Marriott is the world’s largest resort chain, with over 9,000 properties worldwide, and when I’m touring, more often than not I discover myself unlocking one in every of its resort room doorways.
Marriott presents six cobranded bank cards between two issuers, American Express and Chase. Although I’ve Marriott Titanium elite standing, you could be shocked to study that my favorite card for paying for my Marriott stays is not a Marriott card at all — it is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see charges and costs).
For a restricted time, new Sapphire Preferred candidates can earn the highest-ever welcome supply in years of 100,000 bonus factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This supply ends May 15 at 9 a.m. EDT. Based on TPG’s May 2025 valuations, that is value a whopping $2,050.
Let’s dive into why I select to use my Sapphire Preferred as a substitute of a cobranded Marriott card for my stays.
Why is Marriott my go-to resort chain?
I’m a frequent worldwide traveler, and Marriott resort manufacturers have a tendency to be probably the most available properties in my expertise. There have been some cities I’ve visited the place the one main resort chain property was underneath the Marriott portfolio. Additionally, I’ve held Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite standing since 2022 and try to keep that yearly. The primary perks of Titanium Elite standing which are helpful to me embrace:
While the latter two advantages additionally include Platinum Elite standing, which in my opinion is the perfect candy spot resort standing, the United Silver elite standing is barely discovered with Titanium Elite standing and up. It is extremely helpful to me since I fly United Airlines a honest variety of occasions all year long, and over the previous few years, I’ve been teetering on the road between incomes and never incomes standing. Having Titanium Elite standing ensures I’ll all the time have some airline standing.
Related: How Marriott and United elite members can use RewardsPlus to standing match and convert rewards
Why the Sapphire Preferred as a substitute of a Marriott card?
You could ask why the Sapphire Preferred is my go-to card for Marriott stays. Simply put, it is due to its incomes charge of two factors per greenback spent on journey and the worth of Chase Ultimate Rewards factors, which TPG’s May 2025 valuations peg at 2.05 cents a piece. This means I get a 4.1% return on my Marriott spending.
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Additionally, having Titanium Elite standing means I earn a further 17.5 Bonvoy factors per greenback spent on most Marriott stays (it may be much less in case you’re staying at an extended-stay model or choose different properties).
Five of the six Marriott Bonvoy playing cards earn 6 factors per greenback spent at Marriott hotels, with the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see charges and costs) incomes simply 3 factors per greenback spent on Marriott stays.
Marriott Bonvoy factors are value 0.7 cents every in accordance to TPG’s May 2025 valuations, so incomes 6 factors per greenback equates to a 4.2% return on spending.
Here’s a temporary breakdown evaluating the earnings of Sapphire Preferred and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® (see charges and costs):
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | |
|---|---|---|
| Earning charge on Marriott stays | 2 Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback (4.1% return)* | 6 Bonvoy factors per greenback (4.2% return)* |
| Titanium Elite standing bonus (17.5 factors per greenback on most stays) | 17.5 factors per greenback (12.25% return)* | 17.5 factors per greenback (12.25% return)* |
| Total return on spending* | 19.5 factors (16.35% return)* | 23.5 factors (16.45% return)* |
*Based on TPG’s May 2025 valuations
By utilizing the Sapphire Preferred, I solely sacrifice 0.1% in bonus earnings, which is properly value it. Given their immense flexibility, I’d a lot moderately earn Chase Ultimate Rewards factors than Marriott Bonvoy factors.
I can switch the factors earned with my Sapphire Preferred to Chase’s 14 resort and airline companions, together with Marriott. Peridically, Chase even presents switch bonuses for Marriott; simply final month there was a 50% switch bonus.
Additionally, the Chase Sapphire Preferred provides me a 10% anniversary factors bonus, giving me 10% bonus factors on my whole spending on the card that 12 months, which additional incentivizes me to spend on my Sapphire Preferred.
