How much value does the Marriott Bonvoy program provide when you book directly?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

Marriott Bonvoy has a large footprint, so it’s not uncommon to see Marriott brands in the destinations you visit. But even if you’ve decided you want to stay at a Marriott hotel or resort, you still have to decide how to book.

When deciding how to book, it may be worth considering how much value the Marriott Bonvoy program will provide if you book directly. After all, you usually won’t get Marriott Bonvoy earnings or benefits when you don’t book directly. Here’s what you should know to make an informed decision.

What value does Marriott Bonvoy provide?

Being a Marriott Bonvoy member provides benefits in two primary areas: earnings and on-site perks. Here’s how to consider the value you can get in each area.

Value of points earned on stays

The points you’ll earn when booking a qualifying stay at a Marriott Bonvoy property can provide significant value. Here’s a look at the earning rates for qualifying Marriott stays based on the brand and your status.

Based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, Marriott points are worth 0.85 cents each. So, members would earn as follows on $1,000 in purchases for a qualifying stay at most Marriott brands:

• Member without status: 10,000 points worth $85
• Silver Elite member: 11,000 points worth $94
• Gold Elite member: 12,500 points worth $106
• Platinum Elite member: 15,000 points worth $128
• Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite member: 17,500 points worth $149

So, consider the value of the points you’ll earn when deciding how to book your stay, even if you don’t care about member perks or earning toward status.

Related: Which credit card should you use for Marriott stays?

Value of on-site perks

Estimating how much value you’ll get from your perks is difficult since the value will differ for each Marriott Bonvoy member and stay. However, you can consider the perks you plan to use during a particular stay and estimate the value those perks will likely provide when deciding how to book.

For example, as a Silver Elite member, your primary benefits are a 10% points bonus, priority late checkout and elite night credits. These perks are minimal. But if you’re striving to qualify for a higher elite status (or to requalify for Silver Elite), could benefit from a slightly later checkout or believe the points you’ll earn will be worth it, you may want to book directly.

As a Gold Elite member, you’ll also get welcome amenity points, a 25% points bonus and become eligible for room upgrades. These perks make it more compelling to book directly, especially if you’re hoping for a room with a specific view or believe the points you’ll earn will be worth it.

The benefits become significantly more valuable once you earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status. Members with Platinum Elite status enjoy a 50% points bonus on stays, guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability at Design Hotels, resort hotels and convention hotels; only guaranteed to 2 p.m. at Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy), lounge access, space-available upgrades and more.

These Platinum Elite perks might provide great value at properties with a lounge and ample elevated room types for which you’d be eligible for an upgrade — especially in expensive destinations, at brands that earn points at the full 10 points per dollar rate and on stays where you’d benefit from 4 p.m. checkout. However, these perks may provide minimal value on some stays, such as those at City Express (or other brands where you’ll earn at a lower rate) and stays where you don’t need a room upgrade or late checkout.

The value you’ll get from perks depends on the property’s offerings and what you need for a specific stay. Even if we stay at the same property on the same night, you and I might get extremely different values from the same perks.

Related: How to get Marriott Bonvoy elite status for life

Which stays qualify?

You must book and stay on a qualifying rate to get benefits and earnings on your Marriott stays. Generally you must personally pay for your stay to get benefits and earnings. But, if the hotel directly bills your stay to a company that has arranged payment, you’ll usually get benefits and earnings as long as the stay isn’t associated with a convention or group meeting.

You can earn points for up to three guest rooms with the same check-in and checkout date if you stay in one of the rooms and pay a qualifying rate or redeem points for all the rooms. However, you can only get earnings and benefits for stays at one participating property per night. And you’ll only get elite benefits for your room, even if you book multiple rooms at the same property.

The Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions define a qualifying rate as “the rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which qualifies to earn Points or Miles. Qualifying Rates include most business and leisure rates, such as rates found on Marriott.com without an application of a discount code, standard and premium retail rates, advanced purchase rates, corporate negotiated rates, and national/regional/local government rates.”

However, the terms and conditions define a nonqualifying rate as “a rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which does not qualify to earn Points or Miles, as well as membership tier benefits.” The Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions define nonqualifying rates as bookings that are:

• Booked through a tour operator, online travel channel or other third-party channel
• Booked at a group rate as part of an event, meeting, conference or organized tour, and the member doesn’t directly pay the participating property for the room
• Booked at a tour operator, wholesaler or crew room rate or package
• Complimentary rooms, or rooms for which you redeem a voucher or third-party award
• At Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy, made through www.sonder.com/business-and-group, other local or enterprise-level Sonder sales channels and qualifying rates paid with Sonder credits

You might find nonqualifying rates that are lower than qualifying rates. That’s why it’s important to consider what you’ll give up by booking a nonqualifying rate.

Related: 29 best Marriott hotels in the world

How to earn Marriott elite status

If you want to earn Marriott elite status, here are the requirements you must meet each calendar year:

• Silver Elite status: 10 nights
• Gold Elite status: 25 nights
• Platinum Elite status: 50 nights
• Titanium Elite status: 75 nights
• Ambassador Elite status: 100 nights and $23,000 in qualifying spending

Each calendar year you meet the above requirements, you’ll earn Marriott elite status for the rest of the calendar year in which you’ve earned it, the entire next year and two months into the following year.

However, there are also other ways to obtain Marriott elite status. For example, you can get complimentary Marriott elite status with the following travel rewards cards (enrollment may be required):

• Silver Elite status: Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (no annual fee) and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
• Gold Elite status: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card ($250 annual fee; see rates and fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card ($125 annual fee; see rates and fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees)
• Platinum Elite status: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ($650 annual fee; see rates and fees)

The cobranded Marriott Bonvoy cards listed above also offer elite night credits that can help you earn higher tiers of Marriott elite status. You can also earn one elite night credit for each $5,000 in purchases with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card.

I have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, so I get 30 elite night credits from these cards each year. As such, I only need to stay with Marriott hotels for 20 nights each calendar year to earn Platinum Elite status or 45 nights to earn Titanium Elite status.

Related: The complete guide to earning Marriott elite status with credit cards

Bottom line

If you have Marriott Bonvoy elite status or are striving to earn Marriott status, you’ll likely want to book qualifying rates for most of your Marriott stays. Between the earnings and on-site benefits, you’ll usually find it beneficial to book directly.

Even if you don’t stay frequently with Marriott, having a cobranded Marriott Bonvoy credit card could still make sense. Most Marriott cards offer complimentary elite status, an annual free night award and other perks that can pay for themselves after just a few stays each year.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business card, click here.