Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program of Marriott International. Its points and awards can be used at more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 destinations worldwide. Joining costs nothing, and each member gets a membership number on an account in their own name; accounts can’t be joint or shared. To sign in or join, go to marriott.com. Points come from qualifying charges and from moving points in from Amex Membership Rewards, and the terms list two Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards for residents of Canada.
How do you earn Bonvoy points at hotels?
At most Marriott hotels, members earn 10 base points for each US dollar (or the equivalent in another currency) they pay on qualifying charges. A shorter list of brands earns 5 base points per US dollar: Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express, Element, Four Points Flex, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Executive Apartments, Protea Hotels, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites. Elite members get a bonus on top of base points, set by tier (see the status table below). Dining and spa charges at hotels earn at their own rates, listed on Marriott’s earn page.
If a stay is missing from your account, the terms say the request for missing credit must reach Marriott within one year of the activity.
Which Canadian cards and transfers earn Bonvoy points?
Marriott’s terms list two cards for residents of Canada: the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. Fees, earn rates and the current welcome offer for the personal card are in our Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card review.
Amex Canada converts 1,000 Membership Rewards points into 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points. The same Membership Rewards points can go to Aeroplan instead; our Membership Rewards transfer partners page lists both ratios and the transfer times. Marriott’s earn page also lists Aeroplan as a partner whose miles move to Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
How many points does a night cost?
The terms tie the price of an award night to the hotel, the room types it has, the length of stay and, in some cases, the time of year. Prices are updated continuously and can change at any time. Marriott’s redeem page shows stays starting at 12,000 points a night.
To see a points price, Marriott’s redeem page says to select “Use Points/Awards” in the hotel search. A Free Night Award is applied while you book. Award stays depend on a room of the chosen type being available for redemption when you reserve, and they have to be booked through Marriott’s own channels.
Book five nights in a row on points under one reservation, and you pay points for only four. The free night is the one with the lowest points price in the stay. The offer covers Standard Redemption and PointSavers awards in a standard room; it doesn’t apply to Premium Rooms, Free Night Awards or Cash + Points stays. Nights paid with points count toward elite status, except at StudioRes.
What is a Bonvoy point worth?
Under the terms, points and awards have no cash value. Our method for a point’s worth on a given stay: the cash rate for the room and night, divided by the points price for the same room and night. Because the points price varies by hotel, room and date, that figure differs from one booking to the next.
Under the terms, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy rentals booked through its platform cost 178.57 points for each US dollar, taxes and fees included. By our arithmetic, at 178.57 points for each US dollar, one point covers about 0.56 US cents of a Homes & Villas booking. This is that redemption’s own rate, not a value for hotel nights.
What else can points pay for?
- Cash + Points: a mix of cash and points for one or more nights in a standard room, at hotels that offer it; the cash portion earns no points.
- PointSavers: rates at participating hotels that Marriott describes as up to 20% off.
- Free Night Awards: certificates that come from a program benefit, a promotion or a partner program. Each one carries a set points value for one night in a standard room, and you can add up to 25,000 points to use it on a night that costs more. Each award has its own expiry date, shown in your account. The size of the Canadian card’s award is in the card review.
- Airline miles: most airline programs take Bonvoy points at 3 to 1, Aeroplan included. Marriott adds 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred, except to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles. Moving Bonvoy points into Aeroplan is covered on earning Aeroplan without flying.
- Other rewards: the terms also list Moments experiences, flights, and other services and merchandise.
How does Marriott Bonvoy elite status work?
Status is set by the qualifying nights you earn between January 1 and December 31 of each year (Ambassador Elite also needs a spend minimum, below). Award nights count too.
| Tier | Nights in a calendar year | Bonus on base points | A benefit named in the terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Elite | 10 to 24 | 10% | Priority late checkout, if available |
| Gold Elite | 25 to 49 | 25% | 2 p.m. late checkout, if available |
| Platinum Elite | 50 to 74 | 50% | Room upgrade on arrival, if available |
| Titanium Elite | 75 and up | 75% | 48-hour guaranteed availability |
| Ambassador Elite | 100 or more, plus at least US$23,000 of qualifying spend in the year | 75% | Ambassador Service |
Members can also earn Lifetime Silver, Gold or Platinum Elite status. Air Canada says Aeroplan 50K members and higher are automatically eligible for Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status; the Aeroplan hub covers Aeroplan status. Status or night credits that come with a card are in the card review.
Do Bonvoy points expire?
Points stay in your account as long as it has qualifying activity at least once every 24 months. That activity includes earning or redeeming points or miles, buying points, completing a qualifying stay, and converting points or miles with designated partners. Gifting points, transferring them or receiving them from another member doesn’t count. After 24 months in a row with no qualifying activity, all points, awards and other benefits in the account are forfeited and can’t be reinstated. Points in Lifetime Elite accounts aren’t subject to expiry for now. Free Night Awards follow their own expiry dates.
Can you buy or share Bonvoy points?
Through Marriott’s Buy Points storefront, members can buy up to 150,000 points in a calendar year, for themselves or as a gift. Bought points don’t count toward elite status. Members can also move points to each other: up to 100,000 given and 500,000 received in a calendar year.