8 Marriott Bonvoy Sweet Spots to Earn and Redeem Points

Bonvoy sweet spots vary per traveler, but smart point usage in these areas can unlock hidden value.
Ramsey Qubein
By Ramsey Qubein 
Updated
Edited by Meg Lee

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When it comes to Marriott Bonvoy — the program representing more than 8,700 properties across 139 countries and territories — you can earn and redeem points almost anywhere you want to go. Marriott Bonvoy members can also choose from different price points and styles with more than 30 different brands.

But what are the best deals within Marriott Bonvoy, and are there some fast-track offers to get status, better redemptions and more perks along the way? It turns out there are plenty of sweet spots for redeeming your points.

NerdWallet's valuation of 0.8 cent per point is a good way to study if you are securing the best value for a redemption, but each traveler has their own needs for their trips.

Whether you accrued your hard-earned Marriott Bonvoy points from hotel stays, Marriott co-branded credit cards or transferring from airlines or friends, here are the best Marriott point redemptions.

1. Free elite status from credit cards

Ready to redeem your points? You can vastly improve your travel experience if you have elite status with Marriott. There is a chance you may already have it. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express includes complimentary Gold Elite status, which comes with bonus points and potential room upgrades.

Your airline elite status may help you as well. If you are a United Airlines MileagePlus elite status member, you may also already have Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

A reciprocal elite status match program awards Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status to anyone with United’s Gold tier status or higher. You can also earn a 10,000-point bonus by transferring 60,000 United miles to Marriott as part of this program.

2. Fifth night free when redeeming points

The fifth night free on award stays option is one of the best deals that can easily be overlooked. If you're booking a stay on points for four nights, consider staying a fifth night. Why? You will get it for free.

Dubbed “Stay for 5, Pay for 4,” this program comps the cheapest night using points when staying five consecutive nights in the same hotel.

Since Marriott Bonvoy uses a dynamic pricing model with the number of points changing by the night, a multi-day stay could have different prices. The lowest-priced redemption night will be given for free.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Even better, if you stay even longer, you could save even more. The benefit can apply up to four times, which means if you stay 20 nights in the same hotel, you will receive four nights for free. The benefit applies at Marriott all-inclusive hotels, too.

3. Using points for home and villa rentals

Competing with short-term rental companies like Airbnb or Vrbo, but with the ability to earn and redeem points, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is an option that allows travelers to save significant cash by using points for beautiful vacation rental properties.

If you want to earn points, you can do that, too.

These include ski chalets, beachfront homes, famous homes and even transparent igloos.

For many travelers who prefer to have more facilities like multiple bedrooms, kitchens and laundry machines, private residences can prove fruitful. The rates charged per night can often be cheaper than what you may pay in hotels in the same destination.

In many instances, a private home could unveil incredible value when compared with a standard room redemption at other luxury hotels.

For example, The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, would cost 236,000 points total for a two-night stay, but a full duplex residence with two bedrooms is only 92,000 points for two nights.

While you won’t have access to the same resort amenities, you would have more space than a standard room.

4. All-inclusive resorts

Marriott has been growing its portfolio of all-inclusive resorts where travelers can pay for overnight accommodations, meals, drinks and most activities in one total points price.

When you can pack in all of your meals, fitness classes, resort activities, beverages, Wi-Fi and service charges, it can be a great deal.

The points price will vary based on destination and dates of stay, and the points rate is based on a per-person basis. If you have a stash of points, and you really want to indulge in onsite activities, food and drinks, this can be a great value for vacationers.

5. Rack up points for redemptions through partners

Marriott Bonvoy provides members with numerous opportunities to rack up points even when not traveling. Beyond the numerous Marriott Bonvoy credit card options for earning points on day-to-day spending, there are many other options. These include:

  • Uber: After linking your Marriott Bonvoy and Uber accounts, you earn 6x Marriott points when ordering Uber Eats or groceries (minimum $40) to a Marriott hotel where you are staying. Any time, you can earn 3x points when using UberXL, Uber Comfort, Uber SUV and Uber Black rides and 2x points when ordering Uber Eats or groceries (minimum $40) to any non-Marriott address.

