Released in early 2019, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card has made a splash amongst Canadian business owners as a card that offers a fantastic ROI.

In this post, I’ll let you in on all the numbers that show why the card is such a great a long-term investment, and why you’ll want to keep it in your wallet for years to come.

To make things easier to follow, I’ve broken the post down into the following sections:

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card’s Main Features & Benefits

Looking Beyond The Welcome Bonus

We value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents apiece, since they can be transferred to airline programs like British Airways Avios or Air Canada Aeroplan at a rate of 3:1, and those programs’ points are worth 2-3 cents apiece when used on flights to Asia or Europe.

That means that the 50,000 points welcome bonus that comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card has a value of about $400, making it clearly worth the card’s $150 annual fee. But what about after the first year?

This post will explain why the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers excellent value to Canadians, both in the first year and for many years beyond that.

3 Reasons The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Is A Great Long-Term Choice

Benefit #1: Annual Free Night Award

Every year after your first anniversary, you’re eligible for a free night at a participating Marriott Bonvoy property worth 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or less. In our opinion, this is the single most valuable benefit that comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card.

It’s a long-term benefit that you get every year, as long as your account is in good standing and hasn’t been canceled before the award is issued. There are no minimum purchase requirements, no minimum number of nights booked in a Marriott Bonvoy property during the year… nothing! Your biggest concern for this annual free night award will be deciding in which of the thousands of Marriott Bonvoy properties across the globe to use it.

Understanding Marriott Categories

Finding out which hotels offer the right room rate is simple enough, though, because as I explain in my post on the personal Marriott Bonvoy Card, Marriott classifies its hotels and properties into 8 categories, depending on the number of points you have to trade in to stay for a night.

The total number of points needed depends on several factors: the price of the hotel, whether you’re traveling in low season or high season, and whether or not the hotel participates in the PointSavers program. Here’s the complete list of categories, with the PointSavers rates in brackets:

As you can see, the 35,000 points limit for the free night award could get you a room in a hotel anywhere from Category 1 – 6.

Category 5 Case Study: Booking A Free Night At The St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino

An example of a great redemption is a room at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino.

In this case, you could use your free night award to book a room for up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and save, depending on the season, about $270 USD, as shown below. This particular room has a king bed and a spacious balcony, perfect for your St. Kitts vacation.

There is an incredibly large number of hotels where you can redeem your Free Night Award, and the value of the benefit is how much you’ll save on the room ($269, in this case). In any case, it’s very easy to see that this benefit alone outweighs the $150 annual fee, and will for as long as you keep the card in your wallet.

And we’re just getting started…

Benefit #2: Gold Elite Status + 15 Annual Elite Night Credits

These are actually two long-term benefits that work in conjunction to improve your experience when staying at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel. To understand the value of these benefits, you first need to understand what “Gold Elite status” and “Elite Night Credits” mean.

The Elite Night Credits program is divided into different levels or tiers that you progressively reach the more you stay at Marriott Bonvoy properties.

After signing up to the program, you initially start off as a regular member who earns an Elite Night Credit for every night stayed at a Marriott Bonvoy property.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status

Every night you stay in a Marriott Bonvoy property you receive one Elite Night Credit, which determines the status you’ll have the following year. Here are the number of Elite Night Credits you need to earn within one year to reach each status level:

• Silver Elite Status: 10 Elite Night Credits
• Gold Elite Status: 25 Elite Night Credits
• Platinum Elite Status: 50 Elite Night Credits
• Titanium Elite Status: 75 Elite Night Credits
• Ambassador Elite Status: 100 Elite Night Credits

When you charge $30,000 to your Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card in one year, you’ll bypass the regular membership structure and receive Gold Elite status, whether you’ve stayed in Marriott Bonvoy properties or not. You’ll also receive 15 Elite Night Credits every year, giving you a significant head start on the higher tiers.

Benefits Of Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status comes with plenty of great perks you can capitalize on every time you stay at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel. Here are some of our favourites:

• Earn 25% more Marriott Bonvoy points from the loyalty program for eligible purchases
• 250 or 500 Marriott Bonvoy points gift upon check-in at participating hotels
• Enhanced Room Upgrade
• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
• 2 PM late checkout

How Much Is Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status Worth?

The following table shows my estimated value for each of these benefits. The numbers correspond to a single 2-day stay at a full service Marriott Bonvoy property. To make things easier to follow, I’ll assume an average room rate of $200 per night ($400 for the two nights) and an average value of 0.8 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, as mentioned above.

This is a good estimate of the value of the Gold Elite status for a single 2-night stay at an average Category 4 or 5 hotel. If you stay at a higher category hotel, spend more nights or, better yet, if you stay at a hotel more than once during the year (to get the check-in bonus several times), the final value of the Gold Elite status multiplies.

Reaching Platinum Elite Status With The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card

After achieving Gold Elite status, the 15 Elite Night credits that the card includes will get you that much closer to the threshold you need in order to upgrade to Platinum Elite status. Platinum Elite status gives you really great benefits at Marriott Bonvoy properties like:

• 50% bonus points on hotel stays at participating properties
• Enhanced Room Upgrades that include special suites
• Welcome gift of your choice upon check-in. Whenever you check into a participating property, you can choose a gift between complimentary breakfast, special amenities or points (either 500 or 250 Marriott Bonvoy points, depending on the property)
• Annual gift choice award. Apart from the check-in gift, once a year you can choose one of five different gifts: 5 nights of suite upgrades (Marriott calls them “Suite Night Awards”), Silver Elite status awarded to a friend, 5 Elite Night credits, a 40% discount on your favourite mattress, or a donation of $100 USD to charity.

Benefit #3: Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card comes with extensive travel, business and purchase insurance policies. The generous coverage in health insurance, life insurance, personal effects protection, trip delay, trip interruption and more, stacked on top of all the other benefits of the card, make it an even sweeter deal.

But just like the Business Platinum Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card also offers special insurance policies geared toward protecting small businesses. In particular, the Employee Card Misuse Protection may cover small businesses against unauthorized charges made to the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card if you terminate the Supplementary Cardmember and cancel their Card within 2 business days.

If you want to learn more about all the embedded insurance policies that come with every Amex card, as well as other stand-alone insurance plans that American Express offers, you can read our dedicated post on American Express Travel Insurance. That’s where you’ll learn all the details about coverage, making claims, and what all the footnotes and fine print means.

How Much Is The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card’s Insurance Coverage Worth?

As with so many other perks, this one is very tough to put a price on. However, if you were to choose an insurance plan as extensive as the one that comes with your Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, it would cost much more than the $150 annual fee on this card.

The Bottom Line

The long-term benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card are fantastic. You’ll save hundreds of dollars per year using your Annual Free Night Award, potentially hundreds more with your Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, and be safe and secure thanks to an impressively comprehensive insurance plan that covers both you and your business.

If you’re a Canadian business owner who stays in a hotel at least once per year, this card will boost your travels and give you an excellent return on your investment at the same time.

This American Express Platinum Canada review is broken down into the following 10 sections:

#1 The Basics & Benefits

The card also comes with additional American Express benefits that come with all of their cards. These include Front Of The Line, which offers cardholders advanced access/tickets to concerts, sporting events and shows across Canada.

#2 Four More Special American Express Platinum Benefits

Amex Platinum Special Benefit #1: Worldwide Airport Lounge Access (Priority Pass)

On top of the 50,000 Membership Rewards points that come with your Amex Platinum Card (when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months), you also receive a Priority Pass Prestige membership, which holds a value of $429 USD per year. Your Priority Pass membership gets you into more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world without paying a dime. All of the lounges have free food (some offer full meals, while others have an array of snacks), drinks (many, though not all, offer alcoholic drinks as well), and many include additional amenities like nap rooms, showers, libraries, printing, and games rooms.

My Priority Pass is definitely the American Express Platinum benefit that I use the most, and it’s completely changed the way that I travel. I seriously can’t imagine flying without stopping in the American Express Platinum lounge first now.

Where can you use your Canadian Platinum lounge benefit in Canada? How about the 24-hour SkyTeam Lounge in Vancouver (YVR)?

Or the National Bank Lounge in Montreal (YUL)?

Toronto (YYZ) has a whopping seven Priority Pass lounges—plus the American Express Lounge at Pearson—and you’ll be able to access all of them for free.

You’re stepping up your travel game already.

Amex Platinum Special Benefit #2: $200 Annual Travel Credit

This is exactly what it sounds like: $200 for you to use on travel, every single year. In the past 3 years alone, I’ve used my $200 travel credit on a flight to Asia, a flight to South America, and a flight to Europe.

The Amex Platinum Card comes with a $200 annual travel credit you can use anywhere in the world!

Pro Tip: Use your $200 annual travel credit on the first hotel or flight booking you make with your Platinum Card. You don’t want to forget to use it!

Amex Platinum Special Benefit #3: Hotel Elite Statuses

Your Amex Platinum also upgrades your statuses with a handful of hotel chains. This means you get special benefits: exclusive discounts, early check-in and late check-out, complimentary breakfasts and more.

These are the sort of status upgrades you can expect with your Amex Platinum Card:

• Hilton Honors Gold Status
• Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade Membership
• Radisson Rewards™ Gold Status
• Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status

Amex Platinum Special Benefit #4: American Express Front Of The Line

Front of the Line gives American Express Cardmembers exclusive access to ticket pre-sales and reserved seating at concerts, musicals, sporting events and much more.

The best thing about Front of the Line is in the name itself: you get access to tickets at the biggest shows (think Justin Bieber and Beyoncé) before everyone else. These shows are known for selling out in seconds, but with Front of the Line, you’ll always get your ticket. Past performances that Front of the Line has had pre-sale access to include Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Wicked, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Billy Elliot, West Side Story, Imagine Dragons, The Lion King and many more.

Front of the Line always offers great seats close to the action at these events. They also send periodic emails to let you know when artists are coming to town so you never miss a show.

#3 How To Turn 50,000 Points Into 65,000 Points

The 50,000 welcome bonus points that come with the American Express Platinum are great, but if you know what you’re doing, you can actually turn them into 65,000 pretty simply.

