Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Lifetime Platinum thoughts

I am getting very close to getting my lifetime Platinum status, which I have got through many years of personal (and paid for by me) travel. I started choosing Marriott because I liked the locations and the service and have generally been satisfied over the years.

Having been Platinum for a few years now I can honestly say that I haven't really noticed anything special or different from Gold membership, except the Platinum gift (which is often a struggle/embarrassment to get), and the bonus points. No significant upgrades, no extra personal treatment.

I have stayed at a few other hotels recently for a change, and actually found myself really enjoying the stays. Not only that but got an upgrade at a MO hotel which kind of made me wonder why I am staying so loyal to Marriott (but I am incredibly loyal).

Now with nearly 1000 nights and 3 million points later, I wondered what you all think.

Once I get Lifetime, and will be entitled to lounge access forever (or at least until they change the rules, or its a weekend, or its a resort!). What incentive do I have then.

Does anyone agree with me that once you get lifetime it is better to start being adventurous again, and trying other options.

In which case I think Marriott should be offering me a new incentive to stay so loyal. A couple of upgrade to suite vouchers a year (subject to availability at the time of booking). Or a discount on F and B. Or even a breakfast regardless of the type of hotel or day of the week!

The thing I pay for my rooms and therefore price sensitive. Up until now I have been prepared to pay a bit more to stay at a Marriott, to clock up the nights for Lifetime, but when I get it that incentive has gone and I may well go for the cheapest rate, or go to a brand that offers breakfast consistently whatever day of the week it is.

Would be interested to hear what others think, and what others have done in this situation....

I understand your feelings toward Marriott. I've stated multiple times that I trace the decreasing elite benefits to the rise of Arne Sorenson to senior executive status and now CEO.

I travel extensively and pay for ~7 nights/month out of my pocket. In addition, my employer pays for ~14 nights/month. It sounds like you have a similar profile as me - somewhat price sensitive but are willing to pay a bit extra for elite benefits. Based on MY preferences, hotel loyalty programs rank:
1) Hyatt
2) Starwood
3) Hilton
4) Marriott
5) Priority Club
6) Wyndham
7) Club Carlson
8) Best Western
9) Choice
I find that there's a distinct break between the top 4 and the rest of the programs.


I suggest that you consider moving your travels to either Hyatt or Starwood. Or both, as you only need 25 stays/50 nights per year to qualify for top status with both.
You will find AAA membership valuable with both of these hotel chains; they have a lot of deep discounts for AAA members.
Both programs also have lifetime status but Starwood lifetime Gold/Platinum is by far more easily attainable than Hyatt lifetime Diamond.

Make sure to get a status challenge. Hyatt will give you a Diamond Trial which will give you Diamond status at the very beginning of the Trial, including 4 suite upgrade certs.
I'm not as familiar with Starwood's Plat trial but you should be able to get comped Gold status immediately.

Having been Platinum for a few years now I can honestly say that I haven't really noticed anything special or different from Gold membership, except the Platinum gift (which is often a struggle/embarrassment to get), and the bonus points. No significant upgrades, no extra personal treatment.

I think this really sums up the issue not just with the lifetime benefits, but with MR elite benefits in general. There just isn't enough differentiation between gold and plat.

It would be suicide for MR to degrade the gold level as a means to create differentiation since MR gold at 50 nights per year is already the most difficult mid-level status to achieve among the major hotel loyalty brands. So this really only leaves the option of improving the plat level benefits which, as you note, are not highly differentiated from the gold level. MR plat is also the most difficult status level to achieve among the major brands at 75 nights so it really should have better bennies compared to MR gold and compared to the competition.

I'll hit lifetime gold sometime next year and with the current MR benefits structure it really is an open question as to whether I'll want continue to stay and go for lifetime plat or try another chain like SPG.

I understand your feelings toward Marriott. I've stated multiple times that I trace the decreasing elite benefits to the rise of Arne Sorenson to senior executive status and now CEO.

I travel extensively and pay for ~7 nights/month out of my pocket. In addition, my employer pays for ~14 nights/month. It sounds like you have a similar profile as me - somewhat price sensitive but are willing to pay a bit extra for elite benefits. Based on MY preferences, hotel loyalty programs rank:
1) Hyatt
2) Starwood
3) Hilton
4) Marriott
5) Priority Club
6) Wyndham
7) Club Carlson
8) Best Western
9) Choice
I find that there's a distinct break between the top 4 and the rest of the programs.


