Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card review: Top-tier Marriott perks for frequent guests

If you’re a frequent Marriott guest and can take advantage of many of the travel benefits and reward-earning opportunities the brand offers, then the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card could be the best hotel credit card for you.

The Bonvoy Brilliant is not only the premier Marriott credit card but also the only consumer Marriott card from American Express. This means that along with the card’s prime travel protections and loyalty benefits — including complimentary award nights and Platinum Elite status — you’ll get Amex perks like the issuer’s Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee and Pay It Plan It alternative payment options.

Marriott loyalists, in particular, can squeeze a lot of value out of their annual Free Night Award because the Bonvoy Brilliant card has a much higher point redemption cap than other Bonvoy cards. Cardholders can redeem up to 85,000 points for a stay with the Bonvoy Brilliant, versus 20,000 and 35,000 on other Bonvoy cards.

These swanky perks come at a premium $650 annual fee. While that is no price to shrug at, you can make up for it (and then some) with this card’s valuable perks. However, there are also plenty of Marriott-friendly general-purpose travel cards worth considering if you want more flexibility or a lower price tag.

Quick highlights

• Rewards rate: 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties (up to 21X points through the Bonvoy loyalty program with Platinum Elite status), 3X points at worldwide restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines plus 2X points on all other purchases
• Welcome offer: Two 85K Free Night Awards after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months. Each award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Offer ends 11/1/2023.
• Annual fee: $650
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A
• Regular APR: 20.99 percent to 29.99 percent (variable)

Current welcome offer

While the latest Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer carries a ton of value, it also comes with limited flexibility. For a limited time through Nov. 1, 2023, new cardholders can earn two Free Night Awards after spending $6,000 with the card in their first six months of membership. You can use each award for one night at a redemption level at or under 85,000 points, with the issuer noting each reward can offer up to $1,200 in redemption value. That lines up well with Bankrate's own hotel point value estimates, which peg the value of this welcome offer at around $1,190 based on an average Marriott point redemption value of 0.7 cents each.

On paper, that blows the card's previous welcome offer of 95,000 points for the same spending requirement out of the water. Here's the catch: That bonus gave you the ability to book as few or as many stays as you could squeeze out of your 95,000 points, whether you preferred a stay at a budget hotel at an off-peak travel time or at a luxury suite during peak travel season. With the new offer, you only have two free nights, whether you opt for luxury, mid-tier or budget stays.

While the new offer may be a great fit if you prefer booking reward stays at a high redemption level, it will be disappointing if your goal is to get as many free stays out of your points as possible. Considering the card has previously offered 150,000 points with the same spending requirement, It may be worth waiting for a different welcome offer if you want maximum flexibility.

That said, it's not clear when or if Amex will add such a lucrative and flexible welcome offer to this card anytime soon, so the card may still be worth an application if you can squeeze long-term value out of its ongoing perks and rewards.

Rewards rate

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card carries more Marriott Bonvoy reward categories than other Bonvoy cards. But the Bonvoy Brilliant Card’s real rewards value comes from its complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, which boosts your rewards rate on qualifying Marriott purchases by 50, among other valuable benefits.

How you earn

The Bonvoy Brilliant card earns 6X points on eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties, plus 3X points on worldwide restaurant purchases and flights booked directly with airlines. All other purchases earn 2X points.

The Bonvoy Brilliant card’s rewards rate on Marriott stays might not seem much better than the rate you’d earn with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (also 6X points on eligible Marriott Bonvoy property purchases), but adding the Brilliant card’s complimentary Platinum Elite status makes a big difference.

All Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program members earn an additional 10X points on Marriott purchases on top of their credit card rewards rates. With Platinum Elite status, you can add another 50 percent to that member rate and get 15X points on top of your card’s rate. That boosts your rewards rate on Marriott purchases to 21X points with the Bonvoy Brilliant versus up to 17X points total with the Boundless card.

Along with boosted rewards, Platinum Elite members get a few extra ways to earn rewards. Linking your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card to the Eat Around Town by Marriott Bonvoy program can give you another 6X points on eligible restaurant purchases on top of the 3X points you already earn at U.S. restaurants. The Bonvoy Brilliant is also a solid credit card for Uber, earning an extra 6X points on Uber Eats deliveries ordered to your Marriott hotel (2X points when away from a hotel) and 3X points on all Uber rides (after linking your accounts).

Traveling with United Airlines or Emirates Airlines can also earn extra points. Thanks to the Your World Rewards program, flights with Emirates earn 3X Marriott points on top of any Emirates Skywards Miles you would already earn as a member of that loyalty program. You can also earn more points by converting United MileagePlus miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 1:1 ratio, which can be handy if you stay with Marriott more than you fly with United.

How to redeem

You can redeem your points for award nights at more than 7,000 Marriott Bonvoy hotels or other travel options, including flights, car rentals and travel packages. Points can cover many of your other Marriott expenses, including room upgrades and anything charged to your room — such as food, beverages and spa treatments.

