Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Is Plat Challenge a Slap in the face of True Road Warriors

I got to thinking and it seems that Marriott really shouldn't give away Plat as a challenge Option. Why isn't it good enough to comp someone GOLD and have them EARN Platinum? Seems like a lot of the benefits of Gold and Plat are similar for someone they are trully trying to convert from another brand to be happy until the reach the threshold for Platinum. Then Give your true Warriors real benefits like Free breakfast, etc.

At this point when you see posts questioning the benefit of Platinum, or you are a platinum and spend $1000's at a resort to litterally get 500 pts bonus as your only benefit of your loyalty you have to wonder if Marriott isn't causing this with their Comp Policy.

I don't blame the consumer either for taking the challenge with NO intentions of meeting the criteria and just using it for a week stay at local property with benefits. Marriott shouldn't offer something they don't want Consumers to use.

Has the plat challenge always been offered to anyone that asked? One of my co-workers (who would consistently get gold but couldn't get to platinum) had told me previously that he tried to call and do the plat challenge but they said it was only offered to people that had previously already been platinum. Guess that isn't the case (at least anymore).

The simple fact is being Platinum is not very special and the benefits are not that great from what I have seen. I have been able to get to plat the last two years just based on my 15-20 nights in rooms plus my credit card spending. It's my impression that there are a LOT of plats out there. The more people that feel special, and thus stay with Marriott, the better for Marriott. I have a hunch it's a very small percentage of people that take the plat challenge with no intent of completing it. Some yes, but not a lot.

I don't believe it is, I have paid the dues already and looking for the same level of service at another hotel chain.

In my situation, I have been a HIlton Diamond member for quite awhile, but I have grown tired of the Hilton hotels. I emailed Marriott and they did a plantinum match for me for 90 days and then I have to complete 9 stays.

Some road warriors (again, airline & hotel) are not thrilled w/ others who make it via the 'lite' way. I'm in the for every person who takes advantage of a challenge (whether it be airline or hotel), there are others who don't & it all evens out in the end camp.

Cheers.

The simple fact is being Platinum is not very special and the benefits are not that great from what I have seen. I have been able to get to plat the last two years just based on my 15-20 nights in rooms plus my credit card spending. It's my impression that there are a LOT of plats out there. The more people that feel special, and thus stay with Marriott, the better for Marriott. I have a hunch it's a very small percentage of people that take the plat challenge with no intent of completing it. Some yes, but not a lot.

You put $120K/year on your Marriott CC?

You put $120K/year on your Marriott CC?

That isn't that much. My Uncle owns a business and they put over $50k/month on their Venture CC (2% cash back).

But this thread is about if/how there are a lot of plats out there. I don't think there are too many of them that got there by putting $100K on a credit card

But this thread is about if/how there are a lot of plats out there. I don't think there are too many of them that got there by putting $100K on a credit card

Well if they're real road warriors maybe they did :D

But you missed SacTownGuy's last part. "I have a hunch it's a very small percentage of people that take the plat challenge with no intent of completing it. Some yes, but not a lot."

Cheers.

Well if they're real road warriors maybe they did :D

But you missed SacTownGuy's last part. "I have a hunch it's a very small percentage of people that take the plat challenge with no intent of completing it. Some yes, but not a lot."

Cheers.

I saw it. But I thought the beginning of his post was trying to say that it was relatively easy to get plat by spending $100K/year on the CC. I"m not sure I'd call that easy.

OP should leave Marriott for SPG if he feels that way, and leave the lounges to those who are not so blessed as being "True Road Warriors."

After all, he won't find any comfort at Hilton since one can obtain top tier in that program by just a large credit card spend.

Nor will we find any solace at IHG either, for P/C permits one to obtain top tier easily and the benefits to same are not very substantial at most properties. Furthermore, their other program tailored only to Intercontinental properties can be purchased with points or $$, so that won't satisfy him either.

Thus, of the 3 largest hotel programs with the greatest coverage in North America, his complaints would appear to fall on deaf ears.

OP will just have to be content in trying to make top tier at SPG and perhaps Hyatt or Fairmont, although their coverage in the above region is not all encompassing and he likely will find large gaps in his wish list for properties.

