With Marriott Bonvoy, you earn elite status based on how many elite qualifying nights you rack up in a year. Back in the day, the system was simple. One night stayed was equivalent to one elite night. But with the addition of motley brands to the catalogue, the chain has been making it a little different over time. Some brands, over time, were relegated to two nights earned one elite night. Not anymore
Marriott changes policy around half elite nights
Marriott has changed its rules in early January 2026 so that certain stays now earn 0.5 Elite Night Credits (ENCs) per qualifying night instead of the previous “two nights earn one elite night and one night earns nothing” approach. That’s a small tweak on paper, but a nice change for those who stay at certain Marriott brands here on.
Meluha by The Fern, A Series by Marriott Hotel in Mumbai
Marriott’s updated wording applies specifically to a handful of value and conversion brands. Members will receive half an elite night (0.5 ENCs) for each qualifying night at:
- City Express
- Four Points Flex
- Protea Hotels
- Series by Marriott.
Those are the lines Marriott adjusted so that a one-night stay at those properties — which under older rules earned nothing toward your annual elite-night total — now at least moves the needle.
Why this matters (and who benefits)
For many frequent travellers, particularly those on business trips or quick overnight hops, many stays are single-night. Under the older rules, one-night stays at these economy or conversion brands could be functionally worthless for status: you might need multiple nights before a single ENC was awarded. The half-night rule softens that penalty — two one-night stays at those brands now equal one full ENC. That helps members inch toward Lifetime or annual threshold tiers without changing their travel patterns.
Of course, you can still earn 10 Elite Nights by applying for the Marriott HDFC Bank Credit Card, which gets you a free stay at a Marriott Hotel as well.
Bottomline
This is a welcome, pragmatic fix for travellers who rely on short stays at Marriott’s conversion brands. It won’t suddenly make status easy to reach for everyone, but it patches a long-standing annoyance: single-night stays at certain brands no longer have to be dead nights. For frequent flyers, that half-night can add up.
What do you think of this change at Marriott Bonvoy?
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