How much is a hotel credit card bonus actually worth?

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Asking this question is like asking how many varieties of colors are in the crayon box.  And the real answer is, it depends!  The great thing about accruing and using points for your vacation is that YOU get to choose!  You can stay at a lower end hotel and use few points, or you can stay in all out luxury and spend a lot more points.  And of course, there are lots of options in between.

Right now, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has an increased sign up bonus of 100,000 points (usually 75,000 points), after spending $5,000 in three months (that’s an average of $1,667 each month).

You’ll earn 6x points per dollar on all eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 4x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services within the U.S., and U.S. shipping purchases.  You’ll also receive 2x points on everything else, so you’ll be rolling in points in no time…especially with this limited time increased bonus.  You’ll also automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.  If you choose to put all of your spend on this card, and are able to spend $35,000 over the course of a year (that’s an average of $2,917 each month), you’ll be granted Gold Elite Status!   Oh, and you’ll automatically earn 1 free hotel night per year on your card anniversary. 

The annual fee for this card is $125, so you’ll want to be strategic about where you choose to use your free anniversary night.   There are lots of other benefits that are included with this credit card. If you’d like to discuss them, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.  Or, you can click on this link and read all about it!

The typical average value of a Marriott point is 0.8 cents each.  Therefore, it is always wise to do the math and see if it would make more sense to pay cash for your hotel night.

So back to my original question, the one about how much this credit card bonus is worth! You could use those 100,000 points and stay for one glorious night at the Ritz-Carleton New York, Central Park – the flagship in the Marriott arsenal – or spend a night in an over the water bungalow at the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, considered one of the very best in the world.

Or how about this option: You could use 45,000 points and stay for TEN nights at the Spring Hill Suites in Vernal, Utah, and still have 55,000 points left over.  Keep in mind, you’ll only pay for eight nights, since Marriott hotels give you the fifth night free when you stay four nights on points.   That is the power of points!  The amazing thing is, this is a GREAT hotel, and it’s in an awesome location.  

Here is a chart that explains the 8 different levels within the Marriot Portfolio:

There are SO MANY great ways to use 100,000 Bonvoy points!!!  Feel free to get in touch with me here, and together, we can figure out how to get to the point!