I am Lifetime PP now and just passed the 50 nights in 2018 needed for the first threshold gift. I obviously don't need the 5 elite nights for status purposes (and I don't have a shot at Ambassador), but I would like to get the 1 free night at the 75 night threshold and may have trouble getting to 75 nights by year end given a sharp reduction in travel planned for the balance of year. So would the 5 elite nights help me get to the 75 needed for the next gift level where I can get that 1 free night or do they truly just count toward elite staus and are not included in the calculation of the 75 nights needed to get to the next gift???? I would assume the elite night ticker is the same as the gift level "ticker"- so the answer would be that they would help me- but I have a little doubt in my mind and fear they may look at true nigts stayed versus the elite ticker that currently include includes things like carryover nights from 2017 and now maybe these bonus nights. So I throw it out to you guys for some possible insight. If the answer is that they won't help me get to the 75 for the free night, then I will chose the suite upgrades- but for me, I am mostly in non-full service hotels so the upgrades likely not be of much use for me.