pbd456

Hong Kong is full of platinum and above due to staycation, and the challenge from last year. combine with 500 HKD dining voucher, and can book 50% off best flexible rate for up to 3 nights (+1 HKD for breakfast), combine with amex discount of 30%. staycation dining package equals to room rate.

Xero

The market exists for buying/selling points in the West too. For example, this website (https://www.themilesmarket.com) is based in the USA. (Note: I am not vouching for the website. I am posting this simply for knowledge not as an endorsement. Selling miles/points is against the ToS of virtually every loyalty program.)

There are many non-business travelers who crave status as well, all around the world. Not just in China.

WasKnown

Sure, the marketplace I listed in the post you are replying to
(churningmarketplace) is a huge marketplace dedicated to this
type of thing that is not in China. It is clear this exists in many
markets. However, as noted in this thread, the marketplaces in
China are MUCH larger (probably by virtue of the fact that there
are more people in China) and easier to access. For example, 600 people purchased Marriott Platinum status in the last month alone on just one Chinese WeChat broker. I challenge anyone to show me something comparable for another market. Where would someone in the US even go if they wanted to purchase status for any program? It just is not on the same level at all.

In fact, this is so prevalent that even Marriott itself has partnered with Alibaba to �sell� Marriott status before China members can buy Platinum status for $13 + 8 nights.

noeatbutgo

We need tapering here- what an inflation!

bakrgby

interesting subject

DELee

Go ahead and do all the research you want.

David

GrayAnderson

I suspect the "main" culprit is the multi-year status rollover/"helper" moves combined with varying market dynamics. One point to consider is that the cost of a flight from China to the US for a family of 3-4 (to, say, visit Disney World) probably covers a lot of domestic vacation ground for those who can afford it.

One probably-overlooked element is the effect of the intermittent lockdowns, which have probably "stranded" a few thousand people (or perhaps, legitimately, tens of thousands of people across the various incidents) into status at some point in the last two years since (IIRC) those things tend to last a few weeks once they kick off.

bakrgby

colt75

any new data points for this? or has the level of platinums fizzled out?

DallasEsq

This doesn't surprise me. The price difference between Western and Non-Western hotels in Asia is huge so locals would need a compelling reason to choose a Marriott when something comparable would be a third of the price.

kb1992

I stayed about 160 nights in China this year.

It's getting harder to get a complimentary suite upgrade, and lounges are also more and more crowded.

Still, I don't think it's the number of platinum or higher elites. Rather, people are simply booking suites and executive rooms since the delta of rates for suite/executive rooms and regular rooms is often insignificant in China.

Case in point: Chengdu Marriott, Dec. 12-13
Regular room (41 Sq m) 970 CNY
Executive Suite (70 Sq m) 1450 CNY

The delta is only 480 CNY or $65.

No wonder I didn't get an upgrade the last time I stayed there. Hotel manager told me all suites are full.

TalkingPoint

Chinese members also got 20 promotional elite night credits this year. On top of the fact one can purchase platinum for 400rmb on those marketplaces. I think things will calm next year.

Jiatong

Yep, my plat friend also got the 20 free nights this year. Calm down in china, I doubt it with the marketplace cheaters, they are clever !!.

SHLTP

Had lunch w a front office mgr who said the scamming is daily and a massive problem.

travelinmanS

What is the scamming? I�m curious.

As a member with a Chinese address I got the extra elite nights added earlier this year. I�ll make titanium because of this. I�m lifetime plat so I don�t indulge in the purchasing of status on Taobao or what not.