The Hidden Value in Hotel Credit Cards: Annual Free Night Awards

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All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by MileValue.

All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card has been collected independently by MileValue. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Co-branded hotel credit cards can play an important role in your wider points and miles strategy. Among their many perks, free night awards offer some of the greatest value to cardholders. Not only do they enable you to stay at the hotel of your dreams—they also make offsetting the card’s annual fee a breeze.

Let’s look at the co-branded cards of each major hotel rewards program and their free night award perks.

How Do Free Night Awards Work?

As the name suggests, free night awards offer you an award stay at a property belonging to the card issuer’s hotel portfolio, typically for a standard room or for up to a specified point redemption value. For example, you might be able to redeem your free night award for stays with a point redemption value of up to 50,000 points.

Some hotel rewards programs, such as IHG One Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, allow you to combine your existing points with a free night award to redeem for stays with a higher redemption value. For instance, Marriott Bonvoy allows you to top up your free night award with up to 15,000 points from your account.

Free night certificates normally expire one year after the date of issue and can’t be rolled into the next year. These awards come in four different flavors.

Annual Free Night Certificates for All Cardholders

First, certain credit cardholders can get complimentary annual free night awards simply by being card members.

Some cards offer a free night award every account anniversary year. This award will be issued 12 months after opening your account, i.e. on your card account anniversary, meaning you won’t be able to use the benefit in the first year of card membership. 

Alternatively, some cards offer a free night award when you open the card and every year you renew your card. These cards enable you to start using the perk in your first year of card membership, usually eight to 12 weeks after having opened your account and then again eight to 12 weeks after each renewal.

Annual Free Night Certificates Tied to Credit Card Spending

The second option are cards that offer free night awards after hitting a specific minimum spending threshold within a calendar year. Some cards offer one annual free night award after hitting $15,000 in spending while other cards offer an additional second and even third free night award after hitting $30,000 and $60,000 in spending, respectively. 

Annual Free Night Certificates Issued as Part of a Welcome Offer

The third option for receiving a free night award is through credit card welcome offers. Some hotel cards include free night awards as part of their welcome offer, typically between three to five nights. This is one of the most lucrative options for receiving free award nights, as their equivalent point redemption values tend to be high. 

Additionally, the spending thresholds are usually far lower than that required by cards that offer free night awards in return for hitting an annual spending requirement.

Annual Free Night Certificates for Completing Hotel Stays

The last option is earning free night awards through hotel-specific promotions and status perks. For example, Hyatt’s Brand Explorer Award will give you a free night award at a Category 1 to 4 property after you stay with five different Hyatt brands. You’ll earn another free night award everytime you stay with a different five Hyatt brands.

Similarly, Marriott Titanium elite status members can choose a free night award worth up to 40,000 Bonvoy points after earning 75 elite night credits as part of the annual choice benefit. 

Credit Cards with Annual Free Night Awards: Overview

Here’s an overview of the major hotel rewards programs with cards that offer free night awards.

Hotel Rewards Program	Credit Card	Annual Fee	Free Night Award
Hilton Honors	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	$150 (see rates and fees)	Free night award when you charge $15,000 to your card in purchases within a calendar year.
	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	$550	Annual free night award. Opportunity to receive a second free night award after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and a third free night award after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.
Hyatt	World of Hyatt Credit Card	$95	Annual free night award for a standard room at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort after your cardmember anniversary. Opportunity to receive a second free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
IHG One Rewards	IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card	$99	Free night award every account anniversary worth up to 40,000 points with the ability to top up the award with points from your IHG One Rewards account.
	IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card	$99	Free night award every account anniversary worth up to 40,000 points with the ability to top up the award with points from your IHG One Rewards account.
Marriott Bonvoy	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card	$95	Annual free night award, valid for a one night stay with a redemption value of up to 35,000 points.
	Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card	$250	Spend $15,000 in a calendar year and receive a free night award for Marriott properties up to 50,000 points.
	Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card	$125 (see rates and fees)	Annual free night award worth up to 35,000 points with the opportunity to receive a second free night award after spending $60,000 within a calendar year.
	Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card	$250 (see rates and fees)	Spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year and receive one free night award worth up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card	$650 (see rates and fees)	Annual free night award worth up to 85,000 points for use at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (see rates and fees) offers the opportunity to earn a free night award every year.

