Should you get the Marriott Bonvoy Amex for 15 elite night credits and Gold status?

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There is currently a generous special offer running on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card.

Until 31st August, you will receive 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points if you spend £3,000 within your first three months.  You will also receive Gold Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy until February 2023, as well as the standard benefit of 15 elite night credits.

I know that a lot of HfP readers will not qualify for the 40,000 bonus points because they hold, or have recently held, another personal American Express card.

However, EVERYONE who is accepted will receive Gold Elite status until February 2023 and 15 elite night credits.  I wanted to look at these benefits in more detail today.

You can apply for the card here.

Marriott has probably gifted you some elite nights this year

Earlier in 2021, all Marriott Bonvoy members were gifted elite night credits equivalent to 50% of the status they earned in 2020.

This means that if you were Platinum Elite in 2020, you received 25 elite night credits.  You were half way to renewal already.

The full list of elite night credits given out was (this is based on the status you earned in 2020 and which was carried over into 2021):

• Ambassador Elite – 50 elite night credits
• Titanium Elite – 38 elite night credits
• Platinum Elite – 25 elite night credits
• Gold Elite – 13 elite night credits
• Silver Elite – 5 elite night credits

Will Marriott Bonvoy roll over status into 2022?

It seems likely, given this move, that Marriott will NOT rollover status again into 2022.  You also need to remember that Marriott’s core business is in the US and China, and those markets are virtually back to 2019 levels of occupancy.

If you want elite status next year, you are probably going to have to earn it.

Marriott made it easier for you by dropping half the nights you need to renew into your account.

You can make it even easier by getting the Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card before 31st August.

You are guaranteed Gold Elite status until February 2023, and the 15 elite night credits might help you towards Platinum Elite or higher.

Would the 15 Marriott Bonvoy Amex elite night credits work for you?

Let’s look at this by tier.

If you have no Marriott Bonvoy status …..

Normally, the 15 elite night credits that come with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card would give you Silver Elite status, which only requires 10 nights.

With the current Marriott Bonvoy American Express offer, however, you will become Gold Elite and retain this until at least February 2023.

If you were Silver Elite on 1st January 2021 ….

You were given 5 elite night credits earlier in the year.  If you got the Marriott Bonvoy American Express, you’d receive a further 15 nights.  This gets you to 20.

You would usually need to hit 25 nights by 31st December to retain Gold Elite for next year.  However, with the current American Express offer, you would automatically retain your Gold Elite status for 2022 and until the end of February 2023.

Paying £75 for the credit card may be a better deal than paying for five Marriott nights between now and the end of 2021.

If you were Gold Elite on 1st January 2021 …..

You were given 13 elite night credits.  If you got the Marriott Bonvoy American Express, you’d receive a further 15 nights.  This gets you to 28 nights.  This guarantees your renewal for 2022, although you would receive it anyway via the automatic Gold Elite status that comes with the credit card.

You’d need a further 22 paid or reward nights in 2021 to earn the 50 nights required for Platinum Elite, which would also get you five Suite Night Awards.

If you were Platinum Elite on 1st January 2021 …..

You were given 25 elite night credits.  If you got the Marriott Bonvoy American Express, you’d receive a further 15 nights.  This gets you to 40 nights.

You’d need 10 paid or reward nights in 2020 to earn five Suite Night Awards and renew your status.  You’d need 35 paid or reward nights in 2020 to earn the 75 nights required for Titanium Elite.

If you were Titanium Elite on 1st January 2021 …..

You were given 38 elite night credits. If you got the Marriott Bonvoy American Express, you’d receive a further 15 nights.  This gets you to 53 nights.

You immediately trigger a ’50 night bonus’ of which the five Suite Night Awards are by far the best option.

You’d then need a further 22 paid or reward nights to renew your Titanium Elite status.

Another option for a Titanium would be to swap the five Suite Night Awards at 50 nights for 5 additional elite night credits.  This would mean you only need another 17 nights to renew instead of 22.

Titanium renewal would also trigger a ’75 night bonus’ – choose from five Suite Night Awards, a Free Night Award, gift Gold Elite status, five Elite Night Credits or a $100 charity donation.

Don’t underestimate what a good deal this is for an existing Titanium Elite.  The 15 elite night credits from the Amex card will trigger your ’50 night bonus’ and guarantee you Platinum Elite for 2022 even if you don’t do a single night in a Marriott property this year.

If you think getting the credit card makes sense, our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card is here and you can apply here.  Our full article on the 40,000 points bonus is here.

The special bonus of 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, if you qualify, and the offer of Gold Elite status until February 2023 runs until the end of August.

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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.)