Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Review: The Ultimate Credit Card for Marriott Luxury Travelers

If you’re looking for the perfect Hotel branded credit card to add to your wallet, then the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is a no brainer. Whether you are a Marriott Bonvoy loyalist or just looking to get tons of Marriott perks, this Marriott Amex credit card is in a league of its own. 

With valuable annual benefits and travel perks that far outweigh its fee for frequent travelers, the Brilliant card is hands down the best credit card for Marriott loyalists who enjoy upscale experiences or for travellers looking to stay at luxury resorts. In this post, I will break down everything you need to know about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and how to use it to unlock luxury travel around the world.

What Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card?

The AMEX Brilliant Card is the premium Marriott co-branded credit card, designed for travelers who want top-tier status, free luxury hotel nights, elite perks every time they check in, and the ability to easily earn Marriott Bonvoy Points. 

Unlike the American Express Gold and Platinum, this card earns hotel points instead of the traditional AMEX Membership Rewards making this card a good secondary card to hold. 

This card is perfect for someone who values earning Marriott Points and wants to earn free hotel stays. 

Welcome Bonus & Annual Fee - Is the fee worth it?

One of the most important parts about getting a credit card is the huge Welcome Bonus. This card packs a big sign up bonus that typically offers a combination of Free Night Certificates of a package of Bonvoy points. The welcome bonus varies seasonally but if it is over 150,000 points or gives you 2+ free night certificates then it is a good time to sign up for the card. Be sure to always check the latest referrals before signing up! 

Points Travel Pro Tip: Big Welcome Points are generally better than nightly certificates since you have more flexibility and don’t lose out on any value. If you book a property less than 85,000 points you surrender those valuable points! 

I added this card to my arsenal back in early 2024 which gave me two 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Certificates when meeting the minimum spending requirement. Marriott allows you to add 15,000 points to any certificate meaning I could get two nights free at properties up to 100,000 points which is a great deal! 

Those two free night certificates turned in to a stay at the Resort at Pelican Hill (recently acquired by St Regis in 2025) and the Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs. Both of these super luxury resorts had nightly rates for well over $1,000/night. 

The annual fee is a hefty $650/year but this is much easier to swallow once you see the annual benefits the card packs. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Benefits & Features

Annual Free Night Award (Up to 85,000 Points)

Every cardmember year, you’ll receive a Free Night Certificate valid for properties costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points per night.This means you will earn 3 free night certificates in the first year! 

That’s enough for a luxury hotel stay worth $800–$1,000+ which justifies the annual fee alone.

Automatic Platinum Elite Status

• Card Members get complimentary Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy for as long as you hold the card with benefits that include:

  • Room upgrades (including suites)

  • Lounge access 

  • Daily breakfast at most brands

  • Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout

  • 50% bonus points earned on Marriott stays

    
    

This level of elite status usually requires 50 nights per year so getting this for free is a massive benefit in its own right especially the more you stay at a Marriott each year. 

Credit Card Bonus Earning Categories

One of the most important things about a credit card is how it earns its points. This card earns

• 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels

• 3x points on restaurants worldwide

• 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines

• 2x points on all other purchases

Pair that with your Platinum status (50% more points on Marriott stays), and you can rack up points very quickly earning 21x Points during a Marriott stay! 

Source	Points Per $1	Notes
Base Points	10x	Standard at most Marriott brands (based on room rate + eligible charges)
Platinum Elite Bonus	+5x (50% bonus)	Earned on top of base points
Marriott Brilliant Amex	+6x	On purchases at participating Marriott properties

Example Stay Calculation

Let’s say your room rate is $400 for one night (including eligible charges):

• Base Points: 400 × 10 = 4,000

• Platinum Bonus (50%): 400 × 5 = 2,000

• Brilliant Amex Bonus: 400 × 6 = 2,400

• Total Points Earned: 8,400 Marriott Bonvoy points

This is incredible value and only gets better as you spend at higher end luxury properties. 

$300 Dining Credit (Issued Monthly)

• $25/month statement credit automatically offset your monthly statement on purchases at restaurants. Anything from fast food, to starbucks, to high end restaurants will qualify!

  
  

Annual Fee Offset

The $650 Annual Fee quickly becomes a $350 Annual Fee when you factor in the $300 Dining Credit. Add in the yearly free night certificate and you will easily offset the remaining $350 (let alone triple that if you're a savvy points traveller). On top of that, you get the free Marriott Platinum Status (upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout) which can easily offset even more money especially at higher end properties.

BUT WAIT, there are more perks… 

Enjoy unlimited airport lounge access with Priority Pass Lounge Access for you and up to two guests at over 1,300 Priority Pass lounges worldwide. Great for international and frequent flyers looking for peace and quiet before their flight.

$100 Property Credit at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis stays of 2+ nights (booked through the Amex portal). 

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. This can also be used to help you offset these fees for family members or friends if you already have it with another premium card like the Amex Platinum. 

Premium Amex protections (trip delay, baggage insurance, car rental coverage, etc.)

AND you are earning Bonvoy points easily by daily spending on the card helping you to book more free room nights! 

How to Maximize the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

1. Use your Free Night Certificate wisely. Use these certificates to book high-value properties like the W, St. Regis, or Ritz Carlton! 

2. Combine points with your partner (Marriott allows 100,000 points per year to be shared between accounts).

3. Book 4 award nights and get the 5th free. Always try to use your points when booking stays for 5 nights to get your points to be 20% more valuable! Use the Free Night Certificates for shorter stays because you cant combine those for the 5 night promotions. 

   
   
   

   

   
   
   

Who Should Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card?

This card is perfect for:

• Marriott travelers who value elite perks and luxury.

• Business travelers who stay at hotels a lot during a calendar year

• Luxury Travelers who want to stay at premium brands like JW Marriott or St. Regis. The Platinum Status goes way further the more luxurious the brand.

• Couples and families who want to use points for high-end resorts or bucket list trips.

• Travel hackers and points strategists looking to extract maximum value on daily credit card spending or those looking to get FREE hotel rooms at amazing properties around the world.

If you stay at Marriott properties more than 1-2 nights a year (or take one luxury trip annually), this card pays for itself two fold

Be sure to apply for the card with referral link. Before applying for the card, feel free to ask me any questions or concerns you may have before getting this credit card. I have been able to get over $1,000+ value aout of this card after offsetting the annual fee each year.