Advertiser disclosure: The Miles Genie has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Miles Genie and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Editorial disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
The current offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® credit card is 3 Free Night Certificates (each valued up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. This offer has expired,however, I am leaving this post up for anyone who applied for this offer and wants ideas for ways to use the certificates. Click here for the current offer on this card, as well as our other favorite credit card offers.
Marriott has switched to dynamic pricing, meaning award charts have been eliminated. This post was written prior to these changes. Most properties will remain within their previous ranges through 2022. In other words, most redemptions below are still possible.
This was posted when the welcome offer was in the form of free night certificates and I’m going to keep this post up for anyone still trying to use certificates.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® credit card from Chase
discontinued_disclaimer
Current offer: bonus_miles_full
Annual fee: $95. The bonus and benefits are worth a lot more than that.
Free night benefit: In addition to the nice welcome offer, you will receive a free night at each anniversary. Starting at your first anniversary of card membership, receive a free night certificate redeemable for one night worth up to 35,000 points (This benefit kicks in at your first anniversary of card membership, not when you open the card).
Though the annual fee is $95, the annual free night can be valuable. We used a certificate to book the Tambo del Inka property (a Luxury Collection Resort) in Peru. This hotel is now a higher category, but this is still a good example of the potential value of this certificate. The rate on our dates was over $400 per night, but we were able to use the certificate since at the time, the hotel was a category 5 property. So even if we get no other benefits out of having this card, think of it like this: we booked a $400 room for $95.
Earn rate: Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. After that, the following earn rates apply:
With the the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, you earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar at Marriott properties, and 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on everything else. The earn rate on this card seems high, but Marriott points aren’t as valuable as other points.
Silver status: This card also gives the cardholder automatic Marriott silver status, which is… meh. But I thought I would mention it in case anyone cares. If you spend $35,000 per year you’ll receive gold status.
Fast tack to elite status: Receive 15 Elite night credits each calendar year. Also, for every $5,000 you spend, earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status.
What is the potential value of 3 Free Nights (up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points)?
It depends on how you redeem the certificates, but if you’re able to redeem each certificate for max value (up to 50,000 points), you could easily get over $1,000 value out of this offer.
This has some high potential. Each certificate is valid for one night with a redemption cost of up to 50,000 points. This means that you can redeem for up to a category 6 property at off peak or standard pricing; or a category 7 property at off peak pricing. Free nights are subject to availability, and I’ll discuss this further in a moment.
Here is Marriott Bonvoy’s redemption chart:
Important off peak/standard/peak pricing info
Category 7 properties are probably going to be the most valuable redemptions with these certificates. In order to book category 7, you will need to find dates that have off peak pricing (50,000 points per night). For category 6, you can book if redemption price is off peak or standard. For category 5 and lower, you can redeem the free night certificates for dates that fall within any of the 3 pricing tiers.
There are no designated dates for off-peak/standard/and peak pricing. The only way to check is to search for your dates. Fortunately, Marriott makes this very easy and will show a calendar with redemption prices for each month if you select “flexible dates” when you search. Marriott updates redemption pricing monthly. So if you check this month and you can only find a category 7 property available to book at standard or peak pricing, you can check back again in a month to see if the pricing has updated to off peak.
Marriott allows you to book the stay even if you do not yet have all of the points (or certificates) needed.
One feature that Marriott Bonvoy members can utilize is Points Advance. Basically, you can go ahead and reserve the room as soon as you find availability even if you do not yet have the points or certificates as long as you’re booking more than 30 days in advance. Points or certificates must be in your account 14 days prior to check-in or 60 days from making the points advance reservation, whichever comes sooner. But if you know you have a bonus on the way, this is a great way to make sure you get the hotel you want even before you have all of the points or certificates.
This is a great feature, and I would definitely take advantage of it if you find availability. The catch is, this only holds the room; it does not guarantee the redemption pricing will stay the same. This is only an issue with category 6 and 7 properties since peak pricing at category 5 and under would still be covered by the certificate. For example, if you find availability at a category 7 property at the off peak rate, you could hold the room with Points Advance. By the time you meet the minimum spending requirement and receive the 3 free night certificates, the pricing could change to standard or peak. If that happens, you would not be able to use the certificates. You would either have to wait to see if the redemption pricing drops again to off peak, or you would have to try to find a new way to redeem.
You do not have to use all 5 certificates for one stay
For example, you could use 2 certificate for one stay, and the other 3 for another stay. 3 nights may be easier to find than 5 nights if you’re trying to find category 7 off-peak availability.
