Marriott Rewards Credit Card Review: Up to 6 Free Nights

3/12/2013 Update: We're sorry, Marriott Rewards® Credit Card is no longer available on CreditDonkey. This offer may have been discontinued or may no longer be available to new applicants.

Annual Fee

There is an annual fee of $45 for this card, which is waived for the first year. However, if you are a frequent traveler and enjoy staying at the Marriott chain of hotels, your benefits will outweigh the fee.

Rewards

Whenever you make a purchase using your Marriott Rewards Credit Card, you earn bonus points. You earn 1 point for each dollar spent on this card for purchases, but not for balance transfers. You earn 3 points for each dollar spent on stays at Marriott hotels.

Points can be redeemed for free nights at Marriott hotels. Marriott ranks its hotels in different categories and the point cost of a free hotel night depends on the hotel’s category. A free night at a Category 1 hotel costs around 7,500 points. If you do not want hotel stays, you can also redeem your points for other rewards, such as airline miles, car rentals, or merchandise from SkyMall.

Sign-up Bonus

When you sign up for the Marriott Rewards card, you receive several bonuses during the first year of the card. After you are approved for this card, you receive a certificate that is good for 2 free nights at any Category 1-4 Marriott hotel. Once you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months after account opening, you receive 30,000 bonus points. This is enough for 4 free nights at a Category 1 Marriott hotel. If you combine the two bonuses, you can receive up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 hotel.

In addition to these bonuses, Chase waives the annual $45 card fee for the first year of this card.

Elite Status

The Marriott Rewards Credit Card also helps you earn Elite status for the Marriott chain of hotels. If you have Elite status, you receive a number of benefits, such as guaranteed room reservations, room upgrades, and discounts on your stays.

Each time you spend $3,000 on your card, you earn a credit of one night towards Elite status. You also get 10 nights’ credit every year on the anniversary of your account.

It takes 10 qualifying nights per year to earn Silver status, 50 to earn Gold status, and 75 to earn Platinum. A higher status means more benefits from Marriott. By using this rewards card frequently, you will quickly earn Marriot Elite status.

Pros

• Earns rewards points on virtually all purchases and extra points on stays at Marriott properties; points can be redeemed for hotel stays, air miles, and free merchandise
  
• Accumulates qualifying nights for Marriott Elite Status; 1 qualifying night for every $3,000 spent on purchases with the card
  
• Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months after account opening, good for 4 nights at a Category 1 hotel
  
• Gives a certificate for 2 free hotel nights upon card approval
  
• Annual fee is waived for the first year of use

Cons

• Annual fee of $45 starting in the second year
  
• No introductory APR

Bottom Line

This is a good rewards card for travelers, especially those who enjoy the Marriott chain. The card generates a number of hotel benefits and has a low annual fee for a hotel credit card.