Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card review: Full details
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card overview
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card is a premium card offering from Marriott that is unavailable to new applicants. It has a laundry list of benefits and perks, including automatic Gold Elite status, an annual free night award, an annual $300 travel credit and a Priority Pass Select membership. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Marriott is the world’s largest hotel brand and is known for having an extensive family of credit cards across two issuers, Chase and American Express.
However, arguably their best card and one of the best travel rewards cards overall, the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card, is not available to new applicants — but there is still a way you can get your hands on it.
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card has a steep annual fee of $450 but has many benefits that can help offset the cost.
To get this card, you must hold a Chase Marriott card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card, for at least 12 months and then call Chase to request a product change.
It’s important to note that you will need a minimum credit line of at least $10,000 to be eligible for a product change to the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card, since it is a Visa Infinite card. Because you are not applying for a new card and are doing a product change instead, you will not have to worry about Chase’s 5/24 rule.
The recommended credit score for the Marriott-Chase family of cards is 670, but getting approved with a lower score is not uncommon.
Let’s jump into whether you should add the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card to your wallet.
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The information for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Ritz-Carlton Rewards card pros and cons
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Ritz-Carlton Rewards card welcome offer
Since you are product changing to this card, there is, unfortunately, no welcome offer.
We must note that you won’t be eligible to open the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card if you’ve held the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card in the past 30 days. So before you request a product change to the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card, you might want to consider opening the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. A few TPG staffers carry both cards in their wallets.
Related: Are you eligible for a new Marriott Bonvoy card? This chart tells you yes or no
Ritz-Carlton Rewards card benefits
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards card has a plethora of benefits that can provide you with substantial value and help offset the annual fee.
- Annual Free Night Award: Cardholders will get an annual free night award each anniversary worth up to 85,000 points. According to TPG’s September 2024 valuations, 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points are worth $723, which covers the annual fee. This free night award can be combined with up to an extra 15,000 Bonvoy points from your account. You can get exceptional value from these awards if you redeem them at luxury properties in Southeast Asia, like Thailand’s Ritz-Carlton Koh Samui.
- $300 annual travel credit: Cardholders receive an annual $300 airline credit. The credit is broad and can be used on purchases like checked baggage fees, inflight Wi-Fi, seat upgrades and lounge access. This credit is much less restrictive than the travel credits on other premium cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express, which requires you to designate an airline. This credit is not automatic, and you must call the number on the back of your card and ask Chase to apply your credit to eligible purchases.
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Elite status: You will receive complimentary Gold Elite status by just holding this card. Gold Elite status comes with perks like 25% bonus earnings, 2 p.m. late checkout when available, room upgrades based on availability and welcome gifts upon arrival at Marriott properties. Furthermore, you can spend your way to Platinum Elite status by spending $75,000 on purchases annually.
- 15 elite night credits per year: Cardholders will receive 15 elite night credits every calendar year, making it easier to reach a higher Marriott Bonvoy status level.
- Three upgrade certificates to the Ritz-Carlton Club level annually: Cardholders receive three certificates each year, which they can use to upgrade to club-level rooms. Each certificate is valid for a club-level upgrade on an eligible paid stay of up to seven nights. Not all Ritz-Carlton properties have a club level. Be sure to check the Ritz-Carlton website to see which properties have a club level.
- Lounge access: When it comes to premium travel rewards cards, lounge access is standard, and that is no exception with the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card. It comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you unlimited access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. The real kicker is that you can bring unlimited guests with you. You will also have unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounges for you and unlimited guests. If you add an authorized user, they will also get a Priority Pass membership. Priority Pass restaurants are not included. (Enrollment is required).
- TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit: Cardholders receive up to $100 in credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees every four years.
- Car rental status, upgrades and discounts: Since this is a Visa Infinite card, cardholders will receive Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status. Cardholders will also receive discounts and upgrades when booking rental cars with Avis and National.
- Primary car rental insurance: When you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card, you are eligible for primary collision insurance that provides reimbursement of up to $75,000 for theft and damage to rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the airline, you’re covered for up to $3,000 per passenger.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If your common carrier travel is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
- Trip delay reimbursement: If your trip is canceled or cut short due to illness, severe weather or other eligible covered situations, you can be reimbursed for up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip for your prepaid nonrefundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours and hotels.