How? At least once per year, American Express offers a 30% transfer bonus when you transfer your points to a program like British Airways Avios or Aeroplan. Just by transferring your points smartly, 50,000 Membership Rewards points all of a sudden become 65,000 Avios points.

. Just by transferring your points smartly, 50,000 Membership Rewards points all of a sudden become 65,000 Avios points.

You just gained another 15,000 points—worth at least $300 if you use them at a value of 2 cents per point or above—just for being in the loop.

Here are 3 realistic scenarios of the value you can achieve with the Amex Platinum:

Most of you will find yourselves in columns 2 or 3 in the $801-$1,451 profit range, since you can just read our other blog posts like how to get cheap flights to Asia and how to get cheap flights to Europe to find tons of flights that get you 2-3 cents per point of value.

But if you’re ambitious and want to push your points even further, it’s completely possible to surpass what’s listed above with a value of 3 cents per point or more. Just  send us an email and we’ll help you sift through your options to ensure you get a great bang for your buck.

#4 How To Use Your 65,000 Points

Case Study #1: Visiting Asia

Suppose you want to take a trip to Hong Kong to visit family or friends. The Amex Platinum is your perfect companion, since one of the easiest, best ways to use your 65,000 Avios points is on direct flights to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific.

Since Cathay Pacific is a premium airline, these flights normally cost at least $1,000 from Vancouver, and even more from Toronto. You won’t be paying anywhere close to that.

Roundtrip flights from Vancouver to Hong Kong cost just 60,000 Avios points + $90 in taxes and fees. Roundtrip flights from Toronto to Hong Kong cost 70,000 Avios points + $100, though you can pay a little bit more in cash (~$50) and drop the points down to 65,000 if you want.

Of course, Hong Kong isn’t your only option. Tokyo is a bit closer than Hong Kong, so flights between Vancouver and Tokyo are just 50,000 points.

Are you getting excited yet?

Case Study #2: Going Round-The-World

Let’s suppose you want to go around the world using your Platinum card.

No problem.

If you’re in Vancouver, you can fly from Vancouver to Hong Kong to Dubai to London to Vancouver (or the opposite direction) for 74,700 points + $742 in taxes and fees.

Yes, 74,700 is a bit more than 65,000, but don’t worry—you’ll earn the extra 10,000 points (and more!) after a few months of using the card.

Toronto works just the same.

Flying from Toronto to Hong Kong to Dubai to London to Toronto (or the opposite direction) costs just 74,500 points + $761 in taxes and fees.

Did you ever imagine you could fly around the world for $750?

That’s the power of the Amex Platinum.

These round-the-world trips offer a value of well over 4 cents per point, meaning the $699 fee you paid just saved you several thousand dollars on flights.

#5 Is The Amex Platinum Canada Worth The $699 Annual Fee?

Absolutely.

Here’s the magic in the $699 annual fee: it’s impossible not to make money by having this card, even after paying the fee.

Huh? Sounds confusing, right?

Here’s how it works.

If you use your 50,000 points in the worst way possible, they’re worth $700 to you. Why? Because American Express allows you to apply your points against your statement balance at a value of one cent per point, which means 50,000 points = $500. Add in your $200 travel credit for 2019 and you’re at $700.

It’s impossible not to make money with the Amex Platinum Card.

And that’s not even considering the other benefits you get from the card. The travel/emergency/baggage insurance and additional purchase insurance (for theft/damage of your items), the worldwide airport lounge access, the premium hotel memberships, and everything else you see here everything else you see here are all just cherries on top.

So even if you use your points in the worst way you could—by applying them to your statement balance as a cash equivalent—you still come out way, way ahead.

But if you use them in the ways we’ve suggested in sections #3 and #4 above, you can reasonably expect to save $800 or more after accounting for the annual fee.

#6 Amex Platinum Travel Insurance

The Platinum Card also comes with an impressive American Express travel insurance policy. Here’s what the policy includes:

Every American Express card also comes with two other insurance benefits:

1. Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan doubles the manufacturer’s warranty on your purchases and will repair/replace faulty or damaged items up to $10,000.
2. Purchase Protection Plan insures your purchases against accidental physical damage and theft for the 90 days after purchase, up to $1,000.

Fraud protection, global emergency card replacement and 24/7 express customer service are included with every American Express card, too.

#7 The Amex Business Platinum Card

This entire review has been about the Amex Platinum Card, though there’s also an American Express Business Platinum Card for Canadians, too. There are a few key differences between the two cards:

• 40,000 welcome bonus points for the Business Platinum Card (10,000 less)
• $499 annual fee for the Business Platinum Card ($200 less)
• No $200 annual travel credit for the Business Platinum card

Since the Platinum Card’s higher annual fee is offset by its $200 annual travel credit, the biggest difference between the two is that you get 10,000 fewer welcome bonus points with the Business Platinum Card.

#8 Three Less Expensive Cards To Consider

Even though we’ve clearly shown how you can save thousands of dollars with the Platinum Card, the $699 annual fee still rubs some people the wrong way.

So here are a few less expensive, high-value cards you can consider instead:

#1 The Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex Card

Released in March 2019, the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express Card is the best travel credit card available in Canada right now. It comes with an incredible 60,000 welcome bonus points at an annual fee of just $120. You also receive a free hotel night every year after the first year with the card, which you’re able to use at some of the swankiest hotels in the world. While this current offer lasts, we can’t recommend the Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex Card highly enough.

#2 The Amex Cobalt Card

The Amex Cobalt Card is the best everyday spending card available right now. Why? Because you can get up to 10% cashback on your spending when you use the Cobalt Card at coffee shops, restaurants, bars and grocery stores coffee anywhere in Canada.

#3 The Amex Gold Rewards Card

You can think of the Amex Gold Canada as the classic American Express card. It comes with 25,000 welcome bonus points, which is enough for a roundtrip flight anywhere in North America. With its $150 annual fee, the Gold Rewards Card has offered good value for years, though the current offer on the new Marriott Bonvoy™ Card provides better value right now.

#9 How To Apply For The American Express Platinum Card

Applying is as simple as clicking the button below, taking 3 minutes to fill in the application form, and waiting a few days for your card to arrive!

It’s important to take action now, though—the welcome points bonus used to be 75,000 on this card, but Amex has reduced it several times over the past few years. Grab yours while this sweet offer is still available.

Is The Amex Platinum Canada The Best Travel Credit Card In Canada?

If not the best, the Amex Platinum is certainly one of the best Canadian credit cards of 2019. While the Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex Card has recently grabbed a lot of attention for its incredible 50,000 points welcome bonus with just a $120 annual fee, the Platinum Card offers great value-for-money, too.

#10 FAQs

What Is The New American Express Platinum Metal Card Like?

Honestly—it’s pretty cool!

If you didn’t already know, the American Express Platinum is now made of metal. It has a significant heft to it, weighing in at 19 grams (for reference, a typical plastic American Express credit card weighs 5 grams). It’s sure to impress your friends when you “accidentally” drop it on the table as you pay.

All new Platinum cardholders now receive the metal card, so that’s a nice bonus on top of all the other benefits we’ve talked about above. Existing cardholders can also request to have their old plastic card exchanged for a metal card at any time.

How Can I Sign Up With An American Express Platinum Referral?

To get the best available welcome points bonus, which is currently 50,000 points, sign up here. After you’ve signed up, you can refer your own friends to the American Express Platinum for a referral bonus of 15,000 points.

What Is The American Express Canada Exchange Rate?

All foreign purchases are made at the American Express foreign currency exchange rate, which tracks the bank rate very closely with small fluctuations above and below that rate. A 2.5% commission is charged on top of that on all foreign purchases regardless of the currency.

How Does American Express Travel Work In Canada?

American Express Travel is Amex’s online travel portal for buying flights, booking hotels and rental cars, and getting support from some of the best travel concierges in the business.

The $200 annual travel credit that comes with your Amex Platinum can be used either directly through the American Express Travel platform or as a statement credit after you’ve made a travel-related purchase with your card.

What Is The Amex Concierge?

The Amex Platinum Concierge is definitely an under-rated benefit of the Platinum Card. It’s totally free for as long as you have the card, and is there to offer you 24/7 assistance with a whole host of things.

Need a table for four at a fully-booked place in Paris or New York? No problem. Looking for the perfect gift for a friend visiting from out of town? Easy.

I mainly use the Platinum Concierge to help me build travel itineraries when I’m visiting a new city, and they’ve done a remarkable job. After a minute or two on the phone getting to know my preferences (Do I like fancy restaurants or low-key joints? Do I prefer museum hopping or getting lost walking around a neighbourhood? etc.), they send back a document of 30+ pages outlining restaurants and bars to check out, cultural attractions, events taking place when I’m there, and a lot more. It takes them 24-48 hours to compile it all, which is extremely quick.

You can request help using email as well, though I find just calling them up is faster (you never have to wait on hold) and easier.

How Good Is The Amex Platinum, Anyway?

If you’re like most Canadians, you’ll love your Amex Platinum Card. It’s numerous perks and benefits make it a great choice for frequent travelers, and if you spend your points wisely, you’ll more than make up for its annual fee.

If you enjoyed this Amex Platinum Canada review, share it with your friends here.

The American Express Cobalt card has been receiving a lot of attention since its fall 2017 launch, and with good reason: it’s an extremely compelling offer. $10/month for a card that gets you 5X the points on food and drink purchases in Canada and 2X the points on travel purchases anywhere in the world is an excellent deal.

But of course, as we’ve come to expect from American Express through their other offers—like the Platinum Card, the Business Platinum Card and the Business Gold Rewards Card—there’s much more to the Cobalt than meets the eye. Once you learn the ins and outs of this card, I’ll be surprised if you aren’t applying for one of your own by the end of this post.

This credit card is marketed at millennials and near-millennials, so if you fit either of these, you’ll definitely want to give the Cobalt card a closer look.

Pros & Cons Of The Amex Cobalt Card

Amex Cobalt Features & Benefits

The Amex Cobalt’s Monthly Fee

The Amex Cobalt Card is the first and only American Express card to offer a monthly fee in lieu of an annual fee. This makes the Cobalt Card extremely affordable for most Canadians, because you don’t have to pay one single, bulky annual fee. Instead, the annual fee gets split up across twelve more manageable payments, and those payments are just $10/month.

