Marriott Bonvoy Lurker

Just FYI in case anyone was wondering.

Section 1.6.c.iii.

Divorce. In the event of a Member’s adjudicated divorce settlement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, allow unredeemed Points to be transferred from one Member’s Account to another Member’s Account upon the Company’s receipt and review of all requested documentation and communications including, without limitation, legal documents directing such a transfer of Points. Awards, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Membership Status, and the related benefits, including, without limitation, Elite Night Credit, will not transfer to the recipient of the Points.

https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi

Robert V.

Social Media Liaison

rbAA

Can't really split the elite status, but don't need a lawyer to figure this one out. My (ex-) Chinese wife insisted on a business class award ticket plus hotel award nights for her use (she planned a trip to NJ, and CA, for her son's graduation from Rutgers.) About half of the balance in one airline and one hotel program. Fortunately, I got the Florida real estate, but I'm sure that she wouldn't have signed the deeds without my agreeing to split those balances.

SPN Lifer

We have been very happily married for almost 29 years. 💚

I am already old enough to draw early Social Security, but am waiting until I turn 70 so as to maximize her survivor benefit. (My earnings were much higher than hers.)

I am over six years older, and women live longer, so her lifetime will likely end a dozen or so years after mine. My wonderful wife deserves a lifetime membership, too. We already have spousal lifetime United Club and Admirals Club memberships. We are a team.

We are too old to get the 1,000 nights necessary for Hilton Honors Lifetime Diamond status, though we may get a Hilton Aspire AmEx card next year. 😉

born sleepy

I'd appreciate it more if it was beneficial. The UA Silver status is definitely worth something, at UA. In terms of room upgrades at Marriott properties, it's not. "Oh, sorry, no upgrades available" every. goddam. time. So, you're right, not completely worthless at United Airlines.

pinniped

I'm Lifetime Titanium and while there are moments when I'm definitely in the "status doesn't mean anything anymore", we did receive a full 1-bedroom ocean view suite at the RC Bacara this past weekend on a standard award stay. So, for now, I believe that obligates me to be nice to Marriott for a bit. And I don't fly enough Star Alliance anymore to make status the normal way, so Silver status is appreciated. I'm flying a UA flight this coming weekend that looks pretty empty in both F and E+, so maybe it will pay dividends there.

Anyway, to the question of spending $255 for Platinum... I guess the only thing I'd ask is if you travel to enough places where you routinely use up your SNAs? Paying for benefits you already get as a Titanium doesn't make any sense, but if you think 2022 is going to have a few nice trips that will drain your existing supply of SNAs, then I'd say 5 more could be worth $255 in the right situation.

Of course, the other obvious question: why does it have to be a throwaway mattress run? It's only April. Why not 4 nights somewhere you'd actually enjoy, making the "payment for status" simply the much smaller gap in value between the Gold and Titanium benefits for one stay?

EDIT: Just realized the 2x/elite night promo is over. Wonder fi the OP did the stay. I think even without the promo, I'd rather find 8 nights through my normal travels over the course of 7 months than spend $300+ at a Fairfield Inn I didn't intend to use.

andy_dangg

Hi all,

For context I am essentially a complete newbie to Marriott, only a Hyatt Explorist. Marriott makes sense for a few of my upcoming stays so I contacted them seeing if they had a challenge and got the standard 9 nights gold/16 nights plat.

I have 10 nights planned for the 90 day period of the promo so I’d make the Gold, but I’m not sure if I can reach 16 organically (slow time for travel for me, most is in summer/winter).

Is it worth 6 nights mattress running for the Plat over Gold? I live in a small town with frequent sub-$100 rates so it could be done for $500-600. Gold seems relatively comparable to Hyatt Explorist, except for the fact that I have had decent luck getting upgraded at Hyatt and I feel like this will not be the case at Marriott. The exec lounge access is the big selling point for me and could push me to stay at Marriott for future trips, I love Hyatt but I’m getting frustrated by the smaller portfolio.

Experiences from people who went from Gold to Plat would be very helpful in determining if it’s worth it! Just trying to decide because I’m pretty sure you can only choose the Gold OR Plat challenge, not both (correct me if I’m wrong).

Thanks in advance!