I suggest that you consider moving your travels to either Hyatt or Starwood. Or both, as you only need 25 stays/50 nights per year to qualify for top status with both.
You will find AAA membership valuable with both of these hotel chains; they have a lot of deep discounts for AAA members.
Both programs also have lifetime status but Starwood lifetime Gold/Platinum is by far more easily attainable than Hyatt lifetime Diamond.

Make sure to get a status challenge. Hyatt will give you a Diamond Trial which will give you Diamond status at the very beginning of the Trial, including 4 suite upgrade certs.
I'm not as familiar with Starwood's Plat trial but you should be able to get comped Gold status immediately.

Thanks for the info. I have stayed at a few Hyatt properties lately and really liked them (especially the Park Hyatt Tokyo and Hyatt Long Beach). Did not even realise that their top level required so few nights.

The Status trial is VERY interesting and I will look into that I think.

I am not a US citizen so the AAA discounts are not an option I believe though do travel to the US a fair bit.

Interesting to hear that others feel similarly and wonder if Marriott would care to comment? (Hello Marriott Concierge??)

I think this really sums up the issue not just with the lifetime benefits, but with MR elite benefits in general. There just isn't enough differentiation between gold and plat.

It would be suicide for MR to degrade the gold level as a means to create differentiation since MR gold at 50 nights per year is already the most difficult mid-level status to achieve among the major hotel loyalty brands. So this really only leaves the option of improving the plat level benefits which, as you note, are not highly differentiated from the gold level. MR plat is also the most difficult status level to achieve among the major brands at 75 nights so it really should have better bennies compared to MR gold and compared to the competition.

I'll hit lifetime gold sometime next year and with the current MR benefits structure it really is an open question as to whether I'll want continue to stay and go for lifetime plat or try another chain like SPG.

^ I used to be gunning for LT Plat. Now I'll be perfectly happy with LT Gold because there's so little difference between the two statuses.

All of my discretionary business is currently going to Hyatt and Starwood (plus one night @ Club Carlson's Park Inn + Country Inn to get the large bonuses this quarter). I'll renew Hyatt Diamond and reach Starwood Plat before the end of this year but will fall to Gold with Marriott. There is so little additional benefit for Marriott Plat that I can't justify pursuing it. Even my Marriott Gold status for next year will be another soft landing (I was Plat Premier last year).
I'm especially disappointed with the removal of ALL additional benefits for Plat Premier.

Guys, the only way that Marriott's going to change their way is if people vote with their feet. Personally, I'm taking my discretionary business over to loyalty programs that have richer rewards.

My travel has lessened since I made Lifetime Plat. I stick w/ Marriott because I've got Lifetime Plat status, and because of that know I'll have things such as lounge access, Plat bonus, Plat amenity, guaranteed room (48-hour thing), and suite upgrades. The last is not guaranteed but I've gotten them more often than not since getting LP.

I have a couple of trips a year that are reimbursed by clients, but the rest is on my dime.

I used to maintain Hilton Gold as my 2nd back-up, primarily for when I was somewhere where there was a Hilton but not a Marriott or when the price differential between the 2 was too large.

Since my travel has lessened, I dropped Hilton rather than jump through hoops to get Gold (esp when Hilton devalued Gold) & stick w/ Marriott due to the LP.

FWIW - I think it makes sense for anyone to always have at least one back-up chain. Which one is dependent upon travel patterns & goals w/ program. In my corp days I liked Hyatts, but there just aren't very many of them where I travel, so dropped that (also when they dropped the FFN program).

Cheers.

The alternative, of course, would be to lower the requirements to bring it more in line with competition. If Gold were reduced to 30 nights, Platinum to 50 and threw in breakfast systemwide for Plats, I suspect (at least for 15 minutes) the masses would be calmed.

If they want to keep the 75 level and call it PP, they could add in a handful of guaranteed suite upgrades (along the lines of AA EXP or UA 1K).

Adding C&P and allowing award stays to count for status would improve things at Marriott as well.

Once I get Lifetime, and will be entitled to lounge access forever (or at least until they change the rules, or its a weekend, or its a resort!). What incentive do I have then.


But surely you have this already. You are quite likely Lifetime Gold already, but if you have been maintaining Plat Level you will not have been told about it. ;)

The alternative, of course, would be to lower the requirements to bring it more in line with competition. If Gold were reduced to 30 nights, Platinum to 50 and threw in breakfast systemwide for Plats, I suspect (at least for 15 minutes) the masses would be calmed.

If they want to keep the 75 level and call it PP, they could add in a handful of guaranteed suite upgrades (along the lines of AA EXP or UA 1K).

This has always been my biggest beef with Marriott...their Elite levels are so out of whack with the competition, yet their benefits are the same or less (and seemingly getting worse, such as loss of EEOs, lounge closings and intentionally sketchy upgrade language).

