mymilesandpoints

Hi everyone! Been reading a lot around the forums lately and learning a lot from everyone's posts. I recently decided that SPG Platinum is something worth attaining especially given the possibility of upgrades to suites. Before actually doing the challenge (18 nights in 90 days), I wanted to run by you guys if I'm thinking right about the cost of getting platinum through a challenge versus attaining platinum 50 outright by staying 50 nights. (Also, let me know if this isn't the right place to post... I've tried to read all the rules and such seems like this is okay).

I have an excel spreadsheet of my analysis, but wasn't too sure about how to attach an excel file here, so I took a screenshot and attached it to this thread. Blue cells are input, black cells are calculations.

Essentially, I already have 7 qualified paid nights so far that I can use for the platinum challenge, and will need another 11 nights before April 30th to complete the challenge. Since I live in New York, assuming that the cheapest room I can get is around $150 (cell D13), it would theoretically cost me around $1,650 to complete the challenge and have platinum status till February 2018.

In comparison, considering I already have 10 nights and 4 stays from my SPG AMEX cards, and the 7 nights and 2 stays I have from actually staying at SPG hotels, and also two free award nights; if I tried to complete Platinum 50 nights or 25 stays, assuming the same rate per night, then I would need to conceptually spend $4,650 for Platinum 50 nights, or $3,975 for Platinum 25 stays.

I guess my question would be: 1) Is it nut to spend $1,650 to get to platinum status? My rationale is that I would have essentially 20 months of Platinum benefits since the status will last till Feb 2018, and 2) are there cheaper ways for me to get to Plat 50 nights or Plat 25 stays that I'm missing?, and 3) any clue how I can attach an excel file here?

Thanks everyone!
V.W. Murray.

jasonfx

I did the 18 day plat challenge earlier this year -- my platinum benefits showed an expiry of Feb 2017 until I hit my 50 night mark

RZR

Platinum is only worth it if you weigh all the factors once you hit the mark. I wouldn't do a challenge unless I had x amount of nights planned after achieving status.
Just pay for suites if you want them if you don't have atkeast 53 nights booked in future. Just my thoughts. No need to spend 1650

kauppias

I would say Look for cheaper stays, even NY has cheaper then 150$/night stays. Perhaps some BRG opportunities. With SPG you can book three rooms a night and get credit for them...

One option do a mattress run to Las vegas flights there and hop between SLS and Westin

Lots of BRG opportunities in vegas with added benefit of wasy hotel hoppibg

Night 1 3 rooms SLS 50$/room+ 30$ resort charge =180$/3 night credit
Night 2 3 rooms Westin 61$/ night+25$ resort charge= 258$/3 night credit
Night 3 3 rooms SLS 50$/room+ 30$ resort charge =180/3 night credits

This is 9 credits in 3 days 618$ this added with current vegas bonus points can be a good deal if you BRG these can be even lower...

These are MID WEEK prices weekends are more but if your schedule allows it ��

Even with a flight you will still come out ahead

Just a thought

kauppias

Add another day/3rooms and your platinum with a decent vegas experince too ��

Last night you could just do 2 rooms

mymilesandpoints

That's a really good idea. Not too familiar with how BRG works but Vegas sounds fun! Unfortunately only weekends work for me and the flights out that can be quite exorbitant. Any other cities in the East Coast that you guys think might have cheap SPG hotels that are easily accessible on a train and such? (I dont drive unfortunately..)

mymilesandpoints

I believe I read somewhere on this forum or some blog article that if I complete it after April 1, that it will show expiry of Feb 2018. Not 100% sure, but I'll definitely check with the platinum liason first before taking on the challenge. Thanks for the heads up!!

meraki1990

The actual cutoff date is March 1st.

I finished my Plat challenge on March 5th, and my status is Plat until 2/2018.

Also, I recommend the Washington Dulles area in the weekends, when the rates are literally rock bottom. All my stays were $50-$75 incl. tax after BRG.

I finished my entire Plat challenge using BRG stays with 2000 points per room, effectively netting me around 50k points with all the promos.

1 stay at W New York(previous)
6 stays at Aloft Dulles Airport North
6 stays at Sheraton Herndon Dulles
5 stays at Sheraton Tyson's

mymilesandpoints

That sounds like a great deal! Thanks! By the way any chance you know I can do Aloft Dulles and Sheraton Dulles at the same time and also earn nights and stays?

For example, let's say I'm there from April 8 to April 10 for 2 nights total. Can I book 2 nights at Aloft from April 8 to 10, and 2 nights at Sheraton from April 8 to 10 and get 4 nights?

Was wondering if that was what you did? Reason being I would love to get the challenge out of the way in one weekend if possible.

I need 11 nights more, so was thinking:

April 8-11
Aloft: 3 rooms with 3 nights each to get 9 nights
Sheraton: 1 room with 2 nights to get to a total of 11 nights!

meraki1990

No. You can only earn credit(up to 3 rooms) at one hotel per night. (Because you can theoretically only be in one hotel per night, physically.)

Fri-Sat, Sat-Sun should give you 6 stays/6 nights, or Fri-Sun for 3 stays/6 nights.

Looks like it has to be at least 2 weekends for this to happen for you.

mymilesandpoints

I see. Perhaps I can do Friday to Monday for 1 nights and 2 rooms at Aloft on Friday, then check in to Sheraton on Saturday for 3 nights and 3 room for Saturday till Monday and call them on Monday morning to check out since I'll be already in New York for a total of 11 nights.

Curious how you did the BRG? I check Kayak and Expedia and they're both at similar prices to SPG.. Do you guys have another website that you try to BRG against?

Herb687

That's the biggest flaw in how you're thinking about the SPG Platinum Challenge.

Plumber

If you really want to have a fun weekend , Sheraton Parsippany and Sheraton Mahwah, both in NJ, usually have weekend rates in the $110-$120 range...sometimes cheaper.

They are ~25 minute drive apart if you need to hotel hop.

navelfluff

I did platinum challenge commencing 1st Feb, concluding with the status award last week. My platinum shows expiry of Feb 2018.

myko85

If you are trying to get plat status just for the potential suite upgrade, it may be more cost-effective to just stay gold and book a suite instead....?

IMO plat status is only worth it if you stay SPG enough to use the status...and if that happens then you will accrue status naturally without need for mattress run.