Marriott Annual Choice Benefit
The short answer
Reach 50 Elite Night Credits in a year and Marriott lets you pick one benefit: five Nightly Upgrade Awards, US$1,000 off a bed, a US$100 charity donation, Silver Elite to give someone, or five Elite Night Credits. Reach 75 and you choose again, with Gold Elite to give and a Free Night Award of up to 40,000 points added. Choose by February 1, or you get five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
- 50
- Elite Night Credits in a year for the first choice
- 75
- for a second choice, with more options
- Feb 1
- deadline, 11:59 p.m. US Eastern time
- 5
- Nightly Upgrade Awards if you don't choose
01
What are the options at 50 nights?
| Option | What it is |
|---|---|
| Five Nightly Upgrade Awards | upgrades to select premium rooms or suites, one per room per night, confirmed before you arrive |
| US$1,000 off a bed from Marriott's retail brands | off a mattress and box spring, not shipping or frames; one use |
| A US$100 charity donation | to UNICEF USA, World Wildlife Fund or Children's Miracle Network (US and Canada members only); not tax-deductible for you |
| Silver Elite status to give | to a friend or family member who has no elite status this year |
| Five Elite Night Credits | counted toward elite and lifetime status, in the year you earned the benefit |
02
What changes at 75 nights?
You choose again from the same list, with Gold Elite to give instead of Silver, plus one more option: a Free Night Award worth up to 40,000 points, which you can top up with your own points. How Free Night Awards work.
03
Which option should you choose?
- A few nights short of the next tier? Take the five Elite Night Credits. They count toward the year you earned the benefit, even if you choose in January, so 70 credits become 75 and Titanium Elite. Count your nights.
- Planning a stay at a hotel with suites? Take the Nightly Upgrade Awards, and use them by December 31 of the year after you earn it. How to use them.
- Someone you travel with has no status? Give them Silver Elite, or Gold Elite at 75 nights.
- Buying a bed anyway? The US$1,000 discount is the largest cash amount on the list.
04
How do you choose, and what if you don't?
Make the choice in your Marriott Bonvoy account by 11:59 p.m. US Eastern time on February 1 of the following year; Member Support can't make it for you. Choices are final. If you don’t choose, you get five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
Questions
What is the Marriott Annual Choice Benefit?
A benefit you pick once you reach 50 Elite Night Credits in a calendar year, and again at 75: upgrade awards, a bed discount, a charity donation, status to give, Elite Night Credits, or at 75 a Free Night Award.
When is the Annual Choice Benefit deadline?
11:59 p.m. US Eastern time on February 1 of the following year.
What happens if I don't choose an Annual Choice Benefit?
Marriott gives you five Nightly Upgrade Awards.
Do the five Elite Night Credits count this year or next?
The year you earned the benefit, even if you choose them in January before the deadline.
Sources: Marriott Bonvoy terms, sections 4.3.c and 4.3.d. Program rules change, so confirm with Marriott before you rely on one. Award Escape is independent of Marriott.