However, I'm about a year away from Lifetime Plat so at this point I don't want to see them reduce the required nights and invite even MORE people into the ranks to dilute my few remaining benefits even further.

Certificates for suite upgrades on any stay (paid or award) might pacify my loss of the EEOs, but I know that's my personal thought and many here don't care if they have a suite or not.

At this point, Marriott's sole advantage to me is the ability to find a decent hotel most everywhere I want to be. Other than having the best coverage, Marriott has been on a downward trend for at least the past 3 years in my book. Unfortunately, I see absolutely NO sign of them trying to reverse that trend.

I'm lifetime platinum and have been so for almost 2 years, and there's been no change what so ever between now and just being baby platinum or platinum elite.

But surely you have this already. You are quite likely Lifetime Gold already, but if you have been maintaining Plat Level you will not have been told about it. ;)

Yes you are right..... but until now I kept thinking that Platinum would be better, only 3 years as Plat has convinced me I was just as well off as Gold.

?...
Interesting to hear that others feel similarly and wonder if Marriott would care to comment? (Hello Marriott Concierge??)

Marriott does not allow the Marriott Concierge to "comment". They are wonderful in assisting to correct a specific problem for any FT'er who asks, but you will never see them joining in any type of open discussion regarding policies. Ever.

Marriott does not allow the Marriott Concierge to "comment". They are wonderful in assisting to correct a specific problem for any FT'er who asks, but you will never see them joining in any type of open discussion regarding policies. Ever.

Oh well worth a try ;)

The breakfast issue comes up time and again on here, and on the Insiders Official Marriott forum and nobody from Marriott ever comments of the subject.

It would be nice to just hear them say that they are noting the feeling of the membership even if they think it not worthwhile changing the policy.

Oh well worth a try ;)

The breakfast issue comes up time and again on here, and on the Insiders Official Marriott forum and nobody from Marriott ever comments of the subject.

It would be nice to just hear them say that they are noting the feeling of the membership even if they think it not worthwhile changing the policy.

Oh, there are lots of us who agree with you. And think they could perhaps add lounge closings on the weekend, loss of EEO benefits, and....:p

although not systemwide, several props already have a quasi-C&P award for upgrading point stays to better room with options like private pool/suite

Adding C&P and allowing award stays to count for status would improve things at Marriott as well.

I'm lifetime platinum and have been so for almost 2 years, and there's been no change what so ever between now and just being baby platinum or platinum elite.

what is baby platinum and platinum elite?
Can you always get suite upgrade no matter how much you pay for your room as a LT platinum?

no............

Can you always get suite upgrade no matter how much you pay for your room as a LT platinum?

I hit lifetime plat several years ago. I thought that I would not be hitting the 75 night per year any more. So far this year, I'm at 98 nights ..

I have stayed in all the chains. Hyatts are very nice but just not in enough locations for me. Starwood Hotels vary a lot - it was always very difficult for me to figure out if a hotel had a lounge or not or if I would be entitled to breakfast. Hilton's would likely be my second chain if it weren't for one thing:

I've figured out, over time, how to get the best price at marriott hotels, and except for very rare exceptions - I feel the perks and price I get at Marriott far exceeds what I can get elsewhere.

I had to stay at a few Starwood properties one year. So, I went ahead and did a Plat match intending to hit the 50 nights/year. How hard could it be to hit 50 nights when I do more than 100 nights per year?

Well, I hit four nights that year. In fairness, they now count any nights, and if they did that, I would have hit much more. I love the cash and points - good use of both. But, during the 18 months I had the status, I never found a starwood property that was less expensive than what I could get at a Marriott. Sure, I got upgrades, but the quality of rooms varied significantly property to property. With Marriott, with the single exception of some Fairfield Inns, the quality of one Marriott closely matches the quality of another. Or at least it's much more consistent that other chains.

With Marriott, I know the system. I know the tricks. I know what to do, and I feel like I get from 30% to 60% (sometimes more) back on every dollar I spend - plus some nice perks. And very few problems - certainly none that weren't worked out to my satisfaction.

I have no complaints.

Billy

I wonder the same thing... I have over 150 nights so far this year, not counting roll over nights, and I have only gotten a Concierge level room once. I know I should ask for upgrades but I don't feel like I should have to, it should be something that is just done when I check in. I am finishing my nights for the summer bonus and then moving on to another chain and will only stay at Marriott during bonuses. There is no real reason to give them any more nights.

This is my first year as a Marriott Platinum.

One word: Disappointing.

This is my first year as a Marriott Platinum.

