Marriott Will Continue to ‘Soft-Land’ Bonvoy Members in 2023

Marriott Bonvoy members who did not meet the requirements of their current tier in 2022 got some good news this week.

On its website, Marriott confirmed that it would “soft-land” Bonvoy elite members for 2023, meaning it would continue to allow its Bonvoy elite members who did not re-achieve their existing status to keep one tier below their current status through February 2024.

That means that Gold members who did not achieve the same status in 2022 will be bumped down to Silver, Platinum will be bumped down to Gold, Titanium to Platinum, and Ambassador to Titanium.

Marriott had previously only committed to soft-landing Ambassador members (those who stay 100+ nights or spend $23,000 plus per year) and was quiet about the other levels.

“Members who did not re-achieve their existing Elite status in 2022 will be offered one tier below their current status through February 2024. These members will see their new status starting in March 2023 and can enjoy their existing status through February 2023,” the update reads.

At the beginning of 2022, Marriott International president Stephanie Linnartz said that Marriott Bonvoy sports more than 160 million members worldwide, a number that should be even higher when Linnartz provides an update on the program later this month. That makes it one of the most popular travel loyalty programs in the industry (Delta SkyMiles, for instance, has 92 million members).

Members, even with zero nights on their account, get free in-room WiFi, some discounted rates, and mobile check-in services for being part of Bonvoy.

Benefits increase with the higher tiers, from Silver members getting 10% more points on hotel purchases and priority late checkout to Ambassador members getting a dedicated Ambassador concierge, 75% more bonus points, and the flexibility to choose the 24 hours of a stay (can check in at 9 p.m. and check out at 9 p.m. the next day).