Tag Archives: Marriott Hotels

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Why Did I Upgrade my Chase Marriott Bonvoy to JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton?

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Good morning everyone.  With last week’s news about the demise of the City National Bank CNB Crystal Visa Infinite Credit Card, I needed to find a replacement credit card that offered the $100 Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit.  With this benefit, you get $100 off roundtrip, domestic flights for 2 or more passengers on select airlines (excludes low cost airlines).  This benefit can be used an unlimited amount of times.  I used to have this benefit when I had the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card, but I downgraded to the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa Signature Credit Card a few years ago.  The good news is that the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card is still available, but only as an upgrade option from the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa Signature Credit Card.

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$100 off 2 roundtrip domestic tickets with the Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit

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Hotel Review: Sweet Upgrade to the Presidential Suite at Historic San Diego Courtyard Marriott

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Good afternoon everyone.  After our short Alaska Airlines flight from Santa Rosa / Sonoma County to San Diego, we took an Uber to the Courtyard San Diego Downtown Hotel.  I picked this hotel because the “hotel is in the former San Diego Trust and Savings Bank building, and the old vault has been converted into a one-of-a-kind meeting space that your colleagues will be talking about for years to come.”  I love staying in old, historic, charming hotels, like my Amazing Stay at DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle (Historic Building Built in 1917).

This hotel costs 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points per night, so I used my Free Night Certificate from the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card to book the first night and then I used 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points for the second night.  Somehow, I received 5 free Suite Night Upgrades in my Marriott Bonvoy account (probably from combining my SPG & Marriott Rewards accounts and from having several Marriott credit cards with elite nights stacking).  I decided to use my last 2 Suite Night Upgrades at this hotel because they were going to expire on December 31, 2019, and I don’t have any other Marriott stays booked or planned for the rest of the year.  This turned out to be a great use of my Suite Night Upgrades…

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4 Hotel Buy Points Promos Ending Soon: Marriott (30%), Hyatt (40%), IHG (80%) & Hilton (100%)

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Good afternoon everyone.  I was working on my Buy Miles & Points Page and found a few offers ending soon.  Always check the math to make sure that buying miles & points makes sense for you.  Do not buy miles & points speculatively unless you have a use in mind.  With that said, here are 4 offers that end this week.  Up first, Marriott Hotels is offering a 30% discount, when you purchase Marriott Bonvoy Points.  This offer expires on October 18.

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10 Day Asia Trip Report Summary (China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal)

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Good morning everyone, I hope your week is going well.  By the time you read this post, I will be flying Cathay Pacific business class back to San Francisco.  At the beginning of the trip, I flew Air China business class from San Francisco to Beijing.  For the last 10 days, I have been hopping around Asia and I visited these cities:

  • Beijing, China (1 night)
  • Yangon, Myanmar (3 nights)
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh (1 night)
  • Paro & Thimphu, Bhutan (2 nights)
  • Kathmandu, Nepal (2 nights)
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Great Circle Mapper: http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=PEK-RGN-DAC-PBH-KTM

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Keep, Cancel or Convert? Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card ($95 Annual Fee)

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Good morning everyone, happy Friday!  As part of my “Keep, Cancel or Convert?” series, I like to evaluate and reevaluate credit cards to make sure they still deserve a spot in my wallet (or credit card drawer). For today’s post, I was reviewing my Chase credit cards and noticed that the $95 annual fee posted to my Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.  I have had this credit card in various forms over the last few years, starting with the $395 JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Visa Infinite Credit Card, then to the $85 Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card, then to the $95 Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card, and now the $95 Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.  Hopefully that all made sense to you.

Even though I do not love Marriott Bonvoy (even more so after the upcoming Peak and Off-Peak pricing goes into effect), I have continued to keep this credit card for the free night certificate.  I can usually get $150-$200 of value from the Marriott Bonvoy 35K Free Night Certificate.  I always call when an annual fee posts and ask the credit card company to waive the annual fee (a really long shot), provide a partial statement credit (occasionally), or provide a targeted retention offer (sometimes).  If you do not ask, you have a 0% chance of success – the worst they can say is no.  So, what did I get offered and what I learn from the call?

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