Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world. Its properties are just about everywhere, and its rewards are easy to collect. You can even convert your points into airline miles at a not-totally-offensive rate.
Let’s take a look at how to use Bonvoy points for the best possible value — and the ways you shouldn’t use them, too.
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Using Marriott Bonvoy points for flights
Trading hotel points for airfare? That might not sound like it makes much sense, but with Marriott the prospect is palatable.
Let’s be clear, though: This often isn’t the best use for your Marriott Bonvoy points. There are exceptions, but you’ll usually only use this tactic if you need a few thousand extra miles for a specific flight.
Marriott partners with an astounding 40 airlines — more than any other transferable rewards currency, including American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can convert your Marriott points into airline miles with any of these loyalty programs; just note that the transfer ratios vary, as the award chart below shows.
| Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus, 3:1 | Asiana Airlines Asiana Club, 3:1 | Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club, 3:1 | Saudia Alfursan, 3:1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub, 3:1 | Avianca LifeMiles, 3:1 | Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles, 3:1 | Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, 3:1 |
| AeroMexico Club Premier, 3:1 | British Airways Executive Club, 3:1 | Iberia Plus, 3:1 | Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, 3:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan, 3:1 | Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, 3:1 | InterMiles, 3:1 | TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go, 3:1 |
| Air China PhoenixMiles, 3:1 | China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club, 3:1 | Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank, 3:1 | THAI Airways, 3:1 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue, 3:1 | Copa Airline ConnectMiles, 3:1 | Korean Air SKYPASS, 3:1 | Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints, 200:1 | Delta SkyMiles, 3:1 | LATAM Pass, 3:1 | United MileagePlus, 3:1 with 10% bonus |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, 3:1 | Emirates Skywards, 3:1 | Multiplus Fidelidade, 3:1 | Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, 3:1 |
| ANA Mileage Club, 3:1 | Etihad Guest, 3:1 | Qantas Frequent Flyer, 3:1 | Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, 3:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage, 3:1 | FRONTIER Miles, 3:1 | Qatar Airways Privilege Club, 3:1 | Vueling Club, 3:1 |
As you can see, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to most of these airlines at a 3:1 ratio (3 Marriott points = 1 airline mile). The exception is Air New Zealand, with a 200:1 transfer ratio.
With one simple trick, you can improve the transfer ratio for most of these partners. By transferring in increments of 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 airline miles, meaning 60,000 Bonvoy points = 25,000 airline miles. The only partners that don’t participate in this bonus are American Airlines, Avianca, Delta, and Korean Air.
Also, transfers to United Airlines will receive 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points, an effective 2:1 transfer rate.
Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to airline partners
Aside from the generally grim transfer ratio, the process of redeeming your Bonvoy points for airfare is painless. Here’s how to do it.
First, log into your Marriott Bonvoy account. Find the “Redeem Points” link at the bottom of the page.
You’re then taken to a page outlining the various ways to use your Bonvoy points. Find “Transfer Points to Miles” and click the “Learn More” link. You’ll find a list of all airline transfer partners, as well as a link to begin the transfer process.
From here, you can choose the airline loyalty program you’d like to transfer to, as well as the amount of points you want to convert. You’ll need to transfer at least 3,000 Bonvoy points, and increments of 1,000 after that.
Before you transfer, though, it’s a good idea to recheck the availability of award flights on your chosen airline. You’ll want to ensure there are seats available for your planned travel dates at a good redemption value. Once you transfer your Bonvoy points to an airline, you can’t reverse the transfer.
Other ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points for travel
Hotel stays
The most straightforward way to use Marriott Bonvoy points is for hotel stays within the Marriott portfolio, which includes a variety of properties, from luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotels to practical Courtyard by Marriott locations.
Booking Marriott hotels with points can provide excellent value, especially when you take advantage of Marriott’s fifth-night-free offer on award bookings. This means that when you book four consecutive nights with points, the next night is free, essentially giving you more bang for your points.
Cruises
Marriott partners with leading cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line, allowing members to convert their accumulated points into credits toward the cost of various cruises.
However, you should expect a value of around 0.4 cents each — which is bad. Don’t make a habit of redeeming your rewards like this unless you legitimately have so many points that you don’t know how to spend them.
Car rentals and flights
Marriott offers an Air and Car feature that allows you to book airfare and rental cars with points — but similar to the cruise option, you’ll get a paltry return. In fact, most reservations offer between 0.28 cents and 0.36 cents per point, which is far below a reasonable redemption.
The best ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points
Book five-star hotels
One of the smartest ways to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points is to book five-star hotels and resorts. Many top-tier properties, such as Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, often have cash rates exceeding $1,000 per night — especially in high-demand locations or during peak travel seasons. Using points for these Marriott hotel stays can offer a remarkable value per point, sometimes beyond 2 cents per point.
Book mid-level hotels
Another great use for Bonvoy points is for stays at bottom-tier hotels, which, paradoxically, offer better value than the middle-of-the-road hotels.
Properties such as Fairfield Inn & Suites or SpringHill Suites typically charge at least $100 per night, but with Marriott’s dynamic pricing, you can occasionally book them for as little as 5,000 points per night — or even less during off-peak periods.
