A slew of perks for $650 annual fee (see rates and fees) is provided by Marriott’S top-tier card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card which offers an exclusive card with a $650 annually fee. Unlike most other premium airline and hotel cards, it’s relatively easy to get great value out of the Bonvoy Brilliant without actually having to stay exclusively with Marriott.

How easy is it to get a lot out of this card if you stay with Marriott – i.e., eat out every month and keep on seeing the same person for ages? Hyatt girl through and through but the Bonvoy Brilliant has been on my list for a long time because of this exact reason.

Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Bonvoy Brilliant Amex: The basics

As a premium hotel card, the Bonvoy Brilliant has plenty of benefits, including:

• Annual

free night award

after your card anniversary (certain hotels have resort fees)

• Automatic

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status

• 25 elite night credits each calendar year toward Bonvoy elite status
• Up to $25 each month in statement credits for eligible dining purchases worldwide
• Priority Pass Select membership

, granting you access to over 1,800 lounges worldwide

• $120 for

Global Entry

every four years or up to $85 for

TSA PreCheck

every 4 1/2 years

• Up to a $100 property credit for a minimum two-night stay with Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis
• Various

travel protections

(Enrollment is required for select benefits.)

The St. Regis Budapest. MARRIOTT

Bonus points are also available in a few categories, including on Marriott and flight purchases or at restaurants around the world. These points offer the best value for you by redeeming them for hotel stays, but also allow you to top off your airline loyalty accounts (more on that later)?

Bonvoy Brilliant Amex pros and cons

| Pros | Cons |
| — | — |
| * Annual free night award (certain hotels have resort fees) * Platinum Elite status * Priority Pass Select lounge membership * Up to $25 in monthly statement credit for restaurant purchases worldwide * Travel protections Enrollment is required for select benefits. | * High annual fee * May not make sense if you don’t stay at Marriott properties often * Subject to Marriott’s strict application eligibility rules * Ritz-Carlton/St. Regis on-property credit is hard to use |

Bonvoy Brilliant Amex benefits

Its annual free night award* *** and up to $25 in monthly statement credits for eligible dining purchases are the easiest way to recoup the $650 annual fee of the Bonvoy Brilliant.

For an award night, up to 85,000 points can you redeem the Bonvoy Brilliant’s free night award* *** for a total of eight5,000 point. When it’s more than $350 per night (especially if you get more, rather than TPG’d March 2026 valuation of Marriott points at 0), the best way to make the most of this is using cash. a point (7 cents per point) for .

This can be extended even further by averaging up to 25,000 points on your free night award, so you can pay for an award night of upto 110,000 points.

For example, you can earn outsize value from the Bonvoy Brilliant by the free night award* – just for the sake of your own name – while dining statement credits may be up to another $300 per year.

JW Marriott All-Inclusive Costa Elena Costa Rica. MARRIOTT

The $100 on-property credit could be a little of the trickiest to get when luxury stays at Marriott properties generally don’t fit your plans or budget.

Priority Pass Select membership on a hotel card is rare, especially for s. If you’re travelling with others, and have two guests in for free, you can bring them in. Whether this is the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit or dining statement credits and all of these, I certainly think that the purpose behind Bonvoy Brilliant is more than just a hotel card.

Unless this is your first premium credit card, that said “I’m sure you already have a Priority Pass Select membership and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credits from other cards.” Unless you already have a membership, you can always give someone your Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit to them.

**Certain hotels have resort fees.

The *****Related The St. The island has the world’s only rooftop restaurant, luxe oceanfront suites and the first-ever St- ever – at Regis Aruba. RIs casino***** Regis Casino**

How to earn and use your rewards

Earning points on the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

The Bonvoy Brilliant earns Bonvoy points at the following rates:

• 6 points per dollar spent on Marriott purchases
• 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines
• 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

Considering this card’s free Platinum Elite status, you will earn an additional 15 points per dollar on Marriott purchases that is the grand total of 21 points/dollar spent when you pay with this cards.

SHUTTERSTOCK/TD BANK

For Marriott purchases, I suggest using the Bonvoy Brilliant for everything and nothing else except if you need Bon Vo points or are working on a welcome bonus. And, if you have a premium travel rewards card that pays for bonus points on hotels, then I’m wondering whether you would like to earn Bonvoy point or prefer more transferable currency. Despite paying with another card, you’ll still earn 15 Bonvoy points per dollar spent for your Platinum status.

Since Bonvoy points are worth 0, since they’re only valued at. A card that earns transferable rewards on dining or flights will give you more bang for your buck with 7 cents apiece per TPG’s valuations. Most Bonvoy points are generally worth more than transferable rewards from issuers such as American Express and Chase, since you can earn them faster then pass them to airline and hotel partners.

Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points

When it comes time to use your rewards, your best bet will usually be to redeem them for hotel stays.

