Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Marriott Bonvoy hub · Shangri-La Circle hub
GUIDE
Shangri-La Circle vs Marriott Bonvoy: Asia stays compared
Shangri-La Circle vs Marriott Bonvoy compares two hotel loyalty programmes used for trips in Asia: Shangri-La Circle, the frequent guest programme operated by Shangri-La Group, and Marriott Bonvoy, the loyalty programme of Marriott International. Shangri-La Circle earns one point for qualifying spend and runs three tiers — Gold, Jade and Diamond [3] — while Marriott Bonvoy awards ten base points on qualifying charges at most of its brands and keeps points alive with qualifying activity at least once every twenty-four months [4].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Both programmes are free to join, and Shangri-La Circle places every new member straight into its entry Gold tier [3] [4].
- Shangri-La Circle pays 1 point for qualifying spend, with 25% and 50% bonuses for Jade and Diamond members [3]; Marriott Bonvoy pays 10 base points at most brands, 5 at a listed group of brands and 4 at StudioRes [4].
- Shangri-La Circle publishes its qualification thresholds: Jade at 20 qualifying nights or 6,000 tier points, Diamond at 50 nights or 15,000 tier points in a calendar membership year [3].
- Points age differently: Shangri-La Circle points expire on a fixed calendar rule [3], while Marriott Bonvoy points survive as long as the account has qualifying activity at least once every 24 months [4].
- Both convert points into airline miles — Shangri-La Circle at 1 point to 1 mile [3], Marriott Bonvoy at 3 points to 1 mile with most of 38 airlines, plus bonus miles on larger transfers [5].
How do you earn points in Shangri-La Circle and Marriott Bonvoy?
Both programmes pay on money spent on the room bill, but the rates, the bonus structure and the bookings that count are set separately by each programme.
| Earning rule | Shangri-La Circle | Marriott Bonvoy |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate on hotel spend | 1 point on the qualifying room rate, qualifying incidental charges and qualifying spend [3] | 10 base points on qualifying charges at most brands; 5 at Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express, Element, Four Points Flex, Homes & Villas, Marriott Executive Apartments, Protea, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites; 4 at StudioRes [4] |
| Elite bonus | 25% extra for Jade, 50% extra for Diamond [3] | Bonus points depend on the Elite Status the member has achieved [4] |
| Spending away from a stay | Qualifying spend at hotel restaurants, bars and spas, and purchases on Shangri-La Boutique [3] | 5 base points at participating outlets without a stay [4] |
| Points or airline miles | The member picks points or airline miles at check-in and cannot take both for the same stay [3] | Members may earn points or miles, and can set an earning preference to miles with a chosen airline [4] [6] |
Shangri-La Circle only rewards stays booked through its own channels. Rates booked through platforms such as Expedia.com, Booking.com, TripAdvisor.com, Ctrip.com or Fliggy.com are not qualifying rates, and a stay booked that way earns no points and no programme benefits [3]. Points normally land in the account two weeks after a qualifying stay or after qualifying charges are paid in full [3]. A member who settles up to three rooms earns points on all three provided they physically occupy one of them, and only for the dates of their own stay [3].
Marriott Bonvoy counts charges on the member's own folio plus up to two additional rooms with the same check-in and check-out dates, including food and beverage and in-room telephone and movies, as long as the membership number is given, the member stays as a registered guest and the member pays [4]. The base rate varies by brand and, for Series by Marriott, by region: 10 points at those properties in the United States, Canada and Greater China, and 5 points elsewhere [4].
How does tier qualification compare?
Shangri-La Circle's terms, effective 28 April 2022, set out a three-tier ladder with two ways to reach each level [3].
| Tier | Qualifying nights | Tier points |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Not applicable — entry tier, granted on enrolment | Not applicable |
| Jade | 20 | 6,000 |
| Diamond | 50 | 15,000 |
A membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December, and members move up on nights or on tier points, never on a mix of the two, one tier at a time [3]. Tier points are earned at 1 point for qualifying spend [3]. Jade and Diamond members can carry surplus qualifying nights into the following membership year, but not surplus tier points, and any nights or tier points accumulated in the year reset on 1 January [3]. An upgraded tier remains valid until 31 December of the following year [3].
Marriott Bonvoy's published ladder runs Member, Silver Elite, Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite [5]. Gold Elite members and above can request a Nightly Upgrade Award after booking, from the reservation details page [6]. Marriott also promotes Lifetime Elite status at Silver, Gold and Platinum, which it describes as status that never expires [2].
What are Shangri-La Circle and Marriott Bonvoy points worth?