What Are Membership Rewards Select Points And How Much Are They Worth?

The value of any loyalty program’s points depends on how you use them. Keeping this in mind, American Express has always offered a lot of flexibility regarding what you can do with your Membership Rewards points.

Normally, I recommend using your American Express points on flights, since you can get exceptional deals like these that we mention in our post on the Platinum Card:

But the difference with the Cobalt card is that you use a different points system when spending your points on flights. American Express has introduced a new tier of points called Membership Rewards (MR) Select, which are usable for just about everything that regular MR points (which you receive with the Platinum, Business Platinum and Business Gold Rewards cards) are, including hotel stays and travel purchases, but you can’t transfer them to loyalty programs like Aeroplan or Avios.

As a consequence, rather than valuing these MR Select points at 2-3 cents per point (ilke the regular MR points), I suggest a slightly lower value of 1-2 cents per point (Read on to understand why).

So the Amex Cobalt comes with both good and bad. The bad is the change I just described: the method for redeeming your MR Select points for flights is a bit different, so many of our strategies for flying from Asia to North America for $75 or from Canada to Europe for $50 are less relevant.

But the good is really, really good: once you know how, you can save 10% on your monthly spending using the Cobalt card.

How To Use Your MR Select Points

Even though you can’t transfer your MR Select points to Aeroplan or Avios, there are still a couple of different ways to use them:

1. For statement credits
2. For flights
3. You can transfer them to Marriott Bonvoy™
4. For purchases in different retailers and Amazon.ca

#1 Using MR Select Points For Statement Credits

This is, by far, the easiest way to redeem your MR Select points. You can choose to exchange 1,000 points for a $10 statement credit towards eligible travel purchases, or you can trade them for $7 towards any other purchase.

When used for a statement credit as I described above, you will get a value of 0.7 or 1 cent per point.

This isn’t a great valuation, but it sure is the easiest type of redemption you can get. It’s absolutely hassle-free. All you have to do is

Step 1: log in to you Amex account through the Membership Rewards site

Step 2: Choose to use your points

Step 3: Select which purchase you want the statement credit to be used for

Step 4: Finally, choose how many MR points you want to use. The minimum is 1,000 points.

#2 Boosting Your Points With Fixed Points Flight Rewards

The one cent per point valuation I’ve suggested above is extremely easy to achieve: all you need to do is apply your points against the spending on your American Express statement, nothing more. However, American Express’ Fixed Points Flight Rewards offer value that’s up to twice as good. Here’s how to capitalize on that.

The table below shows the redemption costs for various destinations around the world using the Fixed Points system. As you can see at the very top, you can redeem 15,000 points to offset $300 (value of 2 cents per point) on short-haul routes like those between Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and New York, as well as between Vancouver and Calgary. Longer flights offer a slightly lower valuation (1.5-1.75 cents per point), though if you choose your routes wisely, they can still save you hundreds of dollars more than what you’re already saving by applying your MR Select points directly against your American Express statement.

At the end of the day, you really can’t lose.

#3 Transferring Your Points To Marriott Bonvoy

This is another option, in case you’re not keen on using your points as MR points, but would rather build up your balance in hotel loyalty programs like the Marriott Bonvoy program or Hilton Honors.

In the first case, you can transfer your points at a 1:1.25 rate. This means that for every 1,000 MR points you transfer, you’ll receive 1,250 Marriott Bonvoy points. Because Marriott Bonvoy points are valued at around 0.8 cents per point, transferring you MR points at this rate will still give you a final value of 1 cent per MR point:

1.25 MB/MR x 0.8 cents/MB = 1 cent/MR

Therefore, unless you have the option to use them for flights (in which case you could get up to 2 cents per MR point), you wouldn’t be hurting your MR points’ value by transferring them to Marriott Bonvoy points.

The downside would be limiting yourself to only being able to use the transferred points in Marriott Bonvoy participating hotels and resorts.

#4 Using Your MR points For Other Purchases

The last way in which you can spend your MR points is by using them to pay directly for gift-cards and other merchandise at select retailers, and for purchases through Amazon.ca.

As you might have guessed from the value of statement credits, using your points in this way (which is by far the most flexible way to use them), will only give you the minimum value of 0.7 cents per point. This is because you effectively trade off value for flexibility.

Bonus Cobalt Points

Just like its fee, the Cobalt Card’s welcome bonus is also split in 12 equal parts.

Most American Express cards come with a single welcome bonus that you get once you reach a minimum amount charged to the card. The same principle applies to the Amex Cobalt, only on a monthly basis:

You can earn 2,500 bonus Cobalt points, every month, during the first year of card membership. The to get each bonus, you need to charge a minimum of $500 to your Cobalt Card, every month.

If you manage to get the 12 bonuses, you’ll have a total of 30,000 bonus points by the end of the year. At the least possible value of 0.7 cent per MR Select point, this bonus adds up to $210, for a card worth $120. If you ramp it up to 2 cents per MR point, you’ll get back $600.

That’s one sweet deal!

Points Earning Rate Of The Amex Cobalt

You can access three different earning rates with the Cobalt Amex:

• 5X on food & drinks (with a cap at $30,000 )
• 2X on eligible travel purchases
• 1X on all other purchases

The 5X earning rate (5 points per every $1) on eligible food and drink purchases is one of the highest earning rates American Express has to offer. Additionally, American Express is generous with their definition of food and drinks:

Restaurant, quick service restaurant, coffee shop and drinking establishments in Canada, stand-alone grocery stores in Canada, delivery of food and groceries in Canada…

The flexibility of the food & drink category makes it especially easy for anyone to access it, every day. This is exactly what makes the American Express Cobalt card one of the best everyday spending cards available in Canada today.

Upcoming Cap On The 5X Earning Rate

Important Notice: The cobalt credit card has been so successful, that Amex was forced to put a cap on the total amount of points you can earn on food and drinks. The 5X earning rate is limited to a maximum of $30,000 per year, and after that you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent.

As of today, the 2X earning rate on travel purchases is unlimited, but, since it’s also a very good earning rate, things could also change in the future.

If you want to take advantage of all the perks this card offers today, I recommend that you sign up to the Cobalt card soon, before Amex decides to put any more caps on its benefits.

Save 10% on your spending with the American Express Cobalt

As I explained in the previous sections, if you apply for the American Express Cobalt card today, you’ll receive 2,500 MR Select points for every month of the first year that you charge $500 to the card.

On top of that, you also earn 5X points for every dollar you spend on food and drinks.

In other words: you earn 5X the points at all restaurants, bars, cafés, grocery stores, and food delivery services (UberEATS etc.), making the magic $500 monthly threshold fairly easy to hit for most of us (about $120/week in food). And when you do…

You’ll save 10% on that month’s spending.

Here’s the math to show what I mean:

2,500 bonus points for spending $500/month

+ 2,500 points (5X points on $500 spent on food/drinks)

= 5,000 points earned per month

When you apply those points at the one cent per point valuation I mentioned above (which is as simple as applying them against your American Express statement, nothing more), you get $50 back on your $500 of spending. That’s a savings of 10%!

Here’s how it looked when I applied 4,000 of my MR Select points against two flights I’d recently redeemed my regular MR points for on Aeroplan:

Of course, it’s not a problem if you don’t spend $500 per month on food and drinks. Let’s imagine that one month you only spend $300 on food and drinks and the other $200 on something else:

2,500 bonus points for spending $500/month

+ 1,500 points (5x points on $300 spent on food/drinks)

+ 200 points (1X points on $200 spent on other items)

= 4,200 points earned per month

In this case, you end up with 4,200 points, worth $42, for a savings of 8.4%. This trend continues: the more you spend on food and drinks, the higher your monthly savings will be.

While we’re at it, let’s look at some of the other benefits of the Cobalt card.

American Express Travel Insurance And Shopping Coverage

Insurance coverage is very important to most travelers, and the Cobalt Card delivers a very comprehensive set of embedded insurance policies, given how inexpensive this card is.

The Amex Cobalt’s Travel Coverage

The travel-related insurance policies that come with your new Amex Cobalt Card are:

1. $5,000,000 Emergency Medical Insurance (Out of province/country): This policy will cover virtually any accident that needs medical attention, once you’re on your way. The coverage is for you, your spouse, any dependent children, any additional cardmember, his or her spouse and dependent children, for any number of trips with a maximum duration of 15 days.
2. $250,000 Travel Accident Insurance: This is an AD&D life insurance policy that covers you and your family while you”re all traveling in a common carrier.
3. Flight Delay & Baggage Delay Insurance: Two separate policies but with an aggregate maximum coverage of $500. Intended to cover you for unforeseen expenses due to your flight or baggage been delayed for a long time. It includes out-of-pocket money, money for food and even hotel stays.
4. Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance: This policy can help you recover up to $500 in lost items and personal effects.
5. Hotel/Motel Burglary Insurance: Similar to the Lost or Stolen Baggage Insurance, it protects you for up to $500 in stolen personal effects if your hotel gets burglarized, as long as your lodgings were paid with your Amex Cobalt Card.
6. Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance: You can use this policy to waive the vehicle rental company’s own insurance policy and get up to $85,000 of coverage without paying a single dime.

Amex Cobalt Purchase Coverage

Regarding card purchase coverage, the Amex Cobalt Card comes with American Express’ two standard policies:

• The Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan, which doubles the manufacturer’s warranty for up to one extra year, on any purchase paid in full with your American Express Cobalt Card.
• The Purchase Protection Plan, which covers your Cobalt Card purchases against accidental damage and theft, to a maximum of $1,000.

Read our post on American Express Insurance to learn all the details regarding these and other insurance policies offered by American Express Canada.

Free Supplementary Cobalt Cards

Giving your family members (or employees) supplementary cards is a great way to boost your earning rate. While some additional cards require you to pay an additional fee, this is not the case with the Cobalt Amex card.

You can request up to 9 additional cobalt cards for supplementary cardholders, free of charge. The only condition is that he or she be 13 or older.

American Express Front Of The Line

The Amex Cobalt Card comes with American Express Invites, a benefits package for major public events like concerts and shows. These benefits include:

Front Of The Line Advance Access

This benefit lets you purchase or reserve tickets for highly sought after events, sometimes even before they’re on sale.

