Best Marriott credit cards

If you’re searching for a hotel credit card, Marriott co-branded credit cards can be a great choice. Along with the Marriott Bonvoy® program, which allows you to earn points through hotel spending, a Marriott co-branded credit card is one of the easiest ways to earn points regularly. You can use rewards earned with Marriott credit cards in a number of different ways, including for stays at more than 7,000 hotels and resorts worldwide.

Let’s take a look at some of the best Marriott credit cards available to help you decide which is the best fit for you.

Best Marriott credit cards

Best for no annual fee

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

Rating: 3.8 stars out of 5

3.8

• Bankrate’s view

  The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is ideal if you who want to collect Marriott Bonvoy points without forking over cash to cover an annual fee — which also makes it a good option for fee-conscious travel newbies looking to earn rewards on their Marriott loyalty.

  Essentially, you can earn up to 14X points on Marriott stays if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member. The card has  a base rate of 3X points for spending on Marriott Bonvoy properties, plus up to 10X points if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member and an additional 1X points with Silver Elite status (which you earn automatically as a Bonvoy Bold cardmember). That’s a terrific rate for a card with no annual fee.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You can enjoy automatic Silver Elite status, which comes with benefits like additional points on stays, priority late checkout and complimentary in-room Wifi.
  • You receive 5 Elite Night credits each calendar year.

  

  Cons

  • You won’t find a path to Gold status with this Marriott Bonvoy card.
  • This card does not include Free Night Awards.

Best for entry-level Marriott loyalists

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

4.7

• Bankrate’s view

  The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card offers up to 17X points on Marriott purchases as well as rewards on grocery store, gas station and dining purchases.

  Similar to the Bonvoy Bold, you’ll enjoy automatic Silver Elite status at Marriott. But unlike the Bold, each year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll earn an annual Free Night Award (each night up to 35,000 points), a perk that more than offsets the $95 annual fee.

  For a limited time you’ll also benefit from the welcome bonus of earning 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You earn an annual anniversary Free Night Award that could offset the annual fee.
  • You get 15 Elite Night credits each calendar year, plus an additional Elite Night Credit for every $5,000 spent.

  

  Cons

  • The card has a $95 annual fee, so you’ll need to make sure you can offset it every year.
  • You only get Silver Elite status, which is included on the Bonvoy Bold with no annual fee.

Best for luxury hotel perks

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

4.6

• Bankrate’s view

  Carrying a $650 annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is the priciest card on this list – but its perks more than make up for it. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of card membership for eligible restaurant purchases as well as an annual credit of up to $100 for a two-night stay at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis hotels.

  Other perks include complimentary Platinum Elite status, a Free Night Award every year after your card renewal month (up to 85,000 points), up to $100 in credits toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass Select lounge access.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You receive up to $300 Bonvoy Brilliant dining credit at restaurants worldwide and up to $100 luxury property credit at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® (terms apply).
  • The card includes 25 Elite Night credits each calendar year.

  

  Cons

  • The card has a hefty $650 annual fee, one of the highest annual fees on the market.
  • The $300 statement credit was recently switched from Marriott purchases to restaurant purchases, so it might not suit you if you prefer savings on Marriott-specific spending.

Best for eating in and dining

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ credit card

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5

4.3

• Bankrate’s view

  What makes the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card  ideal for foodies is the earning rates on eating in and dining out: 4X points on grocery store and dining purchases (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year, then 2X points) — the highest rates offered on these purchases out of all Marriott credit cards. For a $250 annual fee, you also earn up to 18.5X points on Marriott purchases with the card’s automatic Gold Elite status boosts.  Additional perks include Elite Night Credits each year, a Free Night Award and more.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You receive complimentary Gold Elite status, which earns up to 18.5X points on Marriott stays.
  • You get a free Night Award (each night up to 50,000 points) when you spend $15,000 per year.

  

  Cons

  • The card has a $250 annual fee, which might be a challenge to offset every year.
  • It lacks more premium travel perks like travel statement credits or lounge access, unlike similar cards.

Best for business owners

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

4.7

• Bankrate’s view

  The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $125 but offers a generous rewards rate on a variety of spending outside of just travel and hotel stays — making it a smart choice for business owners or entrepreneurs on the go. On top of the possible 18.5X points you can earn on Marriott purchases through the complimentary Gold Elite status, you can earn rewards on wireless telephone services, shipping, restaurants and gas.

  This business credit card unlocks several perks, including automatic Gold Elite status, Free Night Awards, Elite Night Credits and more. There’s also a few business-specific perks, like the ability to connect to QuickBooks, designate an account manager, access a year-end summary and monitor employees’ card usage.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You earn on common business expenses, including telephone services and shipping.
  • The card includes complimentary Gold Elite status, earning up to 18.5X points on Marriott stays.

  

  Cons

  • The card comes with a $125 annual fee.
  • While you receive a Free Night Award after renewing your card every year, you must spend $60,000 in a calendar year for the additional Free Night Award.

How to choose a Marriott credit card

With a number of great Marriott credit cards to choose from, the best one for you will depend on a few different factors:

1. Hotel loyalty. If you mainly stay at Marriott hotels, it can make sense to get a Marriott credit card. However, if you prefer to try different hotels or simply look for the best price, a more flexible travel credit card may be a better fit for you.
2. Cost. Marriott cards offer a wide range of annual fees, so you’ll have to decide how much you’re willing to pay and what benefits make an annual fee worth it.
3. Elite status. Is elite status important to you, and what kind of perks are you interested in receiving through it? If you want to unlock Gold Elite status or higher, you’ll want to look toward the Bonvoy Bountiful. And if you want even better perks, consider the Brilliant.
4. Rewards categories. Do you want to earn points mostly via hotel spending, or are you also looking to earn points on everyday purchases like dining, groceries and gas? If you want more generous rewards rates on purchases outside of the travel category, steer toward the Boundless or Bountiful (or the Bonvoy Business for small-business owners).

Frequently asked questions

• Do all Marriott cards give you Gold Elite status?

  No. Only the Bonvoy Bountiful or the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card offer Gold Elite status, and each includes a pretty high annual fee. If you don’t want to spend a lot on an annual fee or want more premium rewards, you should look at the other Marriott Bonvoy cards.

• Which Marriott card includes lounge access?

  The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is the only Marriott card that includes airport lounge access. It’s also the most expensive of all the Marriott Bonvoy cards, so it might be best to look at other premium travel cards for this particular perk.

• Who are Marriott’s airline partners?

  Marriott has 35 airline partners in which you can earn and transfer points for flights, including:

  • Emirates Skyward
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Cathay
  • United Airlines
  • Air Canada 
  • American Airlines 
  • British Airways
  • Hawaiian Airlines 
  • Qatar Airways 
  • Virgin Atlantic 
  • Aer Lingus 
  • Alaska Airlines 
  • Delta Airlines
  • Frontier 
  • Iberia Plus 
  • LATAM Airlines  
  • Southwest
  • Turkish Airlines 
  • Aeromexico 
  • Air France-KLM Flying Blue
  • Lufthansa 

The bottom line

Marriott Bonvoy credit cards have some great benefits to unlock for loyalists of the hotel program. And with any of the Marriott credit cards above, you can earn elite status just for being a cardholder, unlocking benefits to make your stay more enjoyable.

That being said, if you’re on the fence about any of the options above, take the time to look through our list of the best hotel credit cards — which include cards outside of the co-branded landscape.