You can use the perks of the card to get 3 free nights at top Ritz-Carlton hotels, $400 toward flight discounts, TSA PreCheck for easier airport security, and free Priority Pass Select membership to unwind in an airport lounge before or after your trip!
I’ll show you how to combine the benefits to enjoy a memorable vacation!
About the Chase Ritz-Carlton Card
Link: Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
Link: My Review of the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card
In addition to the 3 free nights at Tier 1 to 4 hotels you’ll earn after you spend $5,000 within 3 months of account opening, and 10,000 points after you add an authorized user and make a purchase, you’ll also get great perks like:
- $300 annual travel credit to use for qualifying airline purchases such as seat upgrades, baggage fees and preferred lounge memberships or passes
- $100 discount on multi-passenger, domestic round-trip itineraries purchased through the Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit – with no limit on the number of times you can use the discount
- Priority Pass Select for access to airport lounges
- $100 hotel credit for dining, spa or other recreational activities with each paid stay of 2 nights or longer at participating Ritz-Carlton hotels
- $100 statement credit for Global Entry
- Gold elite status at Ritz-Carlton & Marriott (after the first year you have to spend $10,000 on the card to keep Gold status)
The card has a $450 annual fee, which is NOT waived for the first year.
31 US Cities Where You Can Use Your Ritz-Carlton Card Free Nights
Here’s a list of all 76 hotels where you can stay with your Chase Ritz-Carlton card free nights. Within the US, you have your pick of 31 cities. Hotels in bold are ones I consider to be especially nice. I’ve linked them to posts where I talked about them.Arizona
- Marana: The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain – Tier 2
California
- Dana Point: The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel – Tier 4
- Half Moon Bay: The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay – Tier 4
- Los Angeles: The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles – Tier 4
- Marina del Rey: The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey – Tier 3
- Rancho Mirage: The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage – Tier 3
- San Francisco: The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco – Tier 4
- Truckee: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe – Tier 4
Colorado
- Denver: The Ritz-Carlton, Denver – Tier 3
District of Columbia
- Washington: The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, DC – Tier 4
- Washington: The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, DC – Tier 4
Florida
- Amelia Island: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island – Tier 3
- Fort Lauderdale: The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale – Tier 3
- Miami: The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami – Tier 3
- Naples: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples – Tier 3
- Orlando: The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes – Tier 2
- Sarasota: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota – Tier 3
Georgia
- Atlanta: The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta – Tier 2
- Atlanta: The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead – Tier 2
- Greensboro: The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee – Tier 3
Hawaii
- Kapalua: The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua – Tier 4
Illinois
- Chicago: The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago – Tier 3
Louisiana
- New Orleans: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans – Tier 3
Massachusetts
- Boston: The Ritz-Carlton, Boston – Tier 4
Missouri
- St. Louis: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis – Tier 2
New York
- New York: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park – Tier 4
- White Plains: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester – Tier 2
North Carolina
- Charlotte: The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte – Tier 3
Ohio
- Cleveland: The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland – Tier 2
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia: The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia – Tier 3
Texas
- Dallas: The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas – Tier 3
Virginia
- Arlington: The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City – Tier 2
- McLean: The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner – Tier 1
Travel in Style With Chase Ritz-Carlton Benefits
Although this card has a high annual fee, the $300 statement credit for airline incidentals, $100 flight discount, Global Entry credit, and Priority Pass for airport lounge access, can effectively cancel it out – and give you the chance to travel in style.
When you consider the potentially huge value of the sign-up bonus, you can put together a terrific trip to several worthwhile destinations.
Here’s how to build your trip!Step 1 – Pick Your Ritz-Carlton Hotel
You can use your 3 free nights at Tier 1 to 4 hotels. You’ll usually save the most cash out-of-pocket with a higher-category hotel. So this is your chance to splurge!
For example, I found 3 nights at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay near San Francisco in April 2017.
So it’s easy to save $1,000 – or much more – with the Chase Ritz-Carlton card sign-up bonus alone, depending on where you want to stay.
Step 2 – Get $100 Off Your Flights
Link: Easy $100 Flight Discounts With Ritz-Carlton Card, Everything to Know
Here’s my guide on everything to know about using the $100 flight discount. You can use this perk as many times as you want. So if you have a lot of paid travel with a companion, this is an extremely easy way to save money!
For example, I found 2 round-trip, non-stop coach flights from Houston to San Francisco for ~$756 (or ~$378 per person). But with your $100 flight discount, you’d pay ~$656 for these flights (or ~$328 per person).
This benefit works with most major US airlines. And it’s an even better deal if you can find cheap flights to where you want to visit!
Note: The cardholder must be one of the passengers on the itinerary. And certain airlines, like Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit, aren’t eligible.Step 3 – Save $300 on Incidentals
You’ll get a $300 annual travel credit to use on things like seat upgrades, baggage fees and preferred lounge memberships or passes. That can go a long way toward a more comfortable trip!
In the example above, you can add an upgrade to a more spacious Economy Plus seat for $120 per person in one direction, and $108 per person in the other. Your $300 travel credit could cover this upgrade!
Note: Make sure to do the upgrade separately so it appears as a second charge on your card statement. If you purchase the upgrade with your ticket, you’ll pay one price and it will be harder to separate the fare from the upgrade.Or, if you want to check a bag, enjoy a snack and drink in-flight, or add any other upgrades to your flight, those would be reimbursed, too. You can even upgrade to First Class if it’s available!
You do NOT have to use your $300 annual travel credit in one trip. You could even save it and use it on several different trips later on.
Step 4 – Skip the Security Line With TSA PreCheck
You’ll have a $100 credit to use for a Global Entry membership. With Global Entry, you’ll normally get through airport security faster with TSA PreCheck. Just be sure to add your Known Traveler Number (KTN) to your reservation.
If you travel a lot domestically, this an excellent benefit that many Million Mile Secrets team members frequently enjoy. And remember to give yourself enough time to make your Global Entry appointment before you want to use it!
Step 5 – Relax in the Lounge
Priority Pass Select membership is another benefit of the Chase Ritz-Carlton card. For our example, I found 2 lounges in Houston and 1 lounge available in San Francisco.
Just remember to bring your Priority Pass card to the lounge with you. It won’t be enough to present your Chase Ritz-Carlton card.
Bottom Line
It’s possible to build a memorable trip with the sign-up bonus and benefits of the Chase Ritz-Carlton card. Depending on how often you use them, it’s also easy to cover the card’s $450 annual fee.There are 31 US cities with a Tier 1 to 4 Ritz-Carlton hotel. When you sign-up for the Chase Ritz-Carlton card, you’ll get 3 free nights to enjoy after completing the minimum spending requirements.
And you can use the card’s benefits like the $100 domestic flight discount, $300 annual travel credit, Global Entry credit, and Priority Pass Select membership to travel in style – and get up to $400 off your flights and travel incidentals.
Which Ritz-Carlton hotel would you visit with your 3 free nights?