Do you want to maximize Bonvoy points for Marriott Hotels? In addition to redeeming these valuable hotel points for a “free” reward on one of the program’s many properties around the world, it sometimes makes sense to transfer Marriott Points to the airline program.
This article will explore various ways to use Marriott points, including hotel booking, airline transfers and purchases through the shopping portal.
Related: Overview of the 37 Marriott Hotel Brand
How to use Marriott Hotel Accommodation
You can book rooms at Marriott hotels around the world using Bonvoy points from Marriott Hotels, but the number of points you need varies with hotel night demand.
For example, you can book your stay in Towneplace suites in Columbus, Ohio for only $115 or 13,000 a night for 0.88 cents per hour. In the Liz-Carlton Maldives in the Fari Islands, some dates cost $2,441 or 202,000 points per night, at 1.2 cents per point.
Both options will give you a valuation of over TPG’s September 2025 at Bonvoy Point. For best value, we usually recommend redemption points for low-end or luxury hotels.
In addition to standard redemption, Marriott offers cash + points awards, which allows you to combine cash and points so you don’t have to use all points during your stay.
Finally, you can use the key points in conjunction with the free nighttime certificate provided by a specific Marriott credit card. These awards are usually part of the welcome offer or as part of your account’s anniversary (after paying the annual fee), and cover the total number of awards up to a certain point, usually from 35,000 to 85,000. However, you can combine these certificates with up to 15,000 points in the Marriott Bonvoy account to book a room with higher prices.
Get the fifth night for free
A big benefit of the Marriott Hotel Plan is that if you book five nights in a row with points, the cheapest nights are free. This free night automatically reflects when you book online and applies to all participating brands at Marriott, excluding Marriott Bonvoy’s Homes & Villas and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
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However, this can be tricky if you use cash + points awards or free night certificates. To get the fifth night for free, you must book at least five nights. If you redeem four nights of points and use cash or certificates for additional nights, you will not be eligible for the fifth night’s allowance.
How to transfer Marriott Points to Airline Partners
Marriott members can transfer points to nearly 40 airline programs, including exclusive partnerships that other loyalty programs cannot provide.
You can transfer Marriott’s points to most airline partners at a 3:1 ratio, which means 30 million Powater points produce 1 mile of 1 mile. Points per 60,000 transfers will also earn 5,000 miles, which will increase your effective transfer ratio to 12:5. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:
- Points are transferred to Air New Zealand at a 200:1 ratio, with 75 bonuses for every 60,000 points.
- United Airlines offers 10,000 miles per 60,000 points.
- After transferring 60,000 Bonvoy points, American Airlines, Avianca and Delta Air Lines do not offer a bonus miles of 5,000 miles.
If you need to strengthen your airline plan balance, don’t need to use your Bonvoy points, or want to take advantage of more obscure points and miles that are harder to make money, then transferring your Bonvoy points may come in handy.
You can transfer up to 240,000 Bonvoy Marriott hotels to airlines every day; the minimum transfer amount is 3,000 points. Additionally, it is often necessary to match the name of the constant flyer account on your Marriott account.
Related: How I plan to redeem over 800,000 Bonvoy points
How to use points at Marriott Hotel
Marriott Hotel Moment, Marriott offers a range of destination-specific activities such as concerts, sports events and cooking experiences in the city where Marriott Hotel is located.
You can book these experiences with Marriott Bonvoy points. Cash may not be purchased for certain activities, so it is difficult to determine its value. To explore these options, visit the Marriott Hotel Bonvoy Moments website.
Remember that some experiences have fixed point costs, while others are auctioned. Check out the terms and conditions before purchasing, as most are non-refundable.
Related: My Fast & Furious Fantasy Living in Los Angeles and Marriott Hotel Moments
How to use Marriott Point for flights, car rentals and cruises
You can book flights, rent cars and cruises with Marriott Hotel points and pay for TSA Precheck through Marriott’s Travel Redemption page. However, these redemptions usually don’t bring the best value to your point of view.
You can also book your trip using the Cruise from the Point Program using Marriott Point or you can book your sailing with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
For most voyages, you can exchange a cruise certificate for one dollar from your cruise booking. The minimum redemption is 63,000 points, equivalent to a certificate of $250. If your points don’t pay the full fee, you can pay from the remaining money and earn 30 million points per dollar. This way, you get only 0.4 cents per point of value.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection requires at least 180,000 points and you can redeem a cruising fare of $1,000. This offers a slightly better value for 0.55 cents per point, but by redeeming it for hotel accommodation, you can still get more value from the points.
While redeeming your Marriott points to fly, renting a car, and cruising usually won’t maximize your points, if you sit on a lot of rewards and don’t plan to redeem them on Marriott’s property, this can be a great way to save yourself money for other travel plans.
How to buy items through Marriott Shopping
Finally, you can use the Marriott Hotel’s merchandise and gift cards.
Marriott offers a wide range of products on its website, from Uber gift cards to Bose headphones and Bluetooth speakers. Note that redemption values vary, but redemption of Marriott points through online stores usually results in lower redemption values.
However, if you are not planning to redeem your travel-related purchase points, using your Bonvoy points to purchase gift cards and other products is a great way to save money.
The best credit cards for booking a Marriott hotel
It’s easy to earn enough Bonvoy points for your next redemption by packing a large number of co-branded credit cards with features. Here are some of our favorites, as well as their current welcome quotes:
- Marriott Hotel BonvoyBoundless® Credit Card (See Rates and Fees): Spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months of opening an account, earning three free nights (valued up to 50,000 points per night). Some hotels have hedging fees.
- Marriott Hotel BonvoyBold® Credit Card (See Interest Rates and Fees): Spend $1,000 in the first three months of opening an account and earn 30,000 bonus points.
- Marriott Hotel: Spend $6,000 in the first six months of card members and earn 185,000 bonus points.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Spend $8,000 in the first six months of card membership and earn 125,000 bonus points. The offer ends on October 22, 2025.
- Marriott BonvoyBevy®AmericanExpress® Card: Earn 155,000 bonus points in the first six months of card membership.
Don’t forget that you can transfer points to Marriott from three credit card plans: AMEX Membership Rewards, BILT Rewards, and Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can also improve Marriott’s balance with the Town Town dining program.
Bottom line
While Bonvoy Marter points have lost some value in recent years, whether it’s a luxury all-inclusive resort or a budget-friendly family trip (or both) there are still many great ways to maximize your point of view.
We recommend focusing on hotel accommodation or transferring to airline partners. These options provide the best value for your perspective and make a world you can afford.
