The Best Marriott Credit Cards of 2022

With over 8,300 hotels worldwide, Marriott Bonvoy is a prominent fixture in the hotel loyalty world. Since Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the program and its co-branded credit cards have undergone several revamps. With recent changes, you may wonder what the best credit card is for Marriott stays.

The answer depends on what you’re looking for from a credit card as there are options for virtually every type of Marriott guest, with varying annual fees and benefits.

Co-branded Marriott credit cards are great for Marriott stays if you want to enjoy elite status perks and elevated point earnings. Some Marriott cards even offer annual free nights you can redeem at thousands of Marriott properties worldwide. However, co-branded credit cards also have a significant downside: Many carry high annual fees and earn a single currency with limited redemption options.

Some travelers may be better off using a transferable rewards card for Marriott stays. You’ll earn bonus points on Marriott bookings and can use your rewards to book Marriott stays (or transfer them to over a dozen other partners). Plus, some of these non-Marriott branded cards still offer automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status and other perks that will make your stays more comfortable.

To help you decide which Marriott credit card is best for your needs, Select has broken them down into eight categories.

Who’s this for? The new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card is great for those who want to maximize point earnings on everyday spending.

The card offers generous bonus points on common spending categories like dining and grocery spending, offering 6X points per dollar spent at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 4X points on dining worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000, then 2X points). Even if you’re spending outside of these categories, you’ll earn at least 2X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent.

While the $250 annual fee (see rates and fees) is steep, the card offers several perks to offset it. Cardmembers get automatic Marriott Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next status tier. If you charge $15,000 worth of purchases to the card in a calendar year, you’ll be rewarded with a Free Night Award valued up to 50,000 points. Plus, the card offers a unique benefit where you’ll earn 1,000 bonus points on paid Marriott stays. Overall, this card can be worth it if you earn enough points and use the recurring perks.

Who’s this for? The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is for Bonvoy loyalists who want to upgrade their travel experience.

It recently underwent several changes, including an annual fee hike to $650 (see rates and fees). The first change is that cardholders now get automatic Platinum Elite status, while those chasing a higher tier of status will get 25 Elite Night Credits each year. Platinum Elite status normally requires staying 50 nights per year and offers perks like free breakfast at some brands and upgrades to suites, so it can be quite valuable.

The $300 annual hotel credit has been replaced with up to $25 in monthly dining statement credits, while the annual Free Night Award is now valid for rooms costing up to 85,000 points (as opposed to 50,000), allowing you to book higher-end hotels. Plus, starting January 2023, cardholders will have the opportunity to earn an “Annual Card Choice Award,” such as suite night awards or an additional free night award, by spending $60,000 on the card in a calendar year.

Other benefits include airport lounge access with a Priority Pass Select Membership (enrollment required), a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, various travel and purchase protections* and cell phone protection.

Beyond the large welcome bonus, cardholders can earn 6X points per dollar spent at Marriott Bonvoy properties, 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X points on all other purchases.

Who’s this for? If you want a business credit card that earns Marriott Bonvoy points and provides discounts on paid stays, look no further than the Marriott Bonvoy Business® Credit Card. Although there’s a $125 annual fee (see rates and fees), it can be considered a tax write-off for your business and it’s easy to get your money’s worth thanks to its generous bonus categories, large welcome bonus, elite status benefits and discount on paid Marriott stays.

With this card, you’ll get a 7% discount on standard Marriott guest room reservations and automatic Gold elite status, as well as 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of status (which can be stacked with a Marriott Bonvoy consumer card). You’ll also receive one Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points each year after your card anniversary, with the opportunity to earn another Free Night Award after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.

The rewards rates are solid, too: Earn 6X points per dollar spent at Marriott Bonvoy properties, 4X points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases for shipping, and wireless phone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and 2X points on all other purchases.