On top of that, some Marriott bookings allow you to cover the difference with cash or provide a PointSavers redemption discount if you’re short a few points. You can also buy up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per year, though your money might be better spent on your room.

You can also redeem for Marriott Bonvoy Moments, which are Marriott’s take on the redemptions of culinary, arts and entertainment experiences that other travel reward programs offer. Other assorted options include gifting your points to someone, donating points to charities or using points on gift cards.

If you don’t plan on staying with Marriott for a while, you can transfer your points to any of Marriott’s partner travel programs at a 3:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy will add 5,000 miles for every 60,000 points you transfer. Unfortunately, since Marriott points are worth just 0.7 cents apiece, this option is only a good deal if the airline’s rewards are worth more than 2.1 cents per point/mile. Based on Bankrate’s latest point valuations, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic may be the only worthwhile transfer partners.

One of your best options may be transferring Marriott points to United Airlines. Marriott points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to United MileagePlus and we estimate United miles are worth 1.1 cents per mile. United also adds 10 percent more miles to your converted total on top of the 5,000 bonus miles you get from Marriott for every 60,000 points you transfer.

For example, 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points would be worth $420 when redeemed for Marriott stays based on a 0.7-cent-per-point value but transferring them to the MileagePlus program could get you up to 71,000 miles, worth about $781.

Marriott shifted to dynamic award pricing in March 2022, so your point value varies depending on where you stay and whether you book a stay during peak or off-peak season. You can calculate how much value you’ll get from your points for a specific booking by dividing the cost of your stay by how many points are needed. For example, if a $150 one-night stay requires 15,000 points, each point would be worth 1 cent apiece.

If you need a helpful baseline, Bankrate estimates that Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.7 cents on average. That makes them more valuable than Hilton Honors points but less valuable than World of Hyatt and Wyndham rewards.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card carries a lengthy list of valuable benefits, including a host of annual credits, travel perks and upgrades thanks to your complimentary Platinum Elite status. Remember that this is Marriott’s only American Express card, which grants you access to exclusive American Express Experiences and Pay It Plan It alternative payment plans.

Marriott hotel credits

These recurring credits alone nearly recoup the annual fee, and since booking four consecutive nights earns you a complimentary fifth night, these combined features can stretch your points’ value significantly:

• $100 Marriot Bonvoy Property Credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your card
• A Free Night Award (for an up to 85,000-point stay) every year after your card renewal month
• 25 Elite Night credits toward your next Elite status level each calendar year

If you’re looking to offset the card’s annual fee, these perks are the card’s main areas of value compared to the Bonvoy Boundless and other Marriott cards. If you’re less likely to take advantage of these credits and plan to lean on your reward points instead, then the Bonvoy Boundless might be a better fit for its comparable rewards at a much lower annual fee.

Keep in mind that the Bonvoy Brilliant has a higher point cap on annual Free Night Awards (85,000 points) than all other Marriott Bonvoy cards. For example, the Boundless card has a 35,000-point cap on its Free Nighter Award. That means the Bonvoy Brilliant’s free night could provide you with more luxurious options and potentially more value.

Earned Choice Award perk

Each calendar year you spend $60,000 on eligible purchases, you can pick from a list of Earned Choice Award benefits. Options include Five Suite Night Awards, a Free Night Award (of up to 85,000 points) or a $1,000 mattress and box spring discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. Keep in mind that certain hotels that participate in award night offers have resort fees.

Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status

The Bonvoy Brilliant card includes complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, normally available only after staying 50 nights in one year.

With Platinum Elite status, you’ll earn 50 percent more points on every hotel purchase and a wide array of premium Marriott Bonvoy privileges beyond basics like complimentary upgraded internet access and late checkout. Participating Marriott Bonvoy properties also provide a welcome gift upon arrival (in the form of points or credits) and enhanced room upgrades at check-in (if available). What’s more, Marriott’s Ultimate Reservation Guarantee will compensate you for similar local lodgings in case you can’t be accommodated.

If you’re considering this card, then you likely already stay at least a couple dozen nights per year at Marriott Bonvoy locations, on track to achieve Gold Elite status. However, this perk secures you Platinum status regardless of how frequently you stay. Plus, the additional 25 Elite Night credits can get you closer to Titanium Elite status.

Travel and purchase perks

Paying for the hefty annual fee could be worth it since the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card offers significant travel perks, and it’s one of the best credit cards for travel insurance. Paying with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card provides money-saving perks, such as:

• Access to 1,200+ Priority Pass™ Select lounges around the world
• Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance
• Up to $100 Global Entry and TSA Precheck application fee credit
• Car rental loss and damage insurance
• Baggage insurance
• Cell phone insurance (up to $800 in coverage for covered damage or theft, subject to a $50 deductible, for two approved claims per 12-month period when your prior month’s wireless bill was paid with the card)

Whether you’re a Marriott loyalist or not, these benefits can ease your mind during your trip. These aren’t necessarily standard features — especially with co-branded travel cards — but they are common on premium travel cards. Priority Pass™ Select membership, trip cancellation and interruption insurance are perhaps the most valuable travel perks on the card, but the Bonvoy Brilliant’s return protection is a rarer perk that can be helpful for online shopping and some travel purchases.

