Link: Apply now for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review) is the most premium credit card in the Marriott co-brand card portfolio. The card has a hefty annual fee that might make some people hesitant to apply, but the perks add up.
In this post I wanted to share why I think this card is worth picking up, as the benefits justify the annual fee, in my opinion.
In this post:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card welcome offer
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has a welcome offer where you can earn 95,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first six months. I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so to me 95,000 points are worth $665.
Why the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is worth it
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees). I can understand how on the surface some people might say “well I don’t want to pay that much for a card if I don’t have to.”
I totally get it, but I think for many people this card will be well worth it. It’s a card that I personally have, and one that I get significant value from. In no particular order, below are the five perks that I like most about the card, and that I think make it worthwhile.
$300 annual restaurant credit
One thing that helps with justifying the annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is that it offers up to $300 in restaurant credits annually. Specifically, you can receive up to $25 per month in credits for spending at eligible restaurants worldwide.
This should be extremely easy to take advantage of — just spend $25 at a restaurant each month, and you’ll receive a statement credit for that amount. You could use this toward a nice dinner while traveling, or just for your morning coffee. There’s no registration required, and the statement credit will post automatically.
Admittedly there are better cards for dining spending, so you may not want to use this card for all of your restaurant spending. My strategy is to just load $25 into my Starbucks account at the beginning of each month, and that does the trick.
Free night award worth up to 85,000 points
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card offers a free night award on your account anniversary every year, valid at a property costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points per night. This has a significant advantage over the free night award on some other Marriott credit cards, which are only valid at properties costing up to 35,000-50,000 points.
You can even use up to 15,000 points to top off your free night award, meaning you could use the certificate at a hotel costing up to 100,000 points. You could potentially use that at some pretty awesome hotels.
Personally, I value this free night certificate at more than $350 per year, so between the restaurant credit and this, you’re already breaking even on the card, not even accounting for the other perks.
Just to give an example, I recently used my free night award at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto. The property was charging 100,000 points for the night I wanted to stay, so I could use the free night award, plus top it off with 15,000 points. If paying cash, the room would have cost over $2,000. What a deal!
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
The single greatest benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is that it offers Platinum Elite status for as long as you’re a cardmember. This is amazing, as it ordinarily requires 50 elite nights per year. This is where hotel status gets valuable, and you can unlock perks like free breakfast, suite upgrades, guaranteed late check-out, and more.
Note that the years of Platinum Elite status earned with this card also count toward lifetime status with Marriott Bonvoy, if that’s something you’re going for.
25 elite nights toward Bonvoy status
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card offers 25 elite nights toward status annually. Since I have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review), I receive a total of 40 elite nights toward status annually between the two cards.
Now, of course you’re already getting Platinum Elite status with the card, so what’s the benefit of this? Well, the elite nights could come in handy if you want to earn Marriott Bonvoy Choice Benefits (like Nightly Upgrade Awards) or go for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite or Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite status.
A Priority Pass membership
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card offers a Priority Pass Select membership (Enrollment required) to the primary cardmember, getting you access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide. You can generally even bring two guests into lounges with you. This will come in handy for anyone who travels by air with any frequency.
Bottom line
I find the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card to be extremely worthwhile. While the card has a $650 annual fee, personally, I tend to think the $300 annual restaurant credit plus annual free night award more than justify the annual fee.
Then you can add in perks like Platinum Elite status, 25 elite nights toward status annually, and more, and the card really shines.
If you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, what has your experience been?
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees).
I have the Amex bonvoy card from awhile ago. After I saw they started to offer this new welcome offer I tried to apply. However, I got a message saying I’m not eligible for the welcome offer. Is anyone in the same boat and has gotten the welcome offer successfully? (I also have the bonvoy business Amex card)
I personally have the Ritz Carlton Credit Card over Amex Bonvoy Brillant card
I find the Ritz Card a much better value
I agree with all views here.
1. If you don't have Platinum and up but you want it because you travel enough to want elite benefits, it's worth it for breakfast benefits, late checkout, fast internet. And yes the $25/month food credit is very easy to use.
2. If you have Platinum and up but not Lifetime Platinum yet, the annual night credits (2 Bonvoy cards) and Plat status will ensure you get...
I agree with all views here.
1. If you don't have Platinum and up but you want it because you travel enough to want elite benefits, it's worth it for breakfast benefits, late checkout, fast internet. And yes the $25/month food credit is very easy to use.
2. If you have Platinum and up but not Lifetime Platinum yet, the annual night credits (2 Bonvoy cards) and Plat status will ensure you get to lifetime platinum even if you have an unforeseen year where you can't can't hit Platinum on stays alone. Also starting the year with the night credits is helpful with the additional 40k certificate hitting Titanium. And the $25/month food credit is easy to use.
85k cert is nice. But I never like the idea of one night certificate because you still have to pay for that second $1000 night out of pocket, unless you earned alot of Bonvoy points through stays/CC spend then you can at least get a two night stay with a cert and points. I would be open to maybe two 75k certs instead of one 85k.
I may not keep it after lifetime platinum. It just depends on how much I'll be traveling after reaching it and scenario #2 comes into play.
But I also agree the fee is too high for the benefits it does provide. I think it should increase benefits or drop to $450. I would be ok with UA Gold, and/or $200 lump sum annual Uber credit, or $200 annual travel credit like Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Oh here is a crazy idea. differentiate Titanium by guaranteeing full breakfast everywhere possible including Ritz. and RC Club access. Then Titanium and Ambassador elites won't groan as much about buying Plat status with a CC. Plat can have the existing breakfast benefits with a brand specific mish mosh of breakfast benefits. And it gives those CC holders an incentive to hit Titanium?
Even as a lifetime member the card has a good value proposition. The restaurant credits and the free night more than pay for it. I find the free night alone to be worth $400 - $1,000 (if lucky). The elite night credits are valuable even as a lifetime, as they can be used to get nightly upgrade awards, which have some value. If you do not have status, the platinum status is worth it without...
Even as a lifetime member the card has a good value proposition. The restaurant credits and the free night more than pay for it. I find the free night alone to be worth $400 - $1,000 (if lucky). The elite night credits are valuable even as a lifetime, as they can be used to get nightly upgrade awards, which have some value. If you do not have status, the platinum status is worth it without any other benefits. Lounge access, breakfasts, late checkout. Just wish I could buy this at Hyatt.
The card needs more benefits.. its just not enough. How about resort fee waived? This would add to the card and not give away the farm. Maybe also add $50 travel. That would def help. Now your looking at $200 in fees after dining and it doesnt suck. The 85k cert is fine but you need to find properties that are worth the stay.
Isn't the free night only given after you renew? So you would have to keep the card 2 years ($1,300 in fees) to get it. Yes you would get another $300 dining for year 2.
So $1,300 gets you the SUB points, $600 in dining and a free night. PP can be obtained from many other cars.
Please correct me if this is incorrect.
It's two free nights when you hit the spending threshold for SUB. And only 1 85k free night every year after that.
I think the card is worth it if you're a fan of Marriott properties but don't have status. For those that can get Platinum or Titanium status through actual stays or have lifetime status, the value proposition for the card goes way down. I'm a few years away from lifetime Platinum and will probably be canceling the card after that.