Originally Posted by Alohashirt

I'm one of the many who got Marriott Gold status via the AMEX Platinum card. This means I'll be tossed from the lounges and free breakfasts in August.

I travel for work about every month and have 20 paid Marriott nights so far this year, all of which are at premium properties in expensive cities (NYC and London). Lounge access really does make a difference to me-- and it's the deciding factor that keeps me coming to Marriotts instead of Hiltons.

I have a standard Chase Marriott Signature Visa, which I believe gives me 15 nights of credit a year automatically. Combined with my paid stays, that still leaves me 15 nights short of the 50 I'd need to keep my lounge access. I'm not likely to do a "mattress run" for 10-15 nights. Nor am I in a position to spend 30K or some comparably high figure on my Signature Visa.

Can anybody think of other options I might have to reach the new Platinum and keep my lounge access? I know that I could get an AMEX Hilton Aspire card. That would give me Hilton Diamond status with lounge access. However, I do like Marriotts and would much rather stick with them if at all possible. I guess I'm in that unfortunate category of business folks who travel enough to value the comforts of loyalty perks, but not quite frequently enough to earn a level that guarantees them.