I completely agree with the "flexibility" statement. I've made sure that I qualify for both MarPlat and Hilton Diamond each year, and still end up with almost 150 nights at Marriott a year. Last year I was qualified for both of those and Intercontinental Platinum as well. It was nice having choices (and leverage) when I wanted to use points for a weekend here and there.

Now all I have to do is convince somebody to put some hotels in the Colorado high-country. Other than Durango and Silverton area, there's not much available.... :cool: :cool:

Steve

There's nothing I've seen here that differentiates a Plat from a Plat Premier. The level of gift changes for me, a mere Plat, depending on the property. Everything below a Marriott-Branded property is water/snack, while the MB's provide the usual two types of amenities (water, soda, beer, etc / cheese, ice cream, etc) or the 500 points.

In truth, I'd gladly forgo the gift if they'd give me free internet at the MBs!

They know you're not going to consume $9.95 + tax worth of bottled water and cookies per day. ;)

I agree that free internet would be the best benefit.

It is £15 ($28) a day in the UK !

For the agent who told Bguild that the magic formula is 200 nights, that sure isn't right. 218 night so far this year and no PP for me. Anyone know if there's a number I can call to try and get this? I don't feel like reading through 9 pages of text.

Unfortunately, I don't think that there is a "magic" number of nights required to attain PP status. In fact, based on what I've seen and heard here, it looks like the PP status is a "reward" for multiple years of very high level of nights stayed and revenue generated to Marriott. So I would guess that you would not only need to stay a lot of nights for this year, but also for the next 2 years or possibly more.

My understanding it is by 'invitation' only for whoever Marriot thinks is their best customers.

I was given the status this year, but consider my history with Marriott.

2005 - 150 nights (primarily RI/govt rate)
2004 - 90 nights (mix but mostly RI/govt rate)
2003 - 75 nights (FS at a very good corp rate)
2002 - 100 nights (CY corp rate)
2001 - 100 nights (CY corp rate)
2000 - 85 (FS corp rate)
1999 - 85 (FS corp rate)
1998 - 90 (RI)
1997 - 80 (RI before they counted)
1996 - 50 (RI before they counted)

So that's about 905 nights and I can assure you that I rarely if ever paid more than $200/night and more likely averaged between $100 - $150/night.

I joined the program in 1996 and for those first 3 years got no points since RI was not giving points. I will say, however, when they brought RI into the program they immediately gave me Plat status based on my RI stays for that year, so they do have that history.

So go ahead and try and convert this info into a formula that gives you any clue on how they decide.

Any newly minted Platinum Premiers?
 

Just curious if we have anyone who made it from Platinum to Platinum Premier for 2007...

I know the Marriott website goes on a short hiatus for the first week or two of the new year and status changes haven't been updated, so it may be too soon to ask this question but curious minds want to know.

Good luck and a happy New Year (to start the status race :p )

way too soon to ask. u will probbaly not see these changes until Feb. I would think.

This does bring up an interesting question. When does Marriott normally "promote" members to Platinum Premier? Normally, they will promote someone to any of their "official" elite levels at the time they reach the appropriate threshold. But since there doesn't seem to be any published requirements for the Premier level, will they promote during a year when a person meets whatever minimum stay and $$s spent criteria? Or will they wait until certain times of the year (i.e. quarterly or annually)?

Since I have never reached that level, I can't comment on promotion times. Maybe some of those who are Premiers can comment on when they were promoted?

I have been a Platinum for 12 consecutive years, all at full service $200+ a night hotels. I was made up to Platinum Premier at the beginning of 2006.

The first I knew of this was that this status was displayed when I logged into my account. This happened in the second week of January 2006 at the same time as the number of stays was changed to reflect the stays since January 1st 2006. I received a Platinum Premier card through the post some time later, and it has an expiry date of February 2007. I am waiting to see if I have kept the status this year - my current login still shows stays that include 2006.

I have noticed no difference as a result of the higher status
- I always get treated well wherever I go anyway, so I don't think you should get too uptight about whether you get it or not.

I'm with TOM on this one...I've been a Platinum for about 6 years and Platinum Premier the last two...I assume I'll get it again this year. However, I have seen no special treatment above and beyond what I used to see as Platinum. When I arrive at the hotel they tell me "We have your Platinum number on file" - never anything about "your Platinum PREMIER number." I'm not convinced most hotels even know it exists.

ChazDawg

As others I was moved up in the Jan/Feb timeframe last year.

On average there is no difference in service but I believe this is because staff are not trained properly on what to do with us.

For example over the holidays we stayed at the Ledra Marriott in Athens. Had all sorts of problems. The GM got involved as in a sense they weren't even providing the Plat level benefits. It took them the 1st 4 days of a 7 day stay to straighten it out.

Now, what was revealing is that when I finally met the GM in person he said something very revealing. He said his staff did not know the meaning of the X4 code next to my name/res as opposed to P6. This basically confirmed what I've experienced over the past year, the lack of differentiated service is because staff just here the word 'Platinum' and are usually clueless about the Premier part.

Now contrast that to the Marriott Gaslamp in SD, where they recognized my status and put me in the Presidential Suite two weeks in a row (and I don't ask for upgrades). Another example was the Ren St. Petersburg (Russia) where they made a very specific point to mention my status and tell me they were putting me in their best suite because of that status.

So my feeling is that PP should certainly notice a difference but it only happens about 75% of the time.

The one other area it does have an effect is if you call the PP line for help. They've gotten some hotels to open up award nights for me in sold out hotels.

I will also say that if you do have issues/problems with the hotel once they figure out you are PP they start jumping through hoops like you wouldn't believe.

I was told to make reservations through the Platinum Premier desk and not by signing into your account at Marriott.com.

If you reserve through the PP desk a follow up notice of your status and reservation is sent to the property in advance through Marriotts reservation system.

I have been treated very well by Marriott.

A colleague of mine is a Premier, and has two different properties go over and beyond the call of duty to keep him happy.

Case 1: His car was vandalized while parked on Marriott property (someone put eggs, soap, etc all over the vehicle). When he arrived at his car in the morning; he found a couple Marriott staff people by his car...they just finished washing it!

Case 2: Marriott parking lot is "shared" with private lot; evidently, he parked in the private zone and the car was towed. Marriott reimbursed him the $100 to get his car from the towing company.