  • Marriott Bonvoy Tours & Activities: When booking tours, airport transfers and other travel-related activities, rental cars and experiences through this website, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points. These are available no matter if you’re traveling to another hotel brand or booking one from home. Take a Charlotte walking tour for example, where members would earn 450 points.

  • Shop Marriott: Marriott has its own online shopping portal that allows members to click through and earn points on purchases from Marriott brands. This includes things like the famous Westin Heavenly Bed. 

  • Eat Around Town: Earn points by dining at participating restaurants and paying with a registered credit card.

6. Marriott Bonvoy Moments

Marriott Bonvoy Moments are curated experiences that often can't be easily re-created on your own. They include VIP seats and meet-and-greets with famous athletes or kitchen tours and dinner at famous restaurants.

Marriott Bonvoy Moments can be a smart way to use points for special events or tickets that may be quite expensive otherwise.

7. Safari hotel stays

The all-inclusive JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge is a safari property in Kenya that bundles in experiences like meals, drinks and game drives into the redemption.

Coming soon in Tanzania is another JW Marriott Serengeti Safari Lodge. This gives Marriott Bonvoy members a way to redeem points for a bucket list trip without forking over at other expensive lodges.

8. Protea Hotels

Protea Hotels is a Marriott Bonvoy brand mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Perhaps surprisingly, it can be one of the best places to use Marriott points as the brand tends to offer affordable redemption rates for great value.

There are some notable hotels like Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Cape Town, South Africa, and the convenient Protea Hotel OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. The latter was charging as few as 15,500 points for a redemption night on the dates we checked.

Collect a large sum of Marriott points

If you need thousands of Marriott points for a dream trip or to pay for multiple rooms for your family, the fastest way to get a huge chunk of miles is by opening a travel credit card and meeting the spend requirement to earn the sign-up bonus.

Cards that earn Marriott points
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on Chase's website

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
NerdWallet Rating
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
NerdWallet Rating
Rates & Fees
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
NerdWallet Rating
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Annual fee

$0.

$95.

$250.

$650.

Rewards

• 3 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

• 2 points per $1 on other travel purchases (such as airfare, taxis and trains).

• 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

• 6 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

• 3 points per $1 on up to $6,000 a year in combined purchases on grocery stores, gas stations and dining.

• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

• 6 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

• 4 points per $1 on up to $15,000 a year in combined purchases at grocery stores and on dining.

• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

• 6 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

• 3 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.

• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

New cardholder offer

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.

Limited time offer! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

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There is one additional consumer card and one business card in the Marriott credit card portfolio.

  • Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card has a $250 annual fee. It comes with complimentary Gold elite status and earns 6x points at Marriott hotels. It also includes 1,000 bonus points per stay, a free night worth 50,000 points (after spending $15,000) and 15 Elite Night Credits.

  • The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card has a $125 annual fee. It grants automatic Gold elite status and 6x points at Marriott hotels. The card also provides a free night award up to 35,000 points with the option to earn a second night, a 7% room rate discount and 15 Elite Night Credits.

Terms apply.

Get the most value from Marriott Bonvoy

These are just a handful of sweet spots for Marriott Bonvoy members, and what some may consider a sweet spot may not be as attractive to others.

There are a lot of ways to accrue hotel points, and the best Marriott points redemptions stretch their use far. Each person will find their own value based on their travel needs, but one thing is for sure: Marriott Bonvoy can be packed with value if you know what you’re doing.

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

(Top photo courtesy of Marriott International)


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Marriott Cards from our Partners
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

on Chase's website

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
2.8
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-14x

Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

30,000

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.

Points
See more marriott cards
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