SkiAdcock

Marriot HQ (not Arne , but not the cust svc reps in Utah. Actually HQ has offered the Gold to some folk who really didn't want it at the time but wanted to do a challenge later & now they're stuck w/ it. But the normal reps can only offer road to challenge.

I can't address the credit card thing per se, but to me if you're going to do multiple apps do them on the same day to hopefully minimize the hard pull on your credit history.

Cheers.

monkatpeace

Reposting part of my query I had posted on another FT thread.

Hi, I am currently at the Gold Elite status on the MR program. I had a decent number of stays in 2015 and was upgraded from Silver to Gold in 2015. But the no. of nights has dropped down to zero for 2016 (obviously) as I am yet to make a stay this year.

My Gold membership is set to expire in Apr 2017 and Marriott CC mentioned that the status-downgrade will happen by Feb 2017 itself (in case I am unable to stay 50/75 nights at Marriott properties in 2016).

My queries:

1. I don't anticipate much business travel/stay in 2016. To reach Platinum, I am thinking of trying the 'Taste of Platinum' challenge (assuming it's still 9 stays in 90 days) and completing it with a couple of Mattress runs. Do you think it would be worth it? (I am primarily aiming for the 50% bonus points, United Airlines Silver membership and the possibility to get status-match with other hotels)
2. Also, wrt the 'Taste of Platinum' challenge: Let's say I complete the challenge and achieve Platinum status this year, e.g. by August 2016. What would the expiry date of my newly achieved Platinum status be? (My guess: rest of 2016 + 2017 until Feb 2018)
3. I've seen a couple of posts which state that only HQ can grant the 'Taste of..' challenge. Is there any way I can contact them to sign up for this challenge? Else, I would have to try Marriott CC to see if they can at least grant me the 'Road to Platinum' challenge

Ch33rs,
Monk

SkiAdcock

Only Marriott HQ offers the taste. There's not really any way to ask HQ & you're not really going to get a lot of support if you're not really going to have many stays. If you want the max amount of time for Plat, do the road of challenge in June or thereafter. I think challenges in the first part of the year only take you to Feb of the next year, but challenges in the latter part of the year to Feb of the year after next.

Cheers.

monkatpeace

Thank you.

But, isn't it a general scenario wherein existing Gold members try to get to Platinum through these 2 challenges? Do we really a good number of completed/planned stays before we even approach them to request for the challenge?

Also, afaik, the only difference between 'Taste of' and 'Road to' is the status grant. That is, 'Taste of' grants you the status you are trying for, for a period of 3 months. While 'Road to' grants you the status only after completing the challenge. I hope the challenge remains the same for both i.e. complete 9 stays in 3 months?

A big thanks for the heads-up on the 'post-june' condition. I had actually planned 9 mattress runs in April 2016 to help me complete the challenge. But now, based on your inputs, I'll plan my stays accordingly after June 2016.

Thanks,
Monk

jeanie

Actually, my Taste of Gold Challenge gave me Gold until February, 2018, based on the correspondence from Marriott.

I have done a Gold Challenge with Hilton before. You may be confusing the 2 programs. With Hilton, if the challenge was done before June 30, then you would have status until February of the following year. Then if the challenge was completed after July 1, you would have status until February the year after next.

Another thing to remember with Hilton is you don't get a soft landing. You can be Diamond one year, and then be nothing the next year. Hilton also doesn't have a lifetime status program. A lot of reward programs have a soft landing where you only go down one level if you don't qualify for the same tier again. So a platinum would go down to gold with a soft landing.

SkiAdcock

I actually don't know that current Gold members request going for Plat challenge on regular basis. But again - only HQ - offers the 'taste of'. Unless you've got an email in your inbox saying welcome/enjoy it, it's not happening. You're probably going to need to do the 'road to'.

The requirements for Gold/Plat, whether road or challenge, is "x" amount during 90 days (and they do mean 90 days, not 3 months; at times there can be a difference). If you're going to go for 'road to', it probably helps to have some future ressies in your profile when you call so they can look at it, although it's not totally required. But given you're silver probably wouldn't hurt.

Before you decide to blow off your April stays for 'road to', I'd call Marriott CS & ask them if you do it in April how long your status would be active. In the past (ie, read through this thread) it's if it's before June it's 'til Feb of next year & if it's after June then to the year after. However, things change all the time. Maybe they are now expanding it to the year after next. If Marriott CS says '18 then get a name.

You say you want it for UA Silver in addition to other. It's not a guarantee that the Marriott/UA program will still continue now that Marriott is acquiring SPG who has an arrangement w/ DL. Granted it may continue one more year.

I guess the part I don't get is you're going to do 9 mattress runs to get Plat status when you're not actually going to be staying at Marriott that much. You may have a chance of being kept at Gold in '17, as Marriott sometimes keeps status for one year or then do a Gold challenge if you drop to Silver (6 stays vs Plat 9).

