Chase Marriott Bonvoy Card

Review

You travel for work or vacation a few times a year, stay at Marriott properties because they're everywhere, and pay full price every time. No status benefits, no free upgrades, no late checkout. Meanwhile, the business traveler next to you gets bumped to a suite because they have elite status from a credit card. You're essentially subsidizing their upgrades while getting the baseline experience. The hotel loyalty math is brutal without status. Published rates assume you're a transient guest with no leverage. No bonus points on stays. No complimentary breakfast at select brands. No guaranteed late checkout when your flight isn't until evening. No room upgrades even when better rooms sit empty. The hotel has no incentive to treat you well because you haven't signaled commitment to the brand. You're just another booking. Most people assume elite status requires 50+ nights per year of actual hotel stays. They don't realize credit cards provide shortcuts—automatic status, elite night credits that count toward higher tiers, and annual free night certificates that can be worth $300+ each. The gap between 'person who occasionally stays at hotels' and 'elite member' isn't as wide as the hotels want you to think. The Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card bridges this gap for $95/year. You immediately get Silver Elite status (10% bonus points, priority late checkout, enhanced WiFi). The card earns 6X points at Marriott, 3X on travel, 2X on everything else. More importantly, you get an annual Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points—a single night at a mid-tier Marriott easily covers the annual fee. You also get 15 Elite Night Credits annually toward Gold status (normally requires 25 nights). Spend $35K on the card and you hit Gold automatically: 25% bonus points, room upgrades, 2 PM checkout, welcome gifts. Points transfer to 40+ airlines. No foreign transaction fees. If you're staying at Marriott properties without this card, you're overpaying for an inferior experience.