Currently, two of the Marriott cards have welcome offers of five free nights (up to 50K points per night) after hitting the minimum spend on each. We have to ask, “Are the Marriott five free nights offers a great deal?” It depends. First, here are the two cards with that welcome offer:
 

Things to Keep in Mind

Initially, these offers sound impressive. But there are some things to keep in mind:

1. These certificates have a one-year expiration from the time they are deposited into your Marriott account. You want to be sure that you can use them before they expire.
2.  50K Marriott certificates are NOT as valuable as even 25K points at a Hyatt hotel that offers outsized value. The key is to do a little research and know where you would redeem them before you apply. You can top them off with up to 15K of your own Marriott points.
3. Are they worth a 5/24 spot? Take some time to consider this. If you have the ability to sign up for the business card, that might be a better option for you as it won’t count towards 5/24.
4. Several readers have said that they have had trouble getting the value they were hoping for out of these free night certificates, so we urge you to do some research. We think they might work for some people, but not everyone. I applied for this offer years ago, and it worked well, but that was before Marriott got rid of their award chart and switched to dynamic pricing.
5. The personal card has a minimum spend of $5,000 in the first 3 months. The business card requires a higher minimum spend of $8,000, but you have 6 months to meet that spend.

Bottom Line

It’s always wise to consider whether a new welcome offer makes sense for you. Make sure to do some research on this offer (and all offers). Are the Marriott five free night offers a great deal? That will vary from person to person, so do your due diligence before applying.