#2 Among Hotels
Point Value
0.7 ¢
Program Score
7.3
Their poor points redemption value leaves Bonvoy near the bottom of our rankings.
The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is by staying at a Marriott property or opening a co-branded credit card. Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world, with more than 30 brands and 8,500 properties across 140 countries, so finding a place to earn points is rarely difficult. There are also six co-branded credit cards, though the maze of eligibility rules makes it harder to rely on them as a consistent source of points through signup bonuses.
How many points you earn depends on the brand, your elite status, and how you booked. If you book through an online travel agency, book with points, or redeem a free night certificate, you will not earn points on your stay.
If you book directly with Marriott, you will earn points based on the brand:
You also receive the following elite bonuses if you hold status with Marriott:
Note: Stays at StudioRes do not earn elite bonus points.
You can also earn points on eligible charges billed to your room, such as dining or spa services. Resort fees and tips do not earn points, even when they are charged to the room.
Marriott has six co-branded credit cards — three from Chase and three from American Express — split between five consumer cards and one business card. There is a frustrating and complicated set of eligibility rules based on what cards you currently have, what cards you’ve previously had, and whether you’ve earned a signup bonus on certain cards in the past (even cards that no longer exist can affect your eligibility).
Each card comes with different signup bonuses, annual fees, benefits, and perks. You can earn a strong cache of points through these cards, but you need to be strategic if you want to open more than one.
American Express, Bilt, and Chase all transfer to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio. Because of the high cost of points stays with Marriott, we generally recommend using transferable points only for top ups. Still, transfers can be useful when you need to complete a booking.
Marriott Bonvoy lets you transfer points to any other member at no cost, but there are several rules and restrictions:
Free transfers can be useful for consolidating balances or topping off an account before booking an award stay.
Special Offers Related to Marriott Bonvoy. Click the arrow to see more.
Marriott is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased points through September 9, 2026. Buy 2,000-39,000 points to receive a 30% bonus or 40,000+ points for the full 40% bonus, which drops the purchase price to about 0.89¢ per point. That is still above our 0.70¢ valuation for Bonvoy points, so we would not recommend buying speculatively. It can make sense if you need to top off for a valuable redemption or already have a specific award stay in mind. For this promotion, Marriott has also increased the annual purchase limit from 150,000 to 200,000 points.
Marriott is offering 2,000 bonus Bonvoy points per night on Homes & Villas stays of two or more nights. You can earn up to 10,000 bonus points per stay by registering and booking by October 1, 2026 and completing your stay by December 31, 2026. The biggest caveat is that you must spend at least $1,500 before taxes and fees. We wouldn't book a stay with Homes & Villas just to earn these bonus points, but if you're also targeted for the current Amex Offer for $350 back after spending $1,000 with Marriott Homes & Villas, then it gets more interesting. You can stack both promotions and earn $350 back and the 2,000 bonus bonus points every two nights.
Both Chase and Citi are targeting some cardholders with offers for Marriott stays in the U.S. Chase is offering 10% back on eligible purchases of $100 or more, up to a maximum credit of $50, through August 31, 2026. Citi is offering a fixed $30 statement credit on a single Marriott transaction of $300 or more through September 30, 2026. Neither offer is worth booking a stay you otherwise wouldn’t take, but if you already have a Marriott stay planned, it’s worth checking both issuers before deciding which card to use.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is offering 4 free night certificates (up to 50k points each) after spending $3,000 in 3 months. Each certificate can be topped up with up to 25,000 additional Bonvoy points. That’s up from their standard offer of 3 free night awards with the same spending requirement. Chase is also offering a $50 statement credit when spending $250 with airlines twice per year (once between 7/1/2026-12/31/2026 and again between 01/01/2027-6/30/2027). The annual fee is $95.
Using your Bonvoy points to stay at a Marriott property will almost always give you the best value. To search for stays using points, log in to your Bonvoy account, click “Use Points/Awards,” and enter your city and dates.
Marriott has nearly 40 airline transfer partners, more than American Express, Citi, and Chase combined. Unfortunately, the transfer ratios are poor and rarely offer good value.
Because of these weak ratios, we strongly recommend redeeming Bonvoy points for Marriott stays instead of transferring to airlines. Only consider a transfer for a small top off when no other options are available.
There are a few other ways to use your points, but none are high value uses of them.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Marriott lets you add up to 25,000 points to eligible Free Night Awards, which can unlock higher-priced properties. You are not allowed to top off certificates with cash.
Marriott Cash + Points rates are not always the best value and do not qualify for Stay for 5, Pay for 4. For variable-priced stays, consider paying cash for cheaper nights and points for more expensive nights. You cannot do this online, so you’ll have to call if you want to make this type of reservation.
Homes & Villas lets you redeem Bonvoy points for vacation rentals, which can be useful for families or trips where a hotel does not fit. Value is usually modest, so compare against hotel award stays before booking.
The strength of the Marriott Bonvoy program is the sheer coverage Marriott has around the world. With more than 8500 properties and 30 brands in 130+ countries, you can almost always find a Marriott—whether you want a simple, budget-friendly stay or a luxury resort. If you already have Bonvoy points, odds are good you’ll be able to use them wherever you're headed.
Marriott is best for travelers who stay with the brand often and value consistency. The more frequently you stay, the more you’ll benefit from Bonvoy, especially since redemption rates tend to be higher than other hotel chains. Perks also increase as you climb the elite status tiers, making loyalty more rewarding. Certain co-branded Marriott credit cards provide automatic status and benefits that make repeated stays even more valuable.
Marriott Bonvoy offers five elite status tiers above basic membership, which is free to join. Basic members receive:
You can earn elite status by staying a certain number of nights each calendar year. Some Marriott credit cards fast-track you toward the next tier, and others provide status as a built-in perk. Paid, award, and free night certificate stays all count toward elite night credits, as long as you book directly through Marriott.
Here are the elite status levels for Marriott Bonvoy, what it takes to reach each level, and what benefits you receive from each
Before opening a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, it’s crucial to understand the maze of rules, especially if you plan to earn signup bonuses from multiple cards. When you’re ready to cancel a card, make sure you know which cards you are and aren’t eligible for next, as well as any welcome offers you may or may not qualify for.
Fortunately, any points you earn from a Marriott Bonvoy card are safe for at least 24 months. Any earning or spending activity will reset the clock, but gifting or transferring points, as either the sender or the recipient, does not count as qualifying activity
It does not cost anything to join Marriott Bonvoy. You simply sign up. Members receive perks like free WiFi on Marriott stays, access to member rates, mobile check-in, and the ability to use your phone as your room key.
There are several ways to get a free Marriott night. You can earn points from co-branded cards and redeem them, transfer points from Amex, Bilt, or Chase, or hold a Marriott card that offers free night certificates as part of its annual benefits.
You can, but you must call to book the room. Marriott calls this a Gifted Award Redemption. The guest will need to show ID and provide a credit card for incidentals at check-in. Neither you nor the guest will earn points or elite night credits for the stay.
Yes. Marriott partners with nearly 40 airlines, so you can transfer points to book flights. Transfer rates are poor, though, making it a bad value. It’s best used only to top up an airline balance rather than covering an entire redemption.
Tracking Points & Transfer Options
