After the pandemic, travel and tourism are back with a big bang. Many families prefer to take an annual domestic vacation or a couple of them, along with a couple of nearby long weekend getaways to refresh and rejuvenate themselves.
If you are also one of them, it is time you join hotel loyalty programs offered by various hotel groups and make the most of them to your advantage. One such hotel loyalty program is the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
In this article, we will understand the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, how to become a member, and the various membership benefits. We will also understand how you can transfer your credit card reward points to this program and enjoy free stays at various hotels within the Marriott group.
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What is the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program?
The Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program is one of the world’s biggest hotel loyalty programs, wherein members can stay at 7000+ hotels (under 25+ different brands) across the globe and enjoy various membership benefits. The members can earn and burn loyalty points during their stays.
The member can book a stay and pay by cash, card etc. or through accumulated loyalty points (by redeeming them). For stays, a member earns loyalty points depending on their membership tier, length of stay, and any other ongoing offers. The Marriott Group has hotel brands across categories (budget to luxury) to accommodate the needs of people across income groups. Some of these include:
Luxury | Premium | Select | Long stays |
JW Marriott | Westin | Fairfield | Element Hotels |
St. Regis | Sheraton | Aloft | TownePlace Suites |
W Hotels | Marriott | Four Points | Residence Inn |
Ritz-Carlton | Le Meridien | Courtyard | Homes & Villas |
How to become a member and what are the membership benefits?
The Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program is open to all. An individual can become a member, free of cost, by registering on the Marriott website. The membership benefits are based on the membership tiers, which in turn are based on the number of nights the member stays in various participating Marriott hotels in a year.
When you register, you start as a member and work your way up through the membership tiers. Some of the membership benefits based on membership tiers include the following:
Silver | Gold | Platinum | Titanium | Ambassador |
Requires 10 nights stay/year | Requires 25 nights stay/year | Requires 50 nights stay/year | Requires 75 nights stay/year | Requires 100+ nights stay + $23K spent/year |
10% bonus loyalty points | 25% bonus loyalty points | 50% bonus loyalty points | 75% bonus loyalty points | 75% bonus loyalty points |
Welcome gift: NA | Welcome gift: Loyalty points | Welcome gift: Loyalty points, breakfast offering, or amenity | Welcome gift: Loyalty points, breakfast offering, or amenity | Welcome gift: Loyalty points, breakfast offering, or amenity |
Room upgrade: NA | Room upgrade: Based on availability | Room upgrade: Based on availability, including select suites | Room upgrade: Based on availability, including select suites | Room upgrade: Based on availability, including select suites |
Lounge access: NA | Lounge access: NA | Lounge access: Yes | Lounge access: Yes | Lounge access: Yes |
The above are just some of the membership benefits. Please check the hotel loyalty section on the Marriott website for the complete list of membership benefits.
Member offers
The Marriott group keeps sending various limited-time offers for members from time to time for their benefit. Some of these offers include:
- Bonus on purchasing points from time to time: For example, a 40% bonus on points bought between specific dates.
- App-exclusive discount offers from time to time: For example, a 25% discount on stays at participating hotels for bookings done through the Marriott Bonvoy App.
- Double Elite nights for stays between specific dates: For example, earn 1,000 bonus points and one bonus Elite night credit (double nights) on each eligible night.
- Free credit during the stay: For example, at certain participating hotels, you get a $100 credit (or higher) that you can use during the stay.
The above are just some sample offers. Members keep getting various offers regularly with various benefits in their mailboxes. You can get significant benefits if you plan your booking and club multiple offers together.
Transferring credit card reward points to the Marriott Bonvoy program
Marriott has partnered with various banks to allow their credit card holders to transfer their reward points to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program in a specified ratio. For example, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, American Express, etc. credit card holders can transfer their credit card reward points to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
Once you convert your credit card reward points into the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points, you can further use these points to make hotel stay bookings and enjoy free stays at various Marriott hotel properties across the globe.
Should you participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program?
If you are a frequent traveller, whether for business or leisure purposes, and your travel requires you to stay at various hotels, consider being a part of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
For stays, you get to choose from 7,000+ hotels across the globe. They have hotels across multiple pricing categories to suit people's needs across income categories. Joining the program is free. They have an attractive membership tier program that provides additional benefits as members progress from one level to the next.
Additionally, they keep coming out with specific offers from time to time. Lastly, if you are a regular credit card user, you can transfer your credit card reward points to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program and enjoy free hotel stays.
Gopal Gidwani is a freelance personal finance content writer with 15+ years of experience. He can be reached at LinkedIn.
