For those of you who still care about Marriott/SPG status, especially those who are trying to lock in lifetime platinum, sharing tips here after some recent research.

I need to qualify for platinum 3 more times and I'll have Lifetime Plat. In a time where we're still not traveling as much for work as we did, that's easier said than done, or so I thought...

You need 50 nights in a year to qualify for plat status. A few things to make this easier than it looks.

I recently learned you can stack elite nights from your Marriott consumer and business credit cards.
If you have a consumer credit card (legacy SPG AMEX or Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX) or the Chase Bonvoy Boundless (I think), that's 15 nights towards your 50 in a given year. Those do not stack if you have multiple.

But, If you get the Bonvoy Small Business AMEX card and also have one of the consumer cards, that's another 15 nights you can stack towards your total in a year, putting you at 30. The business card is running a promo right now through end of month for 125K points w/ 5k in spending in 3 months.
I've stayed 8 nights so far this year, and now I only have 12 nights left to hit platinum.
If you don't already have status, the business AMEX gives you gold status automatically.

Another option is doing the Platinum Challenge. Call Marriott and request to take part in the challenge. You have 3 months to stay 16 paid nights (I think). Hit that amount and you're at platinum.

One of the Chase consumer cards also offers a night credit towards your total for every 5K you spend.

I'm going to keep the 2 Bonvoy cards over the next 3 years until I hit lifetime plat then I'll kill the business most likely.

You also don't have to be a small business owner to get approved for the Bonvoy business AMEX.

Sharing here as I had forgotten all the ways you could reach platinum without doing it "the hard way". There are more ways than ever now.

Unfortunately gold and silver are really easy to get now with the credit card offerings, so it has diluted their value.
Platinum is still a high value though.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk and credit card commercial

What is this platinum challenge?

I can swing 16 nights in 3 months pretty easy. 50 is a year May be harder.

Ragoo said:

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What is this platinum challenge?

I can swing 16 nights in 3 months pretty easy. 50 is a year May be harder.

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From a travel site:

"Marriott Bonvoy once had a generous status challenge for those looking to earn Gold Elite or Platinum Elite status, which has unfortunately been discontinued.

However, you may have luck calling Marriott Bonvoy to see if your account is eligible for a targeted status challenge. For example, some Marriott Bonvoy members have reported receiving a challenge of staying 16 nights in 90 days for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum. If you call Marriott, make sure to mention if you have competing hotel elite status with another major program."

I travel a lot for business (consulting). Back in 2010, I started on a project for Starwood in Phoenix. We were required to stay at SPG properties. Fast forward a couple of years, and I had been very loyal to SPG and I started a project in Bartlesville, OK. No SPG properties within 40 miles, so I ventured over to Marriott while I was on that gig.

Long story short, when the loyalty program merger was announced I had almost exactly the nights / years at platinum combined from both programs to get LIFETIME TITANIUM. Granted, this was when I was like 33 or 34 years old. Haha that seems crazy and maybe like a complete outlier. That status literally doesn't exist in their program today. It was a one time thing with the merger. I guess I just got lucky with timing and loyalty to the right programs at the right time.

Jealous

I had ambassador status for a few years when I traveled a lot for work, and that was awesome. They would send me phone chargers, gift cards, and they saved me a few times on important trips. That was a great benefit.

I might get titanium this year. It'll take a few mote years to get lifetime platinum though. I already have a marriott visa but good call on the amex.

I've got titanium elite but it isn't worth it. It costs WAY too many reward points to get a reward room imo. I much prefer my hilton status. Sorry, I know it isn't helpful whatsoever.

Points have been devalued since the merger, no doubt. I've still gotten a $30K vacation for free with points though. That was after the merger was announced but before Starpoints were killed

I've stayed in a dozen or so Hilton rooms for the same amount of points as 2 nights in a Marriott room. I only use Marriott if my wife and I want a night away or something. I'm particularly surprised at how cheap some of the hotels with hilton are, especially when 5th night is free when you redeem points. They regularly have a bogo point sale as well which makes 5 night trips crazy cheap. I dont travel for work anymore so ill be out of the status game soon enough, unfortunately, although it is worth it not traveling for work anymore ha

Marriott and SPG have much better high end properties in my opinion than Hilton

I have been Marriott Gold for a decade and one year hit Platinum

dissapointed in their properties in the last few years though- even the website sucks.

Their hotels have been extremely hit or miss. A lot of old properties that should have been updated.

Anyone trying to lock down status for this year, they are doing a double nights program for stays.



I hit lifetime platinum a few years back and I've been titanium through the pandemic - not because I spend a lot of times in hotels, but because the marriott card makes it pretty easy to hit and maintain status.

I've been platinum for many years now and have lifetime gold. None with their CC. I'm likely losing Platinum this year as work travel just isn't what it used to be.

Where did you find that promotion?

Bonvoy has higher-end hotels with less efficient accumulation of nights and HHonors has more affordable hotels and a ton of free nights relative to Bonvoy.

Absolutely HAVE to do them with at least an Amex card to benefit much.

CapAmr05 said:

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Anyone trying to lock down status for this year, they are doing a double nights program for stays.



I hit lifetime platinum a few years back and I've been titanium through the pandemic - not because I spend a lot of times in hotels, but because the marriott card makes it pretty easy to hit and maintain status.

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I think this is a targeted offer. I'm not seeing it in my promotions offers.
Do you have one of the premium AMEX or Chase $495 fee a year Bonvoy cards?

No, only the lower level $95/yr cards.

Gotta be a targeted offer cause I don't see it. I've got a 14 night trip booked starting next weekend.

I haven't seen a promotion in months.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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Gotta be a targeted offer cause I don't see it. I've got a 14 night trip booked starting next weekend.

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It's targeted. Otherwise it'd be all over flyertalk.

Ghost of Bizbee said:

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I think this is a targeted offer. I'm not seeing it in my promotions offers.
Do you have one of the premium AMEX or Chase $495 fee a year Bonvoy cards?

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It came through as a promotion in mid July from Marriott Bonvoy emails (they send like 3 or 4 a week with various ads and sometimes promotions), it didn't come affixed to a specific card (that I could tell). At the time the offer came to me I had the Bonvoy Boundless Chase card and Titanium status.

I enrolled in it, knowing I had a few stays coming up this fall. If others aren't seeing it, I guess maybe it was targeted?