Perhaps 'taste of', which again is only offered by HQ, is offering 'til '18. That's great.

I am not confusing the programs. I'm quite familiar w/ Marriott If you read through the 2,000+ posts on this thread, you'd find that it was reported multiple times that challenges before June got you to the next year & after June the year after. However, things can always change.

And yes Marriott has always been superior to Hilton (and SPG) in terms of Marriott giving soft landing vs. Hilton's (and SPG's) drop you to the basement if you don't hit status.

Marriott created the Lifetime status & the other chains followed. On a particular anniversary w/ Marriott I got LT Plat status. I would have gotten it anyway; just got it a few months early. At the same anniversary w/ Hilton I got a paperweight w/ my account # on the original card. Guess who I give my bizness to? (Not Hilton).

Cheers.

monkatpeace

First of all, thanks a lot for patiently answering my queries Sharon ^ .

Well I kinda generalized there. For Gold members like self, who do not have much stays planned in the coming year but still wish to try & achieve Platinum status..the next step would be to try 'Taste of / Road to'. Also, this generalization came after having gone through a couple of FT posts which conveyed the same idea. It may or may not be true .

My bad. Yes, I meant 90 days (not 3 months). And btw, am Gold right now, not Silver. Although, I may very well get downgraded to Silver next year .

Yep, I'll try and see if MR CS can help me with the details. The thing is, I might have an upcoming business stay, but no way would it last 75 days (normal criteria for Plat upgrade). And I am unsure of the exact no. of stays required for the 'Taste of / Road to' challenge (need to check with MR CS). So if I want Platinum, the only way I see is to take up the 'challenge'.

Reg UA Silver, I guess I use that point to console myself into thinking 'See, this is one of the reasons you spent all that money for achieving Platinum. Good job' ^ lol.

It would be really great if MR extends my Gold status by a year (up for renewal in Feb 2017), fingers crossed. Reg the Gold Vs Silver challenge....I would prefer to keep my Gold status for as long as possible as it's got more benefits compared to Silver. Also, 9 (Plat) Vs 6 (Gold) stays is kind of negligible for me, since I have decided to invest my money (on the challenge) to get the Plat status .

All in all ... appreciate your valuable inputs. As for me, it's gonna be a couple of testy months. Will update if I receive the 'Taste of Plat' challenge (or) if CS grants me the 'Road to Plat' challenge.

Ch33rs,
Monk

SkiAdcock

Do you have a Marriott credit card? You get 15 nights towards status if you have one. Also, for every $3K in spend you put through it you get an extra night. And if they continue w/ the birthday promo (you need to put your birthdate in your profile) that would give you an extra night. That would reduce the # of BIB (butt in bed) nights you need for Plat or Gold each year. There's also the meeting room angle.

Cheers.

monkatpeace

I am sorry, I should have mentioned this earlier. I stay outside the US, so the Credit Card option wouldn't work for me right now. Although I might be moving to the US soon, whereupon I plan on getting the Marriott Credit Card once I've build a decent Credit score/history in the US.

Thanks for reminding me..let me go and kick myself in the back. I actually missed the email Marriott sent me on my birthday this year (1 free night gone just like that ). But, I've sent them an email to see If i can still claim that 1 night .. .

Do members get any discount/offers for hosting social events at a Marriott property? I have an upcoming birthday in my family..and would love to host it at Marriott if I can get some benefits out of it.

Update reg. 'Road to Platinum' challenge:
I spoke to the MR CC and requested for a Platinum challenge. As conveyed earlier on this thread, the 'Taste of' challenge is only offered by HQ . CC though, was more than happy to have me enrolled for the 'Road to' challenge. It seems I can check this challenge's status on my Marriott profile, but I don't see it. Any help on how to do this?

Validity of membership status on completing challenge:
As confirmed by CC, once a member completes a 'Taste of / Road to' challenge, the validity of the new status stays on for the rest of the current year and through the entire of next year.

Current Platinum challenge:
Complete 9 stays (not 9 nights) in 90 days

Hope the above helps aspiring members .

Ch33rs,
Monk

sethb

At most of them, you get 10 nights status credit for hosting a meeting. You also get some points per dollar spent.

monkatpeace

It is a birthday party . Will the rewards/benefits still apply?

Thanks,
Monk

sethb

(dup)

sethb

The type of meeting has never been found to matter. But ask the hotel rep to make sure you're getting everything you should.

knopfler

Anyone know if you will get two stays credit towards the challenge if you book and check in to two different properties on the same day?

RogerD408

Generally, no. It has been rumored that it is impossible to be in two places at once. Even if it should post, many times promos get an extra review and it may go away once someone eyeballs the account.