How Marriott Bonvoy Points Convert to MGM Stays

Posted on: March 5, 2024, 03:31h. 

Last updated on: March 6, 2024, 11:49h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

When Marriott International and MGM Resorts International announced plans last July for their rewards partnership, MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy, a big question loomed: how will loyalty rewards accrued with one company be usable with the other?

MGM rising rates
Bellagio Las Vegas. Marriott Bonvoy members will need to dole out 20K points for a free night at the venue. (Image: MGM Resorts)

Now, more details have emerged.

As was previously noted, Marriott Bonvoy points cannot be converted to various status levels in the MGM Rewards program. But select members of the gaming company’s loyalty program are eligible for Bonvoy Gold Elite and Silver Elite status. Those in the invitation-only MGM Rewards NOIR status will qualify for Bonvoy Ambassador Elite.

The licensing agreement covers MGM’s 17 domestic properties, including those on the Las Vegas Strip and the brand’s regional casino hotels. Starting in October, several MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy properties will be available for booking on Marriott.com and through the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app. All MGM venues are expected to be available on those platforms by year-end.

More Marriott Points Required for MGM

As noted above, the entirety of MGM’s domestic portfolio is expected to be available for booking on the Marriott website by the end of this year. Currently, the bulk of the gaming company’s Las Vegas Strip casino resorts are available for booking via the hotelier’s website.

Not surprisingly, the more posh the MGM venue, the more points a Marriott Bonvoy member needs to redeem for a free room night. As reported by The Points Guy, visitors who want to use Marriott points for a free night at Excalibur or Luxor — MGM’s two mid-tier Strip properties — will have to use 5,000 points per night, plus a resort fee of $41.95. New York New York requires 9,000 Bonvoy points and a nightly resort fee of $47.62.

Bonvoy members who want a free night at MGM Grand or Park MGM will need to redeem 15K points per night with resort fees of $51.02 and $47.62, respectively.

For Aria, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, The Signature at MGM Grand, and Vdara, one night runs 20K Bonvoy points, with resort fees ranging from $47.62 to $56.69. The Cosmopolitan, which is the newest addition to MGM’s Strip roster, wasn’t mentioned in the article, but is available on the Marriott site. It’s reasonable to expect the Bonvoy points required for a night there would be comparable to Bellagio.

Cosmopolitan recently joined MGM Rewards, and that might be the reason it wasn’t mentioned by The Points Guy.

Marriott Bonvoy Somewhat Efficient

Marriott operates more than 7,700 hotels around the world under dozens of brands, providing guests with an array of opportunities to accrue points for use at MGM properties. Visitors to 25 brands, including those in the MGM Collection, earn 10 points for every $1 spent on a room.

In a hypothetical example, it would be possible for someone staying at a Ritz-Carlton or a St. Regis to earn enough points in three or four nights (maybe less) to get a free night at Aria or Bellagio. Nine other hotel brands with ties to Marriott deliver five Bonvoy points for each $1 spent, while Marriott Executive Apartments guests earn 2.5 points for every $1 they spend.

Marriott golf course and spa customers also earn 10 points per $1 spent. Consumers can also leverage several Bonvoy credit cards to boost points accrual. A Chase Bonvoy card and two from American Express allow users to earn double points on everyday purchases while earning 6x points on stays at Marriott properties.