The terms of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card state that…
During each year of your Card Membership you are eligible to receive up to $300 total in statement credits on your Card Account for eligible purchases made directly at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy on the card during that reward year.
Eligible purchases must be made directly with the participating Marriott Bonvoy property and charged to your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card account for the benefit to apply. Incidental charges (including charges made at restaurants, spas and other establishments within the hotel property) must be charged to your room and paid for with your card.
In addition the terms of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card state the same thing but its $250 and applies to charges made at Hilton Resorts……
During each year of your Card Membershipyou are eligible to receive up to $250 total in statement credits on your Card Account for eligible purchases made directly at participating Hilton Resorts with your card during that reward year.
Eligible purchases must be made directly with the participating Hilton Resort and charged to your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card account for the benefit to apply. Incidental charges (including charges made at restaurants, spas, and other establishments within the hotel property) must be charged to your room and paid for with your card.
Based on how I read the above, it seems you would think that the resort credits would only apply for incidental charges to your room while staying at the resort. However, I have proved and now know that the resort credits cover charges at any eligible property whether you are staying at the resort or not!
I was recently in Park City, staying at the Hotel Park City and using my $300 Bonvoy resort credit at the resort each day for breakfast for my family. However, one day, I went and had lunch and a spa treatment at the Waldorf, Park City, which is a Hilton property. I paid for both my lunch and my massage with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card thinking I would automatically get the $250 Hilton credit on the charge. Upon arriving home, I immediately got the Bonvoy credit on our breakfast charges but I never got the charges for my Hilton treats. I then looked at the terms and panicked……I mean to me, they read like I needed to stay at the Hilton to have the credit apply to the charge right?
Fast forward to my chat with Amex who allayed my fears and told me that that I was eligible for the credit. Full disclosure, I only asked them about the charge and did not tell them I didn’t stay at the property but they never even asked or mentioned it. As for why I didn’t get the credit, that is a glitch in the system. Amex told me to give it 14 days, and if I didn’t get the credit by then, I should call and ask them to manually credit it me.
Fast forward to 14 days later when I still hadn’t gotten the credit. I chatted with Amex once again and just had to ask for the credit and they did it immediately.
So in summary, I do not think that the charges need to be ones that you incur when you are staying at a resort to be eligible for the credit. However, I think that the system needs to be fixed in terms of the glitch. But Amex is very accommodating!
Rob has a credit expiring in 2 weeks. I am not really sure how we will use that one, I may have us all just go to a Hilton for dinner and pay with the card. I will let you know how that works out.!