Marriott Bonvoy's core earning structure is unchanged for 2026, per the program's published terms, but members booking award stays are paying more: the program has quietly raised award redemption pricing at many properties going into 2026, per loyalty-program trackers. For the program's very large membership base, the value of a stored point is drifting down even as the ways to earn and keep status stay familiar.
This site publishes information, not booking advice; the details below are what a traveler comparing redemption options should verify against current terms before committing points.
What stayed the same
Base points earning on stays, elite night credit mechanics, and the tier ladder carry over from 2025 without structural change, per the published 2026 program terms. Two features members care about remain in force: the soft-landing policy, which drops a member one status tier rather than to the bottom after a year without requalification, and credit-card elite night credits, which continue to count toward status.
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What moved
Three things. First, award pricing: trackers documented property-level redemption increases through late 2025 and into 2026, consistent with the industry's shift toward dynamic award pricing on high-demand dates. Second, the portfolio grew — Marriott completed its acquisition of citizenM, announced in April 2025, and launched The Outdoor Collection, both of which feed new properties into Bonvoy earning and redemption. Third, the program continues to run registered promotions; in early 2026 the headline offer cycles reward paid stays with bonus points, so registration windows matter more than headline rates.
What it means for a traveler's booking
The practical consequence is that points are best spent where award pricing has not yet repriced — off-peak dates, lower-category properties, and advance bookings before rates move. For stays at premium properties in high season, the cash-versus-points math has shifted toward cash at many properties, per the same trackers. Members who earned status in 2025 should also note where they landed under soft landing, since the retained tier — not the lapsed one — determines breakfast and lounge access in 2026.
Loyalty program terms change frequently and without much notice. The figures above reflect program terms and tracker reporting as of early February 2026; the Marriott Bonvoy terms page is the controlling document.