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

Meeting planners are given 10 nights elite credit for every meeting they book systemwide at Marriott.

My wife's business has meetings often at a Courtyard locally for $100 - $200 per meeting.

She has not stayed one night in a Marriott property this year, but has 540 nights elite credit to date this year. Yes, they do a lot of 2 hour meetings. Points are given for the spend. There is a promotion for double points on meetings until Dec 31, 2010. She will rollover about 800 nights by end of year and made Platinum in January!

This means one could have 8 "meetings" at a Marriott property at $100 each, and have eighty nights credit. This technique could also be effective for those who need to do mattress runs to obtain status. I haven't found a better deal for a night credit than $10 per night ($100 per meeting / 10 nights credit).

Has anyone tried to use this strategy to obtain status? Appears this could be more effective than cheap stays on a mattress run to reach a given status level.

What a great tip. I bet there will be people who, come December, will want to do this to cross the finish line to G or P.

Can we call this MR (meeting-run)?

To qualify for the Rewarding Events program, according to the terms, a meeting may need to include overnight room bookings. Specifically, the FAQ state "the room block must actualize with at least 10 rooms on one night to earn points or miles."

There is a separate provision allowing points for certain catering-only events. It's not clear what the minimum spend level is for a "qualifying group, meeting or event."

Been aware of this for a couple of years now. I do some bookings of meetings and always get 10 room nights, it shows separately on my totals but is included for my platinum status. Have three already booked for the fall so looking forward to my 30 extra nights as well as triple marriott miles if you use a visa card to pay for the event. My meetings are a little more substantial with a luncheon usually for a $3-5K spend for 50-75 people.

We always get credit for meetings - without a stay. We've had 59 (590 nights) meetings this year so far. No overnight stays.

So one is basically booking a conference room for $100 to $200. Get 10 nights credit every time. And the points will be base on the cost of the meeting?

Yes, points are based on the cost of the room and any F+B. Right now there is a double points promotion for meetings, triple if you pay with visa.

Um ... wow to this post. this is super intriguing. Thanks!

Suggestions for hotels to book a cheap meeting for someone just a few nights shy of platnium?

I'd be hesitant to book a meeting room and then not have a meeting...a little more noticeable than a mattress run where you don't sleep in the room. :)


However, Fantasy Football drafts are this weekend... Someone should go all moneybags and announce that you're hosting your league at the Courtyard, just like a real pro league would do it!! :D


(OK, that's be a seriously minor-league pro league, but still... :p)

Best bet would be to call your local area hotels- You need to actually show up for this one.

Book a meeting and I guess invite your local FTers.

Who says anyone has to show up to this "meeting" but me?! I bring my laptop and/or a DVD player (don't they usually have a projector) and watch a movie- "Meeting Run" achieved!

Rooms for an hour or two can be had at both Courtyard's and full-service properties in most areas for very reasonable rates.

Don't ask for more than a standard setup in the room and book for a small number of people.