davidash

I am 104 nights shy of being Plat for life this year and will definately make it in 2011. I know that I won't have to stay another night at Marriott and still remain Plat, however, what incentive (other than obtaining points/miles) do I have to continue to be loyal to Marriott?

I suggest Marriott add addional incentives for LT Plats by giving X points for each 100 nights stayed, or something of that nature. Perhaps even a choice of a 3 day 2 night stay at at FS property.

I most probably will remain with Marriott, but without a real incentive, it might drive me to become Elite at Starwood/etc.

ohmark

No good deed goes unpunished.

Fripp

The reason I stay with Marriott is because they have good hotels at the locations I travel to. I like the price, the service, and the perks I get from being a member.

I enjoy the promotions to earn extra points and I enjoy using the points to go on vacations. I've used points in San Francisco, Hawaii, Italy, Germany, Colorado, Paris, London, Florida, San Antonio, Hilton Head, and many other locations.

For me, and where I travel and where I want to travel, Marriott has the best and most generous program. If I travelled to other cities with work or pleasure, perhaps another program might be best for me.

I have reached Lifetime status as a Platinum with Marriott and have no plans to switch.

Your situation may be different. If so, go for it.

dave-b

Since I think Hyatt is the only other program with LT status, is there any reason why you would switch to SPG, IHG or Hilton? The get LT Plat, you must have found that Marriott had good hotels in the places you like to stay at prices you felt were worth paying. I'm working towards LT Plat myself and when I achieve it, I plan to use it!

LT Plat means that I won't have to make mattress runs to fill out my 75 night requirement. I'll also make more stays on points since I won't need to accumulate more EQs. I think the best thing about LT plat will come when I'm no longer travelling for business and don't have enough nights to obtain status with anyone.

Aside from that, Marriott won my loyalty with it's performance -- LT plat would be worthless if I didn't like to stay with them.

iflyjetz

You can see from my signature block that I should be able to hit LT Plat by my 12th year, 2014. My travel has slowed down considerably since I retired in Sep 2010 so I will keep pressing with Marriott until I hit the LT Plat thresholds. I should be able to do that due to the MR Visa, which I use for almost all of my purchases. I got 30 nights (15 annual + 15 for charges) just from the MR Visa in 2010. And with rollover, I should have close to 900 LT nights in a couple of weeks.

I am considering pursuing Starwood status, but I will only start looking at doing that when my wife is close to retirement (another three years), as Starwood has more and better international choices.

At this point in my life, LT Hyatt Diamond is out of reach. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...ed-thread.html

rthib

I thought the whole point of getting status was for the benefits you receive for that status?

So to answer the question, why stay at Marriott after you receive lifetime status - So you can enjoy the benefits of that status.

hungarianhc

Lifetime platinum is awesome. I'm not too far away myself. I figure that as long as I travel regularly for business, I'll make starwood my choice hotel so I can get SPG platinum every year. Once my travel winds down, i'll probably go back to marriott, knowing that I've already done all the hard work and I can just enjoy the fruits of my lifetime loyalty!

FLgrr

I guess you would stay with them instead of spreading the points all over the place and then not have enough anywhere to do anything with. Just like an airline. Why get status if you are just going to go somewhere else? You accumulate all you can in one spot and only one spot. Then use the benefit of having all those points.

davidash

This was point exactly, LT Plats should be give some incentive to stay loyal to Marriott. 50 nights (or x nights) would equal a free 2 night stay at cat 1-5 hotel or something very similiar to this.

PWMFlyer19

Count me as one who never understands these threads either. You stay because you get 50% bonus as a platinum and an equivalent 50% bonus if you use the credit card.

If you start somewhere with no status, you miss the opportunity (I don't like to say lose) for the point bonuses and benefits.

If you want to argue about changes to the actual levels themselves, that is something else entirely.

brobab

Well - I get the OP's question, though I agree with many of he responses here as well. I have some discretion with where I stay for bus. travel and prior to LT Plat, I would stay a little out of the way to get the night's credit. Once the rollover nights came into play, I was less concerned with making it to a Marriott and more concerned with being close to my next meeting. Now with LT Plat, this is even more true. Incl rollover and credit card nights, I had over 150 nights at Marriott this year, made Hilton Gold, (off a challenge) and SPG gold also off a challenge. No question, the bulk of my nights and points will remain with Marriott in the future for the reasons others have described, (enjoying the benefit of status and loyalty to the brand) they got over 95% of my business in 2010 - but I understand those who might consider straying now and again.

iflyjetz

Let me see if I can help explain a bit why the OP and I might consider other brands.

1) Europe. Just take a few minutes to compare SPG's European choices with Marriott's. Specifically Italy and Greece, but you can also look at every European country. Just look at Venice; the single Courtyard isn't even in Venice proper. And how about Florence Italy, one of our favorite cities?
2) Higher end hotels. Until Marriott improved their ties with Ritz and added Edition and the Autograph collection, I felt that this was a weak area with Marriott compared to SPG.
3) Treatment of elites. High end SPG hotels are light years better than Marriott as far as how they treat top tier members. The funny thing is that I found it a lot easier to reach top tier status with SPG than Marriott.

The really nice thing about LT Plat is that I will be able to have status even if I only travel a few days a year.

I was a SPG Platinum prior to becoming a Marriott Plat, and now PP. Marriott is a better choice for lower end hotels, but they fall short on FS hotels. I can tell you that going to a Westin, W, St Regis, or the Luxury Collection as a Plat, I was treated better and saw a MUCH higher percentage of suite upgrades than I have at Ritzs, JWs, Marriotts, and Rens.
In spite of having ~1/4 the nights in SPG hotels, I know that I've gotten more suite upgrades than I have during my time at Marriott.

I'm now at the point where I prefer higher end hotels. I'm pretty much done with FI, CY, TPS, RI, SHS, 4Points, Element, Aloft, etc. Even Sheratons are dicey in my book.
If Marriott's got a good hotel in the city where I'm going, I'll probably go there. But I'm now at the point where I'll take a SPG hotel if it's better than what Marriott offers.

edgewood49

I am new to this thread can someone tell me what it takes to get LT Plat?

Thanks !

iflyjetz

12 years in the program
At least one year as a plat
2 million points
1000 nights

There are multiple threads on the subject.

Alumino

I'd say one of your main benefits of lifetime Platinum is flexibility. Flexibility to stay at other hotel chains if you want, pursue their elite status as well, yet still know that you always have Marriott you can go to for the Platinum treatment. And from that perspective, it would certainly be in the best interest of Marriott to offer some sort of low level incentive that, when combined with the guaranteed Platinum, would keep you staying at their chain. Probably wouldn't take much... just something to keep you "in the hunt for the deal", and keep you away from the HH or GP or SPG.

If I were lifetime MR PLT, and I had 100+ nights the next year, I'd make sure I got Diamond HH and GP with the the first 60 nights, and would only stay at Marriott when convenient -- I have favorite hotels with each of Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott and nirvana would be to be given the royal treatment at any of them when I am in town.