Originally Posted by
lovely15
I stayed 47 nights or so last year - so not enough to renew gold. However, I got a gold package today with a letter saying, "Although you have not reached the required number of nights, we are renewing your gold status, etc, etc, etc...."
Is this pretty common?
Keep in mind that if you had the Marriott Premier Visa, you'd only need 35 nights for Gold (since that card gives you a 15-night head start every year).
I can imagine, therefore, that since Marriott lowers it from 50 to 35 for those with the card, they take other things into account as to whether to lower it from 50 to something else (between 50 and 35) even if you don't have the card.
Still, since the card has no "net" annual fee (in that it gives you a free night cat 1-5 cert each year they charge you the $85 annual fee), it may be simpler to get it and then only have to worry about whether you crossed 35, not how fewer than 50 you can get away with.