To do this, you’ll need to spend a minimum of $15,000 within a calendar year. You’ll then receive your free night certificate as a code via email, eight to 12 weeks after hitting the minimum spending requirement. 

You can redeem your free night award for a double occupancy standard room at most Hilton properties, except for the following distinctive properties:

• Beach Village at The Del, Curio Collection by Hilton
• Conrad Koh Samui Residences
• Casitas at the Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton
• DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo Residences
• Hilton Club Elara Las Vegas
• Hilton Club Liberty Place Charleston
• Hilton Club The Bay Forest Odawara
• Hilton Club The Beach Resort Sesoko
• Hilton Club The Central at 5th New York
• Hilton Club The District Washington D.C.
• Hilton Club The Quin New York
• Hilton Club The Residences New York
• Hilton Club West 57th Street New York
• Hilton Grand Vac Club The Grand Islander Waikiki Honolulu
• Hilton Grand Vac Club Valdoro Mountain Lodge Breckenridge
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Anderson Ocean Myrtle Beach
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Hilton Hawaiian Village
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Blue Mountain Canada
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Chicago Magnificent Mile
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Craigendarroch Suites Scotland
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Grand Waikikian Honolulu
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Hokulani Waikiki Honolulu
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club in Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings’ Land Waikoloa
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kohala Suites Waikoloa
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club La Pacifica Los Cabos
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Las Palmeras Orlando
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club MarBrisa Carlsbad
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Maui Bay Villas
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club McAlpin Ocean Plaza Miami
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean 22 Myrtle Beach
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Enclave Myrtle Beach
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Oak Resort Hilton Head
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Ocean Tower Waikoloa Village
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Parc Soleil Orlando
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Sunrise Lodge Park City
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club The Crane Barbados
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Tremblant Canada
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Tuscany Village Orlando
• Hilton Grand Vacations Club Zihuatanejo
• Hilton Grand Vacations Riviera Beach & Shores, CA
• Hilton Honolulu Alii Towers @ Hawaiian Village
• Hilton Vacation Club Bent Creek Golf Village Gatlinburg
• Hilton Vacation Club Cabo Azul Los Cabos
• Hilton Vacation Club Crescent on South Beach Miami
• Hilton Vacation Club Ka’anapali Beach Maui
• Hilton Vacation Club Oceanaire Virginia Beach
• Hilton Vacation Club Rancho Manana Phoenix/Cave Creek
• Hilton Vacation Club Royal Palm St. Maarten
• Hilton Vacation Club San Luis Bay Avila Beach
• Hilton Vacation Club The Modern Honolulu
• Hilton Vacation Club The Point at Poipu Kauai
• Ho’olei at Grand Wailea
• Kingston Plantation Condos
• Royale Palms Condominiums
• Shore House at The Del, Curio Collection by Hilton
• The Hilton Club – New York
• The Vista at Hilton Tel Aviv

Considering that the Surpass Card has an annual fee of $150 (see rates and fees), it’s not much of a challenge to find a hotel with an equivalent cash cost of $150 or greater per night—particularly during peak seasons of travel (think Christmas, Thanksgiving and Spring Break).

As long as you can hit the minimum spending threshold of $15,000 through natural expenditure, this is a solid card perk that can offset the annual fee in a single night.

Card Feature	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Annual Fee	$150 (see rates and fees)
Benefits	12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio 6X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery 6X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets 6X points on gas at U.S. gas stations 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases 3X points on all other purchases Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status Spend $40,000 in a calendar year using your card and receive complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. Free night award when you charge $15,000 to your card in purchases within a calendar year $200 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with a property in the Hilton portfolio, given in quarterly $50 increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card. Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required) No foreign transaction fees Car rental loss and damage insurance*

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers an annual free night award that you can redeem within the first year of card membership.

You can redeem your free night award for a standard room at almost all properties within the Hilton portfolio. If you spend $30,000 using your card within a calendar year, you’ll receive a second free night award, and if you spend a total of $60,000 within a calendar year, you’ll receive a third free night award. That could give you a long weekend stay at one of Hilton’s top properties.

