With Marriott categories going from 1 to 8, you won't be able to stay at high-end Marriott properties in high-demand locations. But there are still many options that are near visitor destinations. Many Courtyard, Fairfield, and other limited service properties in Northern California are available to you. There are even full-service properties that are category 4 and below, although primarily only in suburban locations.

How about a property that's not too far from the California Wine Country? With a Visa Signature card, you can get free wine tastings at more than 70 different Sonoma area wineries.

How about a property in the Marin County area for visits to Muir Woods National Monument, Sausalito, and other local attractions?

If you like amusement parks, there's California's Great America in Santa Clara and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, with Marriott properties near each of them.

It really depends on what you want to do. Sign in to Marriott.com, click on "Use Marriott Rewards points," and try various locations that interest you.