Shangri-La Circle spends points on Redemption Awards, a group that covers free room nights (Room Awards), cash-and-points room awards, Instant Redemption Awards, dining and spa vouchers and merchandise [3]. Points convert into airline miles at 1 point to 1 mile, with a minimum of 1,000 points per request and further conversions in increments of 500, a processing time of four to six weeks, and a rule that miles can only go to an airline account registered in the member's own name; a conversion cannot be cancelled or amended [3]. Purchased points can be used only for Redemption Awards, are non-refundable and do not count towards tier upgrades [3].
Marriott Bonvoy's Free Night Awards are redeemable at thousands of properties with point values that vary by hotel, and its redemption pages advertise award stays starting at 12,000 points per night [6]. PointSavers rates take up to 20% off at participating hotels, Cash + Points lets a member pay part of an award stay in cash, and Nightly Upgrade Awards are open to Gold Elite members and above [6]. Points transfer to miles at 3 points to 1 mile with most of 38 airline partners, in transfers of 3,000 to 240,000 points per day, with 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred except to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles; transfers to United MileagePlus earn 10,000 bonus miles per 60,000 points, and Air New Zealand Koru runs at 200:1 with a 75-mile bonus [5]. Marriott members can buy up to 100,000 points per calendar year [5], and Bonvoy points have no cash value and may not be sold or bartered [4].
Which programme covers Singapore and the rest of Asia?
Shangri-La Circle's participating hotels are Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Kerry Hotels, JEN Hotels and Traders hotels [3]. Its terms name venues that sit outside the programme, including Diner de Fleurs at Shangri-La Singapore and Shangri-La Zhoushan, while Beng Hiang at Shangri-La Singapore is limited to earning points and tier points and redeeming Instant Redemption Awards [3].
Marriott Bonvoy draws on more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 destinations worldwide [6], grouped into luxury, full service, select service and longer-stay collections [2]. Coverage is not universal even inside that network: Bulgari Hotels and Resorts in all locations and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore appear among the brands and properties that do not participate in the programme [4]. Members who spend heavily in Greater China should also note the regional Series by Marriott earning rate described above [4].
Exceptions and limits to plan around
- Claim windows differ. Shangri-La Circle accepts missing-points claims only where the membership number was quoted at reservation and the card shown at check-in, and only within six months of the transaction; claims for qualifying spend are accepted only if the bill was bound by QR code within three days [3]. Marriott Bonvoy missing-credit requests must arrive within one year of the activity [4].
- Inactive accounts. Shangri-La Circle closes accounts inactive for a continuous 36 months if they are not reactivated within 12 months of falling inactive [3]. Marriott Bonvoy may deactivate an account after five consecutive years without activity [4].
- What counts as activity. Gifting, transferring or receiving Marriott points does not count as Qualifying Activity for keeping the account alive [4].
- Cancelled awards. A Marriott award redeemed before points expire stays valid, but if it is cancelled after the points expiry date and the member has not since completed qualifying activity, the points used for that award expire [4].
- Rule changes. Marriott may change programme rules with or without notice, even where a change affects the value of points [4], and Shangri-La reserves the right to modify the programme structure, benefits and terms [3].
Frequently asked questions
Do Shangri-La Circle points expire?
Yes. Points earned in a calendar year expire on the second anniversary of the end of that accrual year, at 00:00 GMT+8 on 1 January, which gives a maximum validity of 36 months for points earned in January and 25 months for points earned in December [3].
Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?
Points are forfeited if an account has no qualifying activity for 24 consecutive months, and forfeited points cannot be reinstated [4]. Points held in Lifetime Elite Status accounts are not currently subject to expiration, although Marriott says it may apply an expiry policy to those accounts later [4].
Can I earn Shangri-La Circle points on a Booking.com or Expedia reservation?
No. Third-party platforms including Expedia.com, Booking.com, TripAdvisor.com, Ctrip.com and Fliggy.com are not qualifying reservation channels, so those stays earn neither points nor programme privileges [3].
How many Marriott points does a free night cost?
Free Night Awards carry different point values at different properties, and Marriott advertises redemption stays starting at 12,000 points per night, with PointSavers discounts of up to 20% at participating hotels [6].
Can points be converted to airline miles in both programmes?
Yes. Shangri-La Circle converts at 1 point to 1 mile from a 1,000-point minimum [3], and Marriott Bonvoy converts at 3 points to 1 mile with most of 38 airline partners, adding bonus miles on transfers of 60,000 points [5].
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The comparison covers Shangri-La Circle and Marriott Bonvoy only; other hotel programmes are outside its scope. Full programme terms sit on the Shangri-La Circle and Marriott Bonvoy profile pages.
- Marriott Bonvoy membership levels and benefits, checked 18 October 2026
- Shangri-La Circle terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Marriott Bonvoy points-to-miles airline transfer partners, checked 18 October 2026
- Redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, checked 18 October 2026