The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card by American Express is the top-level Marriott Bonvoy card available to new applicants. Marriott points are useful because of the variety of hotels in the Bonvoy program and the other ways you can redeem points with their travel partners.
Sign Up Bonus
We have a referral link for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, which offers a sign-up bonus of 185,000 Bonvoy points if you spend $6,000 in the first six months. If you want to apply for the card, we’d appreciate it if you used our link (for which we get a referral bonus).
There are some genuinely confusing rules for signing up for the Marriott Bonvoy cards since there are cards available from both Chase and American Express. First, American Express will show a pop-up box when you apply to let you know if they feel you’re eligible for a sign-up bonus. The Bonvoy cards have their own set of additional rules for new applications. Here’s an explanation
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card or previous versions of these Cards. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.
Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
Got all of that? Still eligible? Let’s go.
Annual Fee
There’s a $650 annual fee.
Bonus Spending Categories
When spending on the card, you earn points in the Marriott Bonvoy program as follows:
- Earn 6 points for every dollar of eligible purchases at participating Marriott Hotels
- Earn 3 points for every dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines
- Earn 2 points for all other eligible purchases
I’ll admit, that’s not a very exciting list of bonus categories. Even at Marriott hotels, you only earn 6X points. However, you can earn 3X points on all hotel spending by using either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the AMEX Green Card.
Card Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX provides automatic Platinum Elite status. This includes the following benefits above Gold Elite status:
- Guaranteed 4 PM late checkout – except at resort and convention hotels and Design Hotels, where it is based upon availability. (vs. 2 PM non-guaranteed late checkout for Gold)
- Welcome gift of points, breakfast or amenity (vs. points for Gold)
- Enhanced Room Upgrade (including select suites for Platinum)
- Lounge access
- Guaranteed room type (cash compensation if not available)
In addition, you’ll get the following benefits:
- Free in-room premium internet (when booking directly through Marriott)
- $25 monthly Dining Statement Credit (worth up to $300 annually)
- Book direct using a special rate for a 2-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis and get up to $100 in credit for qualifying charges
- Receive 25 Elite Night Credits to be used to reach the next level of status
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. The award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees. (Marriott allows you to pay an additional 15,000 points when using free night certificates to redeem at more expensive properties.)
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Priority Pass Select Membership access to lounges but not good for non-lounge airport experiences.
- Free Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check.
- Earned Choice Award after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year. Options are 5 Suite Night awards, an additional 85,000 point Free Night Award, or $1000 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques.
- Cell Phone Protection of up to $800 per claim if you pay your monthly bill with the Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX.
Ways to Use Bonvoy Points
You can use points earned with the Bonvoy Brilliant card to stay at Marriott properties. In addition, you’re able to transfer points to many different Airline Frequent Flyer programs (possibly with a bonus, depending on how many points you transfer). That’s not counting the additional options of Marriott Bonvoy Moments (which I will explain herein a little bit).
Hotel Stays
Points can be used for award stays at any Marriott hotel.
There are over 30 chains worldwide where you can spend your points. Marriott Bonvoy has some remarkable properties, like the ones we visited in Austria, Germany and England.
Flights
You can transfer points to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 airlines. The transfer ratio is 3 points to 1 mile for most airlines, and you get a bonus of 5,000 extra miles when you transfer 60,000 points, with a few exceptions. That means it’s best to transfer only in 60,000-point increments when your 60,000 points will give you 25,000 miles. You’ll also get 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer to United MileagePlus® award miles.
| Frequent Flyer Programs | Points to Miles |
|---|---|
| AEGEAN Miles+Bonus | 3:1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 3:1 |
| Aeromexico ClubPremier | 3:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 3:1 |
| Air China PhoenixMiles | 3:1 |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand AirPoint | 200:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ | 3:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage®** | 3:1 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 3:1 |
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 3:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles** | 3:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 3:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Cathay | 3:1 |
| China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club | 3:1 |
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | 3:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles®** | 3:1 |
| Emirates Skywards® | 3:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 3:1 |
| FRONTIER Miles | 3:1 |
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles® | 3:1 |
| Iberia Plus | 3:1 |
| InterMiles | 3:1 |
| Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank | 3:1 |
| LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass | 3:1 |
| Multiplus Fidelidade LATAM Pass | 3:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 3:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 3:1 |
| Saudia Alfursan | 3:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer® | 3:1 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® | 3:1 |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | 3:1 |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 3:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 3:1 |
| United MileagePlus® | 3:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 3:1 |
| Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer | 3:1 |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 |
Other uses for Marriott Bonvoy Points
There are also other exciting ways for you to spend your points. One of those is the Marriott Bonvoy Moments program. They’ve previously offered dinners, concerts and sporting event tickets, often from a VIP suite.
Final Thoughts
I previously carried this card, as it was a no-brainer if you stayed at Marriott properties regularly. Then, the annual fee went from $450 to $650, and the Marriott hotel credit changed to a monthly dining credit. In exchange, the free night award went from 50,000 to 85,000 points, and you receive automatic Platinum status instead of Gold.
I can see how people justify paying $350, the $650 annual fee minus the $300 dining credit, for Platinum Elite status and an 85,000-point free night award. It’s just not a slam dunk like before, and it will take work to make sure you at least break even every year. That’s why we closed the card.
But if you’ve never had the card before and are eligible for the sign-up bonus, it makes sense to get it for at least the first year. You’ll break even on the annual fee if you use the $25 dining credit every month and find a good use for the 185,000 points sign-up bonus. Maybe you’ll even get targeted for an AMEX Offer and be able to earn some cash back or extra Marriott Bonvoy points.
After that, you’ll have to see if keeping the card for the long term makes sense.
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