American Express has refreshed the Marriott Brilliant card (in addition to the AmEx Bonvoy Bevy & Chase Bonvoy Bountiful) and the changes are as follows:
- Annual fee increases to $650 (previously $450)
- $300 Marriott credit replaced with a $25 monthly dining credit
- Free night certificate (up to 85,000 points) on card renewal
- Earned choice benefit after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
- Five Suite Night Awards™
- $750 Off a Bed from Marriott Bonvoy® Boutiques
- Free Night Award with a redemption value up to 85K points
- 25 elite night credits toward elite status
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
Our Verdict
It’s annoying that the dining credit isn’t just a flat $300 credit like the old benefit. The introduction of the free night certificate is nice as are the other benefits but not sure it warrants the $200 annual fee increase for most people.
tried to get retention offer but they said none
Annual fee just posted at $450, think this will be my 3rd year.
Might end up using this to secure lifetime platinum status.
Definitely cheaper than churning through 150k spend on the old chase Marriott.
This is what il prolly do but what value will platinum be now that you can just buy it with a card. Every other person will be platinum at this point
true, when i had starwoods lifetime gold it was great, marriott took over added titanium to dilute gold, now they added ambassador, so how good will platinum be if marriot keeps adding levels above?
They did keep the threshold for the “select gifts” at 50 nights, not everyone will get that. So the real plat members who got suite night awards will get upgraded 5 days before stay, beating out the basic plat members who just have this card, but not 50 nights.
I downgraded to the $95 card two hours ago. I called in to do it and the CSR, who nicely enough answered almost immediately, just sighed when I said I wanted to downgrade and robotically read off the T&C. Like it was memorized already. I’ll dump the $95 card when they take away the free night and add it as a “new feature” to the $250 dumpster fire card in a couple of years.
What do you mean you downgraded to the $95 card?
You can’t product change from Amex to Chase and Chase is the one with the $95 annual fee Marriott.
It’s the old card that used to be the SPG card, now called simply “Bonvoy” card without another word starting with B. It’s still available with a product change.
Thx for the reminder, @Lrdx and @Babblespeak! I had forgotten that card in the fog of all these Bards (oops I mean Cards).
They will take away the free night in a couple of years?
Just got an email. Looks like the Ritz gets the 85k annual night change as well. The annual fee remains the same.
“ Your Anniversary Free Night Award with your Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is now worth up to 85,000 points — with no changes to your annual fee.** Certain hotels have resort fees.”
Just got the same email.
William Charles this is great news for Ritz Carlton members 🙂
Chase ritz-carlton card follows up with no change in annual fee. I get it shi morning.
Your Anniversary Free Night Award with your Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card is now worth up to 85,000 points — with no changes to your annual fee.** Certain hotels have resort fees.
Question regarding upgrading the chase boundless to ritz card. After upgrading do I get charged the annual fee right away? And also do I get the 85k free night cert to use this year? Thanks if anyone can help!
Does that mean if you want Platinum Status you could just pay for Brilliant ($625), Bevy ($250), Business ($125), and get 25+15+15 Elite Nights = instant Plat?
It’s actually a lot easier than that as paying for Brilliant gives you “instant” Platinum status.
Elite nights don’t stack from multiple personal cards. Only get credit for a personal + a business. Max = 40 elite nights.
Gotcha, thank you. So it just means 40EN for farming with $650+$125 and get lifetime platinum in 10 years.
You also need 600 nights… at 40 a year after 10 years you only have 400. Big assumption that the elite night structure will be the same for 10 years….
Has anyone seen any upgrade offers for upgrading from the Amex Bonvoy card? I have had the Brilliant previously, but currently hold only the Vanilla Bonvoy, which renews end of October. My plan is to upgrade now, pay a pro-rated fee for the brilliant for a month, and get the 85K cert. At renewal, pay full $650 AF. At the next renewal, pay full $650 and wait for the 85k cert. Then downgrade to the vanilla amex for the rest of the year and get the pro-rated fee refunded for the rest of the year. Any thoughts?
Personally, I think with two 85K cert, the 650 AF would break even. Would see the monthly dining credits as a bonus, and the Plat benefits also as a bonus.
The 85k cert is given after having the card for a year. Not right when you upgrade.
The 85K cert is given at card renewal. Since I am upgrading in the middle of my card member year, I will get the 85K cert at card renewal, which is technically in a month. If you upgrade in the middle, you still maintain your original card renewal dates, so you don’t need to have the card for a year to get the 85K cert.
I was thinking of upgrading mine as well. I currently hold both. Wonder if I can have two brilliant cards and since mine just renewed I wonder if the certificate I’m getting is the 50k or the 85k one.
I see your logic but personally I’d wait for an upgrade offer. In the past they’ve usually offered 100k+ points, maybe 150k is possible. On the other hand, maybe you get targeted for an upgrade to Bevy 💩
Still the problem with Marriott Cards in general is that you can’t generate real points from them at all.