Do This Before Your First Marriott Stay

Tl;dr: By joining Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program via referral, you can earn an extra 10,000 Bonvoy points. 

Marriott is the world’s biggest hotel chain, and if you stay in hotels even occasionally, the odds are pretty good that you’ll end up in a Marriott sooner or later. If so, it may be worthwhile to sign up for Bonvoy, their loyalty program. As a member, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent on stays at the chain, and you can also accumulate points by dining out or by transferring them from an Amex card like the Gold Card (although this is generally not the best use of Amex points, it can be a decent redemption value). And booking directly can make a lot of sense if, for example, Amex is offering a discount and Marriott is offering bonus points for stays simultaneously. 

But don’t run to sign up for Bonvoy just yet–you’ll be missing out. Marriott offers a referral program, and when you join Bonvoy via a referral you’ll earn 2,000 points for each of your first 5 stays (within the first year of joining), for a maximum total of 10k. Nerdwallet estimates these points are worth about .7¢ each, so that’s like getting as much as $70 back–a pretty solid value for only a few clicks of extra effort. I just helped my mom book a Courtyard hotel for 13,000 Bonvoy points, so combining this offer with a few meals out could quickly net you a free night.

So definitely find a friend for a referral before signing up. They’ll get rewarded too (make sure you trust them, as they will get your email address as well), so it’s a win-win. As the biggest hotel chain in the world, you definitely know a member. Or, if you’re too lazy, reach out to us for an invite. Happy travels!