Let's face it- there's really a 3-tier travel system.

First, there's the treatment you get as a "no-status" traveler- you're at the mercy of the professionalism (or lack thereof) of the hotel or airline in question.

Then there's the low-tier status- Marriott Silver being one. They make it pretty easy to get- I have Silver on Marriott and Hilton because of the credit cards. I've read that some employers who throw a lot of travel bucks around get mid-tier status with the major airlines for their employees. If you want to throw big bucks around yourself, you can also get mid-tier Elite in the major airlines with an AE Centurion card (annual fee $1,000 or so- may be higher). You get a few nice perks- occasional upgrades, shorter lines, lounge access, slightly better access to reward travel, etc.

Then there are the Road Warrior levels. Other than the occasional fluke-y promotion, you get there only by butt-in-seat flying or staying way too many nights away from home. All the hotels and all the airlines want the Road Warriors and treat them like royalty. Some of us will never make the road Warrior category and are happy with that.

To me, low-tier Elite status in Marriott or any other program has nowhere near the rewards of the Road Warrior status, but it's got enough occasional pleasant surprises that I'll go to some trouble and expense to maintain it.