The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express was one of the cards in our wallets for the past year, and it had a spot on our Points & Miles page. When the annual fee came due again, we decided not to renew. Here is what we expected, what actually happened, and who might still get more out of it than we did.
What We Expected
The card's $650 annual fee is steep, so we expected the perks to earn it back. The big draw for slow travelers is the complimentary Platinum Elite status. On paper, that means perks like free breakfast, lounge access and the chance of room upgrades, all of which add up when you stay in one place for weeks at a time.
What Actually Happened
We were never upgraded. Across the stays we booked this year, not one turned into a better room. Whatever the status promises, it never showed up for us.
The free breakfast didn't reach where we wanted to stay. Our approach is affordable award stays, and several of the property types with the best-value award nights were ones where we couldn't use the free breakfast. The benefit exists, but it didn't line up with where our points went furthest.
That left us paying a premium fee for status we couldn't put to use on the trips we were actually taking.
What We Did Get
The sign-up bonus. We came out ahead on the welcome awards. Beyond that, we didn't find much else that justified the fee, and a sign-up bonus only happens once.
Why We Didn't Renew
When the renewal came up, we asked a simple question: would we pay $650 for what we actually used over the past year? The answer was no. Since nearly all of the value came from the first-year bonus, the math doesn't get better the second time around.
Who Might Still Want It
This is our experience over one year of travel, not a verdict on the card. If you spend your time in a region where Marriott properties are plentiful and honor the benefits you're paying for, the numbers could look very different. We suspect that is where the card makes the most sense, and it simply wasn't where this year's stays took us.
Before you apply or renew, list the Marriott stays you would realistically book over the next twelve months. Then check whether those specific properties honor the benefits you're counting on, since participation can vary by property type.
What We're Doing Instead
Our hotel stays now lean on the programs that fit how we travel: World of Hyatt as our main redemption, with IHG where Hyatt properties are thin. We have taken the Brilliant off our Points & Miles page and no longer carry a referral link for it.
The Bottom Line
A card is only worth its fee if you use what it offers. For us, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant paid off once, on the sign-up bonus, and not after that. We'd rather keep the $650 and put it toward award stays we can actually book.