Are you looking to maximize your Marriott Bonvoy points? Aside from redeeming these valuable hotel points for a "free" award stay at one of its many properties around the world, in some cases, it can make sense to transfer Marriott points to foreign airline programs.
This article will explore the various ways to use Marriott points, including hotel reservations, airline transfers, purchases through shopping portals and other redemption options.
How to use Marriott Bonvoy points for hotel stays
You can use your Marriott Bonvoy points to book rooms at Marriott properties worldwide, but the number of points required can vary. Marriott removed its Category 1-8 award chart in 2022, so it has become more difficult to predict the number of points needed for a specific hotel stay.
While Marriott's dynamic pricing model has its upsides, as some properties offer a better value, many hotels now require more points than before.
For example, you can book a stay at a TownePlace Suites in Columbus, Ohio, for just $138 or 10,500 points per night on some dates, giving you a value of 1.3 cents per point.
At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, you could pay $4,156 or 140,000 points per night, giving you a value of almost 3 cents per point.
Both options will give you well over TPG's August 2024 valuation of 0.85 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point. We usually recommend redeeming points for a low-end or luxury hotel to get the best value.
In addition to standard redemptions, Marriott offers Cash + Points awards, which let you combine cash and points so you don't have to use all of your points on your stay. The Cash + Points option also allows you to customize your stay by redeeming points for one night and paying cash for the next, which is useful when rates vary throughout your stay.
Finally, you can also use your points in conjunction with free night certificates offered on specific Marriott credit cards. These awards are typically granted as part of a welcome offer or on your account anniversary (after paying the annual fee), and they cover award stays up to a set number of points — typically ranging from 35,000 to 85,000. However, you can combine these certificates with up to 15,000 additional points from your Marriott Bonvoy account to book higher-priced rooms.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
For example, if the hotel you want to book has a nightly rate of 40,000 points and you have a 35,000-point award certificate, you can use your free night award to partially cover the cost of one night and pay an additional 5,000 points.
Related: How to use a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate
Get a fifth night free
One great perk of the Marriott Bonvoy program is that if you book five consecutive nights on one reservation using points, the least expensive night is free. This free night will automatically be reflected when you book online and applies to stays across all of Marriott's participating brands.
However, this gets tricky if you use the Cash + Points option to redeem points for some nights and pay cash for others. You must book five (or more) award nights to get the fifth night free. If you book a seven-night stay and pay cash for two of them, you'll need to redeem points for five of the other nights, and you'll see your "free" night reflected in your summary of charges when you go to check out online or via the mobile app.
This also affects how you use the aforementioned certificates. When you apply these to a longer stay, they don't count as an eligible night for the purposes of getting a fifth night free. You must use points for five (or more) consecutive nights for this benefit to kick in.
Read more: Can you mix hotel points and free night certificates for a fourth or fifth night free?
How to transfer Marriott points to airline partners
Marriott members can transfer points to 39 airline programs, including exclusive partnerships not available with other loyalty programs.
You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to most airline partners at a 3:1 ratio, meaning 3 Marriott Bonvoy points yield 1 airline mile. You'll also receive 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred, which boosts your effective transfer ratio to 2.4:1. There are a few exceptions to this rule, though:
- Points transfer to Air New Zealand at a 200:1 ratio.
- United Airlines provides 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer.
- American Airlines, Avianca and Delta Air Lines no longer offer 5,000 bonus miles.
While airline transfers may not give you as good a deal as hotel stays, they can come in handy if you need to top up your miles balance or leverage more obscure points and miles that are harder to earn. You can only transfer 240,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to airlines daily; the minimum transfer amount is 3,000 points. In addition, the name on your frequent flyer account typically needs to match the first and last name on your Marriott account. Finally, our previous tests have shown wide variation in how long these transfers take — so consider placing an award ticket hold if you're afraid that the seats will disappear before the transfer is processed.
How to use points for Marriott Bonvoy Moments
Marriott Bonvoy Moments offers a range of destination-specific activities, such as concerts, sporting events and culinary experiences, in cities where Marriott hotels are located. These experiences can be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points. Some activities may not be available for cash purchase. To explore these options, visit the Marriott Bonvoy Moments site and choose the category you're interested in.
