Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy: which American Express card should you choose?

Since October 29, 2026, American Express Canada has offered two hotel-chain cards: the new Hilton Honors American Express Card ($150 a year) and the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card ($120). The short answer, as of November 6, 2026:

• You sleep in hotels a few nights a year, with no favourite chain: the Marriott. Its annual free night, for a room of up to 35,000 points, is worth more than its fee even if you barely spend on the card.
• You stay with Hilton several times a year: the Hilton. The included Gold status gives you breakfast or a food and beverage credit on every stay, depending on the brand and region, which Marriott’s Silver does not.
• You put $12,000 or more a year on the card: the Hilton, which then adds 50,000 bonus points, about $250 by Futello’s estimate, on top of higher rates on groceries, dining and gas.

Point values come from Futello: 0.833¢ for Marriott Bonvoy (the equivalent of the Membership Rewards transfer) and 0.5¢ for Hilton Honors (Milesopedia’s estimate). Terms come from the official American Express, Hilton and Marriott pages, consulted on November 6, 2026. The Hilton Honors Card and Marriott Bonvoy Card pages are updated daily.

The two cards at a glance

	Hilton Honors American Express Card	Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
Annual fee	$150 (no fee for supplementary cards)	$120 (no fee for supplementary cards)
Points at the hotel	6 points per dollar at Hilton	5 points per dollar at Marriott
Groceries, dining, gas	4 points per dollar, in Canada	2 points per dollar
Other purchases	2 points per dollar	2 points per dollar
Welcome offer	60,000 points and a free night after $3,000 in 3 months; 10,000 more points after $500 in month 13; until January 11, 2027	60,000 points after $3,000 in 3 months; 10,000 more points after $500 in month 13; no published end date
Free night	Once, in the welcome offer	Every year after the card anniversary, up to 35,000 points
Included status	Hilton Honors Gold	Marriott Bonvoy Silver, plus 15 Elite Night Credits a year
Higher status through spending	Diamond after $40,000 in a calendar year	Gold after $30,000 in a year, or 10 paid nights plus the card’s 15 nights
Annual spending bonus	50,000 points after $12,000 in a calendar year	None
Foreign currency conversion fee	2.5%	2.5%
Value of a point, per Futello	0.5¢	0.833¢
Welcome offer, per Futello	$300 over 12 months, free night not counted	$500 over 12 months
First-year net value	$150	$380
Rewards after fees on $36,000 a year	$412.50	$480

The last four rows come from Futello’s ranking, as of November 6, 2026. They count the points earned on purchases and the welcome offer, but neither Marriott’s annual free night nor Hilton’s welcome night, Gold status or 50,000-point bonus. The sections below put a number on those benefits.

What the points are worth

A Hilton point is worth less than a Marriott point because Hilton hands out far more of them: its most common nights start around 20,000 points, Marriott’s around 12,000. So you have to multiply the earn rate by the value of the point, as How much is a reward point really worth? explains.

Per dollar spent	Hilton Honors (0.5¢ a point)	Marriott Bonvoy (0.833¢ a point)
At the chain’s hotels	6 × 0.5 = 3.0¢	5 × 0.833 = 4.2¢
Groceries, dining, gas	4 × 0.5 = 2.0¢	2 × 0.833 = 1.7¢
Other purchases	2 × 0.5 = 1.0¢	2 × 0.833 = 1.7¢

The Hilton wins in its three 4-point categories, the Marriott everywhere else, including on Futello’s standard basket. Neither competes with a flexible-points card for everyday spending: in the ranking of programs, the Cobalt Card returns $1,122 on the same basket, and its Membership Rewards points transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at 1,000 to 1,200 and to Hilton Honors at 1,000 to 1,000.

Marriott points also convert to airline miles, generally at 3 to 1 with 5,000 bonus miles per 60,000 points; Hilton points convert at far less favourable rates. In both programs, points expire after 24 months without activity.

The free night: every year with Marriott, once with Hilton

This is the difference that decides it for an occasional traveller. The Marriott issues a free night on every card anniversary, for a room priced at up to 35,000 points, taxes included, resort fees excluded. At 0.833¢ a point, that is up to $292 of value against a $120 fee; a 25,000-point night is still worth $208. Marriott lets you add up to 15,000 points for a slightly pricier room. The certificate is lost if it is not used within the year.

The Hilton offers a free night only once, in the welcome offer, after $3,000 in purchases in 3 months. It is good for a standard room at most Hilton properties, with no points cap, booked by phone, and expires after twelve months. Nothing renews it in later years: the card then relies on its status and on the 50,000-point bonus, reserved for those who spend $12,000 in a calendar year.

Status: Gold with Hilton, Silver with Marriott

Both cards grant status on activation, but not at the same level.

Hilton Honors Gold adds 80% bonus points on stays, a space-available room upgrade, Wi-Fi, the fifth night free on a stay paid entirely in points and, on every eligible stay, a daily food and beverage credit or a continental breakfast, depending on the brand and region. For a family, included breakfast changes the cost of the stay. Cardholders who put $40,000 of net purchases on the card in a calendar year move up to Diamond, with executive lounge access, a room guaranteed 48 hours ahead and 100% bonus points, through the end of the following year.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver gives 10% bonus points on stays, late checkout when available and free Wi-Fi: no breakfast. The card adds 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year; Gold takes 25 nights (25% bonus points, space-available upgrade, 2 p.m. checkout) and Platinum 50, the first tier with breakfast at most brands. Gold also comes after $30,000 of net purchases in a year, or with 10 paid nights added to the card’s 15.

