Marriott Review

Overview

The Marriott Bonvoy program accommodates both business and leisure travelers who visit major cities in the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. As a program member, you will earn rewards points when you stay with one of 29 affiliated brands, including The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and more.

You can earn additional points by making purchases with one of American Express’ Marriott-affiliated credit cards (Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant or Marriott Bonvoy Business) or one of Chase Visa’s Marriott-affiliated cards (Marriott Bonvoy Bold or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless).

In addition to hotel stays and room upgrades, you can redeem points for retail gift cards, cruise vacations, rental cars and unique experiences, such as concerts and sporting events. Plus, Marriott Bonvoy points can be used to pay for TSA PreCheck applications, airport lounge access and flights through 40 airline rewards programs like United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles.

Rankings

Marriott Bonvoy is ranked No. 3 in the Best Hotel Rewards Programs. U.S. News evaluated 15 loyalty programs associated with major hotel brands across several indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank rewards.

Marriott Bonvoy is ranked as:

Points

As a Marriott Bonvoy member, you earn points on expenses at participating hotels, including on-site dining and spa charges. Plus, members can accrue additional points by making everyday purchases with any Marriott Bonvoy credit card. Points can be used for nightly stays and room upgrades at Marriott-affiliated properties, as well as for merchandise purchases, rental cars, flights and more.

Earning Points

The number of points you earn varies by hotel. You earn 10 hotel points for every dollar spent at Marriott hotels, including its higher-end brands like JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Autograph Collection Hotels and St. Regis Hotels. Meanwhile, you’ll earn five points per dollar spent at Element Hotels, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites properties. You can earn two-and-a-half points for every dollar spent on Marriott Executive Apartments accommodations as well.

Also earn points with one of four Marriott Bonvoy credit cards from Chase Visa or American Express. You can purchase up to 50,000 additional points in a calendar year at a rate of $12.50 per 1,000 points. Marriott Bonvoy also offers the chance to earn points on rental cars and cruises. Plus, you can earn 2,000 bonus points every time you refer up to five friends or family members to the Marriott Bonvoy program in one calendar year and a new member stays at an affiliated property (up to five per referral). If you have elite status and link your Marriott Bonvoy account to an Emirates Skywards account, you can earn both Marriott Bonvoy points and Emirates Skywards miles during stays at Marriott properties and Emirates flights. What’s more, you can opt to earn miles for airline rewards programs like United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles instead of points.

Using Points

Marriott’s properties fall into eight categories. The required amount of points needed for a free night starts at 5,000 per night and varies depending on category tier and time of booking. Depending on current availability at a given property, award redemption rates will fall into one of three categories: Off Peak, Standard or Peak. When you redeem five nights at a participating hotel, you’ll only use points for four nights.

Should you be short on points, rewards members can use the program’s Cash + Points option to book a reservation using a combination of points and traditional payment methods. Cash + Points redemptions for standard rooms at Category 1 properties start at $55 and 3,500 points. Below are the number of points needed for one free night in any room (ranging from standard rooms to premium rooms) in a selection of popular business and leisure destinations:

If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member, you can also use points to pay for travel packages, cruises, TSA PreCheck applications, airport lounge access and retail gift cards. Additionally, Marriott offers a variety of experiences that members can use points to purchase, from tickets to sporting events to backstage concert passes. You can also exchange your points for miles with 40 airline rewards programs, including United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles. For every 60,000 points you transfer to miles, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus miles from Marriott. Other redemption options include gifting your points to another Marriott Bonvoy member and donating your points to charity.

Security Features

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cardholders receive industry-standard security features like multiple authorization checks if your account is signed into on an unrecognized device, as well as instant email, text, and push notification alerts to monitor account activity for fraud.

If you misplace your card, you can easily lock the card via the Chase mobile app to avoid potential fraud. Lost or stolen cards are replaced for free, too.

Pros and Cons

Pros Explained

• High-value bonus for new cardholders: Earn 100,000 Bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.1
• One free night each year: Each year after renewing your credit card, you’ll get one Free Night Award, which can be redeemed for a one-night stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels with a redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. An annual free hotel night for being an active cardholder for a $95 annual fee is a good deal.
• Automatic Elite status: This gives cardholders 10% more points on Marriott purchases and a few perks like late checkout.
• Transfer option for airline miles: Unlike other hotel credit card programs, the Marriott Bonvoy Rewards program has about 40 airline partners, including American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, United, and Virgin Atlantic. This can be a good option, with some caveats (more on that in the Redeeming Rewards section below).

Cons Explained

• No credits for travel expenses: Unlike with some other travel cards, you won’t get reimbursed for the cost of applying for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, or other travel expenses.
• Few premium travel benefits: This is a travel card, but its travel benefits are pretty basic. Frequent travelers will be better protected and enjoy more travel perks with other travel cards, even other hotel-branded ones.

Marriott Rewards Review Summary

Marriott Bonvoy is the 5th best hotel rewards program, according to WalletHub research. Some of the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program’s biggest strengths include points worth an average of 1 cent apiece, lots of redemption options and few earning limitations.

Membership Levels

The Marriott Bonvoy program is divided into six membership levels based on paid nights per calendar year: member, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite. To qualify for Ambassador Elite status, you must also spend a certain amount of money with Marriott annually. (Note: More flexible ways to achieve status may be in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See the Marriott Bonvoy website for more details.)

Member

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

This is the status you earn by signing up for free on Marriott’s website. Becoming a member enables you to collect up to 10 points per dollar spent at Marriott Hotels or Marriott-affiliated properties. You can redeem accrued points for free nights, airline miles, experiences, charitable donations and more. Membership allows you to earn a free night when you redeem rewards points on a consecutive five-night stay at participating hotels. You’ll also have access to member discounts, mobile check-in and free standard in-room Wi-Fi access when booking through Marriott.

