Yes, it's not a very well managed process... A few years back when I made PP, I wasn't told until after year end and they tried pulling 100 nights before figuring my rollover nights (before they went to 75 nights for PP). Took a message or two to get that squared around.

Very few people know what it takes to make PP and even then it sounds very subjective.

I agree about the subjective part, but I also think that it is their intention to keep the whole process at least a little bit mysterious.

163 paid nights stayed in 2012, well over 200 elite nights in 2012, mostly FS properties at an OK company rate (~$175 average), over 1million MP earned in the past 18 months just from stays and Marriott CC = no PP for me...

I'm a little surprised that that's not loyal enough for PP. Time to diversify in 2013...

170 nights, ~$250/night actual cost in most cases (~$350 when you add daily room service), no PP that I'm aware of, and I stayed 60 nights in the same hotel in the past quarter and no room upgrades on my current trip (I type this from an econobox room).

...but I still get free breakfast and free drinks and snacks, so I'll live.

Wouldn't it be a kick in the head if you later found out that the criteria for PP is not any one year, but a two or three year snapshot average, so MI can weed out the one year high usage flukes? NO, I am not saying that this is what MI does, since the criteria are something of a mystery, but if MI did do that, it would make a lot of sense.

Not as prolific the previous 2 years, but over 100 nights each... Also, it really shouldn't matter whether or not it's a fluke year - anyone staying 100+ nights in FS properties is loyal past the point of almost all frequent travelers. Worst case you end up staying fewer nights as a PP, but then they don't have to give you the minimal additional benefits anyway...

MR is broken past Gold anyway. The only Platinum benefit that would be seriously useful is being able to reserve a guaranteed room 48 hours in advance. Anyone actually tried that recently? Invariably, the hotel has put up some sort of booking block and the Platinum guarantee is useless.

That begs the question - which chain gives the best recognition/rewards for 125+ or 150+ nights in a single year?

While I might personally agree with you on this issue, that is not the criteria for Marriott PP. Although lots of people think they know the criteria, even if they don't. Evidently, the screening method is top secret. While most people who have looked into it will tell us that the criteria is the top 3% of guests by way of revenue generation, there seem to be other, more elusive criteria also. I have seen some people who do not qualify for top 3% revenue (because they stay in lower end select service or long term stay hotels, instead of FS, with rates averaging $95/night for 120 nights, total less than $12,000 revenue) who are PP, and others who probably do qualify (such as all stays in FS hotels in expensive cities with rates averaging over $300/night for 150 nights, total over $45,000 revenue) for top 3%, who are not PP. To some people, it probably seems arbitrary and irrational, but to MI, internally, the criteria probably seem quite clear, defined, and rational.

Of course lots of people have a different opinion of your point of view in this area, myself included.

I am not an expert on all of the levels for other chains, so I do not know if any of the other big chains have an extra, non-publicized, high level above their highest published levels. Does anyone know about other chains ultra high programs comparable to PP?

How do you know that you won't be PP in 2013? I don't think anyone knows unless they call, our account is still showing last years nights and status.

I earned about 1.2m points in 2012 over 78 nights. No PPlat for me -- but I don't really care. It apparently doesn't make much of a difference.

People should realize that they won't become PP the first year they have lots and lots of night's with Marriott. It seems to implicitly require several years of Plat first.

PP makes little (if any) difference IMO.

I have a suspicion that hotel managers can 'request' PP status for their regular guests. My only reason for saying this is the FDM at a Courtyard I was staying at mentioned that "You should be PP next year". I said that I doubted it, but he smiled and said "I think you will".

Sure enough, I was was (and still am PP).

1.2 million points in just one year? That is a bodacious amount of points to accrue in such a short time, unless you spend $50K per month on your MR Visa cards. How many nights for the year and how much was your approx. average room rate over the year? Your profile says you are Ritz Carlton Plat, are you also MR Plat, or does RC also have a PP level?

Big +1

(see above for more details)

I have asked GMs about this before, because it is possible for managers to give Silver, Gold, and Platinum to a guest. Each time I've asked a GM about getting an upgrade to PP in the past, the answer was always something similar to "managers can give all the levels except PP."

Also, there have been several posters over the years on the various threads in the MR forum who have specifically said the same or very similar about PP. Of course, almost everything in all of the frequent traveler and elite program rules are subject to change, so maybe what you suggested is a new change which no one else has mentioned yet?

However, congrats on being a new PP, no matter how you got it.

1.2M points for a plat is only $80k in expenditures in a year ($80k X 10 + 50% bonus) even without using Visa ..... and as to your question to the poster of their having both RC plat and MR membership, since that is against MR rules if I was the poster even if true I wouldn't answer that question...............

This is rather annoying. Yes, perhaps I have more than a little touch of gimme gimme now syndrome, but all my other accounts have been updated as of Jan 1; Jan 5th and still waiting on Marriott...

...Not really... 1.35M in past 14 months for me:

Hotel Stay 541,766
Bonus - CC Signup 322,500
CC Spend - Marriott 150,462
Point Buy 150,000
CC Spend - Other 108,012
Bonus - Promotion 40,000
CCSpend - Air / Car / Dining 38,137
Grand Total 1,350,877