Instant annual gold status
 

Is there a credit card that gives instant annual gold status at Marriott?

Not that I am aware of.

You could get 5 meetings for 10 nights each charged on any card or even pay cash to get gold status.

If you get UA gold you get it too...

You can get the Ritz Carlton Visa and choose to keep your membership in Marriott Rewards. That gives you gold status the first year and you retain it if you spend $10k annually on the card.

Chase Launching Ritz-Carlton Visa Card

The annual fee is hefty, but you get $200 of that back in airline free credits. So essentially $195/year for Gold status assuming you meet the spend requirement. I made the decision to try it out late last year - had an 18 day Christmas vacation that was planned for all Marriott full service hotels so thought it would work out based on breakfast alone. Applied end of November and was gold shortly thereafter.

You will see in the linked thread above that many cancel this card after a year. And while I will make little use out of the Ritz benefits (though have done the $100 stay credit and club level upgrade once so far and it was nice), having MR Gold status I have actually switched a lot of my stays to Marriott this year and so far the experience has been positive. Already hit the spend threshold, so plan to keep the card at least another year.

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Is MRR gold for first year only?

Silver with a chance to spend to Platinum
 

I got this card yesterday and it gives you with signup (besides the 70k in points & Free Night Stay E-Certificate in categories 1-4.):

•15 Elite credits toward your next membership level after account
approval and every year after account anniversary

- This effectively gives you free Silver Status as long as you have the card

•1 Elite credit for every $3,000 spent

- This allows you to earn up status as follows based on spend:

To Get Gold, you need 50 credits (minus the 15 you get with the card) or $105,000 in a year.

To Get Platinum (& United MileagePlus Premier Silver status), you need 75 credits (minus the 15 you get with the card) or $180,000 in a year.

Since Marriott isn't doing status challenges any more, this is pretty much the only way to get the level you're looking for short of nights in a room unless you get the $450 a year Ritz Carlton Visa, also from Chase.

The Ritz Carlton Visa will give you Gold Elite status in The Ritz-Carlton Rewards (basically Marriott Rewards) your first year and you can maintain your Gold Elite status thereafter by simply spending $10,000 your first year and each subsequent year. If you can't make the spend, it's pricey but a way to get and keep Marriott Gold.

Hope this helps!

Can you direct me to where gold status can be bought for cash?

Sorry my bad. I had the pay for short conference room bookings for approx $100 per meeting that would count for 10 nights.