One word: Disappointing.

In what respect?

Cheers.

On a related note I am looking at my travel for the rest of the year.. I could probably hit platinum this year but I am considering moving some travel somewhere else just before I hit so I can get the rollover nights and have a better change of re-qualifying as gold next year.. Is this stupid? (it is along the lines I can not see a huge jump from Gold to Plat)

On a related note I am looking at my travel for the rest of the year.. I could probably hit platinum this year but I am considering moving some travel somewhere else just before I hit so I can get the rollover nights and have a better change of re-qualifying as gold next year.. Is this stupid? (it is along the lines I can not see a huge jump from Gold to Plat)

Im pretty sure Marriott has a soft landing policy, so if you hit platinum this year, you will be plat next year, then gold the following year.

I should hit LT platinum in the next month. I do see a difference between Plat and Gold...although its been 3-4 years since I was Gold. I get more suite upgrades and the bonus points help.

OTOH...wish there was something different for being Plat Premier. Only 5 percent of the time do hotels ever mention it and I presume they don't notice the difference in the other 95 percent.

And ... the program has been devalued for elites with the elimination of special promotions/rewards such as EEO's. Then again, I think other programs have been devalued too.

I wonder the same thing... I have over 150 nights so far this year, not counting roll over nights, and I have only gotten a Concierge level room once. I know I should ask for upgrades but I don't feel like I should have to, it should be something that is just done when I check in. I am finishing my nights for the summer bonus and then moving on to another chain and will only stay at Marriott during bonuses. There is no real reason to give them any more nights.

Something is wrong here.

Do you have "double beds" in your profile?

Im pretty sure Marriott has a soft landing policy, so if you hit platinum this year, you will be plat next year, then gold the following year.

Does this mean that if I'm plat this year (2012), but I don't have enough nights to keep plat next year (2013), I will still be Plat in 2013?

Does this mean that if I'm plat this year (2012), but I don't have enough nights to keep plat next year (2013), I will still be Plat in 2013?When you achieve an elite level (i.e. Silver/Gold/Plat) you will have the elite status for the rest of the year you achieved it and all the following year.

If you do not have enough nights to keep that elite level, then after your year + of elite status, Marriott will only drop you one level. You will then be that one lower level elite status for all the next year.

So for example, you had 75 nights in 2011. You would have achieved Plat for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012. If during 2012 you only have 4 nights, you won't have enough nights to keep Plat. You will only be dropped to Gold for 2013 even though you didn't have the 50 nights normally needed. This is due to Marriott's soft-landing elite policy.

When you achieve an elite level (i.e. Silver/Gold/Plat) you will have the elite status for the rest of the year you achieved it and all the following year.

If you do not have enough nights to keep that elite level, then after your year + of elite status, Marriott will only drop you one level. You will then be that one lower level elite status for all the next year.

So for example, you had 75 nights in 2011. You would have achieved Plat for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012. If during 2012 you only have 4 nights, you won't have enough nights to keep Plat. You will only be dropped to Gold for 2013 even though you didn't have the 50 nights normally needed. This is due to Marriott's soft-landing elite policy.


Thanks for the explanation, this makes sense. So basically you drop one level if you can't keep same level.

Something is wrong here.

Do you have "double beds" in your profile?

I have King bed in the profile, and I am at 169 nights for the year. Some SHS nights but mostly full service Marriotts.

Am I right that only Plats get free internet? That benefit has saved me a small fortune, even though in four years of Plat I don't recall ever getting a suite upgrade at a FS Marriott.

Am I right that only Plats get free internet? That benefit has saved me a small fortune, even though in four years of Plat I don't recall ever getting a suite upgrade at a FS Marriott.

No, Golds also get free internet. The incremental value of Plat vs Gold is small.

and, in Asia all Marriott Rewards members receive free in-room internet at JW, Marriott hotels/resorts, Renaissance & Courtyards

No, Golds also get free internet.

No, Golds also get free internet. The incremental value of Plat vs Gold is small.

I get more good room upgrades as a Platinum. The welcome gift can be nice as well.

I think it's a great program and it has been a major incentive for me to stay at Marriotts more over the years.

I do wish the benefits / recognition was better at resort properties in general, but it's great everywhere else. I'll certainly continue to stay at Marriotts after I reach lifetime status, but I suppose the incentive would be less for the "Resort" properties because I usually am not treated as special there.

No, Golds also get free internet. The incremental value of Plat vs Gold is small.

(bolding mine)
...this may be true for you. Not everyone agrees.

Thanks Folks.. I did not realize Marriott had a soft landing policy.. I guess I might look at that final booking for the year again :)