Marriott makes it easy to search of you have flexible dates
You can choose the month and how many nights you want. The calendar will show the total for the stay. I searched for 3 nights in November at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota.
Category 7 properties are only possible to book with the certificates when redemption pricing is available at off peak rates. Since I know I’m looking for dates that have availability at the category 7 off peak redemption pricing rate, I am looking for a 3 night stay that totals 150,000 points.
You could redeem all 3 of the certificates for a 3 night stay at a category 7 property starting on any of the dates that show 150,000. We will talk about the value in the next section, but let’s just say this is potentially a high-value redemption.
Before we go any further…
If you do not already have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, and you qualify for the welcome bonus on a Sapphire card, I can only think of one reason to open the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card first. That would be if you have a specific Marriott stay/property in mind that you want to book. Otherwise, open either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve first.
I recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred for beginners because the annual fee is more reasonable at $95, and the welcome bonus is currently 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points. Those points are worth at least $750 in travel, but they’re potentially worth a lot more if you learn how to redeem with Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to 11 different airline frequent flyer programs or 3 different hotel loyalty programs. Marriott Bonvoy is actually 1 of the 3 hotel partners, so you actually could transfer the points to Marriott, but it may not be a good value. This post has more information about booking Marriott properties with Chase Ultimate Rewards.
You are eligible for the welcome bonus as long as you do not currently have an open CSP or CSR and as long as you have not received a bonus on either in the last 48 months.
Current offer: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Check out our list of ways to spend some of the bonus!
Earn rates:
- Earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased via Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases
- Instead of the old earn rate of 2, you can now earn 3 points per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout)
- 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (this excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- 3 points per dollar on select streaming services
- Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Also, receive credit of up to $50 annually on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards. New cardmembers will receive this credit immediately and existing cardmembers will start earning after the next anniversary.
Each anniversary, you’ll receive bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year. This excludes any sign up bonus points, so it’s only on points earned from spending.
If you already have a Chase UR earning card and you’re under 5/24, opening a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless would be a good move. I’ll list some ideas for redeeming the current welcome bonus.
27 ways to redeem 50k/night Marriott Bonvoy Boundless certificates
I’ll go over some great ways to redeem this bonus, but you can find a full list of Marriott properties by category and/or location here.
Marriott has over 7,000 properties worldwide which means there are so many ways to redeem the certificates from this credit card offer. I’m going to list just a few examples of properties you can book with these certificates. All properties listed here have typical rates of at least $200 per night, which would make a 3 night redemption worth $600. Several redemptions in this list are worth $1,000 or more, though.
Your redemption value will vary; it just depends on the rate for the dates you’re trying to book.
I think $600-$1,000 is a nice goal, and I know I kind of fixated on values while preparing this list. But if the most practical redemption for you doesn’t quite add up to $600, that’s okay too. If you’re able to use these certificates for a redemption that you are satisfied with, who cares about the value?
I am mostly going to stick to properties within North America since this Marriott offer is great for a quick weekend getaway. Europe and Asia have some great options too, though, and using the certificates to cover 3 nights on a longer trip would definitely offset your hotel cost.
Update: another great property I did not include in this list but would be a great use of these certificates is a new property in the Maldives. This post discusses the potential value but rates are ~$500 per night so this would be another valuable way to redeem!
Update November 2021: We stayed at this property last month and highly recommend it. You can read more about how we booked our Maldives trip here.
1. The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (California)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Fun fact: the movie American Wedding was filmed here!
I found a few dates in March 2022 that are available for a 3 night stay at the off peak rate of 50,000 points per night. Here are the totals (before taxes and fees) for a 3 night stay on dates in March you were to pay for the stay.
At these rates, the total is going to be ~$2400 after taxes. You would be able to redeem 3 certificates for a 3 night stay worth $2400.
The rate is $662 per night on all 3 nights. After taxes and fees, the total for the 3 night stay comes to $2424. You do have to pay resort fees on most award stays at Marriott, but even if you subtract the out of pocket fee for this award stay ($160), the value is $2264.
Need flights? This post has several ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for flights to this area.
2. The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage (California)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Rates at the Ritz in Rancho Mirage are often $400-$500 per night.
I’d go for this property if possible, because we’ve never met a Ritz we didn’t love, but there are also category 6 properties in the area.
3. The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa (California)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
Category 6 hotels are easier to find availability since you can also redeem the certificates for standard redemption pricing dates.
A 3 night stay at the Westin Mission Hills will typically cost at least $750 after taxes and fees, but the rate is often higher, even on dates that are available for redemptions at standard and off-peak redemption pricing.
