It is worth the cost of the annual fee for the Marriott Visa card (first years fee is waved so I'm not sure how much). Sign up for one, and you are automatically silver elite.

As a silver elite (I make it on stays but also have the visa card) I have gotten a few weekend upgrades at CY/FI type properties. That is really the only tangible benefit I have experienced. The marriott visa card gives you 3x points for each dollar spent at Marriott properties, so this raises the bonus points on stays for silvers to 50%.

If I had it to do over again, I would have joined another program.

SunLover