There are two Marriott Bonvoy cards in Canada, both issued by American Express, with one geared towards consumers and one focused on small businesses:
Continue reading: Credit Card Review: The Marriott Bonvoy Amex Canada Cards
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
In the very least Amex should waive the 2.5% foreign transaction fee for spend at all Marriott Bonvoy properties.
I agree with Tiffany's rating: not thrilling, but solid. Worth noting that while the bonuses are less valuable than those available in the US, the ability to get multiple Amex in Canada (when referred) is a valuable benefit denied our neighbours to the south. "once in a Lifetime" doesn't always apply here.
Yes, Virginia, there is one thing that's better with Canadian credit cards than with American cards!
Amex Cobalt is by far the better card for earning Bonvoy! points for dining in Canada (and also for groceries and food delivery), and does not have a high annual fee ($120 CAD). 5x MR-S = 6x Bonvoy! points per CAD spent. Approx 8x when measured in USD.
Already having a Gold and Platinum Amex, these don't seem like a compelling enough offer, unless you're a super-frequent Marriott customer. I'd rather take me 2x MR per $ on the Gold or Platinum on my hotel stays for the 20ish nights/year that I'm in their properties.
If I was more of a "frequent sleeper" on business, these would be a great option, but they don't seem compelling for non-Marriott spend.
Marriott category three hotels cost 17500 points per night not 15000, so one would only be able to get three free nights , not five.
At some point category three hotels will cost 15000 off peak, but that is unlikely to be at a time that anyone wants to travel, let alone good value.
The real weakness of this card is the foreign transaction fee, which is actually a lot more than 2.5 percent if the foreign currency is something other than US dollars — Amex Rips you off twice.
So this card is better for someone selling it or issuing it, than for the consumer.
Sign up bonus aside — and the first year annual fee eats up a big part of it, and the free night in year two about three months after the anniversary (worth a little more than the annual fee if one has a use for it ), this card is slightly worth getting and sock drawering — but there are better Canadian cards worth getting and using. They are not however part of affiliate compensation.
As an aside, this is part of the Marriott bonvoy loyalty program, which has at least as much frustration and time waste and unkept promises and legalese that doesn’t delivery what it seems to promise in English, that it is not worth it. Please, omaat, stop selling stuff related to this incompetent and unscrupulous company.
@ iv -- I totally agree, and am surprised no one on either team argued for that. But I try and remember that it's only been the past ~4 years that we've seen waived forex fees as a nearly assumed benefit in the U.S., so hopefully that's coming to Canada soon!
@ Chief Babaracus -- That's a great point; the Cobalt is the card that most of our clients end up putting the bulk of their spend on, but I completely forgot that those points can be moved to Bonvoy.
@ Dave -- Along those lines, if you're already earning MR, you might want to look at balancing your points portfolio with MR-S and the Cobalt card. That's probably going to be the more interesting option than the Bonvoy cards in your shoes. Though, as @ DenB® notes, you don't necessarily have to choose.
Considering what we have up here in the Canadian market, this cards is one of the top ones, with the sign-up bonus and the free night. I live in Calgary and can redeem the free night at the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge just over an hour outside the city. For a Saturday night stay in the summer, rates approach $500 and over.
WIth the Cobalt, just to get 35,000 points, you'd have to spend $7,000 in groceries, restaurants, etc...
Not sure if this issue has been highlighted or commented on, but AmEx cards in Canada have a low acceptance rate.
Thanks Tiffany for this report and for covering topics relevant to us in Canada.
Like you mentioned, the annual free night up to 35000 points makes this card a no brainer.
This is a benefit inherited from the Chase Marriott card together with the 15 nights giving you silver status.
Chase Marriott Visa left the Canadian market last year leaving AMEX SPG the only provider for the new combined Marriott loyalty program now named Bonvoy.
Please continue to cover Canadian content. Thanks again.
Hey Tiffany, Nicely explained. Should I sign up now or wait for higher bonus (100K) ? I already have Amex Cobalt and Amex Plat. Thank you.
That Marriott card by American Express sounds like a pure playa deal. I saw it recently on the American Express site along with a few other cards.
Hi I have the Marriott Bonvoy us card and I know you can stack the 15 nights if you have a us card and a us business card. If I apply for the Canadian business card as I have a company in Canada can I stack the elite nights with the us personal card?
Hi Teena. No you can't stack US and CAN cards. Only 2 US (personal / business) can stack.