Marriott Platinum Challenge General Discussion Thread
#106
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
I am finally Platinum! After 5 days I had not hear anything back on my “case”, so I called again. It was a long phone call where I was told first that award nights didn’t count. (I said that I had evidence that they did count, so I waited 15 minutes on hold for the CSR to check and tell me I was right.) Then I waited another 10 minutes while the CSR double checked that I had enough nights. (I did, but he thought I didn’t.) Then I waited again while he talked to a supervisor. He came back and told me that his supervisor said I just had to wait and my status would upgrade automatically at some point, but there was no way to know when. I begged him to fix it, given how long I have waited on each call to Marriott this fall, how I have been transferred from person to person, and how I just didn’t have any confidence in what I was being told (since more often than not since the merger, information has been incorrect!) He put me on hold a final time for another 15 minutes and was able to convert my status to Platinum. All in all, just over 1 hour for the call. Not bad, compared to some of the experiences I have had with Marriott this fall!
The first rep had no idea what I was talking about and insisted that I had to wait until 12/31, which is the last day of the challenge, to call back. I realized there's no hope here and ended the call quickly.
Then I called again, and this time it was answered by a much better rep. After I explained my situation, she checked my stay history and immediately upgraded my account to Platinum Elite. The entire call took 15 minutes, waiting included. Although she said the new status should be seen online within 10 minutes, it took about 8 hours for my account to be updated. Needless to say I was anxiously logging in and out during these 8 hours, but this is already the most pleasant experience I've had with Marriott in 2018.
A note to other people calling Marriott with platinum challenge issues: reps have extremely inconsistent knowledge of the promotion. If the one you got has no clue about anything, don't even try to push for supervisor or a ticket (which will never be dealt with). Every time I asked for a supervisor, the rep just puts me on hold and go talk to whoever's in charge, which results in frustratingly long calls. HUCA immediately and you'll eventually get a good one.
#107
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
I was Gold already when I started the challenge and today I was upgraded to Platinum Elite. Unless their T&Cs changed since September, having status (Silver or Gold) shouldn't be an issue.
#108
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE*MM, Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Gold, National EE, Sixt Plat, Hz 5*
Posts: 2,435
So I have two quick questions.
- Can I start the challenge in January, before my status drops to gold, on Mar 1?
- Does the status year count towards LT status?
Last edited by Nitehawk; Dec 21, 2018 at 7:24 pm Reason: Add a second question...
#111
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
Should be only 1 night. I think SPG used to allow elite nights on all rooms (up to three maybe), then Marriott changed it to just one. You can still get points on other rooms, but not stay/night.
#112
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
And the other way around: has anyone encountered having an overlapping stay on the start of the challenge. I.e. Thinking of starting the challenge beginning next year, but having a stay from dec 29th to jan 4th, I wonder if all the nights would count, as I'll be checking out after the challenge start?
#113
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Posts: 44
Challenge is back on Jan 4th 2019
Spoke to a rep who did some digging and looks like the challenge is back tomorrow Jan 4th. She said a note was sent around about some sort of delay in the challenge but that starting 4th of Jan 2019 they will start enrolling again and any challenge completed would bestow status through 2020. However award nights are not included.
#115
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott PLT
Posts: 22
Should it show somewhere in my profile that I am on the Platinum challenge? I am new to all of this status stuff (but trying to learn quickly), but when I sent in the email originally I got a response saying to call a number and enroll. I did that, but for some reason the rep on the phone said that it would not allow her to enroll me that day that it would be done automatically for me the next day. I'm not sure what the problem is but the next day I called in and it was pretty clear that I wasn't even in the challenge, and so I enrolled again. I asked to get an email confirmation based on what I've read here and was told I would get one. I have not.
Now in this couple of days time, I have stayed one night at the Marriott. That stay is not showing up on my profile nor are the points (Stay: 1/3-1/4, it is 1/7 now). I have the print out receipt from the hotel that has my member number on it so I'm just curious if I am doing something incorrectly?
Now in this couple of days time, I have stayed one night at the Marriott. That stay is not showing up on my profile nor are the points (Stay: 1/3-1/4, it is 1/7 now). I have the print out receipt from the hotel that has my member number on it so I'm just curious if I am doing something incorrectly?
#116
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
Should it show somewhere in my profile that I am on the Platinum challenge? I am new to all of this status stuff (but trying to learn quickly), but when I sent in the email originally I got a response saying to call a number and enroll. I did that, but for some reason the rep on the phone said that it would not allow her to enroll me that day that it would be done automatically for me the next day. I'm not sure what the problem is but the next day I called in and it was pretty clear that I wasn't even in the challenge, and so I enrolled again. I asked to get an email confirmation based on what I've read here and was told I would get one. I have not.
Now in this couple of days time, I have stayed one night at the Marriott. That stay is not showing up on my profile nor are the points (Stay: 1/3-1/4, it is 1/7 now). I have the print out receipt from the hotel that has my member number on it so I'm just curious if I am doing something incorrectly?
Now in this couple of days time, I have stayed one night at the Marriott. That stay is not showing up on my profile nor are the points (Stay: 1/3-1/4, it is 1/7 now). I have the print out receipt from the hotel that has my member number on it so I'm just curious if I am doing something incorrectly?
As long as your registration, if a rep said that he/she successfully enrolled you, then you should probably be fine. My experience with Marriott CSR is that anything that "will be taken care of at a future time" is pure nonsense, but when they say something's already processed over the phone it usually is.
Your stay could be just a delay. I'd wait a few more days before calling the hotel to track it down. Doesn't sound like you're doing anything incorrectly.
#117
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott PLT
Posts: 22
Thanks. As I woke up this morning and checked, there it was - my stay and points. I am keeping all my receipts and reservation emails just in case.
One more quick question, if I may -- when I started this challenge I was a Gold Elite member, and the challenge was for 16 stays in the next 90 days to get to Platinum, but now I'm hearing that that's the reward for any member regardless of starting status level (?).
Thanks again for your help.
One more quick question, if I may -- when I started this challenge I was a Gold Elite member, and the challenge was for 16 stays in the next 90 days to get to Platinum, but now I'm hearing that that's the reward for any member regardless of starting status level (?).
Thanks again for your help.
#119
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott PLT
Posts: 22
Is it okay if I'm booking rooms directly on Marriott.com using publicly available discount counts like the one for AAA, if I have a valid AAA card? I wasn't able to find too much information on whether or not it had to be a "full fee" room or not and don't wanna get to the 15th night to find out I messed it up.
Thanks,
Thanks,
#120
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 73
Is it okay if I'm booking rooms directly on Marriott.com using publicly available discount counts like the one for AAA, if I have a valid AAA card? I wasn't able to find too much information on whether or not it had to be a "full fee" room or not and don't wanna get to the 15th night to find out I messed it up.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Thanks. As I woke up this morning and checked, there it was - my stay and points. I am keeping all my receipts and reservation emails just in case.
One more quick question, if I may -- when I started this challenge I was a Gold Elite member, and the challenge was for 16 stays in the next 90 days to get to Platinum, but now I'm hearing that that's the reward for any member regardless of starting status level (?).
Thanks again for your help.
One more quick question, if I may -- when I started this challenge I was a Gold Elite member, and the challenge was for 16 stays in the next 90 days to get to Platinum, but now I'm hearing that that's the reward for any member regardless of starting status level (?).
Thanks again for your help.