Putting aside whether it’s ever smart to chase lifetime status, which can be devalued or eliminated overnight, this only seems like good advice for people who are already at least half to two-thirds of the way to lifetime status at a chain they really like and can get the rest of the way without sacrificing much in terms of convenience and/or cost.

There’s something a little odd about staying at one’s second- or third-choice hotel just because of status, particularly if we’re talking about two or three vacations per year in retirement and not 90 nights per year of business travel.