I am a US person, I maintain a US home, and I spend a large amount of time in the UK. That combination affects which cards are available, how benefits post, how elite status behaves internationally, and which assumptions in mainstream Marriott coverage simply do not apply.

Most writing about Marriott assumes a domestic US traveller with one or two cards and a fairly narrow travel pattern. My setup is different. I hold cards issued in multiple jurisdictions, I track what actually posts and sticks across regions, and I focus on the ongoing value rather than marketing promises.

Marriott is not the simplest programme, but used deliberately, it is one of the most reliable global hotel tools available.

Before Marriott absorbed SPG, SPG was the backbone of many serious points strategies. My wife and I held:

That UK card became my first meaningful UK credit line when I started working there, and that credit history is still relevant today.

The current programme is more rule-heavy than SPG ever was, but some of SPG’s strengths survived. In particular, flexibility around certificates, a massive international footprint, and the ability to extract value without tying everything to spend.

This point is not especially relevant for domestic US travellers. It is for people who hold Marriott cards in more than one country.

Elite night credits from credit cards cap at 40 per year globally.

That 40 comes from:

It does not matter that cards are issued in different countries. It does not matter that nights may appear to post separately at first. Over time, anything beyond 40 reconciles away.

For cross-border users, understanding this prevents wasted spend and incorrect assumptions about stacking.

Marriott is not the best programme for:

It is very good at:

Outside the US, Platinum status works. Lounge access clears. Breakfast is honoured. Brands like Sheraton, often written off by US travellers, can be excellent in Asia and parts of Europe.

This is not about signup bonuses. I am happy to pursue those opportunistically. This setup is about repeatable annual value.

We currently hold three Ritz-Carlton cards, all acquired via product changes.

Each card:

An 85K Marriott night acquired for $150 is one of the clearest value opportunities still available in hotel cards. I would hold more Ritz cards if Chase allowed it. The limitation here is issuer policy, not economics.

We hold two Bonvoy Brilliant cards.

Each card:

These cards earn their keep. The dining credit behaves like cash in our household, and the certificates have been redeemed at properties costing $1,000 or more.

Once Lifetime Platinum is locked in, the decision becomes simpler. At that point, the question is whether an 85K certificate is worth $350 when the Ritz delivers the same certificate more cheaply. Current feeling is we’d probably keep it anyway, but that is a future pruning decision, not a current one.

I also hold:

Together, they generate three 35K certificates annually. They are net positive and get used, but they are not where most of the value sits.

I would happily hold additional Boundless-type cards if allowed. A $95 fee for a 35K certificate is still good value. The reason Boundless is not core today is simple: Ritz is materially more powerful.

Boundless is most interesting when it can later become Ritz.

I deliberately keep the UK Bonvoy Amex.

Not for elite nights.

Not for the spend-based 25K certificate, which I do not chase.

I keep it because:

It plays a supporting player, not star, role in the portfolio.

This table shows what the portfolio actually costs to hold.

Notes:

The value in this setup comes from certificates, not spend.

This table shows what the portfolio produces.

Annual output:

Points earning opportunities, spending multiples, redemption opportunities all contribute to the value of the program for me, but this table is the core of my Marriott strategy.

Marriott Moments can deliver value well beyond rooms.

A recent example was the Berlin Odyssey:

Moments are inconsistent, but some are genuinely differentiated.

Marriott is not flashy. It is not simple. It is not optimised by holding every card or chasing every night credit.

But if you:

Marriott becomes one of the most durable and flexible tools in a serious travel portfolio.