What is a mattress run?

How a mattress run works

The phrase describes the reason for a booking, not a special room type or a product a hotel sells. A traveller choosing a mattress run weighs the price of a room against the tier progress or bonus that the stay is expected to generate, and books when the second is judged to be worth more than the first. The stay itself may be short, close to home, or taken at a cheaper property within the same group, because the point of the trip is the credit rather than the destination.

Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty programme of Marriott International, Inc. and its subsidiaries. [5] Its rules separate two kinds of reward from a stay: base Points earned on Qualifying Charges, and Elite Night Credits, which count toward Elite Status and Lifetime Elite Status and are earned only on a night during a Qualifying Stay. [5] A member who is short of the nights or stays needed for a tier, or who is chasing a limited-time bonus, therefore has a reason to book a room even when no trip is required. Points collected along the way have their own use: Marriott's redemption page shows award stays starting at 12,000 points per night as of 18 October 2026. [7]

The same logic appears in the glossary as a status run, which usually means flying for tier credit rather than staying. Both rest on the same idea: qualifying activity is bought with spend, and the programme's definitions decide whether the spend is recognised.

Which stays and rooms count at Marriott Bonvoy?

Marriott Bonvoy's Program Rules define Qualifying Charges as charges a member incurs during a stay in a guest room at a Participating Property, as the registered guest, on their folio, and they include charges for up to two additional guest rooms with the same check-in and check-out dates. [5] Three conditions attach to those charges: the member provides their membership number at the time of reservation or at check-in, stays in one of the reserved guest rooms as the registered guest, and pays for the charges. [5] Where a property runs an all-inclusive package, charges incurred as part of that package during a guest-room stay also fall inside Qualifying Charges, subject to the same conditions. [5]

What a mattress run cannot do is manufacture credit at a property that is outside the programme. The rules say a member does not earn Points or Qualifying Nights for Elite Status at a property that has exited the programme, even where the reservation was made before the exit date. [5] Branded Residences do not participate unless they are expressly identified as participating, and a guest staying at a Residence does not earn Points, Miles, Elite Night Credit or programme benefits. [5] The rules also list properties that do not participate at all, including:

• Bulgari Hotels and Resorts, at all locations. [5]
• The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, and Marriott Conference Centers, Rotary House Hotel, Houston, TX. [5]
• Grand Residences by Marriott, Mayfair-London, UK; Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place, Bangkok, Thailand; The Marriott Ranch Bed and Breakfast; and City Express Rio de Janeiro Barra da Tijuca. [5]

Do rates and promotions change the credit?

Promotions are a common reason for a mattress run, and Marriott Bonvoy's rules let the company run promotions from time to time that provide enhanced benefits to select members, while additional offers at participating outlets are subject to the terms and conditions of each offer. [5] Those terms sit alongside the general rules rather than replacing them, so a bonus advertised for a stay does not by itself make an ineligible property, rate or room eligible for Elite Night Credit.

The programme also reserves wide latitude to change what earns. The company may change, limit, modify, suspend or cancel earning and redemption structures, accrual rates, qualifying requirements and conditions of participation, with or without notice, even where a change affects the value of Points or the ability to obtain an award. [5] A travel plan built around a projection of future credit is therefore exposed to rule changes announced after the booking is made.

Points, awards, Elite Status and Elite Night Credits are treated as the property of the company and are not transferable, and Points and other member benefits have no cash value. [5] Credit earned from a stay stays with the member's own account.

Exceptions and limits

• Missing credit. Requests for missing credit for Points, Qualifying Nights or Qualifying Stays must be received within one year of the activity, unless the rules or applicable Supplemental Terms state otherwise. [5]
• Adjustments. The company may correct, adjust, cancel or reconcile Points, Qualifying Nights, status, benefits or transactions at any time in its sole discretion, including where a benefit was issued in error, the member was not eligible, or fraudulent activity is suspected. [5] It may also monitor accounts and transaction history at any time and without notice for compliance with the rules. [5]
• Account activity. Members must have Qualifying Activity at least once every 24 months to retain accumulated Points, awards and other benefits; completing a Qualifying Stay is listed as Qualifying Activity, while gifting, transferring or receiving Points from another member does not count. [5] An account with no Qualifying Activity for 24 consecutive months forfeits its Points, awards and other benefits, and they cannot be reinstated. [5]
• Cancellation. A member who cancels their account immediately loses unredeemed Points, awards and benefits, along with any achieved Elite Status or Lifetime Elite Status. [5]

Frequently asked questions

Does a mattress run have to be a stay the member actually checks into?

Under the Marriott Bonvoy rules, yes for the member's own charges: the member must be the registered guest, must stay in one of the reserved guest rooms and must pay for the charges, and the membership number must be given at reservation or check-in. [5]

Do all the rooms on one Marriott Bonvoy booking earn credit?

The rules include charges for up to two additional guest rooms with the same check-in and check-out dates in a member's Qualifying Charges, subject to the conditions on the stay and payment. [5] Elite Night Credits are separately tied to nights during a Qualifying Stay. [5]

How long do I have to claim a stay that did not post?

Missing-credit requests for Points, Qualifying Nights or Qualifying Stays must be received within one year of the applicable activity, unless the rules or applicable Supplemental Terms say otherwise. [5]

Does a mattress run count as account activity?

Completing a Qualifying Stay is listed among the Qualifying Activity that keeps an account in good standing, and members need such activity at least once every 24 months to keep their Points. [5]

Can Elite Night Credits be bought or moved between members?

The rules treat Elite Night Credits as company property with no cash value, and they are not transferable except as expressly permitted. [5]

Related pages

Terms: qualifying stay, elite qualifying nights, night credit, qualifying activity, status run. Guides: multiple rooms, points and night credit, hotel loyalty comparison checklist. Or browse the glossary index.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other hotel programmes, including Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards and Accor ALL, are not covered here.

1. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions (updated October 2026), checked 18 October 2026
2. Redeem Marriott Bonvoy Points, checked 18 October 2026