As we approach the holidays, we are in yet another sign-up season for credit cards. We’re seeing some of the best ever offers for several popular travel credit cards like the Amex Gold Card which is offering an all-time high 60,000 point offer after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
Update: Offer no longer available
But hotel credit cards are also getting in on the action.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card are offering two extremely appealing offers that have special value we have not seen before. If you were ever looking at getting a hotel card, especially a Marriott card, this would be the time to seriously consider applying for these.
Below, I’ll break down why these offers are so valuable and give you some insight into the type of value that you can expect to get from them.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
- 6X Bonvoy points on Marriott
- 3X at U.S. restaurants
- 3X on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X Bonvoy points on all other purchases
- Marriott Gold status (but see special offer below)
- Free night award
- $300 credit
- $100 property credit
- $450 annual fee
Update: Offer no longer available
There are two reasons why you would want to seriously consider applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant right now.
The first is that you can get instant Marriott Platinum status for 2021 with this card thanks to this limited time offer. (The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant normally offers you Gold status which is not worth nearly as much as Platinum.)
Marriott Platinum status is not easy to obtain (it requires 50 nights) and it is a solid elite status because it will grant you perks like free breakfast and guaranteed lounge access.
Here’s a look at all of the Platinum benefits:
- 50% Bonus on points
- Complimentary room upgrade
- Welcome gift
- Guaranteed Lounge Access
- 4pm late check-out
- Annual Choice Benefit
- Guaranteed Room Type
The second reason to pick up the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is that the welcome bonus is solid.
With this bonus, you will be able to earn up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. First, you will earn 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in your first 3 months. Then, you will also be able to earn an additional 25,000 bonus points after your first anniversary.
Don’t forget that you also will get a free night that can be used at properties costing up to 50,000 points per night. Learn more on how to apply here!
Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!
Below is a quick look at the award chart so you can see how far your points could go.
| Category | Off Peak | Standard | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 20,000 |
| 4 | 20,000 | 25,000 | 30,000 |
| 5 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 |
| 6 | 40,000 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
| 7 | 50,000 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
| 8 | 70,000 | 85,000 | 100,000 |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
- 6X Bonvoy points on Marriott
- 2X Bonvoy points on all other purchases
- Annual Free Night Award
- Automatic Silver Elite Status
- Get Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
- 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
- $95 annual fee
If the annual fee for the Brilliant card is too much for you then you might want to seriously consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless.
Update: Offer no longer available
Right now, the the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless comes with a pretty insane offer of five free nights for the welcome bonus. What is even crazier is that the free nights can be used on properties up to 50,000 points per night which means that you could effectively get up to 250,000 points for the bonus!
That is just unheard of.
We put together an article on Marriott properties going for 50,000 points per night and you will be pleased to know that you can stay at some very luxurious properties for that amount of points. These properties would include brands like the St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, W, etc.
If you planned to optimize your stays at these luxury properties, I could see you netting easily over $1,000 in value from this welcome bonus with a potential of getting closer to $1,500 or more. Learn more on how to apply here!
Final word
We’re seeing some extremely generous credit card offers roll out every week it seems. These two Marriott offers are definitely some of the most noteworthy offers we’ve ever seen from Marriott. It’s pretty clear to me that the pandemic has caused hotels and issuers to get a bit creative and more generous so these offers may not ever return as things start to get back to normal.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.