Six brands, every property
STARS applies to The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari, EDITION, St. Regis and The Luxury Collection, and it applies across all properties of those brands rather than to a selected list. That is the cleanest scope of any Marriott advisor program and the clearest difference from LUMINOUS, which hotels opt into individually.
Marriott's luxury portfolio runs to more than 550 hotels across 72 countries, with roughly 35 more luxury openings planned during 2026.
What Bonvoy status will not give you
Bonvoy elites do not receive complimentary breakfast at Ritz-Carlton or EDITION properties. A STARS rate does, which means the program supplies a benefit that even the highest tier of a 271-million-member loyalty scheme does not.
Everything else keeps running: a STARS booking is a qualifying rate, so points and elite nights accrue exactly as they would on a direct flexible booking, and status is recognised. Where a status benefit and a STARS benefit overlap, the guest takes the better one. Award redemptions do not qualify.
The only program we hold that goes to sea
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection participates in STARS, which Marriott first extended to sea in 2021, and the amenity set is built for a ship rather than a hotel: an onboard credit calculated per guest rather than a property credit per room, a welcome amenity, premium connectivity, and early access to upgrade rates ahead of embarkation.
That is a different proposition from a hotel stay and we treat it as one. Our comparison of the two luxury yacht products covers how it stacks up against Four Seasons at sea.
How we book it
The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis rate is unchanged, and Marriott pays the advisor commission from its side. The reservation is flagged to the property under the program before you arrive, which is what causes the amenities to attach and the arrival to be planned.
Tell us the occasion if there is one, and your arrival time. Start an enquiry or send a booking you already hold and we will tell you whether moving it is worth the trouble.