- J.P. Morgan Premier Concierge
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free authorized users
Related: 29 best Marriott hotels in the world
Earning points on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card
Ritz-Carlton cardholders will earn 6 points per dollar on Marriott purchases, 3 points per dollar on dining, car rentals and airfare booked directly with the airline and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Plus, thanks to the card’s automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, you will earn 12.5 points per dollar on Marriott stays, for a total of 18.5 points per dollar on Marriott stays. You can earn even more if you have a higher status tier.
Based on TPG’s September 2024 valuations, this equates to a return on spend of a whopping 15.73% on Marriott purchases, 2.55% on dining, car rentals and airfare and 1.7% on all other purchases.
Redeeming points on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card
There are multiple ways to redeem Bonvoy points on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card. You can redeem points for hotels, airline tickets, car rentals, cruises, gift cards and merchandise.
You generally get the best value by redeeming your points for hotel stays. Marriott has more than 8,700 properties in 141 countries spread among the 30-plus brands in their portfolio.
I prefer redeeming Marriott points for luxury properties in Eastern Europe or longer stays in Southeast Asia. For example, the Ritz-Carlton Budapest routinely runs just 45,000 points a night, and a week at the Fairfield by Marriott Bali Kuta Sunset Road is just 65,000 points.
You can also utilize Marriott’s Stay for 5, Pay for 4 perk, which allows you to get your fifth night free when redeeming points for five consecutive nights on a single reservation at the same hotel.
This benefit gives you the lowest point total night for free for every five consecutive nights. This is automatically applied when booking, so it requires no extra effort.
Related: 8 places to maximize an 85,000-point Marriott award night certificate
Transferring points on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card
Marriott Bonvoy points earned on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card can be transferred to Marriott’s 39 airline partners, such as United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles and Southwest Rapid Rewards. While this is generally not the best way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, there are times when transferring Bonvoy points to airline partners could make sense.
Most partners allow transfers at a 3:1 ratio and offer 5,000 bonus points for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer. And thanks to Marriott’s preferred partnership with United Airlines, you will receive a bonus of 10,000 points for every 60,000 Bonvoy points you transfer if you’re a United MileagePlus member.
It’s important to note that transfers can take 3-4 days, so if you are looking to book an award flight with a partner airline, make sure there is plenty of availability.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy: Complete guide to the hotel loyalty program
Which cards compete with the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card?
If you’re not a Marriott loyalist, there are some other cards you might want to consider instead of the Ritz-Carlton Rewards.
- If you prefer Hilton: The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is Hilton’s top card offering; it has a $550 annual fee and offers many similar benefits to the Ritz-Carlton Rewards, including airline and resort fee credits, an annual free night award and automatic elite status. This card also has better returns on bonus category spending. To learn more, read our full review of the Hilton Amex Aspire.
- If you want to earn a flexible rewards currency: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee and very similar benefits to the RItz-Carlton Rewards. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points instead of Marriott Bonvoy points and has access to Chase’s impressive roster of transfer partners, including Marriott, which you can transfer to at a 1:1 ratio. The card has solid earnings on dining and travel and comes with benefits like lounge access, an annual travel credit, a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit and numerous travel protections and insurances. To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.
- If you want a Marriott card with a lower annual fee: The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card has a $95 annual fee and comes with a free night award and Silver Elite status, making this card easy to keep year after year. However, it lacks many of the premium benefits found on the Ritz-Carlton Rewards. To learn more, read our full review of the Bonvoy Boundless.
The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best hotel credit cards and the best Marriott credit cards.
Related: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth the annual fee?
Is the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card worth it?
If you are a Marriott loyalist, the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card is likely worth adding for the annual free night award, on-property benefits, elite status benefits and numerous credits. If you don’t stay at Marriott properties frequently or prefer more flexibility with earning and redeeming points, you might be better suited to another card.
Bottom line
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards card can be an excellent addition to your wallet, with its free night award among myriad other benefits, credits and elite perks that easily help offset the $450 annual fee. If you have an eligible Chase Marriott Bonvoy card that has been open for at least 12 months, I recommend you run the numbers and calculate the value you get from all the benefits to see if product changing to this card makes sense for you.
As a Marriott loyalist, I plan on applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless next quarter and waiting twelve months. Then I will request a product change to this card, as I foresee this being a keeper card in my wallet for years to come.
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
