What Marriott Bonvoy unlocks

Marriott Bonvoy elite status converts into six other loyalty programs, split between two straightforward hotel matches and four deeper chains that run through car-rental and cruise partners. The easiest of the six needs only Gold Elite: a once-per-lifetime match into Choice Privileges Platinum, available in the US and Canada and capped at that tier.

Gold Elite also converts free into Wyndham Rewards Diamond worldwide; the matched status holds for 90 days, and stretching it through Dec 31 of the following year takes 10 qualifying nights at Wyndham. Choice's own chart lists a further bump to Diamond after a single Cambria stay, but recent reports say that step comes and goes, so treat it as a bonus rather than a plan.

Platinum Elite is the springboard for the rest of the free paths. It matches into Sixt Platinum, which itself converts into Avis President's Club with emailed proof and roughly a year of validity; the same Platinum tier also opens Hilton Honors Gold, which carries on to National Emerald Club Executive Elite in the US and Canada, and it opens MSC Voyagers Club Gold, which continues, once per lifetime, into the Explora Club (Explora Journeys) Gold tier. Ambassador Elite, Marriott's top tier, matches into Hertz President's Circle in the US and Canada and holds there for as long as you keep Ambassador status; that same Hertz tier also carries into Enterprise Plus Platinum, renewed each year with 24 rentals or 85 rental days.