Comprehensive Guide to Marriott/Ritz Carlton Rewards (and Their Credit Cards)

[sillykitty1]

---

jsucool76 wrote: 

PLATINUM ARRIVAL GIFT: 

1000 points (or 500 miles) at

• RC

500 points (or a food/beverage amenity) at 

• JW
• Autograph Collection
• Ren
• Marriott
• Gaylord
• MVC
• EDITION (or 250 miles)

400 points (or food and bev amenity) at

• AC (US & Canada)
• CY (US & Canada)

250 points or food and bev amenity at (international)

• AC
• CY
• Moxy
• Protea

200 points or food and bev amenity at

• SHS, RI, FFI, TPS

---

Really great guide!  

One minor correction ... CY's Platinum Arrival is 400 pts & something from the market (or sometimes a free Starbucks drink, if they have one)

On a different note, if you were planning on the internet on your PHL-FRA leg, unfortunately Gogo doesn't work overwater 

[jsucool76]

---

@sillykitty1 wrote:

---

jsucool76 wrote: 

PLATINUM ARRIVAL GIFT: 

1000 points (or 500 miles) at

• RC

500 points (or a food/beverage amenity) at 

• JW
• Autograph Collection
• Ren
• Marriott
• Gaylord
• MVC
• EDITION (or 250 miles)

400 points (or food and bev amenity) at

• AC (US & Canada)
• CY (US & Canada)

250 points or food and bev amenity at (international)

• AC
• CY
• Moxy
• Protea

200 points or food and bev amenity at

• SHS, RI, FFI, TPS

---

Really great guide!  

One minor correction ... CY's Platinum Arrival is 400 pts & something from the market (or sometimes a free Starbucks drink, if they have one)

On a different note, if you were planning on the internet on your PHL-FRA leg, unfortunately Gogo doesn't work overwater 

---

Good catch on that. I got a little copy/paste happy after typing that the first few times  

And really? That sucks about the wifi =/ 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity what does a club level upgrade cost at the Ritz in hawaii say around next June?  I've been on the fence and off the fence and back on it about this card next year when a lot of my inquires fall off

[jsucool76]

June 1-8, Kapalua is 620 a night. standard club level room is 920,so you're saving $300/night. over a 7 night stay you've benefitted 2100$ from the Ritz card you paid $395 for.

[Anonymous]

I've now got my extremely-heavy card in hand. Now some planning begins. 

I was approved for the card on 6/27. The expiration date on the card is a 7/ date. The club level upgrades were added to my account 6/30. I'm going with 6/30 as my anniversary date. My Chase account shows the next payment due date is 8/26 so I'm guessing that my statement date will be 8/29. One of the attractive things to me (beyond the 140k points which I'll likely not get...sniff..) is the Gold elite status. I want to make sure I plan correctly so that if I keep the card, I'm positioned to keep the Gold status without losing any more than I have to in the way of % lost from 2+% cards on various category spend. Because of the two different years at play, I want to confirm what I understand. I've pulled some bullet points out of one of the first posts to ask for confirmation. 

• Automatic Marriott Gold Elite Status for your first year (and maintained each year after that with $10,000 spent on the card) 

"With this bonus offer you will automatically receive Gold Elite Status your first Account Year as a cardmember. ("Account Year" means the year beginning with your account open date (6/30/15) through the first statement after the anniversary of your account open date (likely 7/29/16) and each twelve billing cycles thereafter.) You must make Net Purchases of $10k or more during your first Account Year (so 6/30/15-7/28/16) in order to qualify for Gold Elite status your second Account Year. (sounds like thru 7/29/17 here to me) Each Account Year you make Net Purchases totaling $10k or more, including during your first Account Year, you will qualify for Gold Elite Status thru Dec 31 of the following year." (that seems to contradict the 7/29/17 date)

The burgundy bold dates are mine. So if I spend $10k before 7/28/16, I'd be gold until 12/31/17? I asked you about this somewhere before and now I get why you said it's the best bang for your buck to open early in the year (I think) because you'd get that one time benefit of getting basically two years of gold for the 'price' (spend) of one. For me, I'm basically getting 'six months free'. Do I have this right? 

• 3 Certificates for upgrade to club level on a paid stay of up to 7 nights (RC hotels Only, must pay a certain rate, must be booked over the phone )

Confirming that this is one cert per stay, so obviously would be maximizing to use on longer stays, but CAN be used on a one-night stay as well. 

(These are already showing in my Marriott account)

• $100 Hotel Credit on paid stays of 2+ nights (RC hotels ONLY, must use Z34 booking code (online) or book over the phone)

This can not be used on a stay of one-night, period. It also doesn't seem limited. 

My assumption is that those two RC things above can not be used in tandom, they must be used independently. Just want to confirm. 

Also, we don't fly a lot, which is why I decided Prestige and some of the others don't make sense. It's probable that we won't fly anywhere before the end of the year (I thought I'd have one work trip, but it's been cancelled/postponed until 2016 some time). I could use the Global Entry credit and if I could talk DH into getting a passport just-in-case, he could too. Or he could use it for the other TSA thing. But I'm thinking about asking my MIL if she's want to be an AU just to use those credits. I'm sure they'll have at least one trip before the end of the year, if not more. Inlaws have got über stellar credit, so I'd have no problem adding them if they'd agree and get use out of it. Would that work? 

[Anonymous]

Jsu,

I recall you staying you've stayed at the Ritz in Orlando..is that the one called Ritz grands lakes with the Marriott property nearby? The Marriott property actually looks a lot nicer than than the Ritz. If you know anything about either of them, can you share?

[jsucool76]

@TortoiseWins

your gold status is good for a full year for free. meaning in 12 months it will expire. and in the next 12 months you need to spend 10k to keep it for months 13-24 of card membership and so on.

Ritz club level upgrades can be used on any stay of 1-7 nights. better value on more nights. can be used IN CONJUNCTION with the $100 hotel credit. you must call to do this though.



AUs credit doesn't matter. you literally just call up (or use the online form) to add an AU. thry just ask for a name, and the card gets shipped to you. same account number and everything, card just says their name instead of yours. the AU can use their card to pay for global entry, tsa precheck (though I suggest global entry for the $15 more), checked bags, lounge day passes/memberships whatever. these can all be refunded (even if charged by the AU) but YOU as the primary cardholder must be the one to call up and request the redemption.

@tjhallow

i haven't stayed at either the Ritz or jw grande lakes yet. the prices for both can be relatively cheap, it's the cost for everything else that adds up. parking, resort fee, and so on. jw will waive parking to an elite guest, and lower the resort fee by 5$ but you have to ask.

not sure what Ritz will do. was looking to stay there in November during my trip for the food and wine festival, but the club level upgrade price was listed at like $753/night. no thanks.

if you stay at EITHER grande lakes hotel (Ritz or jw) you get access to all the amenities in the entire resort (both hotel's amenities at your disposal)

[Anonymous]

Think we may go for the Marriott..those bonus points will be sweet!

[jsucool76]

just be aware if you're an elite member you get no real benefits (no free breakfast, no club level, nothing) .

depending on your plans, look into the Kessler autograph collection hotels. the castle, the Grand bohemian, and the bohemian celebration.

little farther from Disney but great hotels.

[Anonymous]

There is one in downtown Orlando I was looking at that's a category 5...seemed alright..