NEW: Marriott Bonvoy launches a generous hotel status match

Marriott Bonvoy has launched a short-term status match. If you have elite status with Hilton Honors, IHG Rewards Club, World of Hyatt or Accor Live Limitless, it is worth a look.

How does the Marriott Bonvoy status match work?

Full details can be found on this page of the Marriott website.

Once you have submitted proof of your current hotel status to Marriott Bonvoy, and proof of one stay in the previous 12 months, you will receive either Gold Elite or Platinum Elite status for 90 days

If you complete five nights in 90 days, you will receive Gold Elite status until February 2022

If you complete 15 nights in 90 days, you will receive Platinum Elite status until February 2022

What status levels will Marriott Bonvoy match?

Here is the list, which I believe is VERY generous, especially for Hilton Honors Gold members and IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite and Platinum Elite members:

Hilton Honors Gold receives Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

Hilton Honors Diamond receives Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

World of Hyatt Explorist receives Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite

World of Hyatt Globalist receives Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

Accor Live Limitless Gold receives Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite

Accor Live Limitless Platinum receive Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

IHG Rewards Club Platinum Elite receives Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite receives Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite

Who are the big winners?

Letting Hilton Honors Gold members have Platinum Elite in Marriott Bonvoy is HUGE. Platinum Elite comes with free breakfast at most brands, decent upgrades and guaranteed club lounge access. This easily trumps Hilton Gold which only offers free breakfast.

IHG Rewards Club Platinum Elite and Spire Elite members are laughing. They get NO guaranteed benefits at the moment, but can now get 90 days of free breakfast, decent upgrades and guaranteed club lounge access via Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite.

What are the full benefits of Platinum Elite and Gold Elite?

Take a look here on the Marriott website.

To be honest, Gold Elite with Marriott Bonvoy isn’t worth much at all. You get a 25% bonus on base points and ‘on request’ 2pm check-out, which isn’t helpful.

Platinum Elite is the way to go:

• 50% bonus base points
• A decent upgrade, albeit not guaranteed
• GUARANTEED 4pm late check-out at most hotels
• Welcome gift, which includes the option of free breakfast at most brands
• GUARANTEED executive lounge access (if there is one, of course)
• Free high-speed internet

Note that the Marriott Bonvoy free breakfast benefit is so complex that I wrote a full article on how it works, brand to brand.

Assuming that you manage 15 nights within 90 days, your Platinum Elite status will last until February 2022.

How long do I have to apply?

It isn’t clear. Marriott told me that this is a ‘quantity limited’ status match which will be pulled when it reaches its unpublished target.

The snag, of course, is how easy you will find it to do 15 nights in the next 90 days.

The upside is that there are some great bargains around at the moment. This would be a relatively expensive project if all 15 nights were done as mattress runs however.

One upside is that Marriott’s current promotion gets you 2,500 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points per stay. I value these at £12.50 and you also receive your standard base points plus elite bonus. It would represent a decent return on a cheap mattress run night.

You can register for the current Marriott bonus points promotion here.

How do I apply for my Marriott Bonvoy status match?

You need to complete the form on this page of the Marriott website.

You will need to upload proof that you hold one of the statuses listed above, plus proof of a stay within the last 12 months, presumably from your account statement page.

Your 90 day period will start from the day you are upgraded.

Even if you know you will have zero chance of completing 15 nights in 90 days, it is still worth doing a Platinum Elite match if you have a Marriott stay or two coming up. This is especially true if those hotels have executive lounges (and they are open).

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)