If your natural expenditure enables you to hit these minimum spending thresholds, you can offset the card’s $550 annual fee by a longshot. But even if you can redeem only one free night award per year, you still have the ability to offset the card’s annual fee.

For instance, a one-night stay in a standard room at the Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach in peak season can go for as much as $584. If you redeemed your free night award for this stay, you’d offset the card’s annual fee in a single night.

Card Feature	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Annual Fee	$550
Benefits	14X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies 7X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery 3X points on all other purchases Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status $400 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, issued in biannual $200 increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card. Annual free night award. Receive a second free night award after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and an additional third free night award after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year. $199 annual CLEAR® Plus membership statement credit $200 annual statement credit for eligible airfare purchases made directly with an airline or through amextravel.com, given in quarterly $50 increments Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required) Receive $1 in credits per dollar spent, up to $100 per property, when you use your card to book through HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com or by calling Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757, for a minimum stay of two-nights at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts. No foreign transaction fees Car rental loss and damage insurance* Baggage insurance plan*

Hyatt

World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers cardholders an annual free night award beginning after the cardmember’s first account anniversary.

The free night award enables you to stay in a standard room at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort. This excludes Miraval, Hyatt Zilara or Hyatt Ziva resorts. 

You can also earn a second free night award by spending a minimum of $15,000 in a calendar year, which is also redeemable at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.

As Hyatt’s award chart is priced based on off-peak, standard and peak pricing, as well as on room type, you’ll get the greatest value from your free night award by using it at a Category 4 property during peak season.

For example, a one-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson, a Category 4 property, during the Christmas period would cost you $289. By redeeming your free night award during this period and at a Category 4 property, you’ll not only reap the greatest value out of the perk, but you’ll also offset the annual fee of $95 by more than triple.

Not to mention, Hyatt doesn’t charge any resort fees on award stays, making this an even more lucrative redemption.

Card Feature	World of Hyatt Credit Card
Annual Fee	$95
Benefits	4X points on purchases at Hyatt hotels 2X points at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit and commuting, fitness club and gym memberships 2X points on all other purchases during the first six months of card membership or after the first $15,000 is spent (whichever comes first), 1X points on all other purchases thereafter Annual free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort after your cardmember anniversary. Receive an extra free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status Receive five qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year. Earn two additional qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000 on your card. Complimentary 12-month membership for both DoorDash and Caviar—the DashPass—when you activate it by Dec. 31. Unlocks lower service fees and $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. No foreign transaction fees Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Baggage delay insurance Lost baggage reimbursement Auto rental collision damage waiver

IHG One Rewards

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card

The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers a free night award every account anniversary.

You can redeem your free night award for an award stay with an equivalent value of 40,000 points or fewer. However, you’re also able to combine your free night award with points from your IHG One Rewards account, enabling you to redeem it for award nights priced at more than 40,000 points.

With an annual fee of $99, it’s easy to use this cardholder perk to offset the cost of holding the card. As long as you stay one night every year at a hotel with an equivalent cash cost greater than $99, you won’t have to worry about that pesky annual fee.

Likewise, the IHG One Rewards Premier card has had occasional welcome offers with up to five free nights after spending $4,000 within the first three months of card membership. Each night is valued at 60,000 points, making the welcome offer worth up to 300,000 points. That’s the equivalent of earning up to 75X points per dollar spent making this an extremely lucrative welcome offer.

While this welcome offer isn’t seen frequently, it could be worth holding off your application until it comes around again. Nevertheless, even without this welcome offer, the annual free night award will still help you offset the annual fee by a long shot.

