Platinum Match
 

Over the next two months, I need to stay for an extended period of time in a hotel for work. Give or take, about 50 nights. Now I already have 14 this year so far with Marriott, and the very prestigious Silver status that comes along with that.

However, there is another property nearby (part of Priority Club) that would net me Platinum status with PC after the stay.

What are the chances that Marriott will match either Gold or Platinum status for me upon me requesting it and showing proof that I am Platinum with PC? I would, of course, prefer to have them comp it in advance if I move my reservation over the Marriott-branded property, but doubt that's in the cards.

Contact marriot rewards asking for a platinum challenge and you'll get it with no problems.

Like Private Pyle said, contact them and they'll be happy to do that. And they also do upgrade you to Plat while you complete your challenge. I had them match my Hilton status and it was amazing how easy it was!

I've been a Platinum member for a few years yet I've never made enough stays to officially reach that level. Even if you reach a pattern of several stays within a few months there is a good chance you will get upgraded. Once you reach platinum they will keep you there unless you stop staying. I stay about 50-60 nights a year and have stayed platinum. My boss usually stays at Hiltons and she is also still a platinum. They want those repeat business customers.

I never knew that Marriott matches status ...

Nice to hear that though ..

They don't, they offer a challenge. If you don't make the challenge you drop down to your previous level.

plan out in advance if you can how many nights you'll have in the next 90 days and ask for that challenge. There's a gold one and plat (I forget the night requirements for each but you can do a search in the marriott forum). I did a gold challenge and tried to do a plat the next year and was shot down. I think you have to wait at least 12 months between challenges.

OP, have you contacted the sales department at that specific hotel and asked for lounge access, free internet and the bonus points that would come along with being Plat? If you cannot get a Plat challenge from MR that would give you those benefits, that might be a good back-up.

It seems if you could get those benefits from the hotel directly, it wouldn't matter if you were actually Plat. Given the number of nights and the offer from a nearby hotel, the hotel may be willing to deal.

The Plat bonus is well worth the effort IMO.

The issue is that the Marriott property is simply uncompetitive, and for whatever reason unwilling to negotiate.

Regardless, I will attain Plat status with PC in the next two months. Hopefully, Marriott simply matches this. My stays tend to be in blocs, so it would be very frustrated to then have to complete a 'challenge' just for a status which I already hold with a competitor.

Frustrating or not, it is the way they operate. You get the status during the challenge but if you don't complete it, you frop back.

Just a note, Marriott's elite status is primarily for those who have stayed at their hotels, not their competitors. Also note that, Marriott is being very generous in providing a challenge where you get the status up front rather than waiting until after you meet the challenge. For SPG, you won't get your "challenged" elite level until after your met the challenge requirements, not before.

Also, PC is probably the easiest and least beneficial elite status of all the "major" hotel chains. SPG won't even talk with you about a challenge if that is the only elite status you hold. Marriott may still offer you a Plat challenge, and if so, that is great for you, but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't really consider Plat in PC in the same vein as top tier in Hilton, Starwood, or Hyatt.

I don't know about Marriott's great generosity. Seems to me all the airlines allow the status during a challenge, effectively acting as a match during the period.

As for SPG, they did a match for me, not a challenge, after seeing the Marriott and Hilton status records. Only nuisance here, SPG insisted the information be mailed to them, not faxed. Added about a week for completion but the stays are all at the Plat level.

American doesn't give you status during their Plat/Gold challenges and doens't offer a challenge to the highest level.

Thanks for the update. AA did offer an EXP challenge but looks like they pulled it recently. A friend got in on this but that was before the lock.

As for the other challenges, there are some reports here about receiving some match status early but most seem to be granting Gold for those matching to Plat. Maybe AA stopped that, too.