In the busy Christmas period last year, TPG Contributing Editor for Credit Cards Matt Moffitt redeemed 43,200 Marriott Bonvoy points for a two-night stay at the Palacio Santa Clara, Autograph Collection in Valencia, Spain. The stay was booked by his PointSavers redemption and, thanks to his Platinum Elite status, he received an upgrade to a room with better views as well as free breakfast for two each day.

TAMBO DEL INKA, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT AND SPA/MARRIOTT

You have a ton of Marriott points you can use, but no hotel stays in mind.’ If you are on your points for merchandise, gift cards, cruises and charity donations? You can also transfer Marriott points to 38 airlines.

You’ll get an extra 5,000 points or miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points that you transfer to most airline programs if you do. paraphrasing (you have to transfer at least 3,000 points, and you can’t move more than 240,000 points per day. ) , who has been.

Related: The Ritz-Carlton, Portland: A touch of luxury in the Pacific Northwest

Where the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex falls short

Bonvoy Brilliant is certainly not a romantic comedy, with its non-Marriott earnings rates.Considering the value of Bon voyage points (Bonvoy points) it’s sure to be desired. Also this card will have a tough job to make the most of it, even if you rarely eat out. But you’ll have to be strategic in securing enough value from the Bonvoy Brilliant free night award (some hotels charge resort fees) for breaking even on this card’s annual fee.

I wish that the on-property credit could be applied at more properties than just St. Regres and Ritz-Carlton Regis & Ritez-Clinton. I rarely stay at luxury properties. But I know that this credit is hard for me every year.

Bonvoy Brilliant Amex vs. Bonvoy Bevy Amex

Amex’s other personal Marriott card issued by AmEx is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, which is a signature of its . I think the Bonvoy Brilliant is one of the best hotel cards in my opinion, but it’s one that was worst for the Bonvoy Bevy.

It charges $250 a year (see rates and fees) but offers little in return for it’s . It’s a ridiculous requirement for if you have to spend at least $15,000 on this card to get – (some hotels charge resort fees) – he said “It is not reasonable” that the card with this annual fee would be free.

The Bonvoy Bevy says that it is hard to get outsize value from the Bon voyage bevY every year even if you’re a Bon Volutir. I recommend that you keep the Bonvoy Brilliant all of the way.

For example, if you have to pay the annual fee of the Bonvoy Brilliant (see rates and fees) instead of their Bon voyage Bevy card or Chase’s Marriott Bundless® Credit Card (such as the Marriott Bonvision Brilliant credit card).

Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express card?

When to apply for the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

The Bonvoy Brilliant now has the following welcome offer 200,000 bonus points after $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends May 13 with .

According to TPG’s valuations, 200,000 Bonvoy points are worth $1,400. That’s a great return for a $6,000 spending requirement.

TOM WERNER/GETTY IMAGES

Now is the right time to apply, as far as the total number of points on the Bonvoy Brilliant matches this best-ever offer we’ve seen so far. This card gave 200,000 bonus points (offer no longer) and should be easier to hit than the spending requirement, we saw last time this card offered it.

It’s easy to justify trying it out, even if you don’t know whether the Bonvoy Brilliant is for your long term.

Keeping in mind the eligibility rules for Marriott cards are complex, so just look at them carefully before applying.

Related: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex worth the $650 annual fee?

Other cards to consider if you don’t want the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

If the Bonvoy Brilliant isn’t for you, consider one of these options instead:

• If you want a more affordable Marriott card: The

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

charges only $95 per year, but still offers compelling benefits such as a free night award of up to 35,000 points each year (some hotels charge resort fees) Check out our review of s to learn more.

full review of the Bonvoy Boundless

.

• If you want to maximize your dining purchases: The

American Express® Gold Card

The phraser offers up to 4 points per dollar spent on restaurant purchases worldwide (on as much as $50,000 each calendar year, then 1 point per dollars spent) and a few dining-related statement credits (enrollment is required for select benefits). Check out our review of s to learn more.

full review of the Amex Gold

.

• If you want to earn more on flights: The

American Express Platinum Card®

For example, he earns 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly or through American Express Travel® (on $500,000 for these purchases every calendar year, 1 point per dollars spent) If you choose a valid airline and select each calendar year (enrollment is required), then you can also earn up to $200 as statement credits for airline incidental charges on an eligible airline that you consider. For more information, see our videos for s.

full review of the Amex Platinum

.

For additional options, check out our picks for the best travel cards.

Bottom line

I hope that the Bonvoy Brilliant will eventually be open, as its annual free night award (some hotels have resort fees) and up to $25 in monthly dining statement credits would make it easy for me to use. For many travelers, I think the same will be true for them.’ It’s always important to know how much easier a card would be before you apply (for example, what benefits would it offer) and when applying for an application.

This is a good time to give this card. The $650 annual fee is intimidating, but if it’s going to be the most expensive thing that you can do with your full $25 in monthly dining statement credits and redeem the free night award for at least $350 per year.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex, click here.

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