SkiAdcock

I think it's $85/yr. You could mention to the spouse that it comes w/ an annual free Cat 1-5 night certificate (and yes you can use them, re: of some that say it's worthless) & 15 night credit each year towards status. And if you use it when staying at Marriott brands, 5pts/$1 spend.

Cheers.

Horace

It will be worth it to be Platinum in the Rewards and SPG programs in 2017. You will get Platinum benefits at Marriott-legacy and Starwood-legacy properties (welcome gift, point bonuses, better upgrades, etc.) -- including breakfast at Starwood properties (where breakfast is not a Gold benefit). And you might be better positioned for the combined program in 2018 if you're Platinum in 2017 rather than Gold.

As others have noted, with 73 Marriott Elite nights credited to your account in 2016, there is a good chance -- but no guarantee -- that Marriott will bump you up to Platinum, despite being two nights short.

Did you get an Elite night for your birthday this year? If not, call Marriott Rewards Customer Service right away. While you're talking to them, also ask about how to get one more night and/or Platinum Elite status.

If you still want to get to 75 nights, consider booking a hotel, even if you don't need a hotel room. You need to show up and check in (so you can't just pick the cheapest hotel you can find on Marriott.com), but you don't have to sleep in the room. Just pick nights when you're not already staying at Marriott property. It all depends where you live (or where you'll be visiting but not staying at a Marriott property).

There can be very good rates this time of year. For example, weekend nights at properties in suburban business parks, when almost nobody is doing business or staying as a tourist, can be real bargains. Even if you sleep at home, go back for a nice breakfast (especially at a full-service property where you might get a full buffet because the lounge is closed on weekends).

Good luck!

xooz

I have done this a couple of times over the years to get the last stay. Check in, go to the room, pull back the covers on the bed, pick up the water bottle/snack, and head back home. If it's a points stay, should be no charges and you are all set. No need to formally check out.

CJKatl

Why do the bedsheets need to be disturbed? When I've needed an extra night for a MegaBonus I've gotten an under fifty dollar a night room, checked in and actually gone under the covers for a minute to make the bed look used, but do we really need to fool the hotel maid? I also take the last square of the toilet paper so it's not folded in a triangle, flush the toilet and wash my hands in the sink so the towel is used, but do we really need to do that?

writerguyfl

It's usually best to tell the hotel that you left. It can be as simple as dialing "0" on your room phone and telling the operator that you are leaving.

The reason to do this is to help out an arriving guest who might want to check in early. If the hotel doesn't know you left, they will usually wait until official check-out time. Then, they will send someone to physically check each room. Doing that takes time.

Only once that process is completed can Housekeeping go in and clean the room. If you let them know when you leave, they can theoretically clean the room and get it ready for the next guest sooner.

It depends on how conscientious and magnanimous the hotel staff is. In one hotel in which I worked, it wouldn't have mattered. However, in the better hotel, a room that was checked-in but appeared unoccupied would have been reported by Housekeeping to the Front Desk.

The Front Desk would have changed the status to "no-show" (particularly now with online check-in). Or, if the guest had stayed with us before, we would have reversed the charge (because we had a policy to not bill frequent guests for no-shows). In either case, the night/stay credit would be rescinded.

dayone

This.

GoPhils

Yeah there's nothing that really says you have to do it, it's more just a courtesy. Hypothetically if you didn't spend the night and wanted to let them know you could just call from wherever you were in the morning and say you forgot to check out or whatever. However, there are certainly some hotels that will knock on doors prior to checkout time.

dioxide45

Why not just take the 23 rollover nights? If you have the credit card, it will put you close to 40 nights once the credit card nights post. You will be close to renewing gold for 2018 at that point.

If you have never been platinum, I don't know that Marriott will grant you plat. I have seen one situation where someone was one night short of reaching platinum and Marriott didn't grant it. However, if you were currently platinum, they are more likely to renew your platinum if you are a few nights short.

returnoftheyeti

I hardly ever "check out". Mostly i just leave. This has never affected me negatively.

Also, bull crap on the "move the pillows crap". You guys overthink this stuff too much. Especially if he is looking for the cheapest room possible. If he checks in at the front desk, gets the key, and walks right back out of the front door, that room is his and paid and credited.

Below is a list of many possible reasons for a room with a not slept in bed.
Any of these items, may, or may not have happened to me.

��cheating on wife, got cold feet
�� cheating on wife, hooker didnt show
�� cheating on hooker, wife disnt show.
�� hooker was ulgy as lipstick on a pig and i threw her ... out
�� planning on getting a hooker after work, but then had to work late
�� used the room for a job interview
�� used the room to work
�� used the room to coerce people into a pyramid scheme
�� want to watch sports in peace.
�� checked in to room, went to work, finished early, said whatever, flew home, billed client anyway.
�� passed out in car after drinking in bar - never made it back to the hotel.