Front Of The Line Reserved Tickets

These are blocks of seats reserved by American Express exclusively for its cardmembers. With Reserved Tickets you won’t be left out of any major event, even when tickets have sold out for the general public.

Front Of The Line E-Updates

This is a subscription email service that periodically sends you the listings of all the events you can access thanks to your Amex Cobalt Card.

Other Amex Invites Benefits

Special Access and benefits at Budweiser Stage, Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall, including a separate entrance, lounges and bars.

What About Foreign Currency Exchange?

While you earn 2X the points on travel purchases like flights and hotels, you still pay a 2.5% fee on all foreign transactions and foreign ATM withdrawals with the Cobalt card. 2.5% isn’t huge, but if you spend $5,000 over the course of a month-long Europe trip, that’s an extra $125 you’ve thrown away in currency exchange fees. Instead, I recommend picking up the N26 You card, which leverages TransferWise’s technology to offer zero currency exchange fees and free ATM withdrawals around the world. Since getting my N26 You two years ago, it’s been my go-to travel card, and I absolutely love it. With your N26 You card, the sky’s the limit.

The Bottom Line

Once you add in all of the other benefits, this card is an excellent choice. Add it to your arsenal of the Platinum Card, the Business Platinum Card and the Business Gold Rewards Card, and you’re laughing.

So…will you take advantage of the Cobalt card or let it pass you by?

So why is everyone talking about the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card for Canadians these days?

A few reasons. For starters, its 50,000 points welcome bonus is a seriously impressive one. On top of that, the Marriott Bonvoy platform is one of the most flexible travel rewards programs out there, right up there with Amex Membership Rewards Points.

But the card isn’t only good for hotels—it offers plenty of benefits for those who want to fly, too. Whether it’s buying a flight with your points or staying covered with the card’s travel insurance, there’s a lot you’ll learn to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card for Canadians.

This post is broken down into the following 15 sections:

#1 Features & Benefits

The card also comes with additional American Express benefits that come with all of their cards. These include Front Of The Line, which offers cardholders advanced access/tickets to concerts, sporting events and shows across Canada.

Let’s break down some of the items in the table.

Benefit #1: The Welcome Bonus Of The Amex Marriott Credit Card For Canadians

When you sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card for the first time, you can receive a bonus of 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. To get the bonus, the only condition is that you manage to charge a minimum of $1,500 in purchases to your card in the first three months of card membership. This evens out to $500 of purchases a month, which isn’t hard for most Canadians.

How Much Is The Welcome Bonus Worth?

It all depends on how, when and where you use your points. As a very conservative estimate, we value Marriott Bonvoy points at around 0.8 cents apiece. At this valuation, which, as I say, is very conservative, the bonus is worth $400, more than tripling the annual fee! There are ways to get much better value, though. With a little bit of creativity, and redeeming only for hotel stays, you can get a value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point. At this valuation, your bonus could be worth $500 to $750. All that for only $120!

Benefit #2: Points Earning Rates

Using your card earns you Marriott Bonvoy points. These points go straight to your linked Marriott Bonvoy™ account, the new loyalty program that united the Marriott Rewards® Program, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Program, and the Starwood Preferred Guest® Program (the “SPG Program) into one. There are two different earning rates, depending on where you make your purchases:

5 Points On Eligible Marriott Purchases

If you use your card to pay for room rates, room amenities and anything else chargeable to your room, at any of the 30 hotel brands affiliated to the Marriott Bonvoy program, Amex will reward you with 5 points for every $1. You can also get the same rate for purchases in any physical or virtual store owned and operated by Marriott Inc. or its partners.

As I said, Amex, and not Marriott, awards those points for using your Amex card. However, since Marriott Bonvoy is a stand-alone loyalty program, to be enrolled as a member means that Marriott will also award you points for the same eligible purchase.

This is very similar to what happens with other cobranded Amex cards like the AeroplanPlus Card Family, which can earn you points twice: once for the card purchase, and once again for the Aeroplan-partner purchase.

Marriott is very generous with its loyal guests, and it awards 10 points per spent $1 dollar to basic Members in most of its participating brands. Add the two together and you’re up to 15 points per $1 with your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

2 Points On All Other Purchases

If you book a room through a third party travel agent, or if you make a purchase in any store or merchant that’s not a part of the Marriott family, you won’t get the 5 points per dollar, but 2 points instead. All and all, it’s not too bad an earning rate, because if you manage to get 1.5 cents per point as redemption value, you’re saving up to 3% on all your purchases. This is more than the maximum that some other credit cards will give you in return.

Benefit #3: Referral Bonus

Why would you want to keep this gem of a credit card a secret, when you can earn points by telling your friends about it. Another way of earning Marriott Bonvoy points is with the Referral Bonus. When you sign up to your new Amex Marriott Credit Card Canada, you’ll get a personal referral link. You can use this link to refer friends, family members and other acquaintances to Amex. If Amex approves them for a Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card, you’ll receive a 10,000 points bonus.

That’s 10,000 points just for telling your friends about one of the best travel cards in Canada today!

This benefit is capped at 150,000 points per year, so you’re limited to an annual maximum of 15 approved referrals. Don’t let this get you down though, because those 150,000 points plus the welcome bonus can get you two nights in the best Category 8 Hotels Marriott has to offer (read below for more in hotel categories).

Benefit #4: Free Additional Cards

Additional supplementary cards are a great way to earn points faster. Amex allows for up to nine additional cards, free of charge, so you can share your credit with your family or even with employees. In the latter case, it may make more sense to sign up to the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express Card, as it includes a special policy to protect you against unauthorized charges made to your card by unscrupulous employees.

If you’re more of a loner, then this benefit won’t mean much to you. However, if you have a big family and you want them to be able to spend whenever they need to, nine free additional cards can be of great value.

#2 Four More Special Marriott Bonvoy Benefits

Special Benefit #1: The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card Free Night Award

On top of the 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that come with your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, you also receive one free hotel night every year after the first year with a redemption value of up to 35,000 points (Category 1-5 hotel). (Remember, if you don’t know what we mean by Category 1-5, we’ll explain below.) There’s no spending requirement for this free night—you’ll get it every year after your first card anniversary regardless of how often you use your card—making it an exceptional value.

What can you use this award on?

How about a night at the swanky Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills, a member of Design Hotels?

Or how about the Moxy Amsterdam, a new design hotel in one of Amsterdam’s hippest districts?

Or the Sheraton in Bali, with its infinity pool overlooking the ocean? Where will you choose?

As you can see, the opportunities are truly endless for this benefit, as there are currently over 6,800 hotels in Categories 1 through 5. And if you haven’t already clued in, a Category 5 hotel can easily go for $300-500 per night, meaning your $120 annual card fee is worth several times its value through this free night benefit alone.

Are you starting to see why Canadians love the Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex Card so much?

Special Benefit #2: Marriott Bonvoy™ Elite Status

As soon as you get your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, you’ll be upgraded to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, which gives you lower hotel rates, late checkout, free internet, a dedicated customer service line, plus 10% more points at Marriott properties. This last benefit is for the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program’s earning rate, not for the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card’s earning rate (read this post’s section on The Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status to understand exactly what I mean).

If you manage to spend $30,000 on your card in a year, you’ll be upgraded to Gold Elite Status, where you’ll earn 25% more on $1 spent at Marriott properties, complimentary room upgrades, and 2 p.m. checkout on your hotel stays. Keep reading for more details.

There’s more to the Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status than Silver and Gold. We’ll be covering all the Elite Statuses in depth in the following sections below.

Special Benefit #3: 15 Elite Night Credits

Not only does the Marriott Credit Card Canada reward you with Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, it also gives you a head start to achieve the higher levels of the loyalty program. Every year you keep your Amex Marriott Credit Card in your pocket, you’ll get 15 complimentary Elite Night Credits that get you that much closer to reaching all the milestones needed to get to the Gold, Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador Elite statuses.

Special Benefit #4: 5th Night Free

This technically isn’t a benefit exclusive to the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, but it’s so good that it’s worth pointing out here, anyway. It goes like this:

Every time you book a Marriott hotel for 4 nights, they give you a 5th night for free! It doesn’t even matter how you paid for those nights -whether with points or cash-, or whether they are free night awards, like the one that comes with your Marriott Amex Card.

There’s nothing more to explain than that, though I don’t need to tell you how amazing of a benefit this is. As you’ll see below, we’ll use this to our full advantage to get as many as 16 nights in a 5-star hotel with your card.

#3 How To Use Your Marriott Bonvoy Points

You have a few options of how to use your Marriott Bonvoy points:

1. Hotel Stays: The best way to use your Marriott Bonvoy points—hands-down—is on hotel stays. As you’ll see in the case studies below, your card is worth up to 16 nights in a 5-star hotel if you use it wisely. We’ll show you how.
2. Flights: Flights are the second-best way to use the 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that come with your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card for Canadians. We show you below how to get a roundtrip flight anywhere in North America with your points.
3. Marriott Moments: We won’t talk about Marriott Moments in-depth here, since our focus is on hotels and flights, but you can expect things like VIP Super Bowl parties, private dining with celebrity chefs and more. Here’s the full list of Marriott Moments that you can choose from.

But First…You Need To Understand Redemption Categories

#4 An In-Depth Look At Marriott Bonvoy™ Hotel Categories

Marriott has its properties separated into different “Categories,” with each property falling into a category from 1-8. Put simply, lower Categories correspond to cheaper hotels, but as we’ll see, some creativity enables you to find some truly exceptional properties at the low end of the redemption chart, making your points go much, much further.

Booking a hotel in a given category is as simple as consulting Marriott’s redemption chart below. In brackets we’ve included the PointSavers rates, which are promotional prices 10-20% lower than the regular price that you can sometimes take advantage of. Marriott hasn’t released their peak and off-peak season dates yet, since this is a new setup for them. Sign up for our email list at the bottom of this post if you want our tips for how to book off-peak dates.

(Note: Marriott announced an update of the Off Peak and Peak redemption rates coming next September 14^th. We’ll keep you up to date on what that means to you once the changes are officially released)

There are over 7,500 Marriott Bonvoy properties to choose from, spread all over the world. If you want to use the points you’ve earned with your Amex Marriott Credit Card, you can plan ahead by searching for your ideal hotel in Marriott’s hotel directory, where you can filter results by category, brand, amenities and more.

