The Complete Guide to Marriott Elite Status

The Marriott Bonvoy umbrella covers 30 brands and over 9,100 hotels, making it one of the largest and most well-recognized rewards programs in the world. Because of the brand's massive footprint, Marriott elite status can be extremely valuable. Here's what to know.

There are five elite levels guests can reach with the Marriott Bonvoy program: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador.

There's also Member status, which anyone can get when they sign up for the program (it's free). Marriott Bonvoy member benefits are scant — complimentary Wi-Fi, exclusive member rates and mobile check-in and key — but are certainly better than nothing.

For all the Bonvoy elite status tiers, benefits get increasingly better the higher you go. Here's an overview of all the Marriott Bonvoy elite status levels, how to earn them and some of their benefit highlights:

Marriott Silver Elite

• How to earn: Stay at least 10 qualifying nights per calendar year.

• Bonus Marriott Bonvoy points earned on hotel purchases (including room rates and other incidental charges): 10%.

• Best benefits: Priority late checkout, member rates, complimentary in-room Internet.

Marriott Gold Elite

• How to earn: Stay at least 25 qualifying nights per calendar year.

• Bonus points earned on hotel purchases (including room rates and other incidental charges): 25%.

• Best benefits: All of the benefits of Silver Elite status, plus 2 p.m. priority late checkout based on availability, in-hotel check-in gift of extra points and enhanced room upgrade based on availability.

Marriott Platinum Elite

• How to earn: Stay at least 50 qualifying nights per calendar year.

• Bonus points earned on hotel purchases (including room rates and other incidental charges): 50%.

• Best benefits: All of the benefits of Gold Elite status, plus 4 p.m. priority late checkout, and an in-hotel welcome gift of extra points, a breakfast offering at participating hotels or a welcome amenity. Platinum Elite members also get an annual one-time Choice Benefit upon qualification and a dedicated support line. At the hotel, elites at this level get lounge access, along with enhanced room upgrades — including select suites — at check-in if available.

Marriott Titanium Elite

• How to earn: Stay at least 75 qualifying nights per calendar year.

• Bonus points earned on hotel purchases (including room rates and other incidental charges): 75%.

• Best benefits: All of the benefits of Platinum Elite status, plus a second Choice Benefit selection upon qualification and a 48-hour room guarantee. It also includes Complimentary United® MileagePlus® Premier® Silver Status and Hertz Five Star® Status.  

Marriott Ambassador Elite

• How to earn: Spend at least 100 nights at Marriott properties a year and over $23,000 in qualifying spend at hotels.

• Bonus points earned on hotel purchases (including room rates and other incidental charges): 75%.

• Best benefits: All of the benefits of Titanium Elite status, plus Ambassador Service and Your24 concierge services before and during stays with Marriott Bonvoy, which means you can also choose your check-in and checkout times. Members also get Hertz President’s Circle® Status. 

Here’s a comparison table looking at some of the best benefits you get from each Marriott elite status level:

Marriott Annual Choice Benefits, explained

This benefit is a little confusing, especially as Marriott presents it on its website. Basically, Platinum elites earn a choose-your-own adventure benefit when they reach 50 stays. Titanium and Ambassador elites earn that benefit at 50 stays, as well as an additional benefit at 75 stays.

The first (50-night) benefit is your choice of:

• Five Nightly Upgrade Awards.

• $1,000 off a Marriott bed (from their store).

• Silver status for a friend or family member.

• US $100 charity donation.

• Five elite night credits.

The second (75-night) benefit is your choice of:

• Five Nightly Upgrade Awards.

• $1,000 off a Marriott bed (from their store).

• Gold status for a friend or family member.

• US $100 charity donation.

• Five elite night credits.

» Learn more: Which Marriott annual choice benefit should you choose?

Marriott throws a ton of extra perks into each status level. Some (like mobile check-in) are basically fluff, while others are highly valuable. Here are some helpful explanations of the latter.

Welcome gift

Not to be confused with the “Annual Choice Benefit,” this is an in-hotel gift offered when checking in. Gold members receive either 250 or 500 points at check in, depending on the hotel brand.

Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador members receive a choice of:

• Points, with the number of points depending on the brand, usually between 500 and 1,000.

• Complimentary breakfast or a food and beverage credit when available.

• An “amenity” that differs by brand (but sometimes includes food and beverage).

Ambassador Service + Your24

At Bonvoy’s highest level, Ambassador elites receive two valuable perks.

The first, Ambassador Service, provides “personalized service” for each stay. This is essentially a personal travel concierge who can help plan your stay and organize activities.

