The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the main Marriott credit card in Canada: a hotel co-branded card from Amex that costs $120 a year and earns Marriott Bonvoy points. This review covers the earn rates, the Annual Free Night Award, elite status and the welcome offer, and shows when the card pays for itself. It is general education, not financial advice.
Marriott Bonvoy Amex at a glance
- Annual fee: $120
- Earn rate: 5 Bonvoy points per $1 on Marriott purchases; 2 points per $1 on everything else
- Welcome offer: 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after $3,000 in net purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 points after $500 in net purchases in month 13
- Annual Free Night Award: a standard room at a participating property with a redemption rate of up to 35,000 points (room rate and taxes included, resort fee not included)
- Status: Silver Elite plus 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
- Interest: 21.99% on purchases and 21.99% on funds advances
- Issuer: Amex Bank of Canada
YieldMaple checked Amex’s Marriott Bonvoy card page, including its footnotes, on October 7, 2026. Every figure on this page comes from that page or another official source.
How does the Marriott Bonvoy Amex free night award work?
The card gives one free night a year, starting after the first year of Cardmembership, at a hotel priced at up to 35,000 points. Amex’s terms say the award arrives each year starting after the first year of Cardmembership, 8–10 weeks after the card's annual reset date, and covers a standard room at a participating property with a redemption rate of up to 35,000 points (room rate and taxes included, resort fee not included). It must be booked and stayed within 1 year of the award being issued.
Two details matter more than the headline:
- No free night in year one. The first annual fee buys no award, so the welcome offer has to carry the first year.
- Standard rooms, capped in points. The award covers a standard room as each hotel defines it, and only where the points price is at or under the cap. Luxury properties and peak dates often price above it.
What the award is worth to you is the cash price of the room you would actually book with it. If that room would cost $250 in cash, the award covers the fee with $130 to spare, before counting any points. If you’d only use it on a room you wouldn’t otherwise pay for, its real value is lower.
How many points does the Marriott Bonvoy Amex earn?
The card earns 5 Bonvoy points per $1 on Marriott purchases; 2 points per $1 on everything else. The 5X rate applies to eligible purchases charged directly with participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and everything else earns the base rate, including restaurants and groceries.
| Category | Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 |
|---|---|
| Purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels | 5 |
| Everything else | 2 |
A worked example
Take a hypothetical household that puts $2,000 a month on the card, $100 a month of it at Marriott hotels:
- Marriott spending earns 6,000 points a year
- Everything else earns 45,600 points a year
- Total: 51,600 points a year, about 1.5 times the points cap on the Annual Free Night Award
That household spends $24,000 a year on the card, which is $6,000 short of the $30,000 in yearly purchases that earns Gold Elite status through spending alone.
What does Marriott Silver Elite status get you?
The card includes complimentary Silver Elite status, the first elite tier above basic Marriott Bonvoy membership, plus 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. Silver’s perks are modest; Marriott runs the program and lists each tier’s benefits on its own site.
The more useful status feature is the route to Gold Elite: Amex’s terms give Gold Elite with $30,000 in net purchases before the card's annual reset date, or 10 qualifying paid nights in a calendar year combined with the card's 15 Elite Night Credits. For someone who already stays a handful of paid nights a year, the 15 credits close most of the gap.
Marriott Bonvoy Amex vs alternatives
Editorial pick
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
Marriott Bonvoy Amex vs Amex Cobalt: which earns more Marriott points?
For heavy food spenders, the Amex Cobalt can earn more Bonvoy points, but it has no free night. The Cobalt earns 5 points per $1 at eligible restaurants, coffee shops, bars, stand-alone grocery stores and food delivery in Canada, and its Membership Rewards points transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points. It costs $191.88 a year.
On a hypothetical $500 a month at restaurants and stand-alone grocery stores:
- The Cobalt earns 30,000 Membership Rewards points a year, which become 36,000 Bonvoy points if transferred
- The Marriott Bonvoy Amex earns 12,000 Bonvoy points on the same spending
The Cobalt’s points can also go to Aeroplan and other airline programs, which suits travellers who aren’t loyal to one hotel chain. The Marriott card’s advantage is the Annual Free Night Award and Elite Night Credits, which the Cobalt doesn’t have. The Amex Cobalt review covers that card in detail.
vs Aeroplan cards
Aeroplan cards earn Aeroplan points for Air Canada and Star Alliance flights, not Marriott points. Travellers who spend more on flights than hotel stays get more from an airline card; travellers who want both often pair an airline card with a hotel card, or hold a Membership Rewards card that transfers to both. The best travel credit cards in Canada guide compares the options.
vs a no-fee cash back card
The Tangerine Money-Back card has a fee of $0 and pays 2% in two categories you choose (three if rewards go to a Tangerine Savings Account) and 0.5% on everything else. Cash back is simple to value; Marriott points only beat it when they are redeemed for hotel nights you would otherwise pay for. Anyone who wouldn’t use the free night is usually better served by a no-fee card.
How to get the most from the free night award
- Use it where cash prices are high. City hotels on weekends and popular dates often cost the most in cash, which is where the award’s value is highest, provided the points price is within the cap.
- Use it to stretch a trip. Pay for one night and use the award for another at the same hotel.
- Book a better room than you’d pay for. The award can cover a full-service hotel instead of a budget option, as long as its points price is within the cap.
- Skip low-priced hotels. Using the award on a room that costs little in cash wastes most of its value.
Common Marriott Bonvoy Amex mistakes
- Letting the award expire. It must be booked and stayed within 1 year of the award being issued. A calendar reminder a month before the deadline helps.
- Letting the points account go quiet. Marriott Bonvoy points expire after 24 consecutive months with no qualifying activity on the Marriott Bonvoy account (the annual fee doesn't count as activity).
- Counting on the month-13 bonus without the fee. It is 10,000 points for $500 in net purchases in month 13, which means keeping the card into its second year and paying that year's annual fee.
- Treating Silver Elite as a major perk. Silver is an entry tier; Gold needs $30,000 in net purchases before the card's annual reset date, or 10 qualifying paid nights in a calendar year combined with the card's 15 Elite Night Credits.
- Using the card abroad without checking the fee. Amex adds a currency conversion commission to foreign-currency purchases, set out in the card’s information box.
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Amex worth the $120 fee?
Yes, for travellers who stay at Marriott hotels and will use the Annual Free Night Award on a room that costs more than $120 in cash. The award covers up to 35,000 points, and Silver Elite plus 15 Elite Night Credits add value for regular guests.
The card fits if:
- You stay at Marriott properties at least once a year
- You’ll use the annual free night every year
- You want one hotel rewards card with Elite Night Credits
It’s a weaker fit if:
- You don’t prefer one hotel chain (a Membership Rewards card transfers to several)
- You rarely travel (a no-fee card returns more)
- You prefer Hilton, IHG or Hyatt
Read next
- Best credit cards in Canada: the full card landscape
- MBNA Rewards World Elite review: a points card with a flexible earn rate
- Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard review: a no-fee alternative