I stay in a lot of different levels of Bonvoy hotels, from properties like a Courtyard Marriott to much higher-end properties like the Ritz and St. Regis.
And I am just going to say it…the luxury properties feel different, better!
On my latest European trip, we ended our stay with 2 nights at the Ritz in Vienna. It was the best cup of coffee and shower that I had the entire time. And the bed! I could have stayed in that bed forever!
Now, I am not someone who can afford to stay in properties like this. Instead, I use NOT my points but rather my FREE NIGHT certificates (ok, plus 7k points) that come with a premium Amex card, with an INCREASED BONUS OFFER.
With this card, the annual fee seems scary, but if you use the free night certificate at one of these higher-end properties, it will wash away the annual fee plus some. Not to mention the other benefits that come with the card.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card currently has an INCREASED BONUS of 185,000 Bonvoy points for spending $6k in 6 months. And yes, the fee is high at $650. But…
You get a FREE NIGHT CERTIFICATE of up to 85,000 points each anniversary, and you can add up to 15k points to this certificate. The room at the Ritz in Vienna was 92k per night. I used each of mine and Rob’s certificates adding 7k to each reservation. When I stayed at St. Regis in NYC, this hotel was 85k per night, so my certificate covered it!
You also get $25/month as a statement credit on dining. Now, this is not my favorite dining card, but you should make sure you spend at least $25 per month on dining on this card so you can take advantage of the $300/year dining credit.
There are some other nice benefits, too, like Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status and 6x per $1 at Bonvoy hotels.
I will link to the card in my story. Tell me if you get it and I will add you to my cardholder list alerting you to any special offers or changes to the card.