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Platinum Status in Eight Days and $800 - No Stays Required

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Old Dec 30, 2015, 10:18 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: rustykettel
Ten (10) Elite Nights are given for each meeting held in a participating hotel under the "Rewarding Events" program. See below for non-participating brands. Information about the Rewarding Events program may be found at https://www.marriott.com/meeting-eve...els/rewards.mi

The 10 elite nights per meeting are independent of any hotel rooms booked in conjunction with the meeting. In fact, no hotel rooms have to be booked as part of the meeting in order to receive credit for 10 elite nights.

Although the Rewarding Events webpage refers to room nights for meeting participants, the most important section is the one that states 10 Elite Nights, regardless if you or your guest is paying for it

In general, a written contract is required (or should be obtained). In many cases, the meeting is booked through a central Marriott group sales office instead of directly with a hotel. If booked through a central Marriott group sales office, there is a three-page contract that makes reference to the Rewarding Events program on page 2 of the agreement. A MR member number should be included in this area of the contract by the group sales office.

FAQs:

Q: What brands participate in the Rewarding Events program?
A: AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft, Autograph Collection, Courtyard by Marriott, Delta Hotels by Marriott, EDITION, Element, Fairfield by Marriott, Four Points by Marriott, Gaylord Hotels, JW Marriott, LeMéridien, The Luxury Collection, Marriott Hotels, Marriott Vacation Club, Moxy Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, St. Regis, Tribute Portfolio, W Hotels, & Westin.
Residence Inn by Marriott, TownePlace Suites, & Marriott Executive Apartments do not participate in the program.

Q: How do I find a hotel that participates?
A: Click on the link to the Rewarding Events page and then in the "Plan" section of the page click on the "Find a Hotel" box. Enter the city you'd like to have your meeting in, purpose of event (Business) and then check the "I need meeting/event space" box. Enter the size of your meeting (2 attendees should work) and then click the "Find" box. Leave the start date and end date blank. A list of potential hotels will be shown. The smallest meeting room is not usually shown online --- you may need to call each hotel to find out which one has a boardroom or other small meeting room. Once you've found a small meeting room, then request a quote online.

Q: How quickly will Marriott respond with a quote?
A: Usually within a day or two --- and usually via email. The email should contain a telephone number of the group sales contact. Give them a call and tell them you'd like to follow up on the quote and you're interested in booking the smallest room available for a 2 person meeting for an hour. If they quote a price that's higher than you want to pay, ask them if they can get approval for a lower priced meeting (e.g., a recent quote was for $75 for an 8 hour use of a CY boardroom). They accepted a counter of $50 for a one-hour meeting in the room (plus service charge plus local sales tax). Urban hotels may charge significantly higher rates for meeting space than a smaller, less congested city.

Q: Is a contract required?
A: The terms of the program suggest "yes" --- although there are reports that 10 elite nights have been granted without contracts. A best practice would be to obtain a contract.

Q: How long do points and EQNs take to post after the event is over?
A: Generally, this takes 3+ business days. According to Marriott, it can take 15 business days. If you do not see anything post after 15 business days, contact the hotel before contacting Marriott customer support. The hotel has to be the one to post it.

You will get an e-mail with a subject line Your Rewarding Events Award has Posted: EVENT NAME

Q: Will the hotel know what I am talking about when I say points and elite night credits?
A: Probably not. They may know about the rewarding events points being 3x per dollar spent, but not always. Usually they know of only the Marriott system (Group Posting Tool) where they input how much you spent and when. This is done after the event and is usually authorized by the sales or general manager.

Q: The contract doesn't say anything about points, will I still earn them?
A: YMMV but so far all the electronic contracts from the website state it, but some fail to read it. The paper contracts usually talk about points, but some reports that they don't, but still post. Remember this is a Marriott Rewards benefit that the hotels don't seem to be footing the bill for.
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Platinum Status in Eight Days and $800 - No Stays Required

 
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Old Mar 10, 2017, 12:32 pm
  #1576  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Originally Posted by sig05
You would need to earn 75 nights in 2018 to re-qualify for PLAT in 2019.

