Welcome to FT, Razor1973. I travel by myself for my business trips and I hotel hop enough times to maintain my status at 4 different hotel chains. Once you spend a few more months in FT, you'll see how it is easy to get status and if you travel frequently, you don't have to hop throughout the year. You just hop when the time is right, unless you become a point 4 like some of us. And SPG Platinum is like forbidden fruit, once you've tasted it; you'll find reasons to consider the suggestions mentioned in many of the posts in this thread. Good luck!