How and why to earn Marriott Ambassador Elite status
Marriott Bonvoy differs from most major hotel loyalty programs in that its top elite status has two requirements members must meet each calendar year. To earn Ambassador Elite status, members must stay frequently with Marriott and spend a significant amount with Marriott each calendar year.
Here's what you need to know about earning Marriott Ambassador Elite status, including the perks available to these top-tier elite members.
How to earn Marriott Ambassador Elite status
Ambassador Elite is the top Marriott elite status and has the highest qualification requirements. To earn Ambassador Elite status, a member must accrue at least 100 elite night credits and $23,000 in qualifying spending each calendar year.
What purchases count toward Marriott Ambassador Elite status?
To earn Marriott Ambassador Elite status, you must spend at least $23,000 in qualifying charges during stays completed within a calendar year. Qualifying charges include qualifying rates for your stay and eligible food and beverage charges to your folio. Best of all, you can count charges from your room and up to two additional guest rooms with the same check-in and checkout dates, as long as you pay for the charges and all the rooms are associated with your Marriott Bonvoy number.
However, qualifying charges made in advance for stays in future years won't count, nor will purchases of Marriott gift cards or on-property charges without a stay.
Related: 30 best Marriott hotels in the world
Which elite night credits count toward Marriott Ambassador Elite status?
Elite night credits you earn from stays, events, promotions and credit cards all count toward Ambassador Elite status. Here's how you'll earn elite night credits on qualifying stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties:
- No elite night credits: StudioRes
- One elite night credit per three qualifying nights stayed: Marriott Executive Apartments
- One elite night credit per two qualifying nights stayed: Protea Hotels, City Express, and Four Points Flex
- One elite night credit per qualifying night stayed: Other Marriott brands
You can also earn bonus elite night credits through select promotions, such as a double elite nights promotion the program ran in early 2025. It's also possible to earn one elite night credit for every 20 room nights booked and stayed (up to 20 elite night credits per contract) when you hold a qualifying event at a participating Marriott Bonvoy property.
But, perhaps the easiest way to earn elite night credits is with Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. After all, many Marriott Bonvoy credit cards give you elite night credits each calendar year just for being a cardmember. You can only get these cardmember elite night credits from up to one personal and one business card per calendar year.
If you have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, like I do, you'll get 30 elite night credits each calendar year just by having these cards. But if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the Marriott Business Amex, you'll get 40 elite night credits each calendar year.
Plus, you'll earn one elite night credit for every $5,000 in purchases with the Marriott Boundless Credit Card.
Related: Here’s why you need both a personal and business Marriott Bonvoy credit card
Benefits of Marriott Ambassador Elite status
Interestingly, Ambassador Elite status doesn't provide many incremental perks over those given to Marriott Titanium Elite members. Here's a look at the incremental benefits Ambassador Elite members can expect:
- Ambassador service: Get travel help from a dedicated personal Ambassador and the Anytime Ambassador team.
- Hertz Gold Plus Rewards elite status: Enjoy complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status.
- Your24: Request a specific check-in time for an upcoming stay at a participating property and, if the property approves your request, checkout at the time of day you arrived. You must request through the Ambassador service at least two days before your stay. If your approved check-in time is between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., you may request a 4 p.m. late checkout (a benefit provided to Platinum Elite and above members).
- $150 resort credit at Ritz-Carlton Reserve: Enjoy a $150 resort credit per stay per room, which you can use for expenses other than the room rates and room taxes you charge to your room folio. However, you won't get this resort credit if you booked a promotional room rate or rate plan that already includes resort credit.
- On-property benefit at two hotels: Receive an additional on-property benefit for each Delonix Stay at Wonderland Resort, Hangzhou Jiande, a Tribute Portfolio Resort, or Grand New Century Hotel, Hangzhou Boao, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, when you designate Marriott Bonvoy as your primary loyalty program.
Marriott Ambassador Elite members can enjoy Ambassador service and Your24 during the calendar year they earned the status and the subsequent calendar year. However, the value you'll get from these two benefits will vary greatly depending on the quality of your dedicated personal Ambassador and the types of properties at which you stay.
Finally, it's worth mentioning that Marriott Bonvoy occasionally offers an unpublished Plus One benefit to Ambassador Elite members who reach a higher qualifying spend threshold within a calendar year. For example, in 2024, Marriott let Ambassador Elite members who accrued at least $40,000 in qualifying spend within the calendar year nominate a companion, spouse, significant other or someone who resides at the member's home address for Ambassador Elite status in 2025.
Related: 5 ways to maximize Marriott Bonvoy award night redemptions
Is Marriott Ambassador Elite status worth it?
Even if your travel would let you accrue 100 elite night credits and $23,000 in qualifying spending with Marriott Bonvoy each calendar year, the next question is whether Ambassador Elite status is worth it.
Most Marriott Ambassador Elite members I've spoken to earned the status via frequent work trips. In one case, the Ambassador Elite member had initially earned the status without even trying via frequent work trips in regions with ample Marriott properties along his routes. In another case, a doctor working two-week shifts away from home each month found that a Residence Inn was the most comfortable option near his hospital since it offered an in-room kitchen.
These two travelers highlighted how they felt they received excellent service at the properties they returned to frequently. But while the first member found his dedicated personal Ambassador extremely helpful and had rarely had his Your24 requests rejected, the second member I spoke to hadn't used his Ambassador or Your24 at all.
But the real question is: How much value does Ambassador Elite status provide over Titanium Elite status? As you saw in the previous section, the incremental benefits aren't many. That's why, even though my husband and I usually travel together, we earn our own Marriott elite statuses instead of crediting all our stays to one account and striving for Ambassador Elite status. By doing so, we are each earning at least Platinum Elite status each year and progressing toward our own Marriott lifetime elite status tiers. Plus, we can redeem Marriott points for many of our stays since we don't need to accrue $23,000 in qualified spending each year.
Related: How and why you should maximize your hotel stays by using multiple loyalty programs
Bottom line
Ambassador Elite status usually won't be worth striving to achieve over other high tiers of Marriott elite status, such as Platinum Elite or Titanium Elite. However, suppose you're close to meeting the elite night credits and qualified spending, or have already reached one of these thresholds and are close to the other. In that case, paying more on some stays or taking a few extra trips to snag Ambassador Elite status may be worth it.
In terms of perks, Ambassador Elite members don't get many extra benefits over what Marriott Bonvoy offers Titanium Elite members. But I love the Your 24 benefit, which means you could check out at 11 p.m. if you check in at 11 a.m. The only downside to the Your24 perk is that properties can deny Your24 requests — which means you might not get this benefit when you need it most.
Related reading:
- Best hotel credit cards
- My top 3 picks for the best cobranded hotel credit card
- 7 of the best hotel credit cards that come with an annual free night
- 5 ways my hotel credit cards help me travel in luxury
- Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
- On the hamster wheel of chasing hotel elite status? Buy it instead
- Invitation-only airline and hotel elite status: What it is and how to earn it
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Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.