Is the New Offer on Chase Marriott Boundless Card (5 Certs) Worth It For Families?

Note: One or more of the credit card offers mentioned below has changed. See current credit card offers here.

I’ve seen this offer mentioned on Frequent Miler blog a few days ago and decided it deserves a separate post. So, what’s the deal? The current sign-up bonus on Chase Marriott Boundless card comes with 5 hotel certificates (each night valued at up to 50k points) after you spend $5k in three months after account opening. Application link (does not pay us any commission). The $95 annual fee is not waived.

First things first. This card is subject to Chase 5/24 rule, which automatically disqualifies yours truly. Also, there are other application restrictions that are addressed in the FM post I’ve linked to earlier. But even if you are good to go, I would still look at other Chase offers first. If you qualify to receive a sign-up bonus on Chase Sapphire Preferred, I would pick that over the Marriott offer. Right now the in-branch offer on CSP card is 90k points, and is certainly worth pursuing if you are eligible.

Keep in mind that Marriott certificates expire one year after they are earned. Sometimes you can call and ask about an extension, but I wouldn’t bank on it. Also, you can top them off as long as the property doesn’t cost more than 65k points per night. But that’s less than ideal, and will decrease the overall value of the certificates if you have to buy a ton of extra Marriott points. Last but not least, Marriott properties do charge resort fees on award bookings, and those can certainly  add up, especially in Hawaii and other beach destinations.

So, let’s say you  are still interested in the Boundless offer, but are not sure if it’s worth it for family travel. Obviously, everyone has different interests and destinations in mind, so it’s hard to make blanket statements. Also, the value is in the eye of the beholder. In general, travel certificates are excellent for airport stays, visiting relatives, as well as road trips. And of course, if you need a place to sleep when a special event in town is sending hotel rates through the roof.

But what if you want something a bit more fancy? You still have options.

Visiting Florida during spring break

This is something that is quite popular among families in America, so let’s see what kind of deals you can expect during March of 2024. I did a search for five nights, so the cost shown will reflect that. I first checked the area around Disney, and it looks like you have quite a few choices there:

 

 

 

I did a search for 2 adults and 2 kids, and most options presented consisted of rooms with two queen beds. However, there were also hotels thad offered a suite as a standard award, like this Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas property.

Verdict: if you want to visit Disney and don’t mind sharing a room with your kids, you should be able to find a good use for your Marriott certificates during high season, as long as you book ahead.

Now let’s take a look at Florida Keys, a very popular area during spring months. I was surprised to see that even here you have options:

 

As you can see, the average price per night is 50k points and only a bit more in the case of Fairfield Inn and Suites. There  were  also  some  options  in Key West,  one  of  the  most  expensive  areas  in Florida.

To be honest, I was surprised, as I expected to find much higher  rates in March. Obviously, I can’t guarantee that these properties will cost the same amount via points by the time you actually get the bonus, so there is definitely some risk involved. Any time you deal with expiring hotel certificates, it pays to be super flexible.

Overall, I would say that this offer is extremely lucrative if you plan to visit Florida with your family.  Even if you conservatively value each certificate at $150, that’s more than $650 in profit when factoring in annual fee. Is it mind-blowing? No. But it’s very, very good.

Using certificates internationally

The biggest issue you will be facing is the fact that most international properties usually only allow double occupancy, so you will likely have to burn two certs per night if you are traveling with kids. Still, it could be worth it. Last year my family stayed in Paris for two nights. During my research I’ve discovered that it’s hard to find a centrally located/decent hotel property for less than $200 per room. In fact, we ended up paying $400 per night in order to book two connecting rooms in Hotel Eiffel Blomet (see my review).

So, I would not hesitate to use hotel certificates in Paris in order to save cash. When  I  did  a search  for three  nights this July, I found a perfectly nice looking Moxy Paris Bastille, averaging 44k points per night. I haven’t stayed in it, so can’t comment on quality, but the CPP value is pretty good and location looks decent.

 

Here is another example in expensive Iceland, averaging 45k points per night:

Don’t be turned off by the fact that it’s an airport hotel. I saw it, and it looked really cool. Plus, if you have a two-night layover in Iceland, staying near airport makes a lot of sense. A bonus: it’s close to a Blue Lagoon, which is a must-visit in my opinion.

I saved the best for last. If you plan to travel to the Sacred Valley area in Peru, you can use the certificates at Tambo del Inca property, a luxury resort that costs close to $400 per night:

My husband and I are actually thinking about going to Peru without kids next year, and I would absolutely apply for this card in order to book a stay in Tambo del Inca property. Alas, we are both over 5/24 and will be for some time.

Final thoughts

This is just a small sample of what’s possible to achieve via this bonus. So, is it a great deal or not? It absolutely can be under the right circumstances. Still, it would be silly to value the offer at 250k Marriott points due to limited flexibility of the certificates. You have to be sure that you have several back-up properties in mind in case your original plan doesn’t materialize.