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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.
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Why I want this Marriott credit card — even though the annual fee is high
Summer Hull has been covering (and using) travel tips, rewards credit cards and loyalty programs for over a decade. She has flown close to a million miles, often on points and miles and with her family in tow.
October 30, 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
Premium travel rewards cards now often carry high yearly costs, but can deliver significant value for frequent travelers.
One top-tier hotel card offers instant mid-level elite status, valuable for those who stay at upscale properties a few times per year.
Built-in dining credits can substantially reduce the effective out-of-pocket cost if used consistently at restaurants worldwide.
An annual hotel night certificate worth up to 85,000 points, plus the ability to top off with additional points, enables stays at high-end properties.
What to consider
Dynamic award pricing means the annual night certificate may be needed for higher-value redemptions at luxury hotels.
Dining credits require monthly activation, so maximizing value depends on regular use at restaurants or food merchants.
Bonus points are valued at 0.8 cents each as of May 2026 per TPG's valuations, and can be used for aspirational or practical hotel stays.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how the elite status, dining credits and annual night certificate combine to offset the high yearly cost for certain travelers.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Many years ago, there was really only one major rewards card that cost more than around $100 per year — and that was the ubiquitous Platinum Card® from American Express. If you wanted to get into a Centurion Lounge — which at the time was in a league of its own — you didn’t leave home without it.
But that was then. Now, many rewards cards cost several hundred dollars per year. And the top-tier cobranded Marriott credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, comes to a somewhat jaw-dropping $650 per year (see rates and fees) — below the Amex Platinum's $895 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Here’s potentially the even crazier part — I see enough value in the card, despite the high annual fee, to want it in my wallet.
And no, this is not because of some weird and deranged desire to have the most premium of credit cards. It’s because it would save me more money than the other Marriott cards.
Here’s how that math works out — and why I really want to get my hands on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.
I travel a lot, but with a largely remote job, two kids, a spouse, a dog and a cat back home, I don’t live for months of the year on the road. This makes keeping top-tier elite status in multiple programs somewhere between a stretch and an impossibility.
On paper, Marriott requires 50 eligible nights in a hotel per year to earn and maintain Platinum status. But there are ways to reduce that true number down, such as by getting a 15- to 25-night head-start on elite status by having a personal Marriott card such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) — and potentially another 15 elite nights credited by holding a small-business card such as the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
I’ve currently got a couple of Marriott credit cards — but both are of the small-business variety, so I only get 15 nights per year credited out of the 50 I need. If I was able to add the Bonvoy Brilliant to my arsenal, my Marriott elite status work would be done — not just for this year, but every year.
I get well over $1,000 in tangible value out of having Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status every year between the additional points earned on paid stays, the breakfast benefit, lounge access and suite upgrades.
While I don’t have those higher-end Marriott stays all the time, I do usually have a few a year where status makes a big difference in terms of breakfast, amenities and suites.
SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Frankly, because I know I’ll get my money back from the elite benefits, the Platinum status alone would be worth a $650 fee without worrying about earning it.
$300 in dining credits
It’s true that $650 is a whole lot of cash each year for one credit card — even if it does unlock Platinum perks.
Fortunately, the true cost isn’t that high if you use the built-in up to $300 in dining statement credits for purchases at restaurants worldwide.
We all have to eat, and as long as you have a system to remember to spend the maximum of up to $25 on dining each month on the card, it drops the true out-of-pocket cost from $650 to $350.
My trick to using these sorts of monthly dining credits is to load our Chick-fil-A app with $25 each month at the beginning of the month. Then, when it’s our turn to get the nugget tray for school parties, or we just are craving tenders, we are good to go.
You could presumably do it with Starbucks, too, if that’s more your jam. Or just remember to use the card when you go out to eat.
An annual night worth 85,000 points
Another perk that makes me really want the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card more than ever is the annual award night, which is worth 85,000 points. Of course, it’s also true that Marriott’s program utilizes dynamic award charts, so you probably need the higher-value certificate just to book what you want in some cases.
Be that as it may, I’d love to get my hands on a Marriott 85,000-point certificate. Since you can add up to 25,000 Marriott points to a certificate, you can pick from most Marriott properties around the world that cost up to 110,000 points with the certificate and a “top off.”
Last but certainly not least, you can also earn up to 150,000 bonus points. Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership and an extra 50,000 bonus points after spending an additional $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. That’s a nice amount of points that can be used in an almost endless number of ways.
I’d probably earmark them for either an eventual (fingers-crossed) one-day blowout return to the Maldives or similar for a big round number birthday. Otherwise, I might use them in a bit more practical fashion for several nights on a Disney trip with a stay at the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve hotels.
CHRIS DONG/THE POINTS GUY
TPG's updated May 2026 valuation of 0.8 cents each, making this offer worth $1,200.
Bottom line
I’d say I easily get over $2,700 in value from having this card — especially in the first year, thanks to the intro offer. This, plus the credits and other perks Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders get, offer a ton of real-world value — and it's great not to have to worry about hitting Marriott Platinum status each year.
So yeah, it probably sounds crazy at first glance, but as soon as I’m in a position to apply for my next credit card, I’d love it if I were able to get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. Yes, the fee is high. But at least for me, it’s also a solid overall deal.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, 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.