Let me show you examples of some of the best hotels you’ll find within each category.

Marriott Category 1 Hotels

This is the lowest category in the Marriott Bonvoy program. If you manage to book a room with the PointSavers rates during the Off Peak season, you’ll only have to trade in 4,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.  Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be staying in a shack!

Far from it! In this category, you can find awesome new properties like the 5-star Four Points by Sheraton Bijie we mentioned above. There aren’t many 5-star hotels in this category, but there are plenty of 4-star hotels around the world like the brand-new 4-star Protea Hotel Pretoria Loftus Park by Marriott (South Africa).

As a matter of fact, almost all Protea hotels and resorts in South Africa belong to Category 1 and are 4-star hotels. There are almost 400 high quality Category 1 hotels to choose from worldwide (396 to be precise) located in many major cities, as well as in less popular destinations. Since price is primarily about location (and then quality, of course), Category 1 hotels in big expensive cities like New York are bound to be mostly Business hotels like the 3-star Fairfield Inn & Suites East Greenbush.

Marriott Category 2 Hotels

You can that see the price tag on these hotels start off where category 1 left off. As you would expect, Marriott category 2 hotels tend to be a bit more expensive than category 1, and I’m not just talking about prices in points, but about regular room rates as well. There are almost four times as many Marriott Bonvoy Category 2 properties as there are Category 1 Hotels.

If you’re thinking of a long business trip to Belleville, Ontario, you should definitely consider staying at the TownePlace Suites Belleville. This spanking new 3.5 star hotel is Belleville’s first extended-stay hotel. You won’t even have to leave you dog behind, as this hotel is pet-friendly, includes free high-speed internet and complimentary breakfasts.

Of course, if you’re looking for first class amenities, it’s only obvious that you should also find 5-star hotels in this category. One example is the beautiful Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel.

This 5-star property, located at the heart of Java’s cultural, artistic and intellectual heritage center, is a wonderful example of all you can get for as little as 8,000 points per night. Experience Indonesian and Javanese culture at its purest while going to bed every night in the best lodgings around.

With your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, you could spend:

Between 3 and 6 nights with the welcome bonus

+ 1 more night from the Fifth Night Free benefit

+ 1 annual free night award = 5 to 8 nights

That’s over a week in a popular destination in Java, at a 5-star hotel for only $120!

Pair your Marriott credit card Canada with one of Amex’s best travel cards, like the Platinum Card or the AeroplanPlus Reserve Card, and you’re set for your dream vacation or honeymoon!

Marriott Category 3 Hotels

On the third step of the Marriott redemption chart, you’ll be paying a minimum of 12,000 and a maximum of 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Consequently, your welcome bonus alone can get you between 2 and 4 nights. In the latter case, you can add the fifth extra night, and in both cases, you can also count in your annual free night award, totaling 3-6 nights for only $120.

Where can you use those nights? At any of the 2,164 hotels that make up the third category.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Pacific islands, why not stop at Bali and stay at the Fairfield by Marriott Bali Kuta on Sunset road.

It’s a brand new hotel in a strategic zone at the heart of the city. It’s great for both business and leisure, plus, it’s only a couple of minutes away from Kuta Beach, so if you want to hit the surf in Bali, this is also a great choice.

Marriott Category 4 Hotels

Now that we’re at category 4 hotels, numbers start to decrease as exclusivity starts to climb. After peaking at over 2,000 hotels in the previous category, this one includes a not-so-humble 1,700 properties, 138 of which are brand new or were recently renovated.

Going to Hawaii can be expensive, but staying there doesn’t have to be, especially considering that you can stay at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort, a newly renovated property formerly known as the Courtyard by Marriott Kauai, at Coconut Beach. It’s set to reopen its doors this September, so you could be among the first to book a couple of nights in this beautiful resort, right in the middle of one of Hawaii’s beautiful beaches.

Marriott Category 5 Hotels

Now that we’ve passed the middle of the rewards chart, we’re looking at more and more exclusive hotels every time. This exclusivity arises from not only hotel quality and star rating, but also from the location of the properties.

There are 1,186 Marriott Category 5 hotels to choose from. This is the highest category you can use your Annual Free Night Award on, in standard season and at a standard rate (without the PointSavers rate). However, you won’t be able to redeem that benefit if you’re thinking of using it during the Peak season – remember that it’s worth a maximum of 35,000 points.

From this Category onwards, it becomes ever easier to find luxury 5-star hotels and resorts. If you’re a coffee enthusiast (or maybe even a coffee snob), then you probably know about the world famous Panamanian Geisha coffees. Why not book a trip to Panama, take a tour of the most famous coffee estates such as the Hacienda La Esmeralda, and stay like a VIP at The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel and Golf Resort, in Panama City.

In this category, it’ll also be easier to find spas, golf courses around the world, beach resorts with stunning balcony views and much more.

Marriott Category 6 Hotels

You’ll find lodgings at great locations in this category, like the W New York I mention further down this post.

Stepping up on exclusivity, there are only 393 hotels around the world that made it into this category. As the third highest-ranking Marriott category, 5-star hotels start becoming mainstream. However, there are also lower class hotels that offer unique activities like the nine 4-star ski-resorts in this category. Three of them are right here in Canada, and include The Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain hotel, at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Ontario. The other six are in the US.

If skiing or snowboarding is your thing, these category 6 properties will be the cherry on top of your trip. Of course, there is much more than skiing among the almost 400 category 6 hotels. You’ll also find 5-star beach resorts, business hotels at the heart of the most important financial capitals and cities in the world and much more. If you have the points, don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience some of the best hotels Marriott Bonvoy has to offer.

One important note about this category is that, technically speaking, you could use your annual free night award if you manage to book a room with the PointSavers rate during the off peak season. This is the absolute highest category for which you will be able to use this benefit, but it’s really hard to accomplish, because most Category-6 hotels don’t frequently offer PointSavers rates. That’s the reason why I said before that the free night award is only redeemable for up to Category-5 hotels.

Marriott Category 7 Hotels

This category engulfs all the runner-ups that didn’t make it to the top of the Marriott redemption categories. With a points-per-night value of 45,000 to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, you can rest assured that you’ll be looking at some of the best hotels in the world, second only to the most exclusive VIP properties on earth.

I’ll only mention a couple of examples here, to give you a good oversight of what you can find in this category. One of the most highly rated hotels in Quebec, the 5-star Ritz-Carlton Montreal, is a Marriott Category 7 hotel.

Divine rooms for every taste, a spacious and richly decorated lobby, spa, in-house restaurant, in-house swimming pool and many more amenities, along with world-class service, make up for its hefty price tag. This sort of comfort isn’t cheap, though, and the lowest room-rates will only be a couple of dollars short of $1,000 if paid in cash. The best rooms, like corner executive suites on a high floor with a fireplace, will go for close to $2,000 per night!

This hotel is a clear example of the level of luxury that comes with being a Category-7 hotel. This category only counts 166 hotels. If you thought being in front of the new world trade center was something, wait to hear where category 7 can take you.

The recently renovated London Marriott Hotel County Hall lies in the bank of the river Thames in London, right in front of the iconic Big Ben, the House of Parliament and the Palace of Westminster, and right next to the London Eye. You could make postcards just by taking pictures right from your room window.

This massive six-story, 192-room, and 14-suite hotel is a historic landmark in the UK. As in the case of the Ritz-Carlton Montreal, a suite in this wonderful property can go for over $2,000 a night.

Marriott Category 8 Hotels

We’re finally at the top of the chain. I won’t bore you with more of the same arguments. Category 8 hotels are as high in quality and location as they are expensive. These hotels are really only for the rich and powerful. However, if you add up the Marriott Bonvoy Card’s welcome bonus of 50,000 points with $1,500 worth of eligible purchases at Marriott properties, which can earn you an extra 22,500 points, you might just make the cut and be in line for the experience of a lifetime, even if it is for only one night during the off peak season.

If that’s the case, or if your wallet can stand it, here are some of the most spectacular hotels and resorts that made it to the top of Marriott’s hotel categories, which houses only 69 hotels:

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort in French Polynesia

Breathtaking, beautiful and stunning don’t come close to describing this amazing complex. It really doesn’t matter which one of the 90 over-water suites you choose. They all seem to float on top of Bora Bora’s perfect turquoise lagoon, and they all offer incredible views.

Only the two two-bedroom suites with a pool seem to stand out from the rest, with a clear 180-degree view of nothing but beautiful mountains, the lagoon and the Pacific Ocean. You only need to take a couple of steps and you’re in the water. The entire lagoon feels like one giant saltwater swimming pool.

If this isn’t in your bucket list, than I don’t know what is. However, it’ll take a little bit of saving up to afford it. The bare minimum will be of roughly around $1,000, but during peak season? It can reach a staggering $7,000 a night. Oh, and you also have to get there, of course, which is quite costly as well.

The Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa in Dubai

Ok, maybe a tropical paradise isn’t what you crave the most. There are plenty of other options like the Luxury Collection Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa in Dubai. In a city where everything screams luxury, you’d expect the finest high-end hotels, and the Al Maha delivers.

This hotel in the middle of the desert immediately feels like an oasis. It offers a full-service spa, on-site restaurant, meeting rooms and business amenities, and the possibility to enjoy one-of-a-kind desert activities like camel and horseback riding and even falconry! All that for a “modest” rate of somewhere around $1,800 a night.

The W Koh Samui in Thailand

Marriott Category 8 hotels go beyond 5-stars to reach heights of their own. Even though its price is not as high as St. Regis Bora Bora I just mentioned, the W Hotel at Koh Samui is another beach paradise that takes luxury to another level. This luxury boutique hotel features residences that are more like fully equipped luxury apartments than hotel suites.

An example of what I just said is the WOW Ocean Heaven, which is a private, two-bedroom, and two-story residence with a private infinity pool, equipped kitchen and pantry, and a modern look.

