Marriott card also gives 1 elite-qualifying night for every 3K spend, so 10k spent on Marriott card would equate to 18 elite nights towards the 50 threshold of Gold status. While 32 nights is still a lot, I am not sure of the strength of Ritz Carlton rewards promotions yet. Obviously, no cat 4 nights at Marriott anymore, since converting your account to RC rewards makes you ineligible for Marriott promos. So yeah, if you stay less than 30 nights average at Marriott hotels, then Ritz Carlton card might be for you. But most frequent travelers have status on at least one airline, so that airline-credit value is marginal.