For a card with a $650 annual fee, these are certainly welcome (but expected) benefits and will help you eke more value out of the card beyond rewards earnings.

The Bonvoy Brilliant card’s silver platter of reward opportunities and benefits is a fantastic deal for Marriott loyalists. You just have to consider if the card’s rewards and perks are worth the $650 annual fee.

If you only used the card for Marriott hotel bookings, you’d need to spend about $4,422 annually to offset the fee. That’s $4,422 times 21X points times a 0.7-cent-per-point value. Using your card at U.S. restaurants and on directly-booked flights will also help chip away at this cost faster.

If that sounds like an intimidating amount to spend on hotel stays, remember that by maximizing the card’s yearly credits, you can enjoy $400 or more in annual value. Add to this the card’s annual Free Night Award (worth up to 85,000 points, a $595 value) and you should be able to recoup the cost of holding the card if you frequent Marriott hotels.

Besides that, the card’s rates and fees are par for the course. There are no foreign transaction fees or over-limit fees. Like most premium travel cards, the Bonvoy Brilliant does not include any intro APR offers to help you avoid interest charges. If you carry a balance, there is a variable APR and fixed finance plan fee whereby a percentage of each purchase is moved into a plan based on duration when using the Pay It Plan It alternative payment feature.

Although the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is the most rewarding Marriott card, you might not feel comfortable forking over $650 each year if you’re not loyal to one brand or don’t think your travel commitments each year will reap the card’s full value. General-purpose travel cards might provide a bigger bang for your buck in that case.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

A general-purpose travel card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card could suit your spending habits if you’re not sold on an expensive brand-oriented card like the Bonvoy Brilliant. The Sapphire Reserve gives you more flexibility, more valuable points (worth up to 1.5 cents each toward Chase Ultimate Rewards travel) and a variety of bonus categories and redemption options for every leg of your trip.

The card also has a slightly lower annual fee of $550, and its lengthy list of reward opportunities and valuable features can more than recoup that cost. For example, its far-reaching rewards categories offer excellent rates for staple travel purchases: 3X points on general travel and dining, 5X points on Chase-booked air travel (after earning your $300 travel credit) and 1X points on all other purchases. More importantly, to frequent hotel guests, you’ll earn 10X points on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards. The intimidating annual fee is easier to recoup, too, considering that the card’s up to $300 in annual travel statement credits, Priority Pass™ Select membership and more will largely offset the price tag.

On top of these perks, the card offers a 50 percent bonus on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. That provides much greater flexibility when redeeming travel rewards, especially for consumers less concerned with hotel brand loyalty. This card also provides some of the best card pairing combinations available.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

If you want to downsize or pair with a Chase credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card may be a more budget-friendly source of Marriott rewards. The card has a $95 annual fee but lacks the same perks, benefits and loyalty status that make the Bonvoy Brilliant so valuable.

The Boundless card’s rewards rates are slightly lower at up to 17X points at Marriott Bonvoy locations. That’s 6X points for purchases at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®, up to 10X points for being a Marriott Bonvoy® member, plus 1X points for the Silver Elite Status provided with the card (versus the Brilliant card’s automatic Platinum Elite status). You can also earn 3X points on the first $6,000 of grocery store, gas station and dining purchases each year before these categories drop to the same 2X rate you’ll earn on all other purchases. This gives the Bonvoy Brilliant’s permanent 3X U.S. restaurant and airline-booked flight categories an edge for regular travelers, but its real edge comes from its additional features.

The Boundless also offers 15 Elite Night credits (plus another Elite Night credit per $5,000 spent) and a Free Night Award. However, the Brilliant card’s higher Free Night Award point-value redemption cap (50,000 points higher than the Boundless card’s 35,000-point cap — an up to $350 difference, based on our point estimation), annual statement credits and complimentary Priority Pass™ Select lounge access make the Bonvoy Brilliant a more valuable card in the long run despite the higher annual fee.

Best cards to pair with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant’s high annual fee means that you’ll probably want to use it as your primary rewards card, so any complementary credit card should reward your purchases outside hotels, restaurants and directly-booked flights. A flat-rate travel card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card would be a great choice because it can earn miles on everyday purchases. Similarly, a United Airlines credit card could be a solid choice since you can convert your miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 1:1 ratio.

It could also be a good idea to look into a more general rewards card so you can earn cash back outside of travel expenses. The Discover it® Cash Back is a great choice for tiered rewards because it earns 5 percent cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the $1,500 quarterly maximum when you activate, (then 1 percent). Plus, you can redeem Discover rewards at a 1:1 ratio for cash back.

Frequent Marriott guests will find the Bonvoy Brilliant card’s excellent perks more than justify the intimidating annual fee. In fact, the value of the card’s annual perks and credits may make up for the annual fee on their own. That said, if you’re not a dedicated Marriott Bonvoy guest, a general-purpose travel card or Marriott credit card with a lower annual fee is probably a better fit.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

The information about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.