In this post, I want to take a closer look at Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status, which is Marriott’s elite tier that requires 75 nights annually. All the time I see people ask whether it’s worth going for Titanium status over Platinum status, so I’ll share my take on that.
In this post:
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador requirements
Marriott Bonvoy has five elite tiers, but I’d argue that status really starts to get valuable at the Platinum tier. There are two tiers above that, though. Specifically, here are the requirements over the course of a calendar year to qualify for Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador status:
- Platinum status requires 50 elite qualifying nights
- Titanium status requires 75 elite qualifying night
- Ambassador status requires 100 elite qualifying nights plus $23,000 of qualifying spending
Before you assume that these requirements are really high and unachievable, keep in mind that in the United States it’s easy to earn 40 elite nights per year through Marriott’s co-branded credit cards.
For example, I have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review) and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review), and just for holding onto those two cards, I get 40 elite nights per year (25 from the Brilliant Card and 15 from the Business Card). That gives me quite a head start to earning status.
What are the advantages of Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status?
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status requires only 50 elite nights per year, and comes with many great elite perks. I’d consider the most significant to be:
- Room upgrades subject to availability, and at most Marriott brands you’re eligible for an upgrade to a standard suite
- Complimentary executive lounge access at most Marriott brands
- Complimentary breakfast at most Marriott brands
- Guaranteed 4PM late check-out (except at resorts, where it’s subject to availability)
- Access to the Choice Benefits program when you pass 50 elite nights per year, where you can select Nightly Upgrade Awards as a perk
So, what are the incremental perks of Titanium status over Platinum status, given that Titanium status requires 75 nights rather than 50 nights? Let’s go over those, in no particular order.
75% Bonvoy bonus points
When it comes to earning points, Platinum members receive 50% bonus points on hotel stays, and Titanium members receive 75% bonus points. You ordinarily earn 10 base points per dollar spent, meaning Platinum members earn 15x points per dollar spent, while Titanium members earn 17.5x points per dollar spent.
I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so I consider that to be an incremental 1.75% return on Marriott spending.
Ritz-Carlton suite upgrades, subject to availability
On paper, the upgrade benefits for Bonvoy Platinum and Bonvoy Titanium members are identical, with one exception — Titanium members are eligible for space available suite upgrades at Ritz-Carlton properties, while Platinum members aren’t.
That’s how the rules are published, at least. That’s not to say that Titanium members will always get suite upgrades at Ritz-Carltons, and it’s also not to say that Platinum members will never get suite upgrades at Ritz-Carltons.
But Ritz-Carlton is the one brand where the upgrade benefit is different between Platinum and Titanium members.
United MileagePlus Silver elite status
Bonvoy Titanium members receive free United MileagePlus Silver status. This is valid for as long as they maintain Titanium status, and registration is required. This is United’s entry level status, and offers perks like bonus miles, a complimentary checked bag, and space available upgrades to first class and Economy Plus.
If you’re an occasional United flyer this could come in handy, though don’t expect to regularly get first class upgrades as a Silver member.
Air Canada Aeroplan 25K elite status
Bonvoy Titanium members receive free Air Canada Aeroplan 25K elite status. This is valid for as long as they maintain Titanium status, and registration is required. This is Air Canada’s entry level status, and offers perks like bonus miles, priority services, and more.
Access to additional Choice Benefits
Marriott Bonvoy members can select Choice Benefits when they pass 50 elite nights and 75 elite nights in a calendar year. So if you earn Titanium status with 75 elite nights, you’ll also be able to select an additional set of Choice Benefits.
Personally I’d select the five Nightly Upgrade Awards, each of which allows you to confirm an upgrade for a one night stay up to three to five days prior to arrival, subject to availability. I’ve gotten good value out of this, though admittedly people have mixed experiences.
Potentially better “soft” treatment
The above are the main published differences between Platinum and Titanium status in the Bonvoy program. I do think it’s at least worth mentioning that travelers may find that they get better “soft” treatment as a Titanium member than a Platinum member. After all, it’s a higher elite tier.
You may find that the average Titanium member has better luck with upgrades than the average Platinum member. This won’t consistently be the case, but it’s logical that many hotels prioritize upgrades based on elite tier, even if the benefits are supposed to be the same.