It also houses five bar/lounge/restaurants that span grill, international and Japanese cuisine. A full service spa with beauty and health treatments, an herbal sauna as well as business solutions like meeting rooms and fully equipped business centers and services, make the $600-$1,500 rates of the simpler villas seem pretty reasonable. However, villas like the one in the last picture can go for as much as $3,000 a night during peak season.

You can see that there’s a clear difference between both the quality and the price of the different Marriott hotels in each category. If you’re an average Canadian who still hasn’t reached an income big enough to afford the best hotels in the world, chances are you’ll find yourself looking around categories 1 through 5, or maybe even 6, when you travel. Within these categories is where you’ll be able to get the most out of your Canadian Marriott Credit Card’s welcome bonus, and the additional points you earn with it.

After seeing just some of the options you can choose from within these categories, there’s no doubt that you’re in for some unforgettable travel experiences if you sign up to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

Now that you understand how Categories work (they’re really simple), let’s look at a few real-world examples of how you could use your points for hotel stays.

#5 Using Your Points For Hotel Stays, or How To Get 16 Nights At A 5-Star Hotel

Case Study #1: Visiting Family

Suppose you want to visit some family in Calgary, so you do a quick search on Marriott’s website and decide to stay at the Courtyard Calgary South, a Category 1 hotel in the city’s up-and-coming Seton district.

As the redemption chart above shows, you’ll pay somewhere between 4,000-10,000 points per night for your stay, depending on the season you visit and whether the property is currently a PointSaver.

This means that at the very least, your 50,000 points get you 5 nights (50,000 points / 10,000 points per night), plus 1 additional free night from Marriott’s 5th night free policy and another free night from your Marriott Bonvoy Amex annual free night benefit, which all shakes out to a total of 7 nights.

If you go during an off-peak period, though, you could pay as little as 4,000 points per night, which means you could get 13 nights with your points (50,000 points / 4,000 points per night). Add on 3 extra nights from the 5th night free policy (13 nights / 4 = 3 free nights) and all of a sudden you’re at 16 nights!

This is my kind of card.

Case Study #2: The Big Winner

I’ve recently been planning a trip to Guizhou, China, to take in the natural landscapes there. You’ve probably never heard of Guizhou—not many Westerners have—but it’s quickly gaining popularity in the East as one of China’s untouched gems. And in the heart of Guizhou sits the brand-new Four Points by Sheraton Bijie, a 5-star marvel of a hotel that’s, amazingly, just a Category 1 on Marriott’s redemption chart.

That’s right—a Category 1 5-star hotel. Here’s what it looks like:

Just like in the Calgary example above , if you visit Guizhou during off-peak season, you’ll pay just 4,000 points per night at the Four Points, which means your 50,000 points will get you 12 nights. Combine that with Marriott’s 5th night free policy for your extra 3 free nights and with the Marriott Bonvoy™ Amex Card’s Free Night Award, and you’re up to an incredible 16 nights with your card.

That’s 16 nights at a 5-star hotel, all thanks to your $120 Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

Not bad, Amex. Not bad at all.

Case Study #3: Balling Out

Of course, you don’t have to stretch your points as far as we are. You can also choose to spend them in a single night, if you’d like.

Spending the weekend in New York? Why not use your points on a Category 6 hotel like the W New York, which sits next to the new World Trade Center.

With more than 7,500 Marriott properties to choose from, the sky is truly the limit with your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card for Canadians.

#6 Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy Points For Flights

Your 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points can also be transferred to 45 different airline partners. Most, but not all, of the airline partners accept Marriott Bonvoy points at a value of 3:1 (eg. 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Aeroplan Miles). If you transfer 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to any airline partner, you’ll also receive an additional 15,000 points (worth 5,000 Aeroplan miles) for free, meaning that 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points turns into 25,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles, British Airways Avios points or American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

(Note: We recommend that you use your Marriott Bonvoy points for hotel redemptions, since they’re much more valuable that way. If you’re looking for a card for maximizing flight rewards, we recommend the American Express Platinum Card and the American Express Business Platinum.)

If you follow our advice on how to redeem your airline points, you’ll find that they’re worth about 2-3 cents apiece, putting the value of 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at about $600-$900 when you use them on flights.

Here’s a full list of all the airline partners you can transfer your points to, with their transfer ratios:

• Aegean Airlines (3:1)
• Aeroflot Bonus (3:1)
• AeroMexico ClubPremier (3:1)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (3:1)
• Air China Phoenix Miles (3:1)
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue (3:1)
• Air New Zealand Airpoints (200:1)
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (3:1)
• Alitalia MilleMiglia (3:1)
• ANA Mileage Club (3:1)
• American Airlines AAdvantage Miles (3:1)
• Asiana Airlines Asiana Club (3:1)
• Avianca LifeMiles (3:1)
• British Airways Executive Club Avios (3:1)
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (3:1)
• China Eastern Airlines Eastern Miles (3:1)
• China Southern Airlines (3:1)
• Copa Airlines ConnectMiles (3:1)
• Delta SkyMiles (3:1)
• Emirates Skywards (3:1)
• Etihad Guest (3:1)
• Frontier Airlines EarlyReturns (3:1)
• Hainan Airlines (3:1)
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles (3:1)
• Iberia Plus (3:1)
• Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank (3:1)
• Jet Airways JetPrivilege (3:1)
• JetBlue TrueBlue (6:1)
• Korean Air SkyPass (3:1)
• LATAM Airlines LATAMPass/Multiplus (3:1)
• Lufthansa Miles & More (3:1)
• Qantas Frequent Flyer (3:1)
• Qatar Privilege Club (3:1)
• Saudia Airlines Alfursan (3:1)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (3:1)
• South African Airways Voyager (3:1)
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards (3:1)
• TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go (3:1)
• THAI Airways Royal Orchid Plus (3:1)
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (3:1)
• United MileagePlus (3:1.1—10% bonus)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (3:1)
• Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer (3:1)

You can transfer anywhere between 3,000-240,000 Marriott Bonvoy™ points to airline partners each day.

#7 Understanding The Marriott Bonvoy™ Elite Status

An Elite Status corresponds to a particular level of earnable rewards within the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. It’s a way the said program has to reward their most faithful customers. The more you stay and spend at Marriott Bonvoy properties, the more benefits you’re entitled to.

To climb up the Elite Status ladder, you have to accumulate a predefined number of eligible nights each year, which Marriott refers to as Elite Qualifying Nights. Once the year ends, your count resets to zero and you start over from scratch, unless you have the Marriott Credit Card Canada in your pocket, in which case you get an initial boost to the first level plus 15 Elite Night credits.

The loyalty program consists of six status levels:

• Member
• Silver Elite
• Gold Elite
• Platinum Elite
• Titanium Elite
• Ambassador Elite

Since it’s not really an Elite Status, and since you start out at the Silver Elite Status thanks to the Amex Marriott Credit Card, I won’t elaborate much on the Member Status. All I’ll say is that you get it just for signing up to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program (which is free), and it includes benefits like

• Earn 10 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 on 26 hotel brands including Marriott Hotels, W Hotels, Ritz-Carlton and more
• Earn 5 points  per $1 spent in Residence Inn, Towneplace Suites and Element Hotels
• Earn 2.5 points per $1 spent only on stays in Marriott Executive Apartments and in Execustay properties
• Free Wi-Fi
• Exclusive member rates
• Mobile or Keyless check-in
• Use your points to pay for hotel amenities instantly
• Access to PointSavers rates
• Pay for room rates with Points or Cash + Points

 Each Elite level has its own set of extra rewards –“extra” meaning apart from the Members benefits and the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card’s own separate benefits. In addition, after achieving certain status levels several times, you can be awarded that status permanently, which is really good value for the Marriott Bonvoy program.

In the following sections, we’ll cover each Elite Status, how to achieve it, and what comes with it.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status

To be eligible for the silver Elite Status, you need to spend a minimum of 10 nights in Marriott hotels during the year.

Once you’ve reached that minimum, you’ll be entitled to the following exclusive Silver Elite Benefits, in addition to the ones included in the Members Status:

10% bonus points on stays

Silver Elite members earn an additional 10% of the points they would earn for just being Members. This means that Marriott rewards you with a total of 11 points per $1 spent on most Marriott properties. Add in the 5 extra points you earn with your Marriott Bonvoy Card, and you’re up to 16 points per $1.

Priority Late Checkout

This is a nice benefit if you like to get up late in the mornings, even if it’s your checkout date. Marriott doesn’t specify the checkout hour, and it depends on availability, but all you have to do is call the front desk and ask.

Ultimate Reservation Guarantee

Being a Silver Elite member means that your reservation is guaranteed. In the unlikely case that the hotel can’t honor your reservation, they will pay for one night at room in another nearby hotel and compensate you with up to US$200 and 90,000 points, depending on which hotel you had originally reserved.

Gift Shop Discount of 10%

On Marriott operated gift shops, all elite members get a 10% discount as long as they charge their purchases to the credit card linked to the Marriott Bonvoy account. In our case, that implies paying with your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

Dedicated Elite Reservation Line

A 24/7 reservation line to book your hotel stays may not seem like something you’re bound to use. However, you never know when a last minute emergency or business trip may pop up in the middle of the night. In these cases, a dedicated reservation line could be just what you need.

How to get Lifetime Silver Elite Status

When you stack 250 or more nights at Marriott properties and achieve a total of 5 years as an Elite Status member, you’ll automatically get Silver Elite Status for life. As an additional benefit, your Marriott Bonvoy points will never expire.

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card gets you many steps closer to achieving this goal. Even if you never stay at a Marriott hotel, you’ll still get Silver Elite Status every year you keep you card. Additionally, you’ll also receive 15 complimentary Elite Qualifying Night credits every year, which means that, by the end of the fifth year, you’ll have 75 nights already accumulated.  After you add up the 15 nights from your welcome bonus and 5^th night free policy, plus your four Free Night Awards (remember you’ll get this benefit after the first year), you’ll only have to stay and pay for a total of 156 nights to be eligible for the permanent Silver Elite Status.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status

Gold Elite is as easy as staying for 25 nights or more a year in Marriott properties. But remember that your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card gives you 15 Elite Night Credits, so your count actually starts at 15. A single family vacation or a pair of business trips could be enough for you to become a Gold Elite Status member.

