That one made me chuckle. Someone needs to learn a bit more about how to write a CS letter.

Reads: "Peon, if you ever, but some miracle of the gods, reach this exhalted status, we will call you. Don't call us."

Of course I'm sure that wasn't what was meant, but it could be read that way.

As far as not getting excited about PP. I've noticed, especially over the last few months, that PP status seems to have helped me out of quite a few pickles. For the first time in a long time I've been very glad to have it and realized I surely don't want to loose it. Isn't that, afterall, what it is supposed to do?

That seems to narrow the qualifications down to nights over a number of years. 3-4 years is still vague. Is it 3 or 4? I also don't recall having to opt in after qualifying. :D

I am a Gold now, I am really hoping to go Plat. I will spend 100 nights on the road but, I am torn on loyalty. I have had great luck with Hyatt, but my travel the next few months has more Marriotts near my meeting spots.
Will MR upgrade me to earn my loyalty, or do I just split the nights and be happy?

Well Mr. Leather, MR will not likely upgrade you before you actually earn Platinum status by staying 75 nights, though they have occasionally been known to offer some people who beg a "challenge" to earn Platinum if you can stay about 18-20 nights in Marriotts within 91 days, or as an alternative, if you are staying a large number of nights in one particular hotel, and you get friendly with a manager, you might ask him/her to get you upgraded to Platinum status because of the large volume of business you are doing with that particular hotel. Neither are anywhere close to a sure thing, but you might get lucky if the person you are talking with is having a really good day, you just never know.

One other thing to keep in mind with Marriott is that Marriott and its various chains have MANY more hotel locations and rooms than Hyatt has by far. (Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world's premier hotel companies, offers today's travelers over 735 hotels and resorts [over 136,000 rooms] in more than 44 countries. The company's affiliates own, operate, manage and franchise Hyatt branded hotels and resorts under the Park Hyatt™, Grand Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency™, Hyatt Resorts™, Hyatt™, Hyatt Place™ and Hyatt Summerfield Suites™ brands.) Marriott now has approximately 3,150 hotels and resorts across all of its brands with over 400,000* rooms under the Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, Townplace Suites, and Springhill Suites brands. About four times as many locations than Hyatt, and about three times as many rooms as Hyatt.

(*Don't hold me to the over 400,000 rooms number, I seem to recall seeing that figure a few months back, but I could not find it anywhere to reconfirm it while writing this message.)

Marriott's total room number exceeds 500,000 now (including Ritz Carlton).

In the context of the this particular discussion, and the Marriott Rewards program, meaning for room night credits (accumulating room nights towards the 75 nights needed for Platinum status) and EARNING (though not spending) MR points, Ritz Carlton is irrelevant. However VA, if you are able to convince Bill otherwise, I would be a cheerleader to the cause! ;) @:-) :D

The Ritz Carlton contribution is relatively slight (somewhere around 10,000). I think the total excluding Ritz Carlton is still around 500-505,000, which is a pretty large number if you ask me.

How Could Marriott Make Platinum Premier Truly Something Special?
 

Brainstorming here, but here are a few ideas (focused on FS Marriott and Renaissance, which is where I stay and I suspect most PPs do):

- Include suites as a published upgrade benefit when available.

- Include lounge access or free breakfast at all properties worldwide, including resorts.

- Provide an enhanced welcome amenity, such as better quality wine or desserts from the room service menu (not just ice cream).

- Increase the points bonus above that which platinum members receive.

- Give additional coupons along the lines of EEOs, but perhaps with more creative offers.

guaranteed weekend b/f

Movie Certs
 

A nice addition to the Welcome Gift would be a free movie......

Well it looks like #4 in your list could be in the offing if what was seen in the sneak preview back in August comes to fruition: Marriott Rewards 2009 Enhancements - 50% Platinum bonus

I also like the idea of No blackout dates for points redemption for standard rooms.

While I would love free breakfast at all properties worldwide, including resorts; I just don't think this is going to happen because it is too much of a revenue generator for resort properties. Free breakfast for 5.5 weeks at the Vail Marriott would save me about $2000. That would be very nice, but I would guess Vail Marriott with its high number of Plat guests would take a very big hit as a result of that type of change.

The other 3 suggestions: suite upgrades, better welcome amenity and extra coupons are moot points in my case for a variety of reasons. Just my 2¢.

TrojanHorse, your suggestion for free weekend b/f is good as most properties already do that and the policy change would just make it official. I think someone had hinted a while back that this was going to happen, but I don't remember who or when.

As others have mentioned in the past, free b/f at CourtYards. But this again hits one of their primary revenue streams so I don't know if this is at all likely.

Oops, I missed the Premier part of your post, my bad. The above comments are with respect to Plat benefits. Yes, I could see Marriott providing PP complimentary breakfast everywhere at anytime as that impact would be relatively low compared to Plat elites.

BJ Diceman --When did you become Marriott Platinum Premier?
 

I've heard all sorts of things when it comes to Marriott Platinum Premier, benefits of the status, & how to attain the status.

There seems to be a consensus that Marriott Platinum Premier is often based on the total spending at Marriott, not so much by the actual # of nights. Others feel strongly that it is simply the top 1% of Overall Marriott spending...

The main reason I ask is just of pure curiosity. I stayed 100 nights with Marriott this year by August, however, pretty much all of those nights were at a cheap rate, for example, there are many many $70 Corporate Rate Fairfield Inns thrown in the mix.

I have been staying with other chains the last few months to achieve status in other programs, in part because I feel like there is nothing left to earn from Marriott other than Marriott Rewards Points of course.

Was that a mistake? should I have stayed loyal to Marriott and racked up at least 150 (inexpensive) stays on the year? Would my status have changed if I chose this route?

Thanks!

IME, you would NOT have been granted the (useless) Plat Prem status on 150 or even 200 nights at $70/nt FI's! Dont waste your time...and its not that special!

1-NEVER will happen. Marriott has shown it does not like to "offer" suites, whether via u/g's or using POINT CERT U/G's!

2-Easy to do, and I have no idea why they dont do this anyway (Read HYATT!)

3-So easy to do...and so little cost. Really, a pint of icecream?!

4-Again, easy to do, and so little cost.

5-Higher cost, but seems like it should be easy.


That said, MR has offered me NOTHING as a PP, and I have shown MR what I have to offer to them, and have taken 50+ nights of my business this year away from MR. I will probably drop to "regular plat" (on 130+ nights this year) and will not worrry, as PP got me NOTHING this year!

The suite debate is never ending and I guess I may be in the minority. I find I get suites just as often with Marriott as I do with SPG (even with their suite guarantee) or Hyatt (who ALSO excludes suites from their upgrade policy). In fact I have three Marriott stays coming up this weekend on points (2 FS, 1 SHS) and both FS props have already upgraded me to suites ^. Had two Marriott stays last weekend and both FS properties also upgraded me to suites (although SPG definitely won in last weeks' stays with the MegaSuite upgrade at the W Westwood)