After all, there are often a lot more elite members eligible for upgrades than actual upgrades available, so it makes sense that higher tier elite members would get better upgrades.
My experience with Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status
I’ve had Bonvoy Titanium status for several years (I just earned Ambassador status again), so I’ll share my experience. For context, I’m also a lifetime Bonvoy Platinum member, so I always have that to fall back on. Nonetheless, earning Bonvoy Titanium status is quite easy for me, as I get 40 elite nights per year with co-branded credit cards, so just 35+ organic nights per year earns me Titanium.
Have I found Titanium status to be worth the incremental perks over Platinum status? I’m not sure, to be honest, because I’m also strategic about the destinations where I elect to stay at Marriotts. The way I view it:
- I do consistently get value out of Nightly Upgrade Awards, so I appreciate being able to earn 10 of those per year as a Titanium member, vs. just five per year as a Platinum member; in the past couple of years, I had Nightly Upgrade Awards clear at the St. Regis Aspen, W Muscat, St. Regis Venice, Gritti Palace Venice, King George Athens, and Hotel Grande Bretagne
- Most of my Marriott stays are outside the United States, and I avoid properties that are known to be bad with elite recognition
- I can’t say that I feel like I get many incremental “soft” perks for being a Titanium member over a Platinum member
So based on my experience is it worth going out of my way to earn Titanium status? No. But since I typically happen to earn it through my hotel stays (combined with the elite nights I earn through credit cards), the system works for me.
Bottom line
Titanium status is Marriott Bonvoy’s 75-night elite tier, between Platinum and Ambassador status. It offers limited incremental perks over Platinum status, including 75% bonus points (rather than 50% bonus points), suite upgrades at Ritz-Carltons, United MileagePlus Silver status, Air Canada Aeroplan 25K status, and access to more Choice Benefits.
I don’t find there to be much difference in treatment otherwise between Titanium and Platinum status. I think the biggest thing I value is earning an additional five Nightly Upgrade Awards per year through the Choice Benefits program.
If you’re a Bonvoy Titanium member, what has your experience been like?
Does anyone know if I have the Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX and the Bonvoy Boundless Visa, do I get 40 nights from them right off the bat?
I ask because I only see the 25 nights from the AMEX and nothing yet from the Visa. Thanks!
I think if you’re within striking distance early December in any given year, it’s worth going for the extra 40k free night Choice benefit (topped off to 55k). That can be worth an easy $1k, combined with a SUA. I have been doing a domestic Autograph & Tribute hotel tour, Titanium has been worth it for the elite suite upgrades between me and a Plat.
My first booking as a Titanium was the Moxy Lisbon, Portugal. I asked about an ulgrade during checkin and the employee laughed, saying the hotel was full of Titaniums and Ambassadors. Though I believe she was exagerrating, I could see status meant nothing to her or her hotel. I have let my status drop to Lifetime Platinum and don't miss the meh treatment received as Titanium.
Got a suite upgrade and breakfast at Moxy in Oslo but nothing in other Moxy places; not even the breakfast, just the lousy 1,000 points.
What about the difference between Ambassador and Platinum / Titanium? Is it worth $23,000 of spend?! Surely it’s better to spend this at Hyatt and try to get Lifetime Globalist than waste it on Marriott? Or spend high cash rate stays at Hyatt and low ones at Marriott?
I think I logged...maybe two "extra" nights with an eye towards status this year. A few nights got "diverted" between Hyatt and Marriott as well, but two cheap nights around Christmas for an FNA I can probably use at the Montreal or Toronto airport hotels leaves me coming out a bit ahead.
Whether I limp it back in during 2025 or not is another story. I might get the Business CC to take the edge...
I think I logged...maybe two "extra" nights with an eye towards status this year. A few nights got "diverted" between Hyatt and Marriott as well, but two cheap nights around Christmas for an FNA I can probably use at the Montreal or Toronto airport hotels leaves me coming out a bit ahead.
Whether I limp it back in during 2025 or not is another story. I might get the Business CC to take the edge off (and, IIRC, get another FNA), at which point I'd just need 40-ish nights (30 from CCs, 5 from the 50-night award, and the balance from stays), of which probably 10 get knocked off due to double night promos.
