Marriott Bonvoy promotion (Winter 2026): Bonus of 1 elite night per brand and 2,500 points per stay

The Marriott Bonvoy hotel rewards program just announced its seasonal global promotion for winter and spring 2026. It’s a bit disappointing for regulars who were waiting for this annual shortcut for elite status, because it’s quite a bit harder to maximize.

Throughout the year, the major hotel chains usually offer several global promotions that increase your rewards earnings. We have a detailed guide on hotel promotions; here, we focus on Marriott Bonvoy’s.

Marriott Bonvoy cards happen to be offering their highest welcome bonus ever seen. Flytrippers helps you travel for less with its free newsletter specifically about travel rewards, its ranking of the best current offers, and its infographic summarizing all the basics.

Here is everything you need to know about the Marriott Bonvoy seasonal global promotion for winter 2026.

What is the current Marriott Bonvoy global promotion?

The Marriott Bonvoy global promotion for winter and spring 2026 gives you 2 separate bonuses: 1 bonus elite night credit (ENC) per hotel brand and 2,500 bonus points per stay, for stays from February 26 to May 10, 2026.

Let’s lay that out clearly.

Here is what the Marriott global promotion gives you:

• 1 bonus elite night per hotel brand
  • Not per night
• 2,500 bonus points per stay
  • Not per night
• No maximum for bonuses
  • As usual
• In addition to your regular earnings
  • Via Marriott Bonvoy:
    • 1 ENC per night
    • 10 pts/US dollar + elite bonus
  • Via your credit card:
    • ≈ 10% back by unlocking a welcome bonus
    • Or a minimum of ≈ 4.5% back with Marriott cards

As a reminder, the winter promotion is usually Marriott’s only promotion that lets you accelerate your progress toward higher tiers of Marriott Bonvoy elite status (and it even helps you reach Air Canada Aeroplan elite status), in addition to the Marriott Bonvoy cards shortcut.

You still get a shortcut, but it’s much tougher this year. Marriott has around 40 hotel brands, but it still means you need shorter stays in each hotel to really maximize the promo (which at least give you more bonus points than in previous years).

Here are the validity dates of the Marriott global promotion:

• Stays from February 26 to May 10, 2026
  • Even if you booked before
  • As long as you’re registered before
• Registration required before April 26, 2026
  • In 1 click on the Marriott website
  • Always do it right away

I myself had planned a winter trip to Asia in my travel calendar to maximize this promotion, as I did last year. Planning your long trip of the year at this time allows you to maximise your elite status (and to avoid the worst part of the year in Canada).

I’m still doing this trip. But the brands wrinkle changed my plans entirely, for destinations and even for the style of the trip completely.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy global promotion good?

Overall, it’s clear that the promotion is disappointing and harder to maximize. But someone who wants Platinum elite status can leave for just 3 weeks and get it (I’ll use that 20 nights example).

At least for the bonus elite night credits (ENC) portion. The bonus points portion is actually better than usual if you maximize the 1^st portion with stays of only 1 or 2 nights.

Let’s look at each portion.

ENCs bonus

The possibility of getting a bonus of 20 ENCs in 20 nights is great, but it’s logistically incredibly complex this year. Even with stays that are a bit longer than 1 night per hotel, you’ll still get a few bonus ENCs.

Even if it’s disappointing and not as good as other years, it’s still much better than no bonus at all.

Marriott Bonvoy elite status is great, especially the higher tiers. They’re attainable thanks to elite night credits (ENCs). Elite status qualification instruments like ENCs are so often confused with rewards (points).

You can get 15 ENCs by having one of the Marriott Bonvoy cards, but otherwise, the only other elite status shortcut usually offered during the year is this promotion.

So it’s the best tip to reach the higher elite status tiers. That remains true.

But getting 1 bonus ENC per different hotel brand is really not as simple as during previous years’ promotions (which gave 1 bonus ENC per night, very simply).

That means having to constantly switch hotels to maximize. It requires treating it as a mattress run (trip specifically for earning) to maximize it.

That said, personally, I love the “gamification” aspect and the variety of having to try several brands. And the logistical challenge of doing the most brands for the lowest price, a cool puzzle.

(It even reminds me of the 3 flight challenges I loved doing in 2024 and 2025 to earn millions of points: 15 airlines for the SAS promo, 6 continents for the Turkish promo, and 25 airports for the jetBlue promo!)

