Marriott Rewards - Is there any way to keep my gold?

I am a gold MR now, but it expires at the end of the year. I am currently about 16 stays short of gold again. I know i will not make my quota. Is there any other way to keep my gold status?

Marriott sometimes extends your status anyway (depends how long you've been gold for) as an unofficial benefit - though this is more likely as a multi-year platinum where the accounts are all reviewed manually before a downgrade (or so the rumour goes!)

They also sometimes send challenges to retain status with X number of stays.

To gaurentee it the only way I can think is;
1 - Stay more nights
2 - Send an email to Marriott customer services and ask for a challenge, they might say something like 'stay 10 more nights in the next 3 months and you'll retain gold' - you would have to be able to stay at least some nights to be able to do a challenge like this.

To help your case you could always make a large number of (refundable) bookings in the new year and say that your reason for still wanting gold is because your travel won't resume until January next year...

Do you have a Marriott branded CC? If not and you live in the US, then the Premier Marriott Visa card will net you 15 nights toward elite status.

Not to be crass, but if you don't stay that often, why do you even worry? Gold doesn't get you all that much anyway and you can credit whatever miles you do get to an airline program.

I guess it depends on what you have booked for Jan / Feb too. If you have some bookings then and phone customer services they are more likely to allow you to keep gold.

Well, to answer the question by 7 continents, it does get me on the executive floor and I like that. When I am in Hong Kong which i am from time to time it is a very nice benefit. Furthermore, I stayed 34 nights last year so I would say that is not bad- but its not the 50 needed for gold. I am a Starwood Gold too but there I agree it is not much-it gets me a room upgrade of sorts. Last time I was in Hawaii-if I stood on my balcony and strained my neck i could see the ocean:confused: They called this a partial ocean view- I was not impressed.:D

Furthermore, I stayed 34 nights last year so I would say that is not bad- but its not the 50 needed for gold.
Wouldn't a Marriott VISA give you 15 nights and (along with a 1 night stay) solve this problem?

Wouldn't a Marriott VISA give you 15 nights and (along with a 1 night stay) solve this problem?

Yes.

my two cents on this is that 1. MR has given away the house the past year (or two) and at the Plat level there is sufficient documentation that people with well under 40 nights per year were being renewed as plat; my guess is that the same will happen to GE

on that note, there also has been reports that MR looks at your rolling 3 year pattern and if two of the three were at 50+ they will let you slide the third year

in this economy, with 2009 travel decimated; i'll make the educated guess MR does something similar even if they did a double night promo this year

Not to be crass, but if you don't stay that often, why do you even worry? Gold doesn't get you all that much anyway and you can credit whatever miles you do get to an airline program.

Free lounge access
higher on the pecking order for u/g's even if its occasional
maybe the future has more travel
even for the few times he travels, he wants the best possible room (and other benefits) for the least cost
quite a few reasons why one would want GE status

Wouldn't a Marriott VISA give you 15 nights and (along with a 1 night stay) solve this problem?

the solo night is a freebie and won't help your status count

the solo night is a freebie and won't help your status count
Just to clarify, I wasn't referring to his free VISA night. I meant he needs a Marriott VISA for 15 nights and one paid stay to hit 50 this year. Doesn't sound like too much trouble if he wants to retain gold status.

I get a challenge letter every year. Usually 10 stays by year's end. I have made it every before but this year could be close.

DMH