With generous welcome offers, elite status and other perks, hotel credit cards provide quite a bit of value for travelers. If your travel plans include Marriott hotels, now is the time to consider getting a new card. Just in time for summer travel season, American Express and Marriott announced generous welcome offers that can yield thousands of dollars in travel. These Marriott American Express welcome offers are only available for a limited time.
Jump on one of these offers by May 1 to capture the highest welcome offers so far this year.
What Are the New Welcome Offers?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has offered premium benefits to Marriott travelers for several years, while the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card was released in January 2023.
Let’s examine the increased offers for both cards to see how many Bonvoy points you can earn when getting a new card. Remember, you must apply by May 1, 2024, to receive one of these offers.
— Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Earn 185,000 points when you spend at least $6,000 in the first six months of opening your account. Terms Apply. The previous offer was 75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first six months. This card charges a $650 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees)
— Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card. Earn 155,000 points after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first six months after account opening. Terms Apply. The previous offer was 125,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months. This card charges a $250 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees)
Additional Benefits Available
In addition to the increased welcome offers on these Marriott cards, you’ll also receive exceptional value with the included perks. The benefits vary depending on which card you apply for, but both include an annual free night, automatic elite status and elevated earning power on your spending.
Here’s a small sample of the perks you’ll get from each Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
— Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status.
— Earn up to six points on purchases.
— Annual $300 dining credit.
— One free night each year (worth up to 85,000 points).
— 25 Elite Night Credits toward even higher status.
— Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership for airport lounges.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
— Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status.
— 1,000 Marriott points on all eligible paid stays.
— Annual free night (up to 50,000 points) when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
— 15 Elite Night Credits toward higher status.
[Read: Best Credit Cards.]
Five Ways to Maximize Marriott Bonvoy Points
Many times, people apply for a new credit card but they’re unsure of how to redeem their points for maximum value. While you can easily book an award night using Marriott Bonvoy points, it’s hard to tell whether or not you’re getting a good deal.
With the rewards earned through this Marriott American Express welcome promotion, here are five ways to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for impressive values.
Waves Hotel & Spa — All-Inclusive Resort
The Waves Hotel & Spa is one of the first all-inclusive resorts in Barbados. The resort features an array of services and restaurant options, and the pool and beach ambassadors are ready to wait on you throughout the entirety of your stay. A two-night getaway to Barbados at this resort starts at 149,000 points for two people.
The Cove at Atlantis
Get away to the Caribbean for warm weather and sunshine any time of year at The Cove at Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. All guest rooms at The Cove are suites with separate living and sleeping areas. Every guest receives complimentary access to a 141-acre water park that features multiple waterslides and pools, a lazy river and more. For kid-free travelers, The Cove also features an adults-only pool scape that includes private cabanas and outdoor gaming. Book a two-night stay starting at 140,000 points.
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Take the family on a Disney vacation without breaking the bank. The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection and provides complimentary transportation through the Walt Disney World Resort, including Disney water taxis to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rooms are available starting at 52,000 points per night, so these welcome offers could give you three nights in Orlando.
Use Free Night Benefits
One of the best ways to stretch the value of your points is to take advantage of the Marriott “Stay for 5, Pay for 4 Offer.” This promotion offers the fifth night free when booking award stays of five or more consecutive nights, even when staying at all-inclusive resorts. That’s a discount of 20% off your stay, and you can use this benefit an unlimited number of times, even if you don’t have Marriott elite status.
If you have enough points, you can book multiple five-plus-night stays in a row, and you’ll receive one free night for every five award nights. For example, a 10-night stay would include two free nights. The free nights are the lowest-point-value night during your reservation.
Transfer Marriott Bonvoy Points to Airlines
Marriott Bonvoy members can transfer points to more than three dozen airline partners to book award flights. For members with a large number of points, you can transfer up to 240,000 points per day. Marriott has the most airline transfers of any loyalty program, including Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points and others.
Members receive 1 airline mile for every three Marriott points they transfer (with most programs). When you transfer 60,000 Marriott points at a time, you’ll receive an additional 5,000 airline miles. If you transfer to United MileagePlus, it increases to 10,000 airline miles for every 60,000 Marriott points. This is an excellent way to maximize the value of your rewards for people looking to book an award flight.
[Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.]
The Bottom Line
Getting a new credit card is a quick way to earn a large amount of points in a short period of time. These two Marriott credit cards are some of the best hotel credit cards available for travelers. However, before you decide whether to take advantage of these welcome offers, two things to consider: Don’t overspend in order to meet the offer requirement. If you end up carrying a balance on your card, the interest you pay will eat into the value of your deal. Also, make sure the return on your welcome offer — as well as the card’s ongoing benefits — is worth the annual fee.
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American Express Boosts Welcome Offers on Marriott Cards originally appeared on usnews.com