Keep in mind that certain experiences have a fixed point cost, while others are auction-based. Review the terms and conditions before purchasing, as most are nonrefundable.
Related:
How to use Marriott points for flights, car rentals and cruises
You can also use Marriott points to book flights, car rentals and cruises; however, this will not yield the best return.
For example, we priced out a one-way flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Alaska Airlines for $49.16 or 12,500 Marriott points. That's a return of just 0.39 cents per Marriott point — not even half our 0.85-cent valuation of Marriott points.
Redemptions on rental cars provide a similar return, with a sample rental car in Los Angeles coming in at $338.56 or 85,000 points.
You can also use Marriott points to book a trip using the Cruise with Points program or for a voyage with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. You can use 180,000 points toward a $1,000 savings on The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
After that, members can redeem points in increments of 90,000 toward a $500 savings. Full points redemption of the cruise fare may be available, but points redeemed do not cover taxes, fees and port expenses. In any case, this is only 0.55 cents per point, far from a good value.
Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles
How to buy merchandise with Marriott Shopping
Finally, you can use your Marriott Bonvoy points for merchandise and gift cards.
Marriott offers a wide range of products on its web store, from Uber gift cards to Bose headphones and Bluetooth speakers. However, these redemptions are not usually the best use of your miles.
Redemption values vary from retailer to retailer; for example, a $25 Apple gift card costs 10,000 points. This gives you just 0.25 cents per point in value, well below our valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points.
Related: Your guide to maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases
Best credit cards for booking Marriott hotels
It is easy to earn enough Bonvoy points for your next redemption with a great range of cobranded credit cards packed with features. Here are some of our favorites:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- New cardmember bonus: Earn three free night awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
- Earning rates: 6 points per dollar on eligible Marriott Bonvoy purchases; 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases yearly on grocery stores, gas stations and dining; 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
- Benefits: An annual free night certificate (up to 35,000 points) for each cardmember anniversary; 15 elite night credits annually to help earn a higher tier of Bonvoy status; one additional credit toward elite status for every $5,000 you spend.
- Annual fee: $95.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- New cardmember bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus one free night award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The free night is valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program; 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services; 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
- Benefits: Cardmembers get complimentary Silver Elite status and also get 5 elite night credits yearly.
- Annual fee: $0.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Welcome bonus: Earn 185,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases on your card within the first six months of card membership.
- Earning rates: 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program; 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines; 2 points per dollar on other purchases.
- Benefits: Primary cardholders receive complimentary automatic Marriott Platinum Elite status. Each year after card renewal month, cardmembers receive a free night award worth up to 85,000 points (certain hotels have resort fees). Cardmembers receive up to $300 in statement credits (up to $25 each calendar month) when they use their card at eligible restaurants worldwide. The card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you and two guests unlimited access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant will reimburse you when you charge the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck to the card (up to $85 every 4 1/2 years for TSA PreCheck or $100 every four years for Global Entry). Enrollment is required for select benefits.
- Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees).
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Welcome bonus: Earn three free night awards after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Each free night award has a redemption level of up to 50,000 Bonvoy points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Resort fees may apply.
- Earning rates: 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program; 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on purchases made from merchants in the U.S. for shipping; 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
- Benefits: Cardmembers receive automatic Marriott Gold Elite status and an annual free night award worth up to 35,000 points (certain hotels have resort fees).
- Annual fee: $125 (see rates and fees).
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
- Welcome bonus: Earn 155,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases on your card within the first six months of card membership.
- Earning rates: 6 points per dollar on purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program; 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 per year in combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2 points per dollar); 2 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.
- Benefits: Primary cardholders enjoy complimentary, automatic Marriott Gold status for as long as they have the card (enrollment is required). Cardholders who make at least $15,000 in eligible purchases during their cardmember year can earn a free night award worth up to 50,000 points (certain hotels have resort fees).
- Annual fee: $250 (see rates and fees).
Bottom line
While changes like the removal of award charts have affected the value of the Bonvoy program, there are still plenty of great ways to maximize your Marriott points, whether you want luxury travel or something more modest.
We recommend focusing on hotel stays or transferring points to airline partners. These options provide the best value for your points and allow you to explore the world affordably.
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Bevy Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant Card, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