To be clear, 50%->75% bonuses and the FNA aside, I /do/ value 48-hour guaranteed availability. That has saved my bacon on one or two occasions - I'd usually use it to "punch" a sold-out night in the middle of a stay rather than as a standalone, but that can still be /really/ useful.
The extra gift for titanium members can be valuable especially if you choose the free night award of 40,000 points or less. Marriott makes it pretty easy to use it and you can add up to 15,000 points, I think. However, there are really few other benefits to obtaining this status over platinum and it is not worth purposely staying for many extra nights. I assume some of the titanium and above members are because of Marriott's double night promotion periods.
There’s nothing to be gained with Marriott, regardless of status.
I've been Lifetime Titanium for over 30 years, Platinum for almost 40 and while the benefits used to be substantial there is virtually nothing to be gained for stays within the US with status beyond breakfast and wifi. Overseas the situation varies widely but if I was starting out again I'd give my business to Hyatt and just stay at Courtyards where Marriott was the only alternative.
There is simply no comparison between the two...
I've been Lifetime Titanium for over 30 years, Platinum for almost 40 and while the benefits used to be substantial there is virtually nothing to be gained for stays within the US with status beyond breakfast and wifi. Overseas the situation varies widely but if I was starting out again I'd give my business to Hyatt and just stay at Courtyards where Marriott was the only alternative.
There is simply no comparison between the two organizations. The people at Hyatt, from the floor staff up to the general managers are great at their jobs and really appear to love what they are doing whereas most Marriott properties couldn't care less.
Given how good my stays were with Marriott during the '70s and 80's having earned lifetime Titanium I thought I was set for life but Marriott has fallen so far that I hardly stay with them and work to make Globalist every year instead.
I think the incremental points benefit is just 16.6%. You get 75% more points for be Titanium compared to no status, 50% more points for Platinum compared to no status. If you are calculating the incremental benefit of being Titanium va Platinum, you get 2.5x more points per dollar spent, so 17.5 (pp$) / 15.0 (pp$) = 1.1667.
All I expect from Marriott—-5 for 4, the rest is a cr*pshoot
Honestly, look at the Bonf'kd "benefits". Overall it's shite! None of the levels are worth it. They do not bend over backwards for Titans or Amb members...really?! Ha.
I was once told by a front desk "you're just a platinum" So yeah. Sometimes I fall into a higher status level than my lifetime status by accident (work trip, Bonf'kd hotels were the best option) - usually the former Starwood hotels are better....so promo is running...
Honestly, look at the Bonf'kd "benefits". Overall it's shite! None of the levels are worth it. They do not bend over backwards for Titans or Amb members...really?! Ha.
I was once told by a front desk "you're just a platinum" So yeah. Sometimes I fall into a higher status level than my lifetime status by accident (work trip, Bonf'kd hotels were the best option) - usually the former Starwood hotels are better....so promo is running and I see I have something new showing in my account. It's ignored until needed.
In addition to United Silver, Marriott Titanium members get Air Canada's Aeroplan 25K status. I'm pretty sure this is not a limited time status match, but could be wrong.
@ zigzagged8 -- Great point, thank you! I updated the post to add that.
You addressed the benefits but what about the cost? Namely, having to spend an extra 25 nights away from home sleeping in a lousy Marriott. Now, if that doesn’t sound like hell to you, you may want to reevaluate your life choices.
This is a travel blog! Specifically, a travel blog focused on points, airlines, and hotels. I think many of us enjoy traveling and enjoy staying in hotels. Different people have different interests - no need to insult those who find joy in something you do not.
Having been an Ambassador for years, only once had I received an upgrade at a US-based Ritz Carlton or St. Regis (not that St. Regis upgrades require anything higher than Platinum). This is when upgrade-eligible suites were available for the duration of my stay. Express, unabashed refusal to upgrade. I'll guess other Ambassadors had the same experience. For Titaniums, best of luck.
Now, all I expect out of a Marriott stay is free WiFi, breakfast (if available), and 4pm check-out. Lifetime Platinum has those, requires no effort, and affords free agency.