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!!!
