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95,000 points
$650
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Good to Excellent (670-850)
A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.
(at Amex's secure site)
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.
So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?
Plus, frequent travelers will love that the card gives you access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide thanks to Priority Pass.
Put simply, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is well worth it for frequent travelers who are dedicated Marriott Bonvoy loyalists and can make great use of each of the card’s perks and benefits.
Each calendar year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
Another excellent perk that helps offset the card’s annual fee is the annual Free Night Award which gets you a reward night at any hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy (up to 85,000 points).
With Marriott now utilizing dynamic award pricing, this Free Night Award could get you a reward night in a Category 8 property, assuming that it is not a peak night.
You can often find Marriott Category 8 hotels priced anywhere from $500 to $1,000 per night, so the annual reward night will certainly bring excellent value to cardholders.
Need an extra boost towards reaching the next elite status tier? The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card jumpstarts you with 25 elite night credits at the start of each year.
Don’t confuse these elite night credits with Free Night Award, as you cannot redeem these credits for award nights — they exclusively count towards your status.
This can still be hugely beneficial, as the next status tier, Titanium Elite, requires 75 nights a year. This means that the 25 elite night credits you earn from the card can drop the actual nights needed to 50 nights to earn Titanium Elite status.
Your card offers you up to $100 property credit when you book a 2-night minimum stay at a Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis hotel directly through Marriott using the rate titled “$100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate.”
Since this is a specific rate, you can receive this $100 credit on every booking you make with these 2 hotel brands. The property credit can be used on qualifying purchases at the hotel, like spa services or dining in the on-site restaurant.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders have the option to enroll in a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership that gets you (and 2 traveling companions) into over 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide.
While the most straightforward way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is through Marriott hotel stays and using your card for purchases, there are actually many other great ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points as well!
Of course, earning points is just one-half of the equation, you’ll also want to know how to redeem them for maximum value. Fortunately, when it comes to Marriott Bonvoy points, you can both redeem them for Marriott hotel stays, and you can redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points for flights also.
Redeeming hotel points for flights? How does that work? Well, similar to other transferable point currencies, you can transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to over 40 different airline transfer partners!
If you’re looking for a more well-rounded premium travel credit card then the Chase Sapphire Reserve card could be a perfect option.
The card earns 3x points per $1 spent on all travel and dining purchases, with the travel definition being extended to include airfare, hotels, Airbnb, etc., along with 10x points per $1 on Lyft rides.
While the card does charge a $550 annual fee, when you consider the up to $300 travel credit, Priority Pass membership, travel insurance protections, Lyft Pink membership, and DoorDash credits, it certainly makes for a compelling option.
The only other premium hotel credit card on the market is the Hilton Aspire card — and it packs quite a punch.
The card earns 14x points per $1 on Hilton stays, includes top-tier Diamond status, a $250 Hilton resort credit, a $250 airline fee credit, a Priority Pass Select membership, and an annual free weekend night award usable at any Hilton hotel.
If you’re not committed to Marriott and like the idea of having top-tier elite status with Hilton, then the Hilton Aspire card might be perfect for you.
We’ve also compared the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card to these other popular cards:
The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, click here.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
8 comments
Phillip Theodore
October 15, 2022
Question: I currently have 76 nights/stays and at Titanium Status. If I signed up for the Bonvoy Brilliant Card now (in the month of October 2022) would I receive the 25 night stay benefit allowing me to reach Ambassador status (as I’d I have a total of 101 nights/stays) in 2022 or does the 25 night stay benefit get credited to me Bonvoy account in January of 2023? Thank you in advance for your insights.
Jarrod West
October 17, 2022
Hi Phillip,
You should receive the elite night credits as soon as you sign-up for the card, but don’t forget the Ambassador status requires $20,000 in annual spend with Marriott in addition to the 100 nights.
Brain
November 09, 2022
Does the Platinum Status granted through this card count toward the number of years required for Lifetime Platinum Status?
Jarrod West
November 09, 2022
Hi Brian,
Yes, holding the card would count towards lifetime status.
Sam
November 13, 2022
Hi Jarrod,
Currently I have Marriott Boundless from Chase. Just tried applying Brilliant and got notification saying I am not eligible to receive welcome offer. Is this correct? I have withdrawn my application at this point.
Jarrod West
November 14, 2022
Hi Sam,
If you received the welcome bonus on the Marriott Boundless in the last 24 months, or you opened the card within the last 90 days, then you aren’t eligible to receive the welcome bonus on the Marriott Brilliant card just yet.
Jeff
February 08, 2023
I’m looking to get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. One question I have is when going to a restaurant which is 3x the points, would there be an additional 10x points earned for being a Marriott Bonvoy member, for a total of 13x points for going to a restaurant?
Katie Seemann
February 08, 2023
Hi Jeff,
No, you would only earn 3x points at restaurants. However, if the restaurant is at a Marriott hotel, you would earn 6x points per dollar spent since it would code as a Marriott purchase.
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