We stayed at this property a few years ago for a Urology conference and loved it.
4. JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa (California)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
Again, finding availability for dates eligible for the certificates is easier since you can redeem for off peak (40,000) or standard redemption pricing (50,000).
A 3 night stay will typically cost at least $1000 after taxes and fees.
5. The Ritz-Carlton Bacara ,Santa Barbara (California)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Nightly rates are typically at least $350 after taxes, so the total for a 3 night trip would be over $1,000.
6. The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota (Florida)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Fun fact: Ryan grew up in Sarasota and his parents still live there. He popped the question on Lido Beach near the Ritz-Carlton Beach Club 10 years ago. We stayed here last year and loved it!
I was able to find several dates for a 3 night stay with off peak redemption pricing (50,000 points per night). Nightly rates are typically at least $250, but are often significantly higher. For some dates I found in November, the nightly rate after factoring in taxes and fees would be over $500, making the total over $1500.
7. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island (Florida)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
I actually found a decent amount of off-peak availability at this property. The pre-tax rate is typically around $400-600 per night. For some September 2021 dates I found, the lowest possible rate was almost $600 per night before taxes. After taxes, the total for a 3 night stay is over $2100.
8. Beaver Creek Lodge, Autograph Collection (Colorado)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
As of the date of publishing, I did not see any availability for off-peak redemption rates 3 nights in a row during ski season. But this area is great all year and there is lots of off peak availability for fall 2021 through November 2021 and then again starting in April of 2022. The total for 3 nights on a few different dates I found in April 2022 are around $1100 after taxes and fees.
9. The Westin Snowmass Resort (Colorado)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
I found standard pricing for some dates in January, which is exciting since ski season can be tough to find availability at properties like this. The total for 3 nights on the dates I found in January is over $1,700 after taxes and fees.
10. Vail Marriott Mountain Resort (Colorado)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
I found a few dates during ski season. The total for 3 nights on the dates I found in December are around $1100 after taxes and fees.
Spring and summer have more availability, and Vail is great any time of the year.
11. Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas (Colorado)
(Category 5, off peak, standard, or peak pricing works)
Paid rates at this property are actually reasonable, even during ski season, but even at a “reasonable” ski resort rate, you’ll still often get close to $1000 value if you redeem the certificates for 3 nights at this property.
We stayed here in January and it’s in a great location.
12. The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (Arizona)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
I found lots of availability for off-peak and standard redemption pricing for 3 nights. Rates at this property are typically $500 or more after taxes and fees, so this is a great way to redeem the certificates.
13. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection (Hawaii)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Another redemption valued at over $2000…
This hotel is located on one of the most beautiful beaches on the Big Island.
I found lots of availability at the off peak redemption level for several dates in May and June of 2022. Paid rates are typically more than $700 per night after taxes and fees, and on the dates I found in May it was over $900 per night after taxes and fees which would make 3 certificates worth almost $3000!
14. The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort (Hawaii)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort is next to Mauna Kea and it has a beautiful beach that has consistently made lists of top beaches in the US and in the world. We snorkeled in a cove right off the beach and saw several sea turtles.
Since this is a category 6 property, it is easier to find 3 nights in a row with redemption prices that are eligible for the certificates. The redemption value is great here since rooms are typically at least around $600 per night.
15. The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas (Hawaii)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Rates at this property are typically $300-$400 per night before taxes and fees, making a 3 night stay worth at least $1000 after taxes and fees.
16. The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali (Hawaii)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Rates I found for dates available to book with the certificates were over $700 per night after taxes and fees, making a 3 night stay here worth over $2,100.
17. Hotel Park City, Autograph Collection (Utah)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
This hotel has been named a top ski hotel by Conde Nast, but off-peak redemption dates are hard to find in ski season. It’s easier to find off-peak redemption dates outside of ski season.
Rates are around $300 per night (before taxes and fees) on the dates I found that are available to book with the certificates.
18 (and 19). The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection (Maine)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
I found decent availability at this property in Portland for off peak redemption rates. We have had Maine on our list for a while and this is one of the hotels we looked at recently. Pre-tax/fee rates are around $250 on the dates I found that were redeemable with the certificates, making a 3 night stay worth over $750.
The closest Marriott property to Bar Harbor is a Residence Inn in Bangor that is category 5, meaning availability will be easier to find. Rates are typically close to $200 at this property.
20. Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos (Mexico)
UPDATE: This property is currently closed “to address immediate and unanticipated infrastructure needs”, per their website.
