Originally Posted by
jamesteroh
What credit card gives gold status with Marriott?
The only card I can think of that gives Marriott Gold right out of the box is the RC credit card, but it comes with a hefty $395/yr annual fee. If you can charge $75K in a year, you can even get RC Plat status (which is the same as Marriott Plat).
On the SPG side, you can get Gold (and then if your accounts are linked you will have Marriott Gold) if you spend $30K in a calendar year plus you get some extra night/stay bonuses for having the SPG CCs. In fact, having both a personal and business SPG CC gets you double the initial night/stay credit from the cards. ^ I also think you can get SPG Gold with the Amex Plat CC which comes with a nice $450/yr annual fee.
None of the Marriott branded cards come with instant Gold status, but you do get 15 nights credit plus you can get another night for every $3K spent on the cards. And I think these cards come with the first year free.