Marriott Brilliant Welcome Offer: 2 x 85k Free Night Certificates

American Express just released a new limited-time welcome offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, this one forgoes a set number of points for two 85k free night certificates. These certificates can be “topped-up” with up to an additional 15k from your account, meaning they can be used at properties that cost up to 100,000 Bonvoy points per night.

The Offer & Key Card Details

Card Offer and Details

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value Estimate 95K Points ⓘ Affiliate 95k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $650 Annual Fee Recent better offer: None. this is the best that we've seen. FM Mini Review: Decent ultra-premium option for Marriott fans, especially those aiming for lifetime status tiers Earning rate: 3X airfare -on flights booked directly with airlines; 3X restaurants worldwide, 6X Marriott; 2X on all other eligible purchases Base: 2X (1.6%) Travel: 3X (2.4%) Dine: 3X (2.4%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Annual Choice Award with $60K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ 85K Free Night Award each year upon renewal ✦ $300 dining credit per membership year ($25/mo) ✦ Platinum Elite status ✦ 25 elite nights credit ✦ Priority Pass membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests ✦ Global Entry fee credit ✦ Free premium internet at Marriott properties Note: Enrollment required for some benefits. See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide ➥More

Quick Thoughts

Many readers committed to swearing off Marriott completely after their change to dynamic pricing.  The change itself was a mixed bag. Although we actually raised our reasonable redemption value for Marriott points from .75 to .80 cents per points, that doesn’t tell the complete story as many sought-after properties went up in cost significantly-to-astronomically.

Within that context, this new welcome offer on the Bonvoy Brilliant could be good for some, but it’s not spectacular. It’s possible to use these certificates at properties that cost up to 100,000 points with Marriott’s top-up feature, putting most of the portfolio in play. That said, the fact that Marriott properties cost 100,000+ points/night still makes my head spin a little and says something about the points inflation at the top end of the award chart.

Although the card comes with a hefty $650 annual fee, there are $300 in statement credits that can be applied to dining charges (in irritating, $25/month increments). Assuming you can use those easily, it brings the yearly cost closer to $350, depending on how much you value the credits. Using our calculator, including the annual fee, the card brings in ~$600 in first-year value. That’s good, but not great, especially given that you’re getting two certificates that expire in 12 months (although they usually can be extended).

If I didn’t have the card already, this offer would be a firm pass. The two 85k certs are nice, but we’ve seen offers as high as 150k points with an 85k free night certificate. I’d prefer to wait for something better that has flexible points attached.

That said, this may be worth it for some that have travel plans which allow them to make good use of the certs.

Are you eligible for a Amex Bonvoy Brilliant card?

In true Bonvoy fashion, Marriott has a labyrinthine process for determining whether or not you get a welcome bonus on a given card. It’s like it’s free breakfast or something.

Here’s Greg’s helpful chart for deciphering the Marriott eligibility rules:

Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.