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
I found lots of off peak availability for dates in August 2021 through October 2021
Rates for the available dates I found are around $500 per night, but then service charges and taxes add quite a bit to the paid rate making out of pocket taxes and fees total ~$550 on a 3 night stay. There are no service charges when booking free nights at this property with points or certificates, so the value of the certificates for this stay would be over $2,000.
21. JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa (Mexico)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
Since this is a category 6 property, it’s easier to find dates for which the free night certificates can be redeemed. Rates are typically $200 or more, so the value of a 3 night stay would be at least $600, but often more.
22. The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa (Cayman Islands)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Rates are usually at least $400 per night.
23. The Westin St. John Resort Villas (St. John, USVI)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
I found several dates that have off-peak redemption pricing at the Westin St. John Resort Villas and the average 3 night stay was ~$1200 total.
24. W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal (Costa Rica)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
Costa Rica is open to US citizens, but check all requirements before you go.
I found lots of off-peak pricing for a 3 night stay through the end of 2021. Pre-tax rates are over $300 per night, so this would be a good way to redeem certificates.
25. JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa (Costa Rica)
(Category 6, must find off peak or standard dates)
This hotel is a little easier to find availability since you can redeem the certificates for dates with off-peak or standard redemption prices. Average rates for this hotel are all over the board. Depending on which dates you want, a 3 night stay could cost anywhere from ~$600 to over $1000.
26. The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler (Canada)
(Category 7, must find off peak dates)
We love Whistler and this property!
Rates can be $300-$400 per night (often much higher during ski season). It may be tough to find off peak redemption availability during ski season, but it’s an excellent value if you can find it! Whistler is great any time of the year, though.
There is also Delta Hotels property(that’s a Marriott brand, nothing to do with the airline) in Whistler that is a category 6 property and may have better availability if you’re looking to go during ski season. I saw several dates in December at 50k. Rates for the 50k dates were typically $500 or more.
27. Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Valle Sagrado (Peru)
Here’s another country where you’ll need to check entry requirements. But this was one of our favorite properties, so I have to mention it because it is a great way to redeem these certificates.
We booked the Tambo del Inka property (a Luxury Collection Resort) for our trip to Peru. This property is now category 6 (it was category 5 at the time we booked). As a category 6 property, you can use the certificates from the current welcome offer for dates with off peak or standard award night availability.
For our dates, the rate at Tambo del Inka was over $400 per night after taxes.
We did have to pay the “Destination Amenity Fee” on our free nights (resort fees). Saving $1,200 on a 3 night stay is still very exciting even if you have to pay a resort fee. These prices are from our trip last year but I did check rates at Tambo del Inka for future stays and rates are usually still $400 or more per night after factoring in taxes and fees.
I found lots of availability for 2021 and beyond.
A few final thoughts
Who is eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card?
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card is a Chase 5/24 card. This means that if you have opened 5 or more credit cards from ANY bank in the past 24 months, you will not be approved for this card.
If you currently have a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card or the former versions of it (Marriott Bonvoy Premier, Marriott Rewards Premier, or Marriott Rewards Premier Plus card), you cannot open this card. If you previously had this card or one of the above and received a signup bonus less than 24 months ago, you also are not eligible.
You cannot open this card if you have the other Marriott personal card issued by Chase, Marriott Bonvoy Bold, or if you previously had it and earned a signup bonus on it less than 24 months ago.
Important note about bonus eligibility:
2 banks issue Marriott cards: Chase and Amex. Both banks have restrictions on welcome bonuses. It’s a little complicated, but the simplest way to put it is this: once you open one from either bank, you may be ineligible for another Marriott bonus from the other bank until you close that card and/or there may be a waiting period before you can get another welcome bonus on another card. To summarize, here are the restrictions on receiving a welcome bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card from Chase:
If you have or have recently had either of these cards, check the offer terms on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless to confirm eligibility before applying.
- Marriott Bonvoy American Express or the former version of it (Starwood Preferred Guest credit card from Amex): If you currently have or have had this card in the previous 30 days, you’re ineligible for the bonus.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card or the former version of it (the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card): If you have opened this card in the past 90 days or if you received a welcome bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months, you’re ineligible for the bonus.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card or the former version of it (the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express): If you have opened this card in the past 90 days or if you received a welcome bonus or upgrade in the last 24 months, you’re ineligible for this bonus.
Click here for an updated list of our favorite credit cards.
Advertiser disclosure: The Miles Genie has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Miles Genie and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Comments below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. The comments have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.