Not long ago, the Ritz Carlton credit card was offering three free nights at a Category 1-4 Ritz Carlton property after you signed up for the card and met a minimum spending requirement. These days, the offer is now down to two free nights after you spend $4,000 on your card within the first three months of account opening.
Practically overnight, the value of this card dropped by 1/3. Is it still worth it? Well, that really depends.
First, the good news. The card is still offering two free nights at any Category 1-4 property, which can be a good value on its own. Considering a night at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba can easily be $800 or more, the signup bonus on this card can still be lucrative.
The problem? The Ritz Carlton card still comes with a $450 annual fee that makes your "free nights" less than free. It was a better deal when you scored three free nights just for signing up, but two free nights? Not so much.
Other Ritz Carlton Perks to Consider
Of course, the Ritz Carlton credit card comes with other benefits that can help offset the annual fee. The first one - and the best one - is the $300 annual travel credit you get as a cardholder each year. This credit card can be used to cover seat upgrades, in-flight meals and wifi, lounge access, and other in-flight luxuries. If you can make use of this credit year after year, that makes a huge difference.
Other benefits the card offers include:
*Priority Pass Select Membership with access to 1,000 airports worldwide (worth approximately $399)
*Global Entry Fee Reimbursement of $100
*An airline ticket discount good for $100 off special flights
*Gold Status with Ritz Carlton and Marriott
*$100 Ritz Carlton credit on paid stays of 2 nights or longer
*Three Club Level upgrades on paid stays of 7 nights or longer
*Is The Two Free Nights Offer Worth It?
If you're deciding whether to pull the trigger on the offer with two free nights, it's important to consider whether you can take advantage of the card's additional benefits. Obviously, two free nights at a Ritz-Carlton can be worth quite a bit, but are they enough to offset the card's $450 annual fee?
If you might buy the top tier Priority Pass membership (worth around $399) anyway, then the value of the Ritz-Carlton offer goes up tremendously. If you know you can take advantage of the $300 in travel upgrades each year, then that boosts this card's value, too. Obviously, it's smart to get the most out of the Global Entry credit and airline discount as well.
One of the biggest values of this card is on paid upgrades, however. If you pay for Ritz Carlton stays outright, the value of this card can shoot through the roof. At the Ritz Carlton Aruba once again, a Club Level upgrade can be worth more than $200 per night. On a paid stay of seven nights, you'll easily score $1,400 in value from this one perk.
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