The second, Your24, is an interesting one. It gives you a flexible 24-hour check-in and check-out window, which lets you avoid the hassle of arriving too early. That is, if your flight arrives at 6 a.m., you can check into your room immediately instead of waiting until the afternoon.

This could also be helpful if you arrive at a connecting airport late in the evening one night and are taking a red-eye out the next evening. This amenity would prevent you from having to book an extra night.

There are two ways to earn Bonvoy status: by staying at Marriott properties and collecting enough eligible nights, or by holding a Marriott credit card.

Eligible nights

You can earn the first four levels (Silver through Titanium) by staying enough qualifying nights per calendar year. It doesn’t matter if you stay at high-end Ritz-Carlton hotels or long-term Residence Inns — all nights count the same. However, the highest level (Ambassador) requires a minimum $23,000 annual spend.

Important: “Qualifying Nights” are those booked directly through Marriott.com or most corporate travel services.

They do not include stays booked through third-party online travel agencies like Expedia or Orbitz. Nights that are part of a group rate for an event, conference or organized tour also do not count. This is true of most hotel loyalty programs, but it can trip up travelers who are unaware.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards today

Credit cards

Does spending a quarter of the year in hotels sound daunting? There’s an easier way. Several credit cards, including Marriott's own branded cards, provide complimentary elite status.

This Marriott status is identical to what you’d get if you earned it the hard way. You’ll still be thanked for being a loyal Bonvoy customer when you check in and get all the associated perks (even if it’s your first stay).

» Learn more: How to get a Marriott credit card

It’s important to note that the status offered through the Marriott co-branded cards usually comes in the form of Elite Night Credits. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card includes 15 ENCs, which is enough to earn Silver status, but also gets you closer to earning higher status levels if you stay more. The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offer Gold status not in the form of ENCs, so it is more difficult to earn a higher status level through these cards. Terms apply. Enrollment required.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is particularly delightful because it offers you Platinum status, so you have higher tier benefits right off the bat, even if it's your first-ever Marriott stay. But since it also offers 25 ENCs, you're on a fast track to eventually earn Titanium or perhaps even Ambassador status.

Here’s a breakdown of what status comes with each personal card (You can get an additional 15 ENCs by holding the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card as well. Terms apply.):

15 Elite Night Credits (Enough for Silver status)

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Terms apply.

25 Elite Night Credits (Enough for Platinum status)

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (though the card does you one better by also offering complimentary Gold status).

Terms apply.

Gold status (Not through ENCs)

• The Platinum Card® from American Express.

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

Terms apply.

* Rewards earned by using one of these cards at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels come on top of the points you earn for being a member of the Bonvoy loyalty program. Taken together, paying with a Bonvoy card at a Bonvoy location can earn 14-17 points per dollar spent.

** There are two Marriott Bonvoy cards with substantially the same benefits but they come from different issuers. The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, described above, is from Chase. Its near-twin is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, which you can read about here.

» Learn more: How to get a Marriott credit card

In NerdWallet’s annual analysis of the best hotel elite status programs, we sought to determine how much value the major U.S. hotel loyalty programs deliver to guests. Here's how Marriott Bonvoy did.

Super-dedicated travelers (and extreme Bonvoy loyalists) can earn lifetime status, too. Here’s how it works: You must collect a minimum number of both qualifying nights and years of elite status. For example, to earn lifetime Gold status, you need 400 nights and seven years of Gold status.

One extra perk of lifetime status: Your Bonvoy points will never expire. Otherwise, Marriott Bonvoy points expire if your account does not have any qualifying activity for 24 consecutive months.

» Learn more: The guide to Marriott Bonvoy

Deciding whether it’s worth shooting for Bonvoy status depends entirely on your travel preferences and goals. If you’re a frequent business traveler considering Ambassador status, you’ll want to compare it with other high-end hotel elite levels. If you’re an infrequent traveler, you might wonder whether it’s worth earning any hotel elite status at all.

For example, Bonvoy Silver status offers almost no tangible benefits. The only real benefit is the bonus points earning benefit, which is still paltry at 10%. So we definitely wouldn’t suggest shifting your travel plans just to earn that 10th night.

Gold status offers a bit more, including late checkout and room upgrades. But remember it can be obtained hassle-free via getting a credit card instead of spending nearly a month in Marriott hotels.

As expected, Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador status offer the more meaty perks, including the flexible annual choice benefits and welcome gifts. But they also require a lot of Marriott loyalty (and spending) to earn, of course.

The information related to Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.

To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.