Card Feature	IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Annual Fee	$99
Benefits	10X points on IHG® Hotels and Resorts 5X points on travel, dining and at gas stations 3X points on all other purchases Complimentary Platinum Elite status. Upgrade to Diamond Elite status after spending $40,000 with your card within a calendar year. Free night award every account anniversary worth up to 40,000 points with the ability to top up the award with points from your IHG One Rewards account $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 each calendar year Fourth night free on consecutive four-night IHG® hotel award stays Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years of reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card Complimentary one-year DashPass membership, unlocking reduced services fees and $0 delivery fees on eligible orders from Caviar and DoorDash (activate by Jan. 31, 2025). After that, you’ll be enrolled automatically in DashPass at the current monthly rate. DashPass members also get up to $10 off non-restaurant DoorDash orders every quarter. No foreign transactions fees Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip cancellation and interruption insurance

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card offers small-business owners a free night reward every account anniversary.

Just like with the IHG personal card’s free night perk, you can redeem your free night award for an award stay with an equivalent value of 40,000 points or fewer. You can also combine your free night award with points from your IHG One Rewards account, enabling you to redeem it for stays with a value greater than 40,000 points.

As with the personal IHG card, the business IHG card also has an annual fee of $99, making it easy to offset by using the free night award for a hotel stay with an equivalent cash value of $99 or more.

Card Feature	IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Annual Fee	$99
Benefits	10X points on IHG Hotels and Resorts 5X points on the following categories: travel, dining at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery services, social media and search engine advertising, office supply stores, gas stations 3X points on all other purchases Free night award every account anniversary worth up to 40,000 points with the ability to top up the award with points from your IHG One Rewards account $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 each calendar year Complimentary Platinum Elite status Global Entry or TSA Precheck Fee Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/2024) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card Fourth night free on consecutive four-night IHG® hotel award stays Trip cancellation and interruption insurance No foreign transaction fees

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card you’ll receive a free night award every account anniversary year.

You can redeem your free night award for a one-night stay at a hotel with a redemption value of up to 35,000 points. However, you can combine your free night award with up to 15,000 extra points from your Marriott Bonvoy account, enabling you to use it toward one-night stays with an equivalent value of up to 50,000 Bonvoy points.

That makes offsetting the card’s $95 annual fee a breeze.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card also runs occasional welcome offers with the chance to earn three to five free night awards after spending $3,000 to $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. Free night awards are valued at up to 50,000 points per night in this case, making the welcome offer worth between 150,000 and 250,000 Marriott Bonvoy points—the equivalent of earning up to 50X points per dollar spent.

However, even without the welcome offer, you’re still well positioned to offset the annual fee through usage of the annual free night award perk.

Card Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Annual Fee	$95
Benefits	6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations and dining 2X points on all other purchases Annual free night award, valid for a one night stay with a redemption value of up to 35,000 points One elite night credit toward elite status for every $5,000 spent 15 elite night credits each calendar year Complimentary Silver Elite status Receive an upgrade to Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 within a calendar year. Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement No foreign transaction fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card offers the opportunity to earn a free night award through spending.

If you spend $15,000 within a calendar year, you’ll have a free night award deposited into your Marriott Bonvoy account after 12 weeks. You can use this free night reward at any Marriott Bonvoy property with an equivalent redemption value of up to 50,000 Bonvoy points. However, you can combine it with up to 15,000 points from your Marriott Bonvoy account, enabling you to redeem it for an award night worth up to 65,000 points.

If you can hit the minimum spending requirement through leveraging your natural expenditure, this added card perk could enable you to offset the card’s annual fee of $250. As long as you stay at a hotel with an equivalent cash price of $250 or more per night, you’ll offset the annual fee.

For example, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown can cost $356 or 31,000 points per night. This redemption would offset the annual fee by more than $100. That said, you could squeeze even more value out of your redemption by going for a hotel with an equivalent points value closer to between 50,000 and 65,000 points per night. 

For instance, the St. Regis Houston costs 45,000 points per night, giving you even more bang for your buck.

Card Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card
Annual Fee	$250
Benefits	6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 4X points on the first $15,000 in combined purchases each year on grocery stores and dining 2X points on all other purchases Complimentary Gold Elite status 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay at Marriott hotels 15 elite night credits issued to your account annually If you spend $15,000 in a calendar year, you’ll receive a free night award for Marriott properties up to the 50,000 point level. Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement No foreign transaction fees

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

As a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card holder, you’ll enjoy a free night award every year.

You can redeem it for a one-night stay with an equivalent value of up to 35,000 points or 50,000 points if combined with rewards already in your Marriott Bonvoy account.