We’ll soon update our very old guide on the different Marriott hotel brands for the occasion; sign up for Flytrippers’ free newsletter to get it first.

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Points bonus

The possibility of getting a bonus of 50,000 points in 20 nights is great, but again, it’s very complex this year. And if you stay 3 nights or more at the same hotels, you’re earning less than in previous promos.

Marriott Bonvoy has become so big that the bonus points offered are rarely large amounts, and this time is no different.

That said, compared to last year’s promo, it’s actually a much better deal if you want to maximize. Instead of 1,000 bonus points per night last year, it’s now 2,500 points (150% more)… if you do single-night stays.

Indeed, this time the bonus is per stay, not per night.

If you do 2-night stays, you’re still better off than last year because that works out to 1,250 points per night. But once you go beyond that, it’s less lucrative than in previous years.

How to maximize the Marriott Bonvoy global promotion?

As in any situation where the reward you get is fixed, the key to maximizing the Marriott global promotion is obviously to spend as little as possible to obtain said fixed reward.

You obviously need hotels that are cheap in cash, but this year, if you want to maximize it efficiently, you also need a destination with cheap hotels from many different brands available relatively close by. And shorter stays.

Let’s look at each portion.

ENCs bonus

The bonus is fixed: 1 ENC per different hotel brand. So, to maximize it, to maximize, your stay must cost as little as possible, which means fewer nights and cheaper nights.

You should do stays of only 1 night at hotels of different brands without ever doing the same brand again.

Personally, I’ve always loved changing hotels in the same destination, to get a variety of properties, neighborhoods, and experiences. And to maximize my savings.

But I know that changing hotels seems sooooo complicated for many (especially those who sadly don’t travel light). That type of traveler will simply not be able to maximize this promotion. 

And now this is taken to the extreme. Changing every night will be an interesting challenge, I find.

In my opinion, the best country to maximize the promotion is China. I spent 10 nights there last year (20 ENCs), as that was the maximum allowed visa-free (without having to exit and re-enter). But since February, Canadians can now spend 30 days in China visa-free.

This year, I again wanted to visit multiple countries, but China has so many affordable Marriott hotels from all brands, so I might spend a long time there. To be determined. More on my upcoming trip in a separate post soon.

Points bonus

The bonus is fixed: 2,500 points per stay. Again, to maximize, your stay must cost as little as possible, which means fewer nights and cheaper nights.

Here’s the bonus per night depending on the length of the stay:

• 1 night: 2,500 points per night
• 2 nights: 1,250 points per night
• 3 nights: 833 points per night
• 4 nights: 625 points per night
• 5 nights: 500 points per night

As for minimizing the cost, the next section happens to cover this.

What is the value of the Marriott Bonvoy global promotion?

Again, I’ll separate the calculation for each portion.

ENCs bonus

Marriott Bonvoy elite status has a very variable value, depending on the tier, obviously, but also on so many other factors.

I’ll do a separate post about how to value elite status depending on your traveler profile.

But if you maximize with 1-night stays, you’re getting a 100% bonus on ENCs, which is obviously a great deal. With 3-night stays, it’s a 33% bonus. With 5-night stays, it’s a 20% bonus. Assuming you change brands, of course.

Points bonus

Our Flytrippers Valuation of Marriott points is ≈ 0.9¢/pt. So the bonus is ≈ $23 per stay.

Here’s the bonus per night depending on the length of the stay:

• 1 night: ≈ $23 per night
• 2 nights: ≈ $11 per night
• 3 nights: ≈ $7 per night
• 4 nights: ≈ $6 per night
• 5 nights: ≈ $5 per night

With 1-night stays, as I’ll do, that’s actually really good.

There are Marriott hotels for $60 per night in China, so with the ≈ $23 back, that’s ≈ 38% back just with the promo.

I already earn ≈ 13% back as a Titanium elite member (17.5 points per US dollar) and ≈ 10% back very conservatively by simply always unlocking welcome bonuses. I explained that in my recent post about the best credit card benefit.

That gives me ≈ 61% back!!! It’s wild that so many people think that earning a pathetic rate of 1% or 2% is what travel rewards are all about. Learning to maximize and earn rewards the right way is so important! 

