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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Ryan is a former TPG credit cards writer who has been around points and miles for several years and has published content at Miles to Memories, AwardWallet and The Points Guy. His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether this points & miles stuff is illegal.
July 26, 2024 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
A mid-tier hotel card offers automatic Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits annually, positioning it between basic and luxury options.
Cardholders can earn a free night award worth up to 50,000 points by reaching a $15,000 annual spend threshold, though this benefit is not automatic.
Bonus points are awarded for each eligible paid stay, but not for award or free night bookings.
The card includes travel protections and access to targeted merchant offers.
What to consider
Eligibility for the welcome bonus may be restricted based on previous hotel card ownership, with a pop-up during application clarifying status.
Free night awards are subject to dynamic pricing and may be harder to use during peak periods or special events, with the option to add up to 25,000 points for higher-value redemptions.
Unlike some hotel cards, there is no path to higher elite status through spending alone.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of mid-tier and premium hotel cards, including which offers better value based on annual perks and redemption flexibility.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
While most credit cards fall into the “basic” card camp (with annual fees under $100) or the “luxury” card camp (annual fees of $400-plus), the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card launched in September 2022 with an annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees).
But what do you get for this fee? Is the card sufficiently positioned above those entry-level credit cards to justify an extra $150? And what does it lack that’s included on cards with $400 or more in annual fees?
MARRIOTT
Let’s look at what you get for the $250 annual fee on the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy to see if it’s worth it.
Welcome bonus
New applicants can earn up to 135,000 bonus points: 85,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership, plus an additional 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases (for a total of $7,000) in the first six months of card membership.
This bonus is worth up to $1,080, according to TPG’s May 2026 valuations.
The St. Regis Bora Bora. ZACH HONIG/THE POINTS GUY
If you’ve had Marriott credit cards from Chase or American Express in the past, there are restrictions that will limit your ability to collect a new member bonus. Fortunately, there’s a pop-up that will tell you if you are not eligible for the bonus when you apply before Amex runs your credit — and our chart can help clarify things as well.
Cardmembers receive automatic Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. At this level, you can expect benefits like upgrades to preferred rooms (but not suites), late checkout and a welcome gift of bonus points at check-in.
Cardholders also receive 15 elite night credits in their Marriott Bonvoy account each year. These are what you need to reach higher levels of status, and they can be stacked if you also hold a business credit card from Marriott. For instance, if you hold the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, this card will give you another 15 elite night credits — meaning you start the year with 30 elite night credits automatically.
St. Regis Dubai Downtown deluxe suite. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY
To earn Platinum Elite status — where benefits like suite upgrades and free breakfast kick in — you need 50 elite night credits per year with Marriott Bonvoy, so holding these two credit cards would put you more than halfway there.
However, unlike many hotel credit cards, there’s no path to achieving elite status by spending a lot on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card each year. You can’t spend your way to Platinum Elite status, no matter how many purchases you make.
You do get automatic Platinum Elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, but that card comes with a hefty $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Cardmembers can receive 1,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points for each eligible paid stay at a hotel or resort that participates in Marriott Bonvoy.
The JW Marriott Charlotte. TAYLOR JENKINS/THE POINTS GUY
TPG's May 2026 valuations peg Marriott points at 0. cents apiece, meaning 1,000 points are worth $8. The bonus points are unavailable on stays where you redeem points or free night awards.
That said, due to Marriott Bonvoy’s dynamic pricing, you’ll want to do a calendar search for flexible dates to find nights that cost 50,000 points or less. It can be especially difficult to use your free night awards on or near holidays or events and concerts since award prices on those dates also tend to be higher. However, if you want to use your free night award at a pricier hotel, you can add up to 25,000 points for more redemption options.
While it’s nice to have the option to get a free night with the Bevy, many hotel cards include a free night each year as an automatic perk — often for a lower annual fee. Having to work for a free night makes it much harder to justify the card’s $250 annual fee.
Earning points on the Bevy card is similar to what you’ll see on other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. Cardmembers earn 6 points per dollar at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 per year in combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2 points per dollar) and 2 points per dollar on other purchases.
Bevy cardholders can also take advantage of several travel protections to help if things go wrong during a trip.
The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa on the Big Island of Hawaii. RYAN SMITH/THE POINTS GUY
Cardmembers also gain access to Amex Offers, which can provide targeted discounts or bonus points on eligible purchases.
If you want Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and don’t stay enough nights annually to qualify, you’ll likely be able to justify the Bevy’s $250 annual fee. However, most will get more value from the automatic free annual night that comes with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business Card (plus automatic Gold status) for a $125 annual fee (see rates and fees) or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) from Chase (plus Silver status) for a $95 annual fee.
Apply here:Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
