Marriott Hotels Logo

A Complete Guide to Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program

STARS & LUMINOUS Program
Image Credit: Marriott

Luxury hotel stays can be an ideal way to elevate your next vacation. Whether your luxury hotel is booked with points or cash, this type of stay just feels like the moment you enter the hotel. If paid luxury hotel stays are part of your travel strategy and you like to stay at Marriott hotels, look no further than the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program.

Not only does Marriott have its Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program, but other hotel brands have competing programs as well. There is Virtuoso, Hyatt Prive, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Hilton Impresario, Rosewood Elite, and IHG Luxury & Lifestyle to name a few. For a Marriott STARS list and MARRIOTT LUMINOUS list, head to my friend Spencer Howard at Straight To The Points who can help you book your next hotel stay. He has a Marriott STARS login that provides access to participating hotels.

For more Points With Q articles delivered to your inbox, sign up for my travel newsletter.

Best Marriott Credit Cards

4 Best Marriott Credit Cards to Earn Marriott Points covers everything you need to know about credit cards offered by Marriott. Both American Express and Chase issue co-branded credit cards. The points that you earn on these credit cards can be redeemed to book hotel stays.

Some of my favorite Marriott credit cards include the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless. You earn 6x points at Marriott and receive a $300 annual hotel credit with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless earns 6x points at Marriott and comes with an annual free night award at a property requiring up to 35,000 points per night.

What is the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program?

Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS is a program available for select travel agents to use with their clients. The program is focused on luxury travel agencies and their advisors who receive access to the program by invitation only. Agents use a Marriott STARS code to identify hotels participating in the program.

In exchange for promoting the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS program to their clients, luxury travel agencies and agents receive preferential benefits for their clients at participating Marriott hotel brands. Benefits include things like special amenities and VIP recognition.

Which hotels participate in the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program?

Marriott brands participating in THE Marriott STARS side of the program include The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari, EDITION, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection.

To receive benefits at these hotels, your reservation must be booked through a travel agency and/or travel agent. Contact Straight To The Points if you want to book a hotel through the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program.

What benefits do you receive with a Marriott STARS booking?

Booking made with participating Marriott STARS hotels do not require a minimum night stay, unless required by the hotel, and provide guest benefits that include the following:

  • Welcome note from the general manager
  • In-person welcome upon arrival
  • Complimentary basic WIFI
  • Personalized welcome amenity
  • Daily full or continental breakfast for two
  • Early check-in/late checkout subject to availability
  • One category upgrade sugject to availability upon arrival
  • $100 hotel credit per stay not appoicable towards the room rate, resort fees, taxes

The hotel credit is not valid on back-to-back bookings at the same hotel. Separately, the hotel credit is per room per stay.

What benefits do you receive with a Marriott LUMINOUS booking?

Booking made with participating Marriott LUMINOUS hotels do not require a minimum night stay, unless required by the hotel, and provide guest benefits that include the following:

  • Complimentary basic WIFI
  • Early check-in/late checkout subject to availability
  • Welcome note from the general manager
  • Welcome amenity
  • Daily full or continental breakfast for two
  • One category upgrade subject to availability upon arrival
  • $100 hotel credit per stay not appoicable towards the room rate, resort fees, taxes

The hotel credit is not valid on back-to-back booking at the same hotel. Separately, the hotel credit is per room per stay.

Marriott STARS & Luminous FAQs

What is the STARS from Marriott?

Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS is a luxury travel agency program focused on meeting the needs of clients booking reservations through said travel agencies. In exchange for promoting the program, travel agencies receive exclusive benefits for their clients. Marriott brands participating in the Marriott STARS program include The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari, EDITION, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection.

What is Marriott Luminous?

Marriott LUMINOUS is similar to Marriott STARS in that luxury travel agencies receive benefits to pass on to their clients in exchange for promoting this program. Marriott hotels participating in the Marriott LUMINOUS program include W Hotels, JW Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, and a select number of other hotels.

What is Marriott Famtastic rate?

The Fam-Tastic program is a Marriott program offered as an exclusive benefit to qualified travel advisors who complete the Hotel Excellence! Core training, the current year’s annual Continuing Education, and are employed by a valid ARC/IATA/TIDS/CLIA agency. The Fam-Tastic rate is a discounted rate that varies by the brand that allows travel advisors to book Marriott hotel stays. There is a maximum of four nights per stay, and one visit per participating hotel per calendar year at participating hotels.

Conclusion on the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program

Marriott has a program targeted at luxury hotel stays called Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program. Benefits include a welcome amenity, daily continental breakfast for two, early check-in/late checkout, $100 hotel credit. To take advantage of this program, contact Straight To The Points for your next hotel booking. All in all, this is a fantastic program fo your luxury hotel stays.

So, what do you make of the Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS Program? Please let me know in the comments below or by sending me an email on my contact page.

Disclaimer: If you click and/or sign up for a credit card through certain links on this site or any of my related social media platforms, I may make a commission from that click-through.  The editorial content on this page and the user comments are not provided by any of the companies mentioned and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are mine alone.