sfgiants13

I find myself wanting a change of scenery with Hilton as a lot of my recent stays have left a lot to be desired. Plus Marriot has more locations in places I'm interested in especially higher up in the luxury chain. I'm trying to think up a new credit card strategy and was hoping for input. Right now, I have the Amex Platinum that I split with my wife and parents for the lounge access and the Hilton Amex Aspire that I put 95% of my spend on. I will likely keep that card since it's easy to get over $450 in benefits from that card even if I spend just a few nights a year in a Hilton property. We typically have about $50-$70k in yearly spend with a good chunk of that being travel and food related. I am also an airline employee so cards that have a lot of value with airline redemptions aren't that helpful to me.

I was looking at the Marriot cards and I'm not sure if the $450 Brilliant Amex card is worth it. I get gold status through the platinum card so it might be better to get the Boundless card for the cheaper annual fee. But, I'm not quite sure if either of those cards are worth putting most of my everyday spend on. Then again, neither is the Hilton but that's what I'm currently doing. I plan on aiming for Titanium status next year with a lot of travel currently on the agenda. Hopefully international starts to open up more and I can take advantage of the Marriot properties that Hilton doesn't have a property in. Both cards give me a head start in qualifying for the higher level elite tiers.

I'm still at a bit of a loss for which card to put my general spend on but at least Marriot points are worth more than Hilton. Just wondering which cards everyone else would be looking into if they were in my spot.

nall

You're right, Marriott cards are generally not the best cards for return. However, the free night certificate from the cards can be useful, as can the elite night credits.

If you hold a personal AND a business card, you will receive 30 elite night credits per year. That's more than half way to Platinum (50), and almost half way to Titanium (75).

sfgiants13

Honestly I think I can hit 75 nights relatively easy especially with just one elite night bonus. I hit 60 in 2020 and backed way off travel.

if I get one of the Marriott cards what would be a better option for general spending?

WrightHI

If you want to support Marriott stays with general spending, your best bet is probably one or more cash back cards. Second best, since you’re already with Amex, would be maximizing MR and transferring to Marriott when there’s a bonus. Depending on your tolerance for annual fees and juggling cards, you could look at Gold, Green, Blue Business Plus, and/or the Everyday cards.