The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the go-to credit card in Canada for those who stay at Marriott hotels. This card consistently provides excellent value for its annual fee year after year in the form of a Free Night Award upon cardholder anniversary.

Bonuses & Fees

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers up to 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as welcome bonus, distributed as follows:

• Earn 55,000 Bonvoy points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months

The card has an annual fee of $120, which isn't rebated as part of the current offer.

You can refer friends and family from the Marriott Bonvoy Card to the same card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, earning a referral bonus of 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points each time, up to a maximum of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a calendar year.

Finally, supplementary cards are free; as with all American Express cards, you're allowed up to nine supplementary cards per card account.

Earning Rewards

In terms of the return on everyday spending, you'll earn 5 Bonvoy points per dollar spent at all Marriott hotels, including room charges, food and beverages, and incidentals. You'll earn 2 Bonvoy points per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Earning 2 Marriott points on your purchases is fine if you're primarily looking to use your Marriott points on hotel stays; however, if you're interested in transferring to airlines like Aeroplan, then it'd be a better idea to put the charges on the American Express Platinum Card.

Redeeming Rewards

As one of the only major hotel brands to offer a co-branded credit card in Canada, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card makes Marriott the preferred brand of choice for most Canadians when booking hotels around the world.

All Marriott hotels are priced dynamically, depending on the season, and even the day of the week. That being said, there are some general ranges you can expect hotels to price at:

• Low-end hotels: 5,000 points – 15,000 points per night
• Mid-tier hotels: 20,000 points – 80,000 points per night
• High-end hotels: 80,000+ points per night

Keep in mind that the “tier” the hotel falls into is also highly dependent on the market it’s in, so you can expect the Fairfield Inn and Suites near Disneyland, California to price at mid-tier levels even though it’s a limited service brand. With the 55,000 points you earn as a sign-up bonus, you can stay for 5+ nights at low-end hotels, or a night or two at mid-tier hotels. Marriott’s “Stay 5, Pay for 4” policy makes one of the nights free on redemption bookings, further sweetening the deal with booking hotels on points.

Perks & Benefits

The Marriott Bonvoy co-branded cards also offer unique benefits to make your stays at Marriott hotels more memorable. Cardholders are rewarded with 15 elite qualifying nights within the program, which gives you instant Silver Elite status and can go a long way towards helping you qualify for higher status tiers. Note that the elite qualifying nights from the Business Bonvoy Card and the Personal Bonvoy Card don't stack.

Moreover, cardholders can also enjoy an anniversary Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points on every card anniversary date, which, if redeemed wisely, can easily outweigh the card’s $120 annual fee.

Insurance Coverage

The insurance provided by the Amex Bonvoy Card is decently far-reaching, and includes coverage such as:

• Travel accident insurance, up to $500,000, for you, your spouse, and any dependent children under 23

• Baggage delay insurance, up to $1,000 (aggregate total with Flight Delay insurance), for items purchased within four days when your baggage is delayed

• Car rental theft and damage insurance, which helps you save the daily insurance fee that most car rental companies charge for vehicles with an MSRP of up to $85,000

Additionally, the card also offers Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Protection, covering most eligible items you’ve purchased with your card should they be stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, as well as an extended one-year warranty period compared to the manufacturer’s warranty.