Match Now to Ritz-Carlton Rewards 3 Free Nights Offer (Coming Aug 18th)?
I recently applied (this past May) for the the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card, where I would earn 2 complimentary nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel, after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
This was not the best offer that this card has ever seen (there have been offers for 3 nights or even 140k points), but I wanted to take advantage of some other card perks and was willing to forfeit that extra night for some instant gratification…
BUT according to Dr of Credit, that 3 complimentary night offer that I thought I missed out on is actually set to return August 18th!
Did You Say 3 Free Nights?
Did you say pancakes? Pancakes, you say?
No pancakes? So just the 3 free Ritz-Carlton nights then?
Ok, I am listening… proceed…
If you have ever stayed at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, you know the high standard that is maintained at each of their properties. If you haven’t ever stayed at a Ritz-Carlton property (these hotels can be PRICEY!), this just may be your chance to stay for three nights, at the very reasonable price of… FREE!
Did I Miss Out on that 3rd Free Night!?
At first it would seem so…
I applied for the 2 complimentary nights in May, met the minimum spending requirement, and received the certificates in my Ritz-Carlton/Marriott account.
Then, earlier this morning, I saw a tweet from DoC who described others as having luck in getting matched to this higher (potential) offer! One of the many reasons that I signed up for DoC push notification on Twitter!
I had nothing to lose and decided to push for that additional night by sending a secure message to Chase… which looked a little something like this:
Hi,
I recently signed up for the Ritz Carlton Rewards card and received 2 Free Nights as a result of meeting the required spend the in the first 3 months of card ownership. I have recently come across a better offer for this card in the form of 3 Free Nights and I was hoping that it may be possible to be matched to this offer?
Thank you and have a great day!
DW
I have had luck in getting matched to higher offers in the past, and was really hoping that streak would continue!
But, just 3 hours later, I received the following response from Chase:
Hello Derek,
I will be happy to take a look at the promotion for your The Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card from J.P. Morgan.
Your account is not eligible for the new offer you requested. The original offer you applied for will remain on your account. You will receive two complimentary nights at any participating Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
We appreciate your business and thank you for being a Chase customer.
Thank you,
Bummer! My guess is that May is just out of reach to be considered a “recent application,” or perhaps the rep just could not match me to an offer that was not public yet? Either way, I will give it another shot as soon as the offer goes public on August 18th to see if I can snag that extra free night!
Regardless of the above the result, keep in mind that…
The 2 (soon to be 3) Complimentary Nights Come at a Cost
The high Ritz-Carlton standard doesn’t come cheap – but the new sign-up bonus offer on the Ritz-Carlton branded credit card can get your pretty little head resting on a Ritz-Carlton pillow for relatively low cost – by earning you 3 free nights at a Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton property after meeting some minimum spending in the first three months!
And while the offer is not yet public so I cannot confirm for certain, typically the offer also includes 10,000 Marriott points for adding an authorized user! Easy points, people!
Considering that Ritz-Carlton nights can easily exceed $500 per night, this sign-up bonus card can be worth over $1,500.
Remember, the sign-up bonus is limited to Tier 1-4 properties, meaning that the Tier 5 premier Ritz-Carlton properties are not available for redemption, but don’t worry! There are some absolutely stunning options to choose from!
Here are my 3 favorite Tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton properties of which I have stayed…
The annual fee is high (no denying that…), but there are some awesome perks that come with it, including Marriott Gold Status (the first year) and potential to earn Platinum Elite status with $75,000 spending each calendar year (LOL that is A LOT of spending).
The perks don’t stop at Gold Status! In addition, as a cardholder you will receive an annual $300 airline incidental fee credit (which reportedly can be used to purchase airline gift cards…but you didn’t hear it from me) – cutting your annual fee to $150!
Also, you will gain a Priority Pass Select Lounge Membership, (3) complimentary Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge upgrades, and a $100 Global Entry (or TSA PreCheck) reimbursement!
ATTENTION! If you do not have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, get it! It is so easy to get this fee reimbursed by a credit card and it will save you time and hassle when navigating the TSA security lines!
Want even more benefits!? Ok you got ’em!
A 10% annual bonus on points earned, 3 Club Level upgrades per year on paid Ritz-Carlton stays (stays up to 7 nights), and $100 credit for incidentals on paid Ritz-Carlton stays (stay must be 2 nights or more) – all yours!
Lastly, the card is a Visa Infinite, meaning you can save $100 each time you purchase domestic coach round-trip airfare for two people! Yes, you read that correctly – EACH and EVERY time – Unlimited! I have never had a Visa Infinite card (most of my Visa cards are Visa Signature), but since 95% of my travel is with my travel companion (companion=Editor-in-Chief/Wife Mallory), the $100 off deal has me pretty pumped!
What About All that Chase 5/24 Talk?
There have been reports suggesting that the Ritz-Carlton Rewards card is not subject to the infamous Chase 5/24 rule – which was great news for me! I applied and was approved for the card despite my current ~1,000/24 status!
Tip – If you have signed up for less than 5 credit cards in the last 24 months, I advise going for the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred, over the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card!
Final Thought
I love the Ritz-Carlton, and I love this card!
While I am super bummed that I was not matched to the upcoming (August 18th) 3 complimentary night offer, I am holding out hope that when this offer goes live I will have another shot!
Tip – If you are considering an application for this card, probably best to wait a few days until the increased offer is released to the public, rather than applying now and risking Chase not matching you to the better 3 complimentary night offer!
Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card… you are still beautiful, even if I am stuck with just 2 complimentary nights!
Anyone out there considering a sign-up for this card August 18th? Were any “recent” applicants able to get Chase to match the 3 night offer?
Happy Travels!
DW
thanks for the info, will wait a while for the 3night deal.
on another note. Its very irritating that you page move a huge chunk when using my scroll wheel. not a smooth scroll. Just food for though.