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Should you get the Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card for Gold Elite status?

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This article has been sponsored by Marriott Bonvoy®

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There is currently a generous special offer running on the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card.

Until 3rd May, you will receive 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points if you spend £3,000 within your first three months.  You will also receive Gold Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy until February 2024, as well as the standard benefit of 15 elite night credits.

We know that a lot of HfP readers will not qualify for the 40,000 bonus points because they hold, or have recently held, another personal American Express Card.

Mariott Bonvoy American Express credit card

However, EVERYONE who is accepted will receive Gold Elite status until February 2024, so we wanted to look at this benefit in more detail today.

The representative APR is 54.5% variable, including the annual fee.  The representative APR on purchases is 30.7% variable.

There is an annual fee of £75 per year.

You can apply for the card here.

What is Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite?

As mentioned above, you will get automatic Gold Elite status when you take out the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Credit Card. The benefits of Gold Elite include:

  • 25% bonus on base points
  • A room upgrade,
  • High-speed internet,
  • 2pm late check-out (based on availability, not at resorts and conference hotels)
  • Welcome gift of additional points when you check-in

Where could you go to enjoy your Gold Elite status?

Marriott Bonvoy have recently run some research into travel patterns in 2022 and have found that Spain, Greece and Italy look to be the top summer destinations this year. Here’s a few hotels where you could enjoy the perks of Gold Elite status:

Santo Mauro, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid

This newly opened Luxury Collection hotel in Madrid’s Chamberi district has two much-anticipated restaurants helmed by acclaimed chef Rafael Peña. There’s also a beautiful garden space, perfect for dinner on a balmy night. Rooms start at €570 or 70,000 points per night.

The Westin Excelsior, Florence

Just a few steps away from the Uffizi Gallery and Piazza della Signoria, the Westin Excelsior is in an excellent spot to explore Florence. Its amenities include SE·STO on Arno, a unique rooftop restaurant and bar with 360 views over Florence and a popular fitness studio. Rooms start at €368 per night.

The Ritz-Carlton, Abama

The Ritz-Carlton, Abama is a great family option for anyone thinking of travelling to Tenerife this year. There’s an extensive entertainment programme, Ritz Kids club, offering activities including Spanish lessons, movie screenings, talent shows and sports as well as seven swimming pools and a popular beach club.

Rhys very much enjoyed a recent visit to the Ritz-Carlton, Abama and you can read his review here. Rooms start from €300 or 40,000 points per night.

The St. Regis Downtown Dubai

Alternatively, if you decide to take out the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and want to try out your new Gold Elite status sooner rather than later, you could take a late spring jaunt to Dubai.

The lavish St. Regis Downtown Dubai has a view over the iconic Burj Khalifa and is in walking distance of the world’s largest shopping mall, Dubai Mall. It also has an impressive infinity pool that overlooks the Dubai Water Canal. Rooms start at £318 or 77,500 points per night.

If you think getting the credit card makes sense, our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is here.  Our full article on the 40,000 points bonus is here.

The special bonus of 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, if you qualify, and the offer of Gold Elite status until February 2024 runs until 3rd May.

You can apply here.

If you want to learn more about the key benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card, take a look at this article.

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibly to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.

Comments (37)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Alan says:

    One of the weakest benefits around, have it via Amex Plat but it never really encourages me to stay at Marriott properties, which I find are generally pricier than Hilton/IHG (normally for no discernable reason!).

  • WaynedP says:

    Checked in at Bristol Marriott Royal yesterday for 2 nights as a Gold (via Amex Plat card) and booked lowest category room + bfast for cash.

    Despite wedding party preparations in full swing on arrival, staff were proactive enough to add a third check-in person on noticing queue growing, which I always appreciate.

    No explicit mention of status, other than to ask if we would be using our 4pm checkout benefit. But noted we were returning guests.

    Subtle Upgrade received on a higher floor (which we usually get anyway from our profile preferences) to a room that comes with bathrobes & slippers and a pleasant view of the canal. Would have been happy with base room actually paid for so am perfectly happy with modest upgrade (about £20 pn difference in advertised price) although it’s noticeably not the Royal Wing Superior room we paid for on our previous visit.

    Have committed to Marriott loyalty scheme and Will earn Platinum Status within the next month from several bookings on our forthcoming SA trip (thanks to 15 night MB card award + double night promotion ending 4 May) so could have some interesting experience of status recognition to report on in future.

  • John T says:

    Bonvoy Gold is a weak status – don’t expect much.

  • iEimis says:

    Unrelated but there’s a new offer for £100 off £400 spend and £50 off £200 spend on my BAPP Amex card. Might be useful for some!

  • numpty says:

    From recent stay at Westin i would say Gold status has no value, stayed in a club room suite (club rooms started on the 25th floor), was given a key card with a card telling me i had an upgrade, when asked what it was was told it was a higher floor. Well club rooms start on the 25th floor, so zero upgrade. As others have mentioned, made me realise IHG Spire status isnt that bad. I’ll avoid Marriott in the future whenever possible.

  • rob keane says:

    “bonvoy wanted that in”

    So basically this, on the face of it editorial piece, that apparently was drawing on the experience of the writer to inform the readers as to whether gold status was on its own enough to warrant getting the bonvey card, was actually an advert.

    Unsurprising then that the “subject to availability” was missing from the room upgrade benefit. I guess they wanted that out.

    • Rob says:

      It’s a sponsored article, it makes it clear at the top. Marriott picked which hotels went in.

      As we repeat ad nauseum, the running costs of HfP are around £125k per year, and that’s with me earning £0. There is no magic fairy land where people come to work for us for free, despite their mortgages, childcare costs etc, just for the love of it.

      • rob keane says:

        Given that other Hfp ancillary articles in the past have stated that bonvoy Gold is not really valuable as many so called benefits are rarely “available”, there is a clear different emphasis on the benefits in this article.

        Its getting more and more difficult for the casual reader to know what is fact and what has been tweaked to keep those that pay happy.

  • Edwin says:

    The gold status is NOT better than nothing

  • Harrier25 says:

    Not a fan of Marriott Bovey reward scheme. Doesn’t really excite like the Hilton scheme and their Amex card certainly doesn’t achieve anywhere near the hotel benefits I currently receive from the Hilton Barclaycard. They also don’t seem to have the same amount of hotels in the areas we visit as Hilton and IHG do, although I can’t really 100% guarantee that this is a true fact because Marriott Bovey hotels are never included in my search.

    • Ian says:

      Hardly any hotel benefits with the Hilton Barclaycard. Unless I am missing something!

      • Harrier25 says:

        You are missing Gold status with just an annual £10,000 spent on the card which results in guaranteed free breakfast, the occasional upgrade and occasional lounge pass access. So yes, you are clearly missing something!

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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