Marriott Hotel Owners Want Bigger Payouts for Bonvoy Award Stays

Updated: June 16, 2026, 9:12am CDT

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Hotel Owners Want Higher Compensation for Award Redemptions
Final Thoughts

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A group representing nearly 1,000 Marriott-affiliated hotels is calling on Marriott International to introduce changes to its Bonvoy loyalty program.

Hotel owners are seeking higher compensation for award stays and greater transparency about how the program distributes revenue to participating properties.

Here’s what Marriott hotel owners are asking the company to change.

Hotel Owners Want Higher Compensation for Award Redemptions

A coalition of more than 1,000 Marriott-affiliated hotel owners recently urged Marriott to revise how hotels are reimbursed when guests redeem Bonvoy points for free nights, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The group is also seeking greater transparency around how the Marriott Bonvoy program generates and distributes revenue. Most Marriott hotels are not owned directly by Marriott. Instead, they’re typically owned by local companies and operated under franchise or management agreements.

Marriott Bonvoy signage at Courtyard Buena Park — Marriott hotel owners are seeking higher payments and greater transparency for Bonvoy award stays. Image Credit: Keri Stooksbury

That means Marriott provides the branding, booking channels, and loyalty program, while individual owners are responsible for running many of the hotels guests actually stay in. Bonvoy is a major part of Marriott’s value for both guests and hotel owners. Members earn points through paid stays, co-branded credit cards, and other partnerships, then redeem those points for hotel nights.

The issue for some hotel owners is how those award stays are paid out. When a Bonvoy member books a room with points, the hotel is reimbursed by the loyalty program. But owners say the current structure does not always provide enough compensation, especially as more points are earned outside of traditional hotel stays.

According to the report, owners want award-stay compensation to be closer to what hotels receive from third-party booking sites. They argue that as Bonvoy has expanded beyond traditional hotel stays and become a larger revenue driver for Marriott (which we know is true), the reimbursement structure should better reflect the value those bookings bring to participating properties.

Hot Tip:

This dispute has no impact on Marriott Bonvoy members continuing to earn and redeem points as usual. It’s mainly about how Marriott and hotel owners handle the money behind award stays. However, if Marriott has to start paying more to the hotels, it remains to be seen whether the prices consumers pay would go up in response.

Final Thoughts

For now, Bonvoy members can continue earning and redeeming points as usual. But as Marriott and hotel owners discuss potential changes — including calls for greater transparency around how hotels are compensated for award stays — it’s worth keeping an eye on what that could mean for the program in the future.