Ritz-Carlton Rewards ‘do 2 stays, get a free’ night promo looks very attractive this summer

UPDATE – MAY 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly summary of the top hotel bonus point offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ menu above.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

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Ritz-Carlton Rewards, the loyalty scheme for the 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel group, has launched a Summer promotion which could potentially be very lucrative for the high-end traveller.

For every two stays you make at a Ritz-Carlton managed hotel between July 1st and October 31st, you will receive a voucher for one free night. You can receive a maximum of two vouchers, requiring you to make four Ritz-Carlton stays.

Full details can be found on the Ritz-Carlton website.

Outside Europe, there are a lot of impressive Ritz-Carlton branded hotels. What is less known, however, is that Ritz-Carlton also manages a lot of European hotels. However, due to trademark issues over the ownership of the ‘Ritz’ name, it is not allowed to put its name above the door. The Hotel Arts in Barcelona, for example, is a Ritz-Carlton property, as is the Penha Longha resort in Portugal (below) which I visited a couple of years ago.

Your free night vouchers are valid for a year, so you will have plenty of time to use them.

One snag is that you can only redeem your free nights at a Category 1-3 hotel (the Ritz-Carlton Rewards chart has five categories). However, there are a lot of decent properties in Categories 1-3.

You can see the tier list by visiting this page and clicking on the links at the bottom. In Europe, you would be able to redeem in Vienna, Istanbul, Berlin, Wolfsburg, Powerscourt (near Dublin), Tenerife and Moscow as well as the Barcelona and Portugal properties I mentioned earlier.

Overall, I like this promotion, especially as you have four months to manage your two stays. If you were planning a trip to Moscow, which has horrendously expensive hotels, it would even be worth going out of your way to do some Ritz-Carlson nights in order to get a free stay there.

Important – the difference between Marriott Rewards and Ritz-Carlton Rewards

If you are interested in taking part in this promotion, then you MUST read this article first. Basically, Ritz-Carlton Rewards is operationally part of Marriott Rewards (Marriott owns Ritz-Carlton) and you are not allowed to be a member of both programmes.

If you want to take part in this promotion and you have a Marriott Rewards account, you will have to ring Marriott and convert it to a Ritz-Carlton Rewards account, or open a new Ritz-Carlton Rewards account using a different email and postal address to your Marriott account.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (May 2025)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed The Platinum Card from American Express in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.