Silver Elite

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Priority check-in/out
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

To earn Silver Elite status, you must stay at least 10 nights at any participating Marriott property each calendar year. You’ll have access to all standard member benefits, plus the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee: If Marriott fails to honor your reservation, the hotel will compensate you and pay for your accommodations elsewhere in the area. As a Silver Elite member, you will also enjoy perks like priority late checkout (when available) and a dedicated reservation line for elite members. Plus, you’ll receive an extra 10% points bonus on top of the base points earned from each stay.

Maintaining your Silver Elite status requires meeting minimum stay requirements annually. If you qualify for elite status for at least five years and stay 250 nights over the course of your membership, you’ll earn Lifetime Silver Elite status. With Lifetime Silver Elite status, your points will never expire and you will keep your Silver Elite benefits for life.

Gold Elite

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Free room upgrades
• Priority check-in/out
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

You need to stay a minimum of 25 nights in a single calendar year to achieve Gold Elite status. As a Gold Elite member, you’ll enjoy all of the benefits offered to Silver Elite members but instead earn a 25% points bonus in addition to base points. Gold Elite status also comes with free upgraded internet access, complimentary room upgrades (when available) and a free welcome gift of 250 or 500 points (exact totals vary by brand). You will also receive priority late checkout until 2 p.m. (subject to availability).

To keep your Gold Elite status, you must requalify every year. Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status can also be obtained by members of United MileagePlus who hold Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, Premier 1K or United Global Services status. If you maintain Gold Elite status or higher for a minimum of seven years and accrue 400 nights over the course of your membership, then you’ll earn Lifetime Gold Elite status, meaning you will never be downgraded from Gold Elite status and your points will not expire.

Platinum Elite

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Free room upgrades
• Priority check-in/out
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

Stay at least 50 nights in one calendar year and you’ll earn Platinum Elite status. As a Platinum Elite member, you get all of the benefits of Gold Elite status, plus a free upgrade to a room or suite (subject to availability) and free enhanced in-room Wi-Fi access. You’ll also receive a welcome gift of points, free breakfast or another amenity (options vary by brand) upon arrival, as well as priority late checkout until 4 p.m. (subject to availability) and a 50% points bonus on top of base points.

Other perks include complimentary lounge access (when available) and an Annual Choice Benefit of five Suite Night Awards, free Silver Elite status for a friend or family member, a 40% discount off of a Marriott mattress purchase, a $100 donation to charity or five Elite Night Credits to apply toward maintaining elite status. Plus, you’ll enjoy free priority check-in and boarding at airports if you’re flying with Emirates and have your Marriott Bonvoy account linked to an Emirates Skywards account.

Keeping your Platinum Elite benefits requires requalifying each year. Rack up 600 nights over the course of your membership and keep your Platinum Elite status for 10 years and you’ll earn Lifetime Platinum Elite status. Once you’ve earned it, your points will never expire and you’ll enjoy your Platinum Elite benefits for life.

Titanium Elite

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Free room upgrades
• Priority check-in/out
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

Reaching Titanium Elite status requires staying a minimum of 75 nights in one calendar year. With Titanium Elite membership, you’ll receive all of the benefits given to Platinum Elite members. As well as a guaranteed room when booking by 3 p.m. at least 48 hours in advance. You’ll also earn an extra Annual Choice Benefit (five additional Suite Night Awards, free Gold Elite status for a friend or family member, a 40% discount off of a Marriott mattress purchase, a $100 charity donation or five Elite Night Credits to apply toward maintaining Elite status) and a 75% points bonus in addition to base points.

And thanks to Marriott Bonvoy’s partnership with United MileagePlus, Titanium Elite members are eligible for complimentary MileagePlus Premier Silver status, benefits of which include seat upgrades and bonus award miles. To continue enjoying Titanium Elite perks, you’ll need to meet minimum tier requirements annually.

Ambassador Elite

Benefits include:

• Ability to earn and use points
• Free nights
• Free room upgrades
• Priority check-in/out
• Free amenities
• Member discounts

When you stay 100 nights or more and spend at least $20,000 in one calendar year, you’ll qualify for Ambassador Elite status. In addition to all of the benefits awarded to Titanium Elite members, you’ll receive access to a personal ambassador who can answer membership questions and arrange services like transportation, sightseeing excursions, restaurant reservations and spa appointments. You also enjoy the Your24 benefit, which lets you choose your check-in and checkout time through your ambassador. Maintaining your Ambassador Elite status requires meeting minimum stay and spend prerequisites each year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Marriott Verified Guest Reviews?

When a guest receives and completes a Guest Satisfaction Survey after a confirmed stay. It’s posted word-for-word on Marriott.com as a Marriott Verified Guest Review.

How do I find a review for a specific hotel?

First, select “Find & Reserve” at the top of any page. “Find a Hotel” will open; enter a destination. When the search results appear, select the hotel to open its website. The reviews will begin on the home page.

How do I leave a review on Marriott.com?

You can only submit a review if you receive a Guest Satisfaction Survey following a completed stay at one of our properties.

Why didn’t my review post immediately to the website?

Each guest review is moderated to ensure it meets our hotel review guidelines. If it complies, the review should appear within 72 hours of submission.

Why are reviews moderated?

Our hotel reviews guidelines screen for profanity, unintelligible information, and personally identifiable information, ensuring that content is not offensive or inappropriate.

Will my personal information be safe and private?

Marriott will not sell your information to any third parties; review our terms and conditions below for more on how we protect your information.

Where do I go to read my review?

Your review will appear on the hotel’s website within 72 hours of submission. To view, go to Marriott.com and enter the hotel’s location in the “Find a Hotel” box. This will open your search results. Then, select your hotel to view their website.