Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card Review

Learn more about this card and find out how you can apply here.

The information related to the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card has been collected by Money Crashers and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase is a popular hotel credit card that carries an $95 annual fee. It earns rewards that can be redeemed for stays at more than 4,000 Marriott-owned hotel and resort properties worldwide. Points accumulate fastest on purchases made at Marriott properties and partner hotels, but also grow nicely on airfare, car rental, and restaurant spending. The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus card also has an attractive sign-up bonus that’s potentially worth more than $500.

Marriott Rewards Premier Plus’s main competitors are other hotel-specific rewards credit cards, including IHG Rewards Club Premier, Citi Hilton Honors Reserve, and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card, which is closely associated with the Marriott brand. It also competes less directly with general purpose travel credit cards, such as Chase Sapphire Preferred® and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and airline rewards credit cards, some of which have reciprocal relationships and point transfer agreements with hotel cards.

Key Features

Sign-up Bonus

When you spend at least $5,000 within 3 months of opening your account, you get 100,000 bonus points. This is equal to as many as 12 free nights at budget-friendly Marriott hotels.

Rewards & Redemption

The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card earns an unlimited 6 points per $1 spent at all Marriott, Starwood, and partner hotels (including The Ritz-Carlton); and 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. There’s no limit to the number of points you can earn. If you don’t earn or redeem points within any rolling 24-month period, your entire point balance expires.

Points can be redeemed for free nights at participating Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and partner hotels, starting at 7,500 points per night for Category 1 Marriott hotels and 30,000 points per night for Tier 1 Ritz-Carlton hotels. Per-night redemption rates range up to 45,000 points for Category 9 Marriott hotels and 70,000 points for Tier 5 Ritz-Carlton hotels, but are subject to change in accordance with hotel policy.

If you don’t have enough points to redeem for a full free night, you can use Marriott’s Cash + Points option, which requires a minimum investment of 3,000 points and $45 to book a free Category 1 night (ranging up to 28,000 points and $220 to book a free Category 9 night). Aside from certain high-end Marriott resort properties, there are no blackout dates.

Anniversary Free Night

Every year you remain a cardholder in good standing, you get one free hotel night. The free night accrues on your card membership anniversary date and can be redeemed at any time within the following 12 months. Free nights are good at properties with redemption rates up to 35,000 points per night only.

Qualifying Nights Toward Elite Status

As a Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card holder, you automatically enjoy Marriott Silver Elite status, which normally requires 10 qualifying nights per year, as long as you remain a cardmember in good standing.

Silver Elite Status entitles you to numerous benefits, including a 20% bonus on all points earned for paid stays. It also entitles you to flexible check-in/check-out hours, a 10% discount on weekend stays, and a 10% discount on hotel gift shop purchases.

When you spend at least $35,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year, you qualify for Gold Elite Status. Gold Elite Status entitles you to a 25% bonus on all points earned for paid stays, guaranteed lounge access, guaranteed room types, and room upgrades where available.

You’ll also earn qualifying nights toward higher Elite Status levels for paid stays at Marriott properties.

Important Fees

The annual fee is $95 and there is never a foreign transaction fee. Balance transfers cost the greater of $5 or 5% and cash advances cost the greater of $10 or 5%.

Credit Required

This card requires good to excellent credit. Any notable credit blemishes are likely to be disqualifying.

Advantages

1. Lots of Ways to Earn Points. The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card offers plenty of ways to earn rewards points. The 6 points per $1 spent at Marriott and partner properties is par for the course, but the 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases is a big deal that sets this card apart from most competitors.
2. No Foreign Transaction Fee. This card doesn’t come with a foreign transaction fee – a nice perk for international travelers, especially in light of Marriott’s extensive overseas presence. Citi Hilton Honors Visa Signature and Expedia+ both charge foreign transaction fees.
3. Can Combine Points and Cash at Redemption. If you don’t have enough points to qualify for a free night, Marriott’s Cash + Points option has your back. You can get a Category 1 room with as few as 3,000 points and $45, an investment worth roughly $75 (assuming an average per-point value of $0.01). Likewise, Cash + Points can get you into nicer hotels faster and with a smaller financial outlay than would otherwise be required.
4. Strong Sign-up Bonus. When you spend at least $5,000 in the first 3 months, you get 100,000 bonus points – enough to redeem for more than 12 free nights at the lowest-priced Marriott properties.

Disadvantages

1. Fewer Redemption Options Than Some Competitors. The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card’s redemption options are great for cardholders who like to stay at Marriott hotels and partner properties, but not great for those who wish to redeem elsewhere. If you prefer a credit card that lets you redeem for virtually any travel purchases, or even general merchandise and cash equivalents that have nothing to do with travel, opt for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®.
2. Costly to Attain Higher Elite Status Levels. Though this card automatically confers Marriott Silver Elite status, you have to work hard – and spend a lot – to achieve Gold ($35,000 spend). By contrast, IHG Rewards Club Select cardholders automatically get Platinum Elite status, IHG’s second-highest membership tier, at no additional cost.

Final Word

Hotel- and airline-specific credit cards often accelerate users toward coveted elite or preferred statuses, which typically offer financial benefits, exclusive conveniences, and creature comforts at hotels, in airports, and in the air. If you regularly stay at Marriott or partner properties, you’re likely to appreciate the fact that your Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card automatically qualifies you for Silver Elite status.

If you don’t often stay at Marriott hotels, or any hotels at all, this benefit isn’t likely to excite you. Budget-conscious or hotel-agnostic travelers often do better with general-purpose travel cards, such as Barclaycard Arrival Plus or Chase Sapphire Preferred®, than cards that fit them into a particular brand’s box. Make sure you know where you fall before applying for this or any other travel rewards credit card.

Learn more about this card and find out how you can apply here.

Rating: 3.9

VERDICT

Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card

The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card is a great asset for frequent domestic and international travelers who accumulate and redeem rewards quickly enough to offset the $95 annual fee, who prefer staying at Marriott- and Starwood-branded properties, and who enjoy redeeming accumulated points for hotel stays.

Score: 3.9 out of 5 stars

The across-the-board double-point earnings on all qualifying purchases, lack of foreign transaction fees, and potentially valuable points are all pluses of this card.

Drawbacks include fewer redemption options than some other cards and the effort and cost needed to attain higher status levels.