HaleiwaFlyer

I would calculate how many future stays per month you are planning to do; if those properties have lounge access; and what type of breakfast those properties offer. Then see if it is worth 500-600 dollars. Upgrades are hit or miss, and wouldn't count on them. SNA are hit or miss, and wouldn't count on them.

Personally, based on my own experiences with Marriott, I would hit it organically, and just use that 500-600 for better breakfast, or use it towards a purchased suite.

slpybear

Mighty_Bluff,

I would not do a mattress run of six nights to obtain platinum. That is a lot of $$$ spend you will not get a return on with the current program. If you will be Lifetime Plat soon then I would just save the $$$ and wait.

Years ago you would have to value the cost of those six nights vs. the combined bennies of Breakfast/lounge access, good upgrades, and an elite choice benefit. That would be hard to justify back then. There is no way to justify it now.

FlyingBeanCounter

Marriott takes us for granted. Long gone are the days of starwood and actual appreciation for loyalty. Want a suite? Buy it. You rarely will get an upgrade unless it is off season. Breakfast? It is a discount. There are few if any properties left that treat people well. I guess asia is still pretty nice to us but other than that? Save any money you might spend and book the room you want. If you need proof, know that marriott actually thinks that those of us who hit lifetime titanium levels after the deadline are worth less as customers than those that hit it before. There is no other way to look at this situation. That alone should raise huge red flags. Following the marriage talk here, would you actually marry someone who treated you worse than their previous spouses?

aceman

Pretty new with Marriott, so just wondering what you would do in this circumstance: I'm currently on 49 nights, my next definite Marriott trip will either be in Munich during oktoberfest, Barcelona for a few days, or Copenhagen for a few days. Is platinum sufficiently worth it for me to waste about £140 on a night near me in the uk so that I have it for one of the actual trips? I keep seeing stories here of SNA's not doing much, and I certainly cant imagine they'd be applied during such a busy period like oktoberfest.

Follow up question, I actually didnt register for the 1 bonus elite night promo until the day after i checked out of a 2 night stay in playa del carmen, is there any chance of me persuading them to apply it to that? -I'd actually been having trouble with marriott since I was supposed to be gold with amex platinum but the status wasnt sticking despite amex telling me they could see it their end, so it would be a nice bit of service recovery. (the only solution marriott gave was totally deleting my account and starting again!)

clarkef

I would review the platinum perks to see what benefits you would reap over your current gold status and whether those additional benefits are worth £140 to you. Due to the likely high occupancy of your Munich/Barcelona trip, I would especially look at the guaranteed perks such as breakfast and/or lounge access. For example (completely made up), say its you, your spouse and your two children traveling for a week during Oktoberfest, seven days of breakfast for four would likely be a lot more than £140. I likely wouldn't spend the £140 to get the "soft" perks such as room upgrades just because you're less likely to be upgraded, especially to a meaningful upgrade, during periods of high occupancy.

mahasamatman

None.

platbrownguy

I wouldn't just waste the cash, but if there's a reasonably fun weekend trip you could take, I'd probably use this as an excuse to take that trip. Also, there's no reason you need the status more than 5 days in advance of your next definite trip (SNAs can be applied at any time, but nothing happens until 5 days prior to check-in, and there's no benefit of having applied them sooner). So I would wait until closer to your next definite trip, as you might have an unexpected trip come up between now and then.

Also, I would think you have decent odds of getting SNAs to clear in BCN or CPH, probably not MUC during oktoberfest but honestly you never know. I had SNAs clear into a giant slopeside suite at the Westin Snowmass for Christmas week a few years back -- and I've had them denied in empty hotels in Maine in the middle of winter, it's truly a crapshoot, but it's a game worth playing.

Radiation Station

Agree that SNAs are a weird beast - I’ve had mine be rejected for W Amsterdam during F1 race weekend (didn’t even realise the race was on) but then clear to a massive suite overlooking the track for five nights at W Abu Dhabi for the actual final race weekend of the 2021 F1 season. I usually apply them when I’d really like a suite but am suspicious the hotel may have high occupancy and a complimentary upgrade is less likely.

m.photog

That is one of the most romantic things I have ever seen on Flyertalk. <3