AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs my AMEX Plat?

[bilwilvegas]

I am not very savy when it comes to hotel points and their point systems.  Is there any advantage to getting a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant when I already have the Amex Platinum?  We have an upcoming stay planned at the Ritz Carlton Baccara in Santa Barbara, which is in the Bonvoy system.  We could theoretically stay in Bonvoy properties a couple times a year if we were aware to look for them.

Is there any advantage to having the Bonvoy Brilliant along with my Plat?  Hoping someone can share their experience and help me figure this out.  Most of our monthly spend is groceries and restaurants on the Gold card.  Airfare on the Plat and pretty much everything else goes on our X1 card right now as the 3X points are nice and we can use them for American Airlines international flights that we take every other month or so.  Is there beneficial room in this mix to add the Bonvoy card? 

Thanks!

Bill 

[NRB525]

What card do you use for hotel stays? The Bonvoy doesn't get you better status. The X1 probably earns well enough. 

The only thing you may be missy is the Bonvoy SUB. 

Long term the AMEX Green May do well for travel hotel spend. 

[simplynoir]

As a Platinum cardholder I would perhaps use AMEX's FHR booking and get perks like early check in and late checkout without having to have a Bonvoy membership, they offer other perks depending on the property like credits and whatever other specials they are running at the time. While the costs may be a bit higher than booking direct you get 5X MR points and still gain credit for hotel stays under the Bonvoy rewards program

Another option is using a booking agent like Virtuoso so you can get additional perks with your stay as well. This works with a lot of high-end resorts/hotels which sounds like it would benefit you. I wouldn't get the Bonvoy card as a long term solution if you're going to have to "look" for reasons to stay. You could break even on the card with the yearly free night stay unless you're going to be staying at Bonvoy hotels pretty regularly I would think about it before possibly applying

https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/travel/discover/property/California-US/Santa-Barbara/The-Ritz-...

https://www.virtuoso.com/travel/luxury-hotels/15623051/the-ritz-carlton-bacara-santa-barbara

Barring that I would use your preferred credit card that earns bonus points for hotel stays and stick with that

[cashorcharge]

Holding both cards, I can say my Bonvoy card is only used for Marriott stays.  I've been a "Marriott" person forever and with the accumulated points and status I have, I don't really need to use it for anything else...nor do I stay outside of their ecosystem when I travel.  That being said, I am usually staying in a Marriott property each month so the annual $200 credit back, the increased points when I use it all work well for me so the AF is not an issue.  The Platinum certainly does have more "perks" not tied to Marriott so it's a great card to have too despite the higher AF. With it's own credit and perks, and my travel...I justify it.  

For $450/year, you really should be maximizing the value in Marriott properties to really make it not redundant with the Platinum

[bilwilvegas]

Thank you all for the feedback.  Seems like I am not really missing anything . . . just wanted to make sure.

Appreciate the quick sharing of knowledge on this board!!

Bill