For example:

2017: 100 nights

2018: start with 25 nights from 2017 rollover. 100 nights through meetings/stays.
Total nights = 125.
The 75 rollover nights from 2017 will not count towards rollover, so your actual night total is 100 nights for consideration of rollover to 2019.

2019: 25 rollover nights from 2018. Would need 50 nights to re-qualify for PLAT.
The OP's example was earning 150 nights in 2017. The 75+ rollover nights from 2017 will earn Plat in 2018 giving status until 2020. In your example (with 25 rollover nights), OP would only need 50 earned nights in 2018 to get Plat status until 2020. 75+ earned nights are needed to have any rollover into 2019.

And, Yes, All of this presumes the rollover program continues. MR can drop it at any time, as they can do with any aspect of the programs.
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Old Mar 10, 2017, 9:01 pm
  #1577  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 61
Cool! Thanks for everyone's input in this. Just wondering how likely would you guys think the rollover sticking around at the end of 2018 and rollover nights to 2019? I realise a new program is likely to pop up somewhere around fall 2018-spring 2019 IIRC, but since rollover is described by MR as a "permanent" program, isn't it suppose to stick around til the MR program is officially dead?
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Old Mar 11, 2017, 6:46 am
  #1578  
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Originally Posted by Redwoodw
Cool! Thanks for everyone's input in this. Just wondering how likely would you guys think the rollover sticking around at the end of 2018 and rollover nights to 2019? I realise a new program is likely to pop up somewhere around fall 2018-spring 2019 IIRC, but since rollover is described by MR as a "permanent" program, isn't it suppose to stick around til the MR program is officially dead?
There is nothing "permanent" about any of the program benefits. Everything is subject to change. There is no guarantee the MR program will remain in effect after the merger of the programs if the two evolve into a hybrid program taking parts from both and maybe even some new benefits. We won't know what we've got until they make the announcement.
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Old Mar 12, 2017, 1:10 am
  #1579  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Chiang Mai
Programs: HH Diamond IHG Spire Amb MR PLAT
Posts: 228
Hi can anyone recommend a hotel with a cheap meeting room without any hassle. I need 9 more nights to get gold. Please PM me
thanks ahead of time
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Old Mar 16, 2017, 4:08 pm
  #1580  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 13
I found a hotel at a decent rate ($100) and the "contract" they emailed is very generic and doesn't mention anything about points/stay credits, or even ask for my MR #. Is this normal?

Edit: submitted contract and rep said I would get "planner points". I've read a lot of this blog and don't recall seeing that particular phrase mentioned.

Last edited by SusanC23; Mar 17, 2017 at 5:01 pm
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Old Mar 16, 2017, 11:31 pm
  #1581  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
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Can you earn 10 elite nights for a meeting in addition to any elite night you might earn by actually staying the night at that same property either immediately before or after your meeting?

Are there any issues with meetings being held close together and the elite nights not posting, i.e. can you hold a meeting in one Marriott property in the morning and another meeting in a different property in the afternoon (that same day) to get 20 elite nights?
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Old Mar 17, 2017, 7:58 am
  #1582  
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Originally Posted by shorthauldad
Can you earn 10 elite nights for a meeting in addition to any elite night you might earn by actually staying the night at that same property either immediately before or after your meeting?

Are there any issues with meetings being held close together and the elite nights not posting, i.e. can you hold a meeting in one Marriott property in the morning and another meeting in a different property in the afternoon (that same day) to get 20 elite nights?
Elite credit for meeting vs. stays are two separate systems so there should be no problem if you wish to do a stay and a meeting at the same property. Since each property posts their own events, no issues going to multiple properties. In fact, since there is no requirement for you to personally appear at the event, you don't even need to be in the same town. Some have reported success in being a no-show (no one showing up) for a meeting and getting the credit. As always, should the local management take exception YMMV could apply.
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Old Mar 17, 2017, 8:58 am
  #1583  
 
Join Date: May 2013
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Hi Folks,

Sifting through this thread slowly. Can i please ask if earning 10 nights per meeting would be as simple as scheduling a meeting, paying the 'meeting fee' for the local hotel, and I wouldn't even have to book rooms?