How to take advantage of the Marriott Bonvoy global promotion?

Here are the basics you need to know:

• You must register for free before your stay
  • With 1 click on the Marriott website
  • Always do it right away
  • As with all promotions
• Book a stay paid in cash
  • Not paid in points
  • Not paid partially in points
  • Not paid in certificates
• Book with Marriott directly
  • On their website or their app
  • Not on 3^rd-party sites or agencies
  • The Amex FH+R benefit is the exception
• Stays booked previously are eligible:
  • As long as they take place during the promotion
  • As long as you have registered before your stay date
  • The stay is eligible (payment/booking methods)
• Promotions can be global or targeted:
  • This one is global; everyone can take advantage
  • Your targeted promotions are on the Marriott website

Finally, here are some exclusions for this Marriott promotion (which are not relevant to most travelers):

• Hotel brands are all included, except BVLGARI
  • Not Marriott Executive Apartments
  • Not timeshare brands
  • Not residential properties
  • Not The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
• Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy are included
  • Not always the case
• Multiple rooms are excluded
  • If they are on the same night
  • It’s for 1 room per member per night

Sign up for our free newsletter to receive our ultimate guide to the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program very soon.

Details of how Marriott promotions work in general

Here are more details on the basics of Marriott promotions.

Types of bonuses with Marriott promotions

We’ll start documenting the history of Marriott promotions at the end of this article, but more generally, there are a few types of Marriott promotions.

Bonuses offered are either:

• Bonus points
• Bonus elite night credits

Sometimes the 2 are offered at the same time, like this winter.

Bonus points are simple: they can be used to get free hotel nights. Elite night credits are really just to reach elite status. Many people find the term “elite night” confusing, but the name says it all: it’s just for your count of nights to reach elite status.

Types of requirements for Marriott promotions

A major difference in Marriott promotions is how the bonus is offered.

Either:

• Per night
• Per stay

When there is a bonus of 1000 points per night, it is easier and the length of your stay is not relevant.

But if it’s 1000 points per stay, the number of consecutive nights in the same hotel greatly affects the value of the promotion and the bonus. It incentivizes shorter stays (by simply changing hotels during a trip).

Sometimes there are special bonuses like 2000 points per different hotel brand you try during the promo period.

Finally, sometimes there are extra bonus points for travelers who have the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card only!

Validity period for Marriott promotions

The 1^st of the 2 time periods to know about Marriott promotions is the period to take advantage of the promotion.

That’s the most important and it’s quite simple. Your stay must take place during the Marriott promotion period. 

For seasonal global promotions, the periods to take advantage of them usually last 2-3 months. 

Finally, sometimes the bonus starts with the 2^nd stay during the promotion’s time period, instead of the 1^st. This is to incentivize you to make multiple stays. It’s not common, but it’s one of the variables we’ll always list in the overview of the promotion at the top of this page.

Registration period for Marriott promotions

The 2^nd of the 2 time periods to know about Marriott promotions is the period to register for the promotion.

You must have registered before your stay to take advantage of the promotion. And the registration period always ends before the end of the promotion itself. It usually starts before too.

By the way, it’s normal for them to require registration: they certainly don’t want to give bonuses to travelers who didn’t even know there was a promotion and who clearly would’ve booked the hotel even without knowing about the bonuses!

Be a savvy traveler and always register. You should always register as soon as you see the promotion because it takes a minute and you never know if you will have to book a hotel later, for example with your flight delay insurance.

(So if you register when we share the post about the new promo, there’s really just the period for the promotion itself to worry about!)

Frequency of Marriott promotions

There are often periods between promotions when there is no global promotion going on, unfortunately.

There can be anywhere from 1 to 4 global promotions per year. It varies.

As mentioned, at the end of this guide there’s the history of Marriott global promotions that we’ll fill out (including those in the past once we have a bit of time to research it).

Payment methods eligible for Marriott promotions

To take advantage of Marriott’s promotions, you must pay with cash, not:

• With Marriott Bonvoy points
• With Marriott Bonvoy’s Cash + Points option
• With Marriott Bonvoy free night certificates

This is not the case with all hotel chains by the way. I’ve already taken advantage of some absolutely amazing Hilton global promotions thanks to the fact that they applied even to reservations made with points, I’ll talk about that in another post soon.