Otherwise, I guess he will just have to suck it up and stay with the rest of the masses of the great unwashed....... :rolleyes:

Actually the OP raises a valid issue - wouldn't it make more sense to offer a Gold challenge & one has to earn Platinum? Or - whether it be Gold or Platinum, what about not offering any of the bennies until the challenge has been met? Either would satisfy those that are concerned about 'their' bennies being infringed upon by others.

I'm still of the mindset that for those who take Marriott up on the challenge there are others that won't, and it all evens out in the end. I also agree w/ SacTownGuy that I don't think most people sign up for a challenge just for a vacay stay. Sure there are some, but my guess is those who go for the challenge plan on staying at Marriotts.

And Marriott has decided that offering the challenge - vs just granting status based on status with another chain - makes the most sense. And by offering the bennies immediately, helps cement them to Marriott.

I do disagree w/ the OP's premise that the gold/plat challenges are responsible for people questioning the value of Platinum. There are bigger issues w/ Marriott that make people wonder that ;)

Cheers.

First and foremost, I believe the new challenge requirements are directly due to Marriott losing at this web site's reward program accolades.

As such, I believe the powers that be at MR and the company as a whole, have decided to recapture those titles and to do this they have decided to expand the base of those voting and the best way to do this is to make it easier for people to become elite members -- remember, Marriott has the most onerous and IMHO, ridiculous requirements for making elite status of any program -- no stay based way to earn elite status unlike any of the other programs.

Now, have they gone a bit overboard in doing so, I would say yes, and that is why I have proposed a middle ground.

You have to remember, there are many loyal Marriott Gold members who were out there who do not make Platinum easily as it is hard for them to accumulate 75 nights/year, but twho do manage to scratch out and approach 50 nights for Gold. I am one such individual, and the easing of the Platinum challenge for me has resulted in my becoming Platinum again, the first time in about 5 years. Therefore, I had allowed those who have demonstrated a prior commitment to the program to go up a notch through a challenge.

Second, it would be stupid if Marriott did not attempt to poach other top tier elites and that is why there is the challenge for these members.

With respect to offering benefits while the challenge is ongoing, well Marriott wants to entice those that its program is superior, and what better way to do that than by showing its potential elites what they truly get from the hotels and the program.

If there are those who are tactically using the challenge to get benefits for a one off vacation, Marriott has likely calculated that those numbers are just too small to be of concern to them when they are thinking of the larger picture and therefore, are thinking strategically, and for the long term. @:-)

Or for that matter, the very short term .... next year's awards etc!!! ;)

Why do you keep saying Marriott lost at the Freddies? They won in the Americas category:

Best Customer Service — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Elite Level — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Redemption Ability — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Redemption Promotion — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Program of the Year — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards

Cheers.

Why do you keep saying Marriott lost at the Freddies? They won in the Americas category:

Best Customer Service — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Elite Level — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Redemption Ability — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Best Redemption Promotion — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards
Program of the Year — Marriott Hotels - Marriott Rewards

Cheers.


Sory, my mistake, but they certainly lost at this site's awards presentation.

I'll amend my post.

Sory, my mistake, but they certainly lost at this site's awards presentation.

I'll amend my post.

They did, partly because some of what they were up for wasn't their strength as sophiegirl pointed out a while ago.

But I seriously doubt the Gold/Plat challenge had anything to do w/ the inaugural FT Awards & more to do w/ wanting to capture other chains' elites without just matching status.

Cheers.

They did, partly because some of what they were up for wasn't their strength as sophiegirl pointed out a while ago.

But I seriously doubt the Gold/Plat challenge had anything to do w/ the inaugural FT Awards & more to do w/ wanting to capture other chains' elites without just matching status.

Cheers.

Could be true, as the challenge is a stay based challenge, unlike their prior empahasis on nights based challenges and a nights based elite scheme.

All that I will note is that if you are offering up to 3 free nights by making 6 separate stays in essentially a 3 month period, it is pretty easy to add 3 more nights to ensure that you will have Platinum status to enjoy your redemption of those 3 nights that now extend for an additional year!

That isn't that much. My Uncle owns a business and they put over $50k/month on their Venture CC (2% cash back).

