Do you like staying at the Marriott chain of hotels when you travel for leisure or business? If so, you might want to consider the Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase.  It is a hotel rewards credit card especially designed for those of you who are fans of Marriott and want to earn hotel loyalty program points for every dollar spent.

Here we do a detailed review of the Marriott Rewards Credit Card, one of the more popular credit card offers for travel rewards in the US.

Things We Like About This Card

No annual fee for the first year. For the first year, the annual fee is waived. Thereafter you’ll have to pay an annual fee of $45, although that is a minimal fee compared to that of many other hotel rewards cards.

Earn 3 points per every $1 spent at Marriott locations. This includes staying at any of the 3,300 Marriott locations around the world. So if you like to stay at Marriott hotels, this will benefit you the most.

Earn 1 point per every $1 spent anywhere else. This does not include balance transfers, cash advances, etc. Only net purchases count towards these points, which allow you to earn basically as many points as the amount of dollars spent.

Earn 30,000 bonus points after your first purchase/first use of the card. This is a very attractive offer only for new cardmembers. 30,000 points can be redeemed for 4 free nights at a category 1 hotel. You earn these bonus points either when making your first purchase, balance transfer or check that has access to your account.

Get 2 free nights stay e-certificate after opening your account. To reward you further, you receive two additional free nights stay once your account has been approved, valid at category 1-4 hotels worldwide. So if you combine this offer with the above offer, you get 6 free nights as a signing bonus! Important note! This e-certificate expires after 6 months.

Redeem your points for airline miles, hotel stays (at Marriott or The Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide) or merchandise from their online SkyMall.  You can also redeem for car rentals, cruise certificates or travel packages.

No limit to the amount of points you can earn. The sky’s the limit, so the more you spend, the more points you can accumulate.

Earn 1 night credit toward Elite status each time you spend $3,000 in net purchases. There is no limit to the amount of night credits you can earn toward Elite status. Elite membership has 3 levels: Gold, Silver and Platinum.

Earn 10 nights credit towards Elite status yearly, which gives you Silver Elite status or better. As an Elite member, you get to enjoy all the exclusive benefits of membership such as Elite Only Rewards, Priority Late Checkout, exclusive Guest Services Line, and more. Do note that if you are the primary cardholder of various Marriott Rewards cards, you will only be eligible to earn 10 nights Elite status credit in total between all your Marriott accounts.

Our Least Favorite Things About This Card

$45 annual fee after the first year. The first year of annual fee is waived, giving you a savings of $45. Even though the annual fee is $45 thereafter, the fee is very minimal if you travel and stay at Marriott often.

It takes from 6 to 8 weeks for bonus points, certificates and rewards to be added or sent to your account. This prevents you from using your bonus points and rewards immediately and so you have to think and plan ahead when planning your vacations or any other occasion where you would want to use your bonus points.

If your account is open for less than 6 months, Chase and Marriott can legally deduct your bonus points from your account. This won’t be a problem for you as long as you maintain your account open for more than 6 months.

Our Verdict: 4.4/5 Stars

If you love traveling and like to stay at the Marriott chain of hotels, you will benefit the most from the Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase, since it gives you points whenever you spend on your card, which you can accumulate to later redeem for free hotel stays or convert them into airline miles or merchandise. Plus, you get to receive up to 6-nights stay as a signing bonus for new cardmembers! And you get an annual fee waiver for the first year!

As long as you use this card frequently and especially in Marriott hotels in order to earn more points, you will be able to accumulate many points which you can use to stay in Marriott or Ritz Carlton hotels and resorts for free or at very low prices. You will also be able to fast-track towards an Elite membership with free nights credits every year and get to enjoy exclusive Elite benefits.

Click here to go to Chase’s official application to apply online now for the Marriott Rewards Credit Card.

Would you prefer a non-hotel-specific travel rewards card that lets you redeem points for a wider range of rewards such as cash, merchandise, gift cards or travel? Then apply for the no-fee Chase Sapphire Card (read our Chase Sapphire card review), a card that’s highly rated by DailyMarkets.com.

Click here to go to Chase’s official application to apply online now for the Chase Sapphire Credit Card now.

• Chase Sapphire℠ Card
• Points
• No Introductory Rate Available
• 15.24% Variable
• $0

• Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months - that's $100 toward travel or any other reward!
• 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn
• Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• No annual fee!

• Point Details: Earn one point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Additional Points: 2 points per dollar spent on restaurants and dining; PLUS - earn an additional point per dollar spent when you book airfare & hotel accommodations online through Ultimate Rewards(SM)*
• Other Bonus: 10,000 bonus points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months.

• No Introductory Rate Available

• APR For Purchases: 15.24% Variable
• APR For Cash Advances: 19.24% (V)

• Annual Fee: $0
• Cash Advance Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
• Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Late Payment Fee: Up to $15 if the balance is less than $100; up to $25 if the balance is $100 to less than $250; up to $35 if the balance is $250 or more.

Read Our Review Of Chase Sapphire℠ Card