The Example
Say you want five nights at a Marriott resort, and the nights you want price at 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points each. Those inputs are round numbers chosen for the math. Check your own resort and dates on Marriott's site before you plan around them.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card carries a $650 annual fee. Its welcome offer, as we have it on record, is 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months. Confirm the current offer on Amex's page before you apply.
The Arithmetic
Marriott's Stay for 5, Pay for 4 benefit removes the cheapest night from a five-night stay booked entirely on points at one hotel under one reservation. In this example you pay for four nights.
- Four paid nights at 25,000 points: 100,000 points.
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 points.
The 100,000-point bonus pays for the stay. The $6,000 of required spending at the card's 2X rate adds 12,000 more points, so before booking the account holds 112,000 points, and after the five-night stay 12,000 remain.
What the Card Costs in This Example
The annual fee is $650. The Brilliant also carries a $300 dining credit. If you'd spend that much on dining anyway, the fee after the credit is $350.
Say the same five nights cost $300 a night in cash, which is $1,500. Against a $650 fee, that's $850 of difference. Against the $350 net fee, it's $1,150. Taxes and resort fees on an award stay are extra, so check what your booking shows at checkout.
Where the Example Changes
- Nightly rate. At 50,000 points a night, four paid nights cost 200,000 points and the welcome bonus alone doesn't cover it. Pick dates and a property priced to fit the points you'll have.
- Free night award. The Brilliant gives one free night award each year after your card renewal month, usable at properties at or under 85,000 points. A free night certificate doesn't count toward Stay for 5, Pay for 4, so keep it out of a five-night booking.
- Elite status. The card includes Platinum Elite status. Benefits vary by property, so confirm what applies to your stay.
- Fee. If you won't use the dining credit, the net cost is the full $650.
Next Step
Search Marriott's site for the resort and dates you want, note the nightly points rate, and multiply by four. If that number fits inside the welcome bonus, the math in this example works for you. If it doesn't, change the dates or the property before you apply.
Updated October 19, 2026: worked example.