In addition to the 15 Elite Night Credits, this Marriott credit card will also get you to Gold Elite Status when you charge $30,000 in purchases to it. Striking gold was never easier!

Let me show you why you would want to become Gold Elite:

25% more points on stays

Instead of the Member’s 10 points per $1, Gold Elite members earn an additional 2.5 points, summing up to 12.5 points awarded by Marriott. Add those to the 5 points you can earn with your Marriott Bonvoy American Express, and you’re already up to 17.5 points per $1 spent on most Marriott properties. That’s an astounding earning rate by any measure!

Welcome Gift Of Points At Check-In

On most Marriott hotels, you’ll receive a welcoming gift of 500 points the minute you check in. On a couple of hotel brands the welcome gift is only half. For a full list of all the Marriott branded properties with their respective welcome gift, you can read the full Terms & Conditions of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty rewards program.

One of the things I love about this benefit is that I get it every time I check in at a Marriott branded hotel, even if I only stay for one night.

Enhanced Room Upgrade

Gold Elite members are eligible for an automatic room upgrade at check-in. As in most cases, this type of benefit depends on availability. You will only receive an upgrade for your own room, and not for your guest’s rooms, even if you paid for them. Suites are excluded, but you could get upgraded to higher floors, executive floors, rooms with desirable views and more.

2pm Late Checkout

In all Marriott properties except on Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, and Vistana, you can opt for a late checkout at no extra cost. All you have to do is call the front desk and if your room is available for 2pm checkout, you’re set.

Complimentary Enhanced Internet Access

Even though many of the hotel brands under the Marriott umbrella already offer complimentary internet access to all its guests, some of them don’t. In addition, in some of the cases where they do, it’s not the best connection they have to offer. In any of those cases, being a Gold Elite member will get you access to an enhanced internet connection at no extra cost.

How to get Lifetime Gold Elite Status

The condition for permanent Gold Elite Status is a total of 400 lifetime nights and 7 years of Gold Elite Status or higher.

The Canadian Marriott Credit Card by Amex can also help you get closer to being gold for life. Remember you can achieve Gold Elite Status every year you manage to charge a total of $30,000 in purchases to your card. By doing this for seven years, you’ll not only reach the minimum time as a Gold Elite Status member, but you can also add up to 105 Elite Night credits plus 6 Free Night Award plus the 15 nights from your welcome bonus, reducing the total number of lifetime nights needed to only 274.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Platinum Elite Status

The next level in Elite Status is Platinum. To go Platinum you need a minimum of 50 Elite Night Credits, but with your Marriott Bonvoy Card, you’ll only need to stay for 35 nights at a Marriott property.

As you may have guessed, Platinum Elite Status includes everything in the Gold Elite Status (except the 500 points welcome gift) only better, and more.

50% Bonus Points on Eligible Purchases

Platinum members receive not 10%, nor 20%, but 50% additional points compared to regular Members. That’s 15 points per $1. With the card’s 5 extra points, you’re up to 20 points per $1 spend on eligible purchases, which include the room rate and anything you can charge to it like dinning, spa, and other Marriott operated services and products.

Enhanced Room Upgrade (Suites Included)

With the Platinum Elite Status your room upgrade doesn’t exclude suites. As long as one is available, you could get a suite for the price of a standard room. If not, you’re still entitled to higher floors, better views and everything else.

4pm Late Checkout

Same conditions as the one mentioned above, only you can choose to leave as late as 4pm instead of 2pm, pending availability.

Welcome Gift Choice

Just as the points welcome gift of Gold Elite Status, which you can get every time you check in at a hotel, with Platinum Elite Status, you’ll also get a gift. The sweet thing about being Platinum is that you can choose what gift you prefer. Where available, you can choose between points, breakfasts and other amenities. Some properties will give you 1,000 points or a $10 credit in food and beverages for you and one extra guest, and some resorts will even offer free breakfast for you and a guest for every day of your stay.

If the clerk at the front desk doesn’t offer you the gift when checking in, then you’re entitled to a compensation that can go from $US25 to US$100. You can read the Terms and Conditions for more details.

50-Night Annual Choice Award

Apart from the gift you get every time you check-in at a hotel, you’ll get an additional gift once every year you achieve 50 nights as a Platinum Elite member. You can choose from the following five options

• Five Suite Night Awards
• Give the gift of Silver Elite status to a friend or family member
• Get 40% off your favorite mattress
• Five Elite Night Credits
• A $100 charity donation

Guaranteed Lounge Access

As long as the room rate doesn’t include breakfast, Platinum Elite members and one extra guest get access to Concierge, Executive, Club, Signature Club and M Club lounges in some of the most important Marriott properties. Wherever there isn’t a lounge or alternative available, you could get free continental breakfast at a restaurant for yourself and your guest, or you could choose a 750 points gift per day instead. There are a couple of cases where brands don’t offer the breakfast alternative, so when their lounges are closed they offer 1,000 points instead.

This is a great way to save money on your lodgings when you travel. Instead of paying extra for a room with included breakfast, you can keep the difference, pay the standard rate, and eat a continental breakfast with your roommate, free of charge, at the lounge.

Being guaranteed means that if the property where you are staying doesn’t offer a lounge or any other alternative, then you will be compensated with US$100 or equivalent in foreign currency.

Going Platinum Elite For Life

Reaching Platinum Elite Status and staying there takes time and effort. To get permanent Platinum Elite Status, you need to reach 600 lifetime eligible nights and a total of 10 years of Platinum Elite status.

One way of to pull this off in record-time, is to sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, and stay at least 45 nights a year in Marriott properties, ten years straight. With the 15 bonus Elite Night Credits you get with the card every year, you’ll have reached 600 nights by the tenth year, therefore also reaching the minimum time requirements. If you manage this feat, by the end of the 5^th year, you’ll have earned Silver Elite for life, by the end of the 7^th year you’ll have earned a lifetime of Gold Elite status, and by the 10^th, you’ll be Platinum forevermore.

Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite Status

Almost at the top of the loyalty ladder, the Titanium Elite Status requires you to achieve at least 75 eligible nights in a year. I know this starts to sound difficult to manage, but there are many businessmen and women who do, in fact, spend up to a third of the year in hotels around the world. Remember that there are extended-stay properties among participating hotels, which are specifically tailored for stays that can last even a couple of months.

Along with 4pm late checkout, the fastest in-room internet connection for free, and all the other Platinum benefits, the exclusive Titanium Benefits you’ll enjoy are:

75% Bonus Points On Stays

This benefit will increase your points earning rate to 17.5 points per $1, or to 22.5 points per $1 if you use your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

Never Get Left Out With The 48-Hour Guarantee

This benefit ensures that you’ll always be able to get a room in the hotel you want and on the date you want, as long as you book 48 hours prior to you desired check-in. It’s a way Marriott has of saying “we love you as a client, come back whenever you want”.

Complimentary MileagePlus “Premier” Silver Status

After becoming a Titanium or Ambassador Elite member, you’ll receive complimentary Premier Silver Status on United Airlines’ loyalty program, MileagePlus. To reach this status, you would normally have to earn more than 25,000 qualifying miles flying United or its partners, and, if you live in the US, you would have to spend at least $3,000 in flights as well. Marriott grants you this status with United, free of charge.

75-Night Titanium Annual Gift Choice Award

This benefit is just like the one for the Platinum Status, only better. Once you reach 75 nights as a Titanium member, you can choose between the following gifts, once a year:

• Five Suite Night Awards
• Get one Free Night Award with a value of up to 40,000 points
• Give the gift of Gold Elite status to a friend or family member
• Get 40% off your favorite mattress
• Five Elite Night Credits
• A $100 charity donation

Contrary to the other Elite Statuses, you can’t get the Titanium Elite Status or higher for life.

Marriott Bonvoy™ Ambassador Elite Status

We’re finally at the top. This is the Elite Status that has it all. Reaching it is somewhat harder than the other levels. Why? Because, apart from the eligible nights you have to achieve, which are now 100 in a year, there’s also a minimum spend of $20,000 you also have to reach.

But what do you get in return?

All the benefits I showed you for the Titanium Elite plus another two:

The Ambassador Service

The ambassador service is similar to American Express’ Platinum Concierge. Ambassador members get 24-hour access to a personal ambassador that can help you do anything from booking a room at your favorite hotel to making reservations at the most sought-after restaurants in town. He’s also there to help you clear up any doubts you may have about your Elite Status benefits.

Another neat aspect of the Ambassador Service is that it doesn’t last for only one year. Once you achieve Ambassador Elite Status, this benefit will be available to you throughout the rest of the current calendar year and until December 31^st the following year.

Since you need 100 eligible nights, and subtracting the 15 annual Elite Night Credits that come with your Marriott Bonvoy Card, the soonest you can reach Ambassador Elite status will be 85 days after January 1^st. In other words, by the end of March.  This means that the longest this benefit will last is roughly about 21 months.

Your24

Ambassador members get a really great perk: They can check in whenever they want, and their checkout will be the at the same time on the departure date. In other words, you could check in at 5am, in which case your checkout time will be 5am as well when you leave.

Not to encouraging, is it?

But if you check in at 8pm, then your checkout will also be at 8pm. Talk about late checkout!

This benefit is optative, of course, and you can choose the regular check-in and checkout times of the hotel. You don’t even have to request it yourself because that’s one of the things your 24 hour Ambassador is for. Also, remember that, just as with the Titanium Elite Status, you can choose 4pm late checkout if available, which is late enough for most.

#8 How Do I Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?

There are several distinct ways to earn Marriott Bonvoy points:

#1: Card Spending

As we mentioned above in the Points Earning Rate section, you’ll earn 5 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent at Marriott properties, which includes the cost of your stay, food and drinks, and some hotel incidentals like spa treatments. You will also earn additional points on the same expenses depending on your Elite status. Basic “Members” of the Marriott loyalty program earn 10 points per $1, Silver Elite members earn 11 points, Gold Elite earn 12.5 points, Platinum Elite members get 15 points and Titanium as well as Ambassador Elite members earn 17.5 points per every $1 in eligible purchases. You also earn 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent on all other purchases made with your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

#2: Work Purchases & Events

If you’re planning a work event, such as a conference or large meeting, you can also earn points on spending done by your guests. As a Silver Elite member, you can earn up to 66,000 points per event (earned at 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent by you or your guests). You also earn 10 Elite Qualifying Nights for your first meeting, and 1 Elite Qualifying Night for every 20 room nights booked by you or your guests. Even if you’re planning a small event, these can accumulate very quickly.