Marriott points are the easiest hotel points to earn in Canada. They are the most valuable too. But like all rewards of the more lucrative type, there are dates and/or hotels where it’s not a good value to use the points!

That means sometimes it’s better to pay with cash. To determine this, the basic rule is to look at the cost in cash of course. Including the earnings you’ll get, especially during Marriott promotions.

So to make the most accurate calculation, also consider the earnings you would get by paying with cash, which is at least ≈ 12% for those who have the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and even more during promotions!

Booking methods eligible for Marriott promotions

Hotel chains are very different from airlines: to be eligible for the program benefits, you must book directly with them and not through intermediary booking sites or agencies.

This applies to promotions as well.

The hotel chains’ websites pretty much always have the lowest price too, unlike the airlines’ sites.

However, for the hotel chains you don’t stay with often enough, it’s probably better to get the simple 10% back from the Hotels.com Rewards program, even though that’s usually less than what you earn from the hotel rewards program directly. And at the last minute, Hotwire’s opaque deals can save you more.

Stays eligible for Marriott promotions

Any hotel reservations made before registration and before the promotion is announced are eligible, as long as:

• Your stay takes place during the promotion period
• You have registered for the promotion before your stay
• The stay is eligible (payment/booking methods)

Hotel brands eligible for Marriott promotions

You can check out our introduction to the 30+ different Marriott hotel brands, which will be updated and improved soon.

All hotel brands are included in the promotions.

What is often excluded are brands that are something other than traditional hotels:

• Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy: Marriott’s version of Airbnb and Vrbo
• Marriott Executive Apartments: a special brand of long-term rentals
• Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy: another brand of long-term rentals
• Timeshare Clubs: not hotels at all
• Residential properties: not hotels at all

Logistics to take advantage of a Marriott promotion

There are just 2 simple steps:

• Register for the promotion
• Book a stay with cash during the promotion period

Now here’s the step-by-step process if you want more information.

Logistics of registration for a Marriott promotion

You need to log in to your Marriott online account first.

(All Canadian travelers should have a free account, Marriott Bonvoy is 1 of the 5 in our free cheat sheet of the essential rewards programs for Canadians!)

I’ll do a separate post soon on how to create it if you want that step-by-step, but you just need to follow what it says on the account creation page of the Marriott website!

Once you’re logged in, you click on the link for the current Marriott promotion (always listed in a simple way for you in the overview at the top of this article).

On the Marriott promotion page, there’s always going to be a big purple button that says “Register”

You click and voilà, you are registered.

Logistics to see all Marriott promotions

I’ll take the liberty of adding this sidenote. You can also see the global promotion without the direct link, along with all your targeted promotions (if you have any).

Once logged into your Marriott account, you click on your name in the top right corner and then click on the “Promotions” option.

It takes you to the directory of all Marriott promotions, but most of the time, there is just the global promotion anyway.

You click on “Register” and it will take you to the specific Marriott promotion page.

Logistics of booking a stay during a Marriott promotion

There is absolutely nothing special to do when booking a hotel during a Marriott promotion.

(Except obviously being logged into your Marriott account, but you should always be logged in!)

You go to the Marriott website — as with everything, we appreciate it when you use the links on the Flytrippers website if you’re going to go directly. It’s at no cost to you, and it allows you to support us so we can share more free content to help you travel for less.

Then, you enter your destination and dates.

I still recommend clicking on “Use Points” because it will allow you to compare to make sure it’s worth paying in cash to take advantage of the promotion.

(Because the price in cash appears in addition to the price in points when you select this option — whereas there is just the cash price if you don’t select it!)

I shared pro tips to simplify your Marriott searches, whether in points or with cash. Don’t miss our ultimate guide soon by signing up for our free newsletter for travel rewards; you’ll also receive lots of other useful tips!

What were the historical Marriott promotions?

Here’s the recent history of Marriott promotions:

• Winter 2026: Bonus of 1 elite night credit per brand and 2500 points per stay
• Winter 2025: Bonus of 1 elite night credit and 1000 points per night
• Winter 2024: Bonus of 1 elite night credit and 1000 points per night
• Winter 2023: Bonus of 1 elite night credit and 1000 points per night

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Featured image: View of the Fairfield by Marriott Bali Kuta Sunset Road (photo credit: Marriott)