How to Get the Ritz Carlton Military Discount
The Ritz Carlton is arguably the best military discount around. You can easily score 50% off the lowest rate available online just by following these steps:
- Choose Location
- Check Availability For Your Desired Stay
- Make a Free Marriott Bonvoy Account
- Call location and book government rate.
- Bring Military ID when you check in
- Let the Check In Desk Know Your Marriott Bonvoy Account Number
- Pay: Preferably Using a Travel Credit Card
Following these steps is likely to get you an awesome discount. You can take this even further by combining it with a Marriott Bonvoy Account and travel credit cards which are free to service members.
By using the discounts found in this article, I was able to book a two night anniversary getaway at the Amelia Island, FL Ritz for only $220 out of pocket.
In This Article
- My Anniversary Experience
- Other Military Travel Discounts
Marriott Bonvoy
The Ritz Carlton is part of the Marriott family of hotels. You’ll want to use (or open) a Marriott Bonvoy Account to earn points. Perks also unlock based on how many days you stay in a Marriott owned hotel annually, so you can work towards room upgrades and free check in gifts.
Marriott Bonvoy
Travel Credit Cards
Paying for this trip with a travel credit card can seriously increase your benefits. I used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to pay for my getaway but the Marriott Bonvoy Cards would be lucrative as well. Both have annual fees that are free for military members so you can enjoy the perks at no cost.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has many great perks but there are two that are perfect for a stay at the Ritz.
- $300 Travel Credit: Chase will reimburse you for $300 annually for any charges in the travel category. This is one of the most useful perks of any credit cards. Paying for a stay at the Ritz with this card will get you $300 off the total cost.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status: The Chase Sapphire will automatically upgrade your Marriott Bonvoy to this level. This means your stay will automatically come with 25% more Bonvoy points, late checkout and a room upgrade if available.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee that is waived for service members and their spouses.
There are a few options for the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. They support options in both the Chase and American Express family. One of the most compelling is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card. It has a free 5 nights if you spend $5000 in the first 90 days. It also gives you a free night annually. One downside is you only get silver elite account status. This entitles you to late check out if it’s available.
The annual fee is $95 which is waived for service members and their spouses.
To show you how simple and powerful it is to chain these perks together, let’s take a look at how I did this for my anniversary getaway. I’ll also share a military discount in Key West that is just as lucrative.
Anniversary Getaway
I had heard time and again that the Ritz offers good military discounts but assumed that even with a discount it would be a lot.
My anniversary was a great reason to check it out and see if it was really worthwhile. It was a three day weekend and I wanted to find a nice place to stay Saturday and Sunday night.
I called the resort at Amelia Island, FL and asked about their military rates. I wasn’t expecting much, their regular rates for that weekend were $550/ night. My jaw dropped when she said with the military discount it was only $260/ night.
Without any additional benefits they were offering me a $580 discount to the standard rate for those two nights. Also, the rate was less than other typical chain hotels on Amelia Island. All they asked was that I show my ID at check in.
I booked two nights using my newly opened Chase Sapphire Reserve (which I literally opened because of this article). The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $300 travel credit so the total out of pocket cost was $220 for a weekend at the Ritz.
Being the off season, we had the whole place to ourselves. Because I booked with the Chase Sapphire Reserve which has Marriot Bonvoy status, our room was upgraded to a sixth floor ocean view room. It was sick.
When we got there we found champagne and chocolate waiting for us (on the house). That’s what happens when you tell the Ritz it’s your anniversary.
Needless to say the rest of the weekend was awesome. With the money we had saved booking, we didn’t feel guilty ordering a few drinks like this:
We enjoyed the awesome bars, restaurants and bonfires on the beach. At sunset we got to break out our beloved picnic backpack that we received as a wedding gift. Being on the beach, under the stars and next to a fire was the perfect way to spend a weekend getaway.
Pointers
You need to call the location you are interested in. It’s not mentioned anywhere online.
Your best bet is going in the offseason. Though this rate is always available, Ritz’s are usually booked during peak travel season.
.
Technically, what they’re giving you is the government rate. At most hotels the government rate is about the same as the standard which is why this discount is so impressive.
Bonus: The Key West Military Discount
If you are interested in a 3 bedroom townhouse in the heart of key west look no further.