I received a postcard in the mail this past week telling me I'm dropping to MR Gold status and offering me the 40,000 point buyback to Platinum.

40k is a steep price to pay for an upgrade from Gold to Plat. The difference in on-property benefits between the two levels is small. I stay primarily at limited service properties, anyway, so room upgrades don't mean a heck of a lot and elite breakfast and lounge benefits are irrelevant.

That leaves the higher earnings bonus of Plat as the main benefit. With an extra 25% I'd have to accumulate 160k base points just to break even. And I'd have to earn those points before re-earning Plat on nights. The math only begins to work out with an average nightly rate well over $400. Absurd.

Then there's the issue of the 40k points being deducted from the LT count. Fuggedaboudit!