Thanks!
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Old Mar 17, 2017, 9:53 am
  #1584  
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Originally Posted by JBG89
Hi Folks,

Sifting through this thread slowly. Can i please ask if earning 10 nights per meeting would be as simple as scheduling a meeting, paying the 'meeting fee' for the local hotel, and I wouldn't even have to book rooms?

Thanks!
Yes, there are two separate programs, one for booking a meeting room and one for booking guest rooms. Some properties don't know about the meeting room program and will tell you guest rooms must be booked. Push back.

And yes, you should be able to do both if you need 10 or more rooms and a conference room.
RogerD408 is offline  
Old Mar 17, 2017, 10:19 am
  #1585  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: N/A
Posts: 685
Originally Posted by RogerD408
Yes, there are two separate programs, one for booking a meeting room and one for booking guest rooms. Some properties don't know about the meeting room program and will tell you guest rooms must be booked. Push back.

And yes, you should be able to do both if you need 10 or more rooms and a conference room.

Thanks Roger. I am hoping to submit a bunch of quotes and hoping to find a property that would allow an economical meeting booking. Would you happen to know of one?

Or if anyone else would have one, I would certainly appreciate it!
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Old Mar 17, 2017, 11:42 am
  #1586  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
Originally Posted by JBG89
Thanks Roger. I am hoping to submit a bunch of quotes and hoping to find a property that would allow an economical meeting booking. Would you happen to know of one?
I can understand no-one wanting to name a specific property as they would likely get loads of mentions on blogs ... then inundated with fake meetings ... and this loophole might just get shut down.

Find a property with fairly low rates (it's really not hard), and either get an online meeting quote (if they participate in that system), or else submit a request and ask. They'll get back to you fairly quickly.

It doesn't take a whole lot of work...
shorthauldad is offline  
Old Mar 21, 2017, 10:13 pm
  #1587  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: LAX
Programs: NW 1MM, BD Gold, BA Gold, AA 1MM, LM, VX eleVAte, Hyatt D6, SPG Plat, Hertz President's
Posts: 304
Question

Has anyone been able to parlay this into SPG Ambassador Status? If so, what are the steps since linking shouldn't trigger the higher SPG status.
HUGE AL is offline  
Old Mar 22, 2017, 6:16 am
  #1588  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Philadephia, PA
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, UA Silver, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 477
Originally Posted by HUGE AL
Has anyone been able to parlay this into SPG Ambassador Status? If so, what are the steps since linking shouldn't trigger the higher SPG status.
I wouldn't think so. Nights don't transfer between programs, only elite status. Otherwise all Marriott Platinums would be SPG Plat/75s and we aren't.

If you assume that the two programs will merge in time for the 2018 program year you might be able to get yourself up to 100 nights on the Marriott side before the merger combines nights, but there's no guarantee there'll be an Ambassador status in the new combined program.
fordan is offline  
Old Mar 22, 2017, 8:55 am
  #1589  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Formerly of SacTown, Cali
Posts: 1,243
Originally Posted by fordan
I wouldn't think so. Nights don't transfer between programs, only elite status. Otherwise all Marriott Platinums would be SPG Plat/75s and we aren't.

If you assume that the two programs will merge in time for the 2018 program year you might be able to get yourself up to 100 nights on the Marriott side before the merger combines nights, but there's no guarantee there'll be an Ambassador status in the new combined program.
This is an interesting idea since it is fairly easy, with the meeting room rentals, to get to 100 nights. I might have to consider doing that....
SacTownGuy is offline  
Old Mar 22, 2017, 4:42 pm
  #1590  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,989
Originally Posted by shorthauldad
I can understand no-one wanting to name a specific property as they would likely get loads of mentions on blogs ... then inundated with fake meetings ... and this loophole might just get shut down.

Find a property with fairly low rates (it's really not hard), and either get an online meeting quote (if they participate in that system), or else submit a request and ask. They'll get back to you fairly quickly.

It doesn't take a whole lot of work...
Not to mention the fake demand could easily exceed the limited availability and causes inconvenience to folks with real needs for these same resources. Properties cannot oversell meeting rooms unlike rooms for accommodations. This is one of those situations where if you want something, you have to work for it. I have real business needs for these meeting rooms and the nights are gravy which I hate to lose due to blatant abuse.
PayItForward is offline  


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