New Marriott 2026 Q1 Promotion: Earn 2,500 Bonus Points per Stay and 1 Bonus Elite Night per Brand

New Marriott 2026 Q1 Promotion: Earn 2,500 Bonus Points per Stay and 1 Bonus Elite Night per Brand

Marriott has finally announced the details of its Q1 global promotion, and if you have been a Bonvoy member for a while, this one will probably feel a little different.

For the past few years, Marriott leaned heavily on double elite night credits in Q1. Those promotions made the early part of the year one of the easiest times to requalify or climb toward Bonvoy elite status. This year, Marriott has mixed things up by offering a promotion that rewards trying different brands rather than simply staying more nights.

The Promotion Details

For Q1, Marriott is offering 2,500 bonus points per stay, plus one bonus Elite Night Credit for each brand you stay at during the promotional period.

Registration is required and must be completed by April 26. Only stays completed between February 25 and May 10 qualify.

Eligible stays must be booked directly through Marriott channels, including the Marriott website, mobile app, participating properties, or Marriott customer engagement centers.

A stay is defined as consecutive nights at the same property, regardless of check in or check out activity, as long as the rate is points eligible.

One important limitation is that award stays and Free Night Certificates do not qualify for this promotion.

Eligible Brands

This promotion applies to many Marriott brands, but not all of them.

Most standard hotel stays will qualify, but some brands and property types are excluded. Before assuming a stay will earn bonus points or elite nights, it is worth confirming that the brand is included. You can see the full list of excluded brands on Marriott’s promotion website. The excluded brands are mostly vacation club ownership properties and the Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection.

Not All Marriott Brands are Included

How This Compares to Previous Q1 Promotions

In recent years, Marriott offered double elite night credits on all qualifying stays. That made Q1 incredibly valuable for anyone chasing Platinum, Titanium, or even Ambassador status. This year’s promotion is far more limited.

You only earn one bonus elite night per brand, no matter how many nights you stay. Ten nights at the same brand still earn just one bonus elite night credit.

For travelers who tend to stick with one or two preferred brands, this promotion is clearly weaker than what we have seen in the past. For those who naturally move between different Marriott brands, there is still some value, but it is much more situational.

 

Is the Promotion Worth It?

On its own, 2,500 bonus points per stay is not particularly compelling. The real value here is the bonus elite night credits, and even those require a specific type of travel pattern to maximize.

If you are already planning multiple paid stays at different Marriott brands, this promotion can still add some value along the way. If you were hoping Q1 would once again do the heavy lifting toward elite status, you are going to need a bit more strategy in your stays to move the needle in a meaningful way.

 

A Bigger Shift in Marriott’s Strategy?

It is hard not to see this promotion as part of a broader trend.

Over the years, Marriott’s elite ranks have grown steadily. Lounge overcrowding, limited upgrades, and diluted benefits have become common complaints. Making elite status slightly harder to earn feels intentional.

This promotion slows elite night accumulation without removing bonuses entirely. Whether that improves the overall value of elite status remains to be seen.

Final Thoughts

This Q1 Marriott promotion is not terrible, but it is underwhelming compared to previous years.

If you are already planning paid stays across multiple Marriott brands, you will pick up some extra points and elite nights along the way. If you were counting on Q1 to do the heavy lifting for status requalification, this promotion will not get you there without some strategic planning.

For most travelers, this feels like a step down from what Marriott has offered in past Q1 promotions.