Well usually it is just the opposite. You stay at their properties and as a result you then earn the status based on your stays.

As previously stated Marriott is very picky with whom they comp status or provide Elite challenges if they do at all. They will ask for you to FAX proof of your stay patterns that support your elite level in other programs and will determine if it warrants comped status or status challenge in Marriott Rewards. But then again you already know that. From your previous posts it appears as though SPG comped you Platinum, but then again they comp everyone. I get a Gold SPG comp every year and I almost never stay there.
So in the case of your SPG Platinum status you will not be able to provide supporting stays since it also was comped.

Considering HHonors Diamond level can be attained in as little as 28 nights (28 stays) or may take as many as 60 nights, then depending on your stay pattern I am not surprised that Marriott decided not to hand out Gold (50 nights) or Platinum (75 nights) status.

But now you did ask for suggestions so here they are:

1) Get a MR Premier Visa card as it will give you 15 nights credit each year toward your status.

2) Stay an additional 25 nights in addition to the 10 nights you have already stayed plus the Visa card credit and you will earn Gold.

3) Stay an additional 25 nights on top of that and you will earn Platinum.

Do all of the above within 12 months of your first nights stay this year and you will earn your status on a rolling 12 month qualification. For more information on rolling 12 months, do a search on rolling 12 months.

Marriott Rewards is one of the best programs out there IMO and as such it is very difficult to attain and maintain status. Once you have earned status, you are very happy that the occassions of status matching are few and far between. This keeps the program from being diluted, and better access to the limited benefits by those of us who earn status.

FYI, I did not find this to be true. I have absolutely no status or recorded stays at any hotel chain and I emailed Marriott politely asking for a status challenge and received a gold challenge (12 nights in 3 months) + silver comp. I certainly did not have to fax them anything.

yes, I agree, one of my coworker has no status with any hotel chain got Platinum Challenge+ comp silver^

Message to Sangreal & yyliu88
 

Hi Sangreal & yyliu88,

You indeed have encouraging words to share (thanks!). You mentioned emailing your request for upgrade/match. Do you recall the email address that was used...also, was there anyone in particular that you found to be most helpful?

Thanks again!

I emailed [email protected]

I e-mailed flyertalk at marriott.com

same, or you can try [email protected]


flyertalk@marriott will give u a Gold challenge unless u request platinum, you don't need any prove or documentation for it.


elite.member@marriott can comp u Gold, but you need show statement from other hotel chains

They are saying " ... there is not currently a status matching aspect nor any type of an Elite challenge in the Marriott Rewards program."

Would anyone mind sharing the name of the person they dealt with?

I got the same "currently there is no such thing" reply. It's timely though.

I just got off the phone with a nice MR CSR. I told her that I was HH Gold and have some stays scheduled for the next 3 months at Marriott and would like to find out about a fast track to gold. She put me on hold for 5 min, talked to a supervisor and told me about the Gold challenge which is to complete 12 nights in 3 months. She also asked to fax in the HH statement.

So I just faxed her the statement and made reservations at Marriott for the next 2 months. All I want this status is for the cheese room.

A few years ago, I had called for a fast track to Platinum status, I was given a challenge of 18 nights in 3 months, which is essentially the prorated # of required nights. However, just in December, a co-worker for mine asked for a challenge, and they were denied any opportunities.

Elite VIP, did you manage to get the challenge?

Did anyone else get it recently?

I got it at the end of December by faxing my Hilton and Starwood stay records. I'm on my 10th night and will have 18 completed by the 2nd week of Feb. I think it was a wise decision on their part. :)

what number did you call for that?

Gold Challenge
 

Thanks to the info here I was able to call MR customer service a second time and get them to at least upgrade me to gold on a gold challenge deal. Couldn't get them to bend on the platinum. Gold challenge for me is 12 nights in 2 months...seems steep, but better than just stayin' silver me thinks....