Exactly. With business expenses it's pretty easy to spent $100k a year on a credit card. Plus, we just spend too much in general. :) Luckily I don't spend $50k a month. I should say 2% cash back sounds like a substantially better deal though than the Marriott. I actually switched most of my spending to the Capital One mileage card this year that pays 2% (2 miles per dollar technically) in direct travel reimbursement which is as good as cash to me. Plus it paid a 100,000 mile bonus upon sign up which was good for $1,000 in straight up cash of travel. I have heard of some 5% cards out there through Schwab and Fidelity. Should look into those.

What really bothers me is that people can apply for a Plat challenge and get comped to Plat, without the intention to complete the challenge. So practically anybody can be a Plat for 25% of the time and not spend a single eligible night at a Marriott property!!

Here is an example and how i think Marriott could deal with it:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-rewards/1354438-booked-via-name-your-own-price-platinum-challenge-benefits.html

What really bothers me is that people can apply for a Plat challenge and get comped to Plat, without the intention to complete the challenge. So practically anybody can be a Plat for 25% of the time and not spend a single eligible night at a Marriott property!!

Here is an example and how i think Marriott could deal with it:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-rewards/1354438-booked-via-name-your-own-price-platinum-challenge-benefits.html

You make some very valid points, Nikolas.

Moreover, I never read that thread as it was self-evident to me what MR response would be to such an issue.

But, that thread again raises the matter that has gotten much ink elsewhere in this forum, e.g. that newly minted elite members on a challenge have no knowledge -- and from the looks of that thread that you cited -- no inclination to learn the rules of the program, as they appear to be totally invested in some very short term gain, and that's all.

MR needs to re-think the handing out like candy, elite challenges to those who have had no history of earning elite status in any program, whatsoever.

The posts in many threads and in certain blogs are replete with ways to obtain status for nothing from one program and then to use that as a bootstrap to gain a challenge with Marriott or some other program.

Marriott needs to tighten its eligibility requirements for these challenges.

What really bothers me is that people can apply for a Plat challenge and get comped to Plat, without the intention to complete the challenge. So practically anybody can be a Plat for 25% of the time and not spend a single eligible night at a Marriott property!!

I agreed that Marriott shouldn't throw their highest tier when people asked for it. There should be some limit on it or based on some criteria such as you are the highest tier of a competitor or you can only do it if you are a Gold member.

However it's difficult to say how many of those who took the challenge will eventually make it. There are certainly some that will just abuse the system, but I'm not sure if it's the majority. I do think that once you get the perks you can't live without it :D

I never asked for a Plat challenge myself because I know that I won't make it - so both Mr. Nacho and I picked Gold challenge instead. We made it - with our own expense, and we are happy with the perks, and it does make us choose Marriott over other chains.

However it's difficult to say how many of those who took the challenge will eventually make it. There are certainly some that will just abuse the system, but I'm not sure if it's the majority. I do think that once you get the perks you can't live without it :D

Sure, nobody can predict the future, but certain criteria or terms can be imposed, so as to maximize the likelihood that the challenge is offered to people that will eventually complete it.

Some of them are:


Prior status with Marriott (Gold or Silver).
Prior Status with other chains, not obtained through a challenge.
Removing Plat benefits from non-eligible stays towards the challenge (award stays, OTAs) until it is completed.
Offering comped Gold status for the duration of the challenge.


The provision of a challenge should constitute a trade-off for the chain; the devaluation of the Top Tier status vs the prospect of attracting new clients of positive net worth. Currently Marriott appears to ignore one part of this trade-off..

A lot of the other chains, that used to be like Marriott with respect to status challenges, have moved to the other extreme. For example, i am thinking of switching to SPG as my secondary hotel chain (currently HH Gold). They offer a Plat challenge of 18 nights in 90 days, but you do not get the status until the challenge is completed.

I find that extreme approach to be wrong too!! It makes me reluctant to change, even though i want to.

I find that extreme approach to be wrong too!! It makes me reluctant to change, even though i want to.

+1

Yes, that's why I have IHG as my second and HH as third. I got them without challange and now I started to have a more positive impression of IHG hotels.

I'll save the Hyatt diamond challenge unless I really can make it.

Marriott wants to drive growth. I am sure they have decided that this is an arrow they want in their quiver in order to drive growth.

I am likely to fail on my challenge, as a biz trip got moved out of the period, I knew that was a roll of the dice though when I signed up. They got business out of me during my challenge period that they might not have gotten otherwise. I wasn't upgraded either, and barely touched the lounges. I do appreciate the extra points though.