In other words, the Hilton gives you the benefit that matters at the hotel right away; the Marriott mostly gives a head start to people who already stay with Marriott often.

Welcome offers: same structure, two differences

Both offers have the same shape: 60,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, then 10,000 points after $500 in purchases in month 13, for a total of 70,000 points. Current or former holders of the same card are not eligible.

Two differences. The Hilton adds a free night, and its offer ends on January 11, 2027. The Marriott has no published end date, and its Futello page shows the offer moved to 70,000 points on September 23, 2026, after a higher summer offer.

By Futello’s estimate, the first year’s 60,000 points are worth $300 with Hilton and $500 with Marriott, or $150 and $380 once the first year’s fee is deducted. The Hilton free night is not counted: at a hotel where a standard room costs 40,000 points, it is worth about $200; at a city hotel at 70,000 points, $350. It brings the two offers closer, provided you use it. Are credit card welcome bonuses worth it? explains how to judge an offer without spending to get it.

Insurance: identical, and no medical coverage

American Express’s two insurance booklets list the same protections: flight and baggage delay ($500 per occurrence, combined), hotel burglary ($500), lost or stolen baggage ($500), travel accident ($500,000, on a common carrier paid with the card), rental car theft and damage (vehicles up to $85,000 MSRP), purchase protection ($1,000 per cardholder per year) and extended warranty.

Neither includes emergency medical travel insurance or trip cancellation or interruption insurance. For a stay outside Canada, you need another card or a separate policy. The Which card to use? cheat sheet tells you which card to use for each purchase.

Which card for which profile

One or two getaways a year, no preferred chain. The Marriott. The annual free night pays the fee on its own, the network spans more than 30 brands, and 2 points per dollar at 0.833¢ remain decent for purchases you would put on the card anyway.

Regular Hilton guest, four stays a year or more. The Hilton. Gold status makes every stay cheaper (breakfast or credit, fifth night free on points), the 6 points per dollar at the hotel stack on top of the program’s own points, and an uncapped welcome night can pay for a nice room.

Big volume on a single card, $12,000 a year or more. The Hilton, if you stay with Hilton: 50,000 bonus points every year (about $250), 4 points per dollar on groceries, dining and gas, and Diamond from $40,000. Otherwise the Marriott returns a little more on other purchases and its free night is yours regardless.

Already loyal to Marriott, with status to keep. The Marriott, for the 15 Elite Night Credits and Gold after $30,000 in purchases. The card’s points join those from stays and from Membership Rewards transfers.

Everyday return first. Neither. A Membership Rewards card earns more per dollar and leaves the choice of hotel program until the transfer; the Membership Rewards guide details the ratios. Keep the hotel card for its perks, not its points.

In every case, Find my strategy compares these two cards with the others on your own spending.

What Futello doesn’t count

Futello’s ranking values the points earned on purchases and the welcome offer in points. It doesn’t put an amount on Marriott’s annual free night, Hilton’s welcome night, Gold status or the 50,000-point bonus, because their value depends on the hotel you pick and the nights you stay. So both cards are underestimated in the rankings, the Marriott by about $200 to $290 a year for anyone who uses the night, the Hilton depending on the number of stays. Check the estimates above against the issuer’s terms; the methodology explains the assumptions.

Sources

Official pages consulted on November 6, 2026:

• American Express and Hilton: launch release for the Hilton Honors American Express Card (fee, earn rates, annual bonuses, Gold and Diamond status)
• American Express: Hilton Honors Card, Marriott Bonvoy Card, Marriott Bonvoy benefits of the card (annual free night, Silver, 15 nights, Gold after $30,000)
• American Express: Hilton Honors Card insurance booklet (PDF), Marriott Bonvoy Card insurance booklet (PDF)
• Marriott: credit cards in Canada, Marriott Bonvoy program terms (24-month expiry, status bonuses)
• Milesopedia: Marriott Bonvoy vs Hilton Honors (the Hilton point value Futello uses)

Frequently asked questions

Which card earns more on everyday spending?

On Futello’s standard basket ($36,000 a year), the Marriott Bonvoy Card returns $480 after fees and the Hilton Honors Card $412.50, as of November 6, 2026. The Hilton earns 4 points per dollar on groceries, dining and gas, but Futello values its point at 0.5¢ against 0.833¢ for a Marriott point. Neither amount counts Marriott’s annual free night or Hilton’s Gold status.

Which one pays for its annual fee on its own?

The Marriott: its annual free night is worth up to 35,000 points, about $292 at 0.833¢ a point, against a $120 fee. The Hilton has no annual night; you need to spend $12,000 in a calendar year to receive 50,000 points (about $250 at 0.5¢), and Gold status comes from the first year.

Can you hold both cards?

Yes. The two programs are separate and American Express does not prevent you from holding both cards. Each welcome offer excludes current or former holders of the same card, though, and American Express is not accepted everywhere: plan on a backup card.