If you manage to spend at least $60,000 with your card in a calendar year, you’ll receive a second free night award. Just like the annual free night award benefit, the second free night award can be redeemed for a one-night stay with an equivalent value of up to 35,000 points or up to 50,000 points if combined with points in your Marriott Bonvoy account.

But second free night award or not, as long as you redeem the first free night award for a one-night stay with an equivalent cash price of $125 or more, you’ll offset the Marriott Bonvoy Business card’s annual fee (see rates and fees).

Similarly, the card runs occasional welcome offers with the chance to earn up to three free night awards after you spend $6,000 within the first three months of card membership. Given that each award night is worth 50,000 points, you’ll effectively earn up to 25X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent with the card.

Card Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
Annual Fee	$125 (see rates and fees)
Benefits	6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 4X points at restaurants worldwide 4X points at U.S. gas stations 4X points on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers 4X points on U.S. shipping purchases 2X points on all other purchases Complimentary Gold Elite status 7% rate discount when you book directly with Marriott for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate Annual free night reward with the opportunity to receive a second free night award worth up to 35,000 points after spending $60,000 within a calendar year, for use at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 15 elite night credits issued to your account annually No foreign transaction fees Baggage insurance plan* Car rental loss and damage insurance*

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card offers the chance to earn a free night award through spending.

If you spend $15,000 within a calendar year using your card, you’ll have a free night award deposited into your Marriott Bonvoy account within eight to 12 weeks. It has an equivalent redemption value of up to 50,000 points, which can be topped up to 65,000 points with existing points from your Marriott Bonvoy account.

If you ensure that you redeem your award for a stay with an equivalent cash value of $250 or more, you’ll also offset the annual fee (see rates and fees) of the Bevy card, making the perk doubly valuable.

Card Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
Annual Fee	$250 (see rates and fees)
Benefits	6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 4X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (2X points thereafter) 2X points on all other purchases 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay made at Marriott properties Complimentary Gold Elite status 15 elite night credits issued to your account annually No foreign transaction fees Spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year and receive one free night award worth up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy Baggage insurance plan* Car rental loss and damage insurance* Trip delay insurance*

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is the heavyweight of all co-branded Marriott cards, making it no surprise that you’re entitled to a free night award with this card.

You can redeem this award for a one-night stay with a value of up to 85,000 points or up to 100,000 points when combined with existing points in your Marriott Bonvoy account.

This points redemption cap unlocks some of Marriott’s most luxurious properties, enabling you to get creative with the redemption. But as a result, offsetting the card’s $650 annual fee (see rates and fees) should be straightforward, given the equivalent cash price of a one-night stay at these properties.

Likewise, if you spend $60,000 within a calendar year using your Brilliant card, you’ll receive an Earned Choice Award of your choosing, one of which is an additional free night award. If you can hit $60,000 through natural expenditure, you could enjoy two award nights at one of Marriott Bonvoy’s top properties.

Card Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Annual Fee	$650 (see rates and fees)
Benefits	6X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy 3X points on restaurants worldwide 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines 2X points on all other purchases $300 annual dining statement credit for restaurant purchases worldwide, issued in $25 monthly increments $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a minimum stay of two nights Annual free night award valid for use at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with a maximum redemption value of 85,000 points Complimentary Platinum Elite status Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership Spend $60,000 within a calendar year and receive one Earned Choice Award benefit, including five nightly upgrade awards, an additional free night award with a maximum value of up to 85,000 points or $1,000 off a bed from any Marriott Bonvoy retail brand.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a frequent or even an occasional guest at IHG, Hilton, Marriott or Hyatt properties, opening a co-branded hotel card with one of these respective chains can be a solid move. Among their perks, the ability to receive a complimentary free night award or earn one through spending can help you offset the card’s annual fee in every case—whether it’s $95 or $650.

And even if you don’t use the free award night at its maximum value, it can still be valuable by saving you money on a stay as well as offsetting the cost of holding the card.

So whether you redeem your free night award for the hotel of your dreams or simply during an airport overnight layover, the perk offers significant value to cardholders.

* 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.