Use Marriott’s fifth-night-free benefit
As previously mentioned, utilizing Marriott Bonvoy points to book a five-night stay is a great way to stretch your points — and effectively boost their value by 20%.
When you redeem points for four straight nights at any Marriott hotel, you’ll receive the fifth award night for zero points. This is ideal for extended vacations or business trips where you plan to stay five consecutive nights in one location. It’s a superb way to stretch your points further while enjoying continuous comfort and service.
Book business- or first-class flights
Fancy business- and first-class seats can cost several thousand dollars in cash, particularly for long-haul international flights. While it’s true you’ll need a substantial number of Bonvoy points to secure such a redemption, the return can actually be worth it.
For example, you can fly first-class on Japan Airlines with 80,000 American Airlines miles. This ticket routinely costs more $10,000 in cash, but you could book it by transferring 240,000 Marriott points to American Airlines, making your Marriott Bonvoy points worth 4 cents each — an astronomical value.
Attach Marriott points to free-night awards
Several Marriott credit cards come with annual free-night awards, worth between 35,000 points and 85,000 points, depending on the card. These are single-use certificates that can be used at any Marriott property that charges less than the value of the certificate.
You can also tack on up to 15,000 additional points to increase a certificate’s value, giving you the ability to book more expensive — possibly even luxury — hotels. Attaching points to a free-night award could be the difference between staying at a plain old Courtyard and a fancy hotel from the Luxury Collection.
The worst ways to use Marriott Bonvoy points
We’ve already covered how redeeming points to “buy” cruises, airfare, and rental cars is a bad move. Here are a few more generally poor ways to use your points stash.
Purchasing merchandise or gift cards
Using points for merchandise or gift cards through the Marriott Bonvoy program is usually one of the least value-effective uses of points. The return rate on these eligible purchases is significantly lower than booking hotel stays or transferring to airline partners. If you intend to redeem your points this way with any regularity, focus on collecting cash back instead of points.
Instant redemptions at hotels
Using points for Instant Redemptions at hotels — such as for dining, spa services, or other on-property expenditures — almost always results in a lower value per point compared to room bookings. Yeah, it’s convenient; but you’ll only get a return of 0.4 cents per point. You’re better off paying for these expenses to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, rather than parting with the ones you’ve got at such a meager rate.
Coach award flights
While redeeming Marriott points for fancy premium seats isn’t a bad idea, using them for boring economy seats is almost always a dud.
Generally, domestic and short-haul international economy flights have lower cash prices. For example, a domestic economy flight that costs $300 in cash might require 35,000 airline miles. That means you’d have to transfer:
- 60,000 Marriott points to United — a value of 0.5 cents per point;
- 65,000 Marriott points to airlines that participate in the 5,000-mile bonus — a value of 4.6 cents per point; or
- 70,000 Marriott points to airlines that don’t participate in the 5,000-mile bonus— a value of 4.2 cents per point.
In other words, it’s typically more beneficial to pay for economy flights directly and save your points for more expensive redemptions, where they’ll provide a better return.
Frequently asked questions about using Marriott Bonvoy points for travel
How and where can I redeem my Marriott Bonvoy points?
Marriott Bonvoy points can be redeemed for hotel stays within the Marriott portfolio, which includes a wide range of brands, such as Sheraton, Residence Inn, Westin, Fairfield Inn, Ritz-Carlton, and many more. Points can also be used for airline transfers, Marriott Bonvoy Moments (aka experiences), car rentals, and cruises. You cannot redeem points at Marriott Executive Apartments.
How do I earn Marriott Bonvoy points?
Marriott Bonvoy members can earn points primarily through stays at Marriott hotels and resorts worldwide, where you’ll earn a base rate per dollar spent. You can also earn Bonvoy points through Marriott co-branded credit cards, which offer points on eligible purchases and bonus points on specific categories, and by hosting events at Marriott properties, dining at participating restaurants, and other fun activities.
How much are my Marriott Bonvoy points worth?
The value of Marriott points can vary, typically ranging around 0.7 to 0.8 cents each when redeemed for hotel stays. The value fluctuates based on the property, dates, and room.
How do I get the best value for my Marriott Bonvoy points?
For the most value, consider using your points for high-tier hotel stays where cash prices are high, especially during peak travel times. Utilizing the fifth-night-free benefit on award stays can also increase the value of your points.
Can I use my Marriott Bonvoy points to book an award seat for someone else?
Yes, Marriott points can be used to book travel for others. Whether booking a hotel room or a flight (after transferring points to an airline), the bookings can be made in the name of someone other than the points holder.
Does Marriott Bonvoy elite status matter when booking a flight with points?
Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy doesn’t affect the booking of flights directly, because flights are booked through airline partners and subject to the rules of the respective airline’s loyalty program.
What is Marriott’s Points Advance?
Marriott Bonvoy discontinued the Points Advance feature in 2023. This program previously allowed members to make reservations without having all the points needed at the time of booking, offering the opportunity to earn or purchase the points required later.
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