And in case you’re questioning why I do not go for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs), with its 3 factors per greenback spent on journey, it is as a result of I’m not eligible for a Sapphire card welcome bonus as I opened my Sapphire Preferred in 2022.
I additionally don’t need to improve to the Reserve as a result of I’d have to pay a considerably larger annual payment and lose the chance to earn a welcome bonus within the close to future.
Related: 11 causes to select the Chase Sapphire Preferred over the fancier Chase Sapphire Reserve
Why do not I’ve a Marriott card?
Since Marriott is my go-to resort chain and I maintain Titanium Elite standing, it might appear shocking that I do not maintain a Marriott cobranded card. I’ve thought of getting a Marriott credit score card prior to now, and the one which was all the time at the highest of my checklist was the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless. This was due to the affordable $95 annual payment and the annual free night time certificates.
Here are the the explanation why I do not at present have a Marriott credit score card:
- I earn elite standing organically, so I do not want the bonus nights or computerized elite standing supplied by the bank cards.
- The free night time certificates is turning into tougher to use due to frequent devaluations as properties elevate redemption costs.
- Most importantly, I’m at present above Chase’s 5/24 rule.
Earning elite standing
It is simple for me to earn Marriott Titanium Elite standing organically, as I simply want to keep 75 nights per 12 months at a Marriott. That could appear to be a lot, however yearly from mid-February to April, Marriott runs a double-night promotion the place for every paid night time you keep, you may earn a bonus elite night time credit score.
I stayed 24 nights throughout this promotion this 12 months and earned 48 elite night time credit. Currently, I’m at 51 elite nights this 12 months, which has requalified me for Platinum Elite standing.
I solely want 24 extra nights to requalify for Titanium Elite standing. Marriott bank cards supply 5, 15 or 25 elite night time credit, relying on the card — however I have already got stays deliberate for the remainder of the 12 months that may simply requalify me for Titanium Elite standing, so I do not want these credit.
The next-highest tier of elite standing is Ambassador Elite, and that’s out of attain for me as I will not organically meet the necessities of 100 nights and $23,000 in eligible spending.
Free night time certificates
Additionally, the free night time certificates supplied on the Bonvoy Boundless Card can be laborious for me to use. It is value up to 35,000 factors per night time, or about $245 based mostly on TPG’s May 2025 valuations. This free night time certificates could be topped up with 15,000 factors for a whole of fifty,000 factors.
Although this greater than covers the annual payment, current devaluations to Marriott Bonvoy have made these awards tougher to use.
The drawback lies with the redemption worth both being too low for me to really feel I acquired sufficient worth, or the property being proper exterior the edge for me to prime up these free night time awards.
I’ve a few 40,000-point free night time certificates I earned as my Titanium Elite Annual Choice Benefit, and I’m having issue utilizing them, so a 35,000-point free night time certificates can be much more troublesome to use. Furthermore, lots of the hotels I keep at supply higher worth by simply paying money versus redeeming a free night time certificates or factors.
The notorious 5/24 rule
Lastly, I’m above 5/24, so I’d not get accepted for any Chase playing cards at the second, making me ineligible for 3 of the six playing cards. I might probably apply for an Amex Marriott card, just like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, however I’m not significantly all in favour of any of the advantages supplied by the card, as I earn them organically or by means of one other credit score card.
Related: Why I’m conserving my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for the long run
Bottom line
Marriott has a handful of nice cobranded card choices, however they have not earned a spot in my pockets. Maybe as soon as I’m underneath 5/24, I’ll rethink including a Marriott card.
Even then, I’d seemingly select to join playing cards that earn a transferable foreign money, as I typically have issue discovering good worth when redeeming Marriott factors. For now, I’ll stick to utilizing my Chase Sapphire Preferred to pay for my Marriott stays.
To study extra, learn our full evaluations of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless.
Last likelihood: Chase Sapphire Preferred — 100,000-point bonus after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
