If you’ve ever searched for beautiful hotels in Maui, you’ve probably noticed they come with a pretty big price tag. That’s where points and miles can really help. I know for me personally, I can’t justify the cash rates at these hotels, but points can make those dream stays feel possible. In this post, we’re going to go over the different Canadian credit cards you can use to help earn points for luxurious Marriott stays in Maui. I’ll be focusing on Canadian credit cards, since the U.S. has different Marriott earning options that don’t work the same way here in Canada.
If you saw my previous blog post on Marriott hotels in Maui, some of the favourites I mentioned were the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa, Wailea Beach Resort, and the Westin Resort and Spa Ka’anapali. These hotels often have higher cash prices, which makes them great aspirational stays to book with points. If you want to check out that blog post, I’ll link it below.
Which Credit Cards to Use
In Canada, American Express cards are going to be your focus for earning Marriott Bonvoy points. Any American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy, and there is also a Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. Some people may say transferring American Express points to Marriott is not always the best value, but for me personally, if using points helps me stay at one of these hotels and enjoy the trip, then I feel its a good redemption.
American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Marriott at a rate of 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards points = 1,200 Marriott Bonvoy points. American Express also offers transfer bonuses throughout the year, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for those. Now, let’s get into the cards and how you can start building a strategy. Which card you start with will depend on the welcome offers available at the time.
Your Every Day Spender – American Express Cobalt Card
- Earns 5X on eats & drinks – grocery, dining, and food delivery
- Earns 3X on streaming subscriptions
- Earns 2X on gas, transit, and rideshare
- Earns 1X on everything else
The American Express Cobalt Card was the first American Express card I got, and it’s still my default card for subscriptions, groceries, and gas when I’m not working toward a higher minimum spend on another card. Ideally, you want to apply for American Express cards when there are elevated welcome bonuses, but if you want to start earning points and there aren’t any elevated offers available, the Cobalt is still a great card to get. The Cobalt card doesn’t usually have a big elevated welcome bonus, but its high everyday earning potential makes it a perfect card to pick up anytime.
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
- Earns 5X on Marriott purchases
- Earns 2X on everything else
This card has a $120 annual fee, but every year after your first year of card membership, you receive a free night certificate worth up to 30,000 points. You can also top it up with up to 25,000 additional points. The max top-up used to be 15,000 points, so the increase to 25,000 was very exciting. Unfortunately, most Marriott hotels in Maui are often above 55,000 points per night, but it’s still worth checking in case you can use the certificate. The real benefit of getting the Marriott Bonvoy card is to take advantage of the elevated welcome bonus which can be as high as 110,000 points.
American Express Gold or Platinum or Both
Getting the Gold Card, Platinum Card, or both during an elevated offer can be a great way to earn additional American Express points. That said, these cards do come with higher annual fees and don’t have the same everyday earning potential as the Cobalt Card. I would recommend applying for these cards when there is an elevated offer. The Platinum Card does offer lounge access and additional travel perks which can help make the higher annual fee worthwhile. I personally have both cards, and I find the Platinum Card has better offers, a larger hotel credit, and a dining credit to help offset the hefty $799 annual fee.
To stay at a Marriott hotel in Maui, you’ll need a significant number of points, as even a lower award night can be around 60,000 points but when booking award stays the 5th night is free! Since these stays require a large number of points I recommend starting early, maximizing welcome bonuses, and optimizing your 5X earning categories on the Cobalt Card. You’ll also notice that Canadian welcome bonuses often take longer to earn than U.S. welcome bonuses, so for most people, this is a strategy you’ll want to start planning at least a year in advance.
Player 2 Strategy
Another strategy is to have a Player 2 also earning Marriott Bonvoy points or American Express Membership Rewards points. If you have a Player 2, they can sign up for their own cards to earn welcome bonuses, and you can refer each other for cards to earn additional points. This can be a great way to double your points-earning potential and get closer to your Maui vacation faster.
-Alexis