yearly on a private Marriott bank card and 15 elite night time credit on a enterprise card. So, you may earn as much as 30 elite night time credit by having two Marriott Bonvoy bank cards. These elite night time credit can simply put Platinum Elite or Titanium Elite standing in attain for a lot of vacationers.

Plus, most Marriott bank cards with an annual charge provide a free night time award that may simply be value sufficient to justify paying your card’s annual charge.

Associated: Why I am protecting my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for the long run

Fifth night time free

All Marriott Bonvoy members get a free night time on award stays of 5 nights or longer. Whereas some vacationers may not wish to spend 5 or extra nights in a single place whereas on a visit, this profit is an effective way to save lots of factors on longer stays.

Associated: Do fifth-night free awards apply to suites or solely to plain rooms?

Stretch your factors at resorts with low award charges

You’ll be able to stretch your Marriott factors by redeeming them at resorts with low award charges. And do not dismiss these properties due to their award costs. For instance, the Protea Lodge Lusaka Safari Lodge in Zambia will price 5,000 and 10,000 factors per night time for stays via 2022. And true to its title, this property has its personal 2,500-acre non-public sport reserve.

Backside line

Via stays, companions, bank cards and promotions, it is not too troublesome to earn Marriott factors. And now, with dynamic pricing, it is by no means been simpler to spend these factors rapidly.

There is no denying that free nights can price a variety of factors, however there’s nonetheless loads of worth available in this system.

With strong elite advantages and loads of good-valued choices for redemptions, I am a fan of Marriott Bonvoy regardless of its devaluations. After incomes Titanium Elite standing for the primary time in 2019, I’ve continued to gather Marriott factors and get strong worth on my redemptions.

For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Good card, please click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise card, please click on right here.

Extra reporting by Katie Genter, Richard Kerr and Andrew Kunesh.

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