Who’s this for? The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ credit card is another new card to the Marriott line-up. At first sight, it’s identical to the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, both in terms of the welcome bonus, bonus categories, annual fee and perks. The main difference between the two cards comes down to travel protections.

The Chase-issued Bonvoy Bountiful offers trip delay reimbursement (up to $500), baggage delay (up to $100 per day for five days) and lost luggage insurance (up to $3,000). 

Meanwhile, the Amex-issued Bonvoy Bevy provides secondary rental car insurance, slightly higher baggage insurance (up to $3,000), and trip delay insurance (up to $300). Overall, the Bountiful offers better travel protections, especially since secondary rental car coverage from the Bevy doesn’t kick in unless your own insurance denies coverage.

Other perks such as the automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, 1,000 bonus points on paid Marriott stays and the opportunity to earn a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points by spending $15,000 are the same as the Bevy card.

Who’s this for? The Platinum Card® from American Express is ideal for those who frequently stay at higher-end Marriott Bonvoy properties. It offers automatic Marriott Gold Elite status (as well as Hilton Honors Gold status) and other elite-like benefits through the Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection programs. Perks of these programs may include room upgrades, late check-out, early check-in, complimentary breakfast and property credits.

If you book a prepaid Marriott stay through American Express Travel, you’ll also earn 5X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent. Not only is this close to the earning rate on the Marriott-branded cards, but Membership Rewards points are generally worth more than Marriott Bonvoy points since you have greater flexibility with how you can redeem them. While you can transfer your points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, you can also transfer them to Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, JetBlue TrueBlue and more.

You’ll also earn 5X points per dollar for flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year), which beats all of the Marriott cards.

The biggest drawback is that this card has a steep $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) but there are a number of perks that help offset it, including up to $200 annual hotel credit, up to $200 annual airline fee credit, up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, up to $240 annual digital entertainment credit, worldwide airport lounge access, cell phone protection and various travel and purchase protections*.

The card also earns a generous 10X miles on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles for every dollar spent on flights through the portal and 2X points on all other purchases. These miles can be transferred to partners like Air Canada, Choice Hotels or Wyndham or applied towards travel purchases (including Marriott bookings) at one cent each.

Depending on the cost of a Marriott stay, you might be better off redeeming Capital One miles for a stay rather than Bonvoy points. For example, an award night at the Le Metropolitan Paris can often be found from 55,000 Bonvoy points per night. Meanwhile, the lowest paid rate is around $379 per night with taxes. With the Venture X, you can redeem 37,900 Capital One miles for this stay while earning points and elite night credits through the Marriott Bonvoy program.

Similar to the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program, Capital One will also soon launch the Premier Collection, which will offer Venture X cardholders premium perks like free breakfast and $100 property credits at luxury properties. Plus, Premier Collection benefits can be stacked with hotel loyalty program benefits, meaning you can still earn Marriott Bonvoy points and get elite benefits, when applicable.

While the $395 annual fee may seem high, it can be offset by the up to $300 back in travel credits and 10,000 bonus miles you receive on each account anniversary. Other perks include airport lounge access, cell phone protection and more.

It’s worth getting a Marriott card if you stay at Marriott hotels frequently and want to earn and redeem more Bonvoy points. However, if you want greater flexibility in redeeming your rewards, you might be better off with a transferable rewards card like The Platinum Card® from American Express, which offers elevated rewards on hotel bookings and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.

Before applying for a Marriott credit card, you should consider the American Express 2-in-90 and Chase 5/24 rules. The Amex-focused rule means that you cannot sign up for more than two American Express credit cards within a 90-day period, while Chase’s 5/24 rule means that you can’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.

You need a good credit score to be approved for a Marriott credit card. A “good” credit score is in the 670-739 FICO range or 661-780 VantageScore. In order to maintain a good credit score, be sure to make your other credit payments on time and in full, keep a low credit utilization ratio and limit the number of credit applications you are submitting. 

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, click here.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.  Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.  Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.