Even if you only stay with a specific hotel loyalty program several times each year, a cobranded hotel credit card can be helpful. After all, most hotel credit cards offer bonus earnings on stays, elite status benefits and other program-specific perks.
I originally signed up for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) in 2020 for its welcome offer and 15 elite night credits each year. However, I plan to keep the card long-term for its annual free night and elite night credits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless currently has a welcome offer of three free night awards (valued at up to 50,000 points each; certain hotels have resort fees) that can be earned after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This welcome offer will provide significant value in your first year with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless. But here’s a look at the ongoing benefits of keeping the card.
Annual free night
The most valuable ongoing perk of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is the free night award cardholders get each year after their account anniversary.
This free night award is valid for a one-night stay at a Marriott Bonvoy property with a redemption level of up to 35,000 points. If you want to redeem the free night award at a property with a higher redemption level, you can top off the award with up to 15,000 points to cover the difference. You can use points from your account for the top-off, or you can purchase the required points.
The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa in Malaysia. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
Some properties for which you could historically redeem free night awards are no longer bookable on many dates for 35,000 points per night or less. But I still find the free night award offers me more than enough value to offset the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card’s $95 annual fee.
My husband and I each have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. So each year we earn a total of four free night awards (worth up to 35,000 points each) from our four cards.
I prefer to save our Marriott free night certificates for short stays at appealing properties, such as the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel, which has rooms overlooking Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and Marriott Mena House, Cairo, which is adjacent to the Giza Pyramid Complex.
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But I’ll also use certificates to cover nights when rates are high, such as in Edinburgh during a popular rugby match. And I’ll sometimes use a free night certificate to stay a sixth night when redeeming points for five nights, as I did last year at the Le Meridien Resort & Spa in The Maldives.
Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa in the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY
In short, you should easily recoup at least the value of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card’s $95 annual fee when redeeming a 35,000-point Marriott free night certificate. Even if you usually stay at Marriott properties with higher award rates, you may be able to use the certificate for a one-night stay on a road trip or at an airport hotel before or during a trip.
Related: 4 reasons you need a credit card with your favorite hotel loyalty program
Elite status boost
I initially signed up for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless primarily because it offers 15 elite night credits each year toward Marriott elite status, and these elite night credits have continued to be useful each year.
I strive to earn at least Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status each year, which requires me to accrue 50 nights per year. Platinum Elite status unlocks benefits like lounge access, 4 p.m. late checkout and the option to choose breakfast as an elite welcome gift at many Marriott Bonvoy brands.
Marriott Cancun, An All-Inclusive Resort in Mexico. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY
You can earn elite night credits each year from a maximum of one consumer and one business Marriott Bonvoy credit card. So, each year I earn 15 elite night credits from my Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and 15 from my Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex. Since I get 30 elite night credits from my cards each year, I only need to stay at Marriott Bonvoy properties for 20 nights per year to reach Platinum Elite status or 45 nights per year for Titanium Elite status.
Other useful benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
In addition to the annual free night award and elite night credits I’ve discussed so far, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless also provides the following perks:
- Earn an additional elite night credit for each $5,000 in purchases with your card
- No points expiry as you make at least one purchase on your credit card every 24 months
- No foreign transaction fees
You’ll also earn Marriott points as follows when you make purchases with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card:
- 6 points per dollar spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 3 points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores and on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services (on the first $6,000 spent each calendar year on combined purchases; then 2 points per dollar spent)
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
These benefits can be useful, especially if you want to earn more Marriott points through card purchases. However, the annual free night award and elite night credits are the perks that will keep the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless in my wallet for the long term.
Related: 3 reasons why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is worth the $95 annual fee
Bottom line
I plan to keep all of my hotel credit cards that offer an annual free night for the long term, and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless isn’t an exception. After all, it’s easy to get more than $95 of value each year from the card’s free night award and 15 elite night credits.
If you don’t yet have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, its current welcome offer makes now an especially compelling time to apply. You can earn three free night awards (worth up to 50,000 points each; certain hotels have resort fees) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s enough for a long weekend at properties where cash rates frequently soar or a trio of aspirational one-night stays that can unlock memorable trips.
To learn more, read our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