This all adds up to one thing: if you’re an event planner, admin assistant or anyone planning a gathering, you need the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card.

#3: Special Purchases

Some purchases grant you additional Marriott Bonvoy points when you charge them to your card. For example, you’ll receive 500 Marriott Bonvoy points per day when you rent a rental card with Hertz, up to 2,000 points per rental. You also earn additional points on travel expenditures like cruises and long-distance telephone cards. These bonuses are provided by Marriott, not by American Express, so we recommend calling Marriott after you get your card to learn more about all the unique ways you can earn points.

#9 Is The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card Right For Me?

The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card is a no-brainer for anyone who plans to spend at least 1 night in a hotel per year.

This sounds oversimplified, but it’s actually not at all.

Think about it. If you ignore everything else—the 50,000 points welcome bonus, the travel insurance, and all of the other extras that come with the card—and look only at the annual free hotel night benefit, that alone is worth at least double the $120 annual fee.

You’re getting one night at a 5-star hotel for $120.

And when you add on all the other benefits, the value of the card becomes overwhelming.

Every Canadian should have this card in their wallet for the next 10+ years.

There are other American Express cards we recommend as well, but the great thing is you can hold several Amex cards at the same time.

#10 The Ultimate Canadian Traveler’s Credit Card Stack

Even the best travel credit cards have their strengths and weaknesses, so it’s best to hold multiple cards so you can capitalize on each of their advantages and downplay their weaknesses.

And contrary to what many people believe, having multiple credit cards actually helps your credit score, not hurts it, as long as you pay off your bill every month. This signals to creditors that you’re fully capable of paying off your bills on time, which they reflect by boosting your credit score.

Here’s the triple threat full stack we highly recommend for maximizing every Canadian’s earning and travel benefits:

#1 The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card

As we’ve shown in detail here, this card offers an exceptional welcome bonus, but also provides more than enough benefit to keep it in your wallet year after year.

#2 The American Express Platinum Card

Another card that every Canadian should have in their wallet. We value the current welcome bonus of up to 50,000 points at between $1,000-$1,500, depending on how well you apply the points, plus you get the $200 annual travel credit. This means that the purely quantitative benefits of the card are worth at least $1,200-$1,700 in the first year, far exceeding the $699 annual fee.

#3 The Cobalt Card

You’ll fall in love with this everyday spending card. We show you how to get up to 10% back on your spending (seriously!) when you use this card on coffee, groceries, restaurant and bar spending anywhere in Canada. It’s the card you should be using for your daily spending.

So go ahead and get the full stack—your wanderlust will thank you.

1. Your hotels card
2. Your flights card
3. Your everyday card

#11 Insurance Coverage

The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card also comes with an impressive travel insurance policy. Here’s what it includes:

Every American Express card also comes with two other insurance benefits:

1. Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan doubles the manufacturer’s warranty on your purchases and will repair/replace faulty or damaged items up to $10,000.
2. Purchase Protection Plan insures your purchases against accidental physical damage and theft for the 90 days after purchase, up to $1,000.

Fraud protection, global emergency card replacement and 24/7 express customer service are included with every American Express card, too.

This is a very good insurance plan, especially since it’s included with your card. If you’re looking for an even more comprehensive insurance plan, though—one that covers emergency medical, emergency dental, trip interruption, personal liability and terrorism—we recommend SafetyWing, the $37/month plan that’s disrupting the travel insurance market in a big, bigway.

If you want to learn more, you can read our post on American Express Travel Insurance where you’ll find all the details about how to use your coverage, the other insurance options Amex offers, how to make claims and more.

#12 The One Downside To The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card: Foreign Transaction Fees

Despite all the amazing benefits and features of the card, there is one noticeable downside to the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card: the 2.5% fee on foreign transactions. This fee isn’t unique to this card—no American Express card in Canada offers fee-free foreign transactions—but it is still worth mentioning here. If you’re able to pick up an N26 You Card on your next trip to Europe, definitely do so: it’ll make your financial life on the road much, much better. Until then, though, we’ll have to accept that there are no good FX cards in Canada.

#13 The Marriott Bonvoy™ Business Amex Card

This entire review has been about the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card, though there’s also a Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express Card for Canadians, too. There are a few minor differences between the two cards:

1. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on gas, dining and travel, and 2 point per $1 on all other card purchases. The personal card does not offer a bonus for gas, dining and travel spending (it earns 2 points per $1 on all spending).
2. The personal card receives complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status, while the business card does not.
3. Additional cards cost $50 vs. free for the personal card.
4. Annual fee of $150 vs. $120 for the personal card.
5. Includes Employee Card Misuse Protection, which is also included with the American Express Business Platinum card.

If you’re a business owner and plan to use this card in a business capacity, I suggest springing for the Marriott Bonvoy Business card.

#14 Is The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card Worth It?

Without a doubt.

The welcome bonus is incredibly generous. The annual benefits far exceed the annual cost of the card. The insurance is a nice bonus, and taking advantage of it all is as easy as a quick search online. If you’re a Canadian that plans on spending at least one night in a hotel in the next 12 months, we can’t recommend this card highly enough.

#15 FAQs

How Do Marriott Bonvoy Card Referrals Work?

Once you’ve activated your Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, you can refer friends to the card. You’ll receive a bonus of 10,000 points for every friend who signs up using your unique referral link.

When Do My Marriott Bonvoy Points Expire?

It depends. If you haven’t achieved any Elite status for life, Marriott Bonvoy points expire after one year of inactivity. Since you earn Marriott Bonvoy points every time you stay at a Marriott property, or even just eat at one of their restaurants, it’s very easy to keep your Marriott Bonvoy points balance active. It’s even easier if you have a Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card, because it’ll earn you points for any purchase. See our section “How Do I Earn Marriott Bonvoy points” above to see just how easy it is to keep your account active.

If, on the other hand, you managed to become a lifetime Silver Elite member or higher, your points will never expire.

How Do Marriott Bonvoy Points Compare With American Express Membership Reward Points?

They’re completely different. We value Amex MR points at 2-3 cents apiece, and we help you to get these values in posts like this one on $75 flights to Asia and this one on $75 flights to Europe.

Still, it’s hard to say which are more valuable. One thing we can say is that you should not transfer your Amex MR points to Marriott Bonvoy points. American Express offers a rate of 1,000 MR = 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points, which is a very poor valuation. This is only a decision you’ll face with your other cards, since the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card earns Marriott Bonvoy points on its own.

All things considered, we recommend keeping your Marriott Bonvoy points as Marriott Bonvoy points so you can use them on amazing hotel redemptions (see the Case Studies above), and transferring your Amex MR points from your Platinum Card to airlines for flights.

When Are The Peak Season & Off-Peak Season For Hotel Redemptions?

The peak/off-peak system is brand new to Marriott, so they actually haven’t listed which dates will be priced in which way. For now, every date is listed at the standard price, though this will change in the coming months. Join our email list at the bottom of this post so we can update you when that happens and help you maximize your points by planning your travel during off-peak dates.

What About Marriott’s Points + Cash Program?

If you prefer to save some of your Marriott Bonvoy points, or if you don’t have enough for a particular booking, you can take advantage of the points + cash option. Generally we recommend against this, since this setup values points lower than what they’re worth if you apply them smartly (see our Case Studies above), but it’s not terrible either. If you don’t have enough points for your hotel stay, use points + cash, but if you do, just use your points. Here’s the points + cash breakdown for each hotel category:

You also have another option if you don’t have enough points for a booking: you can book your stay with points and then earn the points later from other hotel stays or credit card spending later. As long as the points reach your account 14 days before your stay, you’re fine. If they don’t, though, your stay will be canceled and you won’t be refunded, so use this strategy with caution.

Where Can I Search For Marriott Hotels?

You can search for hotels using the Marriott search platform here. Alternatively, you can scout around Marriott’s Hotel Directory here.

We recommend searching on two parameters: the city you’re visiting and the redemption category you’d like to redeem with, which you can find by clicking “All Filters” in the top-right and then selecting “Rewards Category.” If you’re using your annual free night benefit, go for a Category 5, which will show you the best hotels you can get for the 35,000 annual free night points limit. If you’re using your 50,000 welcome points bonus, you can use them however you’d like (see the Case Studies above for ideas of high-value redemptions).

You can redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points (with zero blackout dates) at any of these hotel brands, anywhere in the world:

• The Ritz-Carlton
• St. Regis
• JW Marriott
• The Luxury Collection
• W Hotels
• EDITION
• Marriott Hotels
• Sheraton
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Delta Hotels by Marriott
• Le Méridien
• Westin
• Autograph Collection
• Renaissance Hotels
• Tribute Portfolio
• Gaylord Hotels
• Courtyard by Marriott
• Four Points by Sheraton
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott
• Protea Hotels by Marriott
• Fairfield by Marriott
• AC Hotels by Marriott
• Aloft
• Moxy Hotels
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What are Elite Qualifying Night Credits?

They’re the credits you need to round up during a calendar year to achieve the different Elite Statuses in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. For example, to reach Silver Elite Status, you need a total of ten or more Elite Night Credits; for Gold Elite you need 25; to become a Platinum Elite member you need 50; and so on. Your lifetime total Elite Night Credits also count towards achieving permanent Silver, Gold or Platinum Elite Status.

How do I earn Elite Qualifying Night Credits?

There are different ways to earn Elite Night Credits, the most straightforward of which is to stay at Marriott Properties. Each eligible night you stay will add one Elite Night Credit to both your annual and lifetime balance. You can also earn Elite Night Credits by signing up to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, which gives you 15 credits every year you decide to keep it. In addition, achieving some of the higher Elite statuses in the Marriott Bonvoy program entitles you to a gift of your choosing and among the options, you can choose 5 Elite Night Credits every year.

What are Suite Night Awards?

Suite Night Awards are awards you can use to upgrade a standard suite or a premium room to a premium suite. Premium Suites are suites with a view, in high floors or with special amenities.