Tag: hotel credit cards

Earning a hotel credit card welcome bonus is the fastest (and most effortless) way to achieve free shelter for your upcoming travels. So in the supremely rare instance when a travel credit card offers a bonus worth potentially thousands of dollars, it’s worth writing your mother about.

American Express and Marriott just yanked the shroud from two such limited-time offers.

Normally, welcome bonuses of this size are guarded by daunting spending requirements. But if you can manage to funnel just $1,000 per month through a credit card, you’ll earn either bonus without an issue. And you’ll have those points in hand just in time for sun and fun.

Here’s what you need to know about these new offers—and whether a Marriott credit card is a good fit for your travel style.

Increased offers for American Express Marriott credit cards

Through May 1, 2024, two Marriott credit cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses:

As you can see, these limited-time bonuses are far better than the previous offers—and you can bet your bottom dollar that they’ll crash back down to earth after May 1.

What can you do with these Marriott Bonvoy points?

Depending on how you use your points, you could squeeze thousands of dollars in free travel from either of these bonuses. You can redeem your rewards for over a week at many nondescript roadside Marriotts (think Courtyard by Marriott, TownePlace Suites, SpringHill Suites, etc.), or you could splurge on a glitzy weekend at a five-star resort.

For example, the Ritz-Carlton Naples on the gulf coast of Florida is a super popular summer destination. In early July, rooms cost over $1,200 per night. But you can book a weekend stay for 178,000 Marriott points (plus ~$100 in taxes and fees) for the same dates. That’s a value of 1.4 cents per Marriott point, which is a great deal. 

You would more than enough points to book this trip from opening the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and meeting its minimum spending requirement. In other words, you’ll could get nearly $2,500 in value from a single credit card welcome bonus.

If your idea of Naples is more Aperol Spritz and the world’s best pizza, we’ve got you covered. How about five August nights in Italy at the Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo? With the fifth night free benefit Marriott offers on award nights, it’s within reach with the welcome bonus plus the spending you would do to earn it:

Again, that’s over $2,000 in value (2,144 euro=$2,323 at time of publication) for a single bonus plus the associated spending. Fortune Recommends staff have stayed at this hotel and can vouch for both the incredible views and the bracing coffee served for one euro at the stand right outside the hotel.

American Express stipulates that you can only earn the welcome bonus on each of its cards once per lifetime (which typically means seven years in Amex-speak)—so it’s important to get the biggest bang for your application. These temporarily-increased bonuses are the perfect time to open either of these cards.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Card, see rates and fees.

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card Card, see rates and fees.

Amex Marriott credit cards offer more than just a shiny bonus

These increased welcome bonuses are incentive enough to kick the tires on either of these cards. But you’ll likely find that they’re worth keeping around, even if you don’t frequent Marriott properties. Using the best benefits even once or twice per year can deliver enough value to offset each card’s annual fee.

Here’s a quick rundown of each card:

Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex review to see how powerful this card is.

Check out our Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card review to learn more. 

Bottom line

Through May 1, 2024, two Marriott Amex cards offer massively increased welcome bonuses. After meeting minimum spending requirements, you’ll receive 185,000 points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and 155,000 points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy. If you’ve been eyeing one of these cards, now is a really, really good time to apply.

---

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.