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TPG reader Angela sent me a message on Facebook to ask about earning Marriott status:
The simplest route is to get the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card, which offers automatic Gold Elite status for the first account year. You can maintain Gold status beyond that by spending $10,000 on the card each account year thereafter. While Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Marriott Rewards are technically separate programs, they offer mutual points and elite benefits, so your status will be recognized at Marriott properties.
Another option is to double down on Marriott cards. Angela already has the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card, which offers cardholders 15 elite night credits each year — enough to qualify automatically for Silver Elite status. However, the Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card also offers 15 elite night credits annually, and you can stack credits from the two cards to get 30 nights total. Both cards also offer one elite night credit for every $3,000 spent on purchases, so you should be able to qualify for Gold each year if you’re staying regularly for work.
Between those two options, I prefer the Ritz-Carlton card so long as you can easily meet the spending requirement to keep Gold status. The annual fee is much higher at $395 (versus $85 for the personal Marriott Premier card and $99 for the business card), but it makes up for the extra cost with other benefits. The $300 annual travel credit, Club level upgrades and more are among the reasons why I hang on to this card year after year. That said, the two Marriott cards each come with an annual free night at a Category 1-5 property, so they offer good value as well.
You may have other options that don’t involve credit cards. For starters, Marriott might allow you to challenge for Gold Elite if you have comparable status with another brand. This program isn’t formalized, so you’ll need to email Marriott and put in a request. Your chances are better if you have a lot of stay activity in your account, but you might be able to parlay status from another credit card (like the Business Platinum Card from American Express) into a status challenge with Marriott.
Finally, the RewardsPlus crossover program between Marriott and United offers the opportunity to earn reciprocal status. MileagePlus members who have Premier Gold status or above can register to get automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, so that’s a no-brainer if you already qualify.
For more on elite status and credit cards from Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, check out these posts:
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
Source: thepointsguy.com