jaf

I am trying to make platinum status by the end of the calendar year. However, it looks like I will only be able to eke out 61 to 64 nights. What are my chances that Marriott will upgrade me anyway to Platinum (thru 2/09)?

I was recently upgraded early to Gold after only ... ~ 38 (?) nights. I had been staying at Marriotts every week for a couple months straight, which may have contributed to the early upgrade. I'm wondering if they will do it again for Platinum, except I won't be able to stay every single week going forward through the end of December. (If I did, I'd make Platinum on my own).

craz

It could be you were Upgraded to Gold when MR combined your stays from '06 and those in '07 and together added up to 50 during a 12 month period.

So I would guess if you have say 64 stays in '07 itself and had another 11 stays in Nov or Dec '06 and none this yr in Nov & Dec then you might be surprised and see they give you Plat. If you didnt have the necessary stays in Nov & Dec of '06 to make a total of 75 altogether then be prepared to remain as a Gold.

BTW do you have the MR Premeir CC? where they give you 15 nights credit towards the 75, so 60 nights a year is all that is needed on Pay Stays to be Plat

jaf

Thanks for the info craz.

I did not stay at any marriotts in 2006, so the early Gold upgrade was a freebie. But it sounds like I shouldn't count on getting another freebie to Platinum.

I ended up getting the regulart MR CC (not the premier) - at the time, I thought I was going to get platinum on my own. and I didn't want to pay the more expensive fee.

rebadc

Get the Signature card.
It pays for itself with the free 1 night a year certificate.
And at 18 points per dollar it cant be beat.

craz

Get the Premier CC!!!

Ok I dont believe in paying an annual fee for a CC when there so many out there w/o 1. However the Premier CC is an Exception to my rule. That $65 is paid back to me many times over. 1- Every year a free night up to and including a Cat 5 (1st yr up to a Cat 4) right there you will be ahead of the game.

2- You earn more MR pts with this CC then the reg 1.(BTW I dont use it Except for charges that get me 5 pts per $1 for Marriott charges and its still worth Every Cent)

3- Unlike the reg CC you get 15 nights credited per year, the reg gives you Silver but you will still need to do 75 nights to be Plat, with the P CC you only need 60 nights

4- since you dont have it Apply for it you can have both and your problem will be solved as all you will need is to have stayed 60 nights and you said you will have between 61-64. I would cancel out the reg CC as long as its been over 6 months since you had the pts credited to your acct.

5- Forgot you will get 15 or 20k in pts for getting the PCC as well

CPRich

The word I have received is that 71 is the magic cutoff, if you proactively contact Marriott and request being granted an exception - it's not automatic.

This was several years ago.

11-15 nights short is very unlikely, and shouldn't be, IMHO.

Diamondback

Great news! I was sweating making Gold again this year but will be no problem with the 15 nights. I remember getting the nights credited in my first year of having the card but was unaware this is good every year!

Definitely worth getting the card.

JimJ321

I've had coworkers upgraded with around 60 nights last year. They have been platinum for 3-4 yrs, but calling in...explained their travel changes and why they couldn't earn platinum. Marriott gave them both a 1 yr renewal so I am sure they will bend if you give them good reason.

boberonicus

Note that the hotel certificate is not given to you during your first year. I got a "2 for 1 golf certificate" good at a few select locations. If I understand correctly, your timeline would be something like this:

October 2007: Apply for card
November 2007: Get useless golf certificate
November 2008: Get almost-good-enough-for-vacation hotel cert (1-4 properties)
November 2009: Ta Da! hotel cert for 1-5 properties.

hhoope01

This is only true if you have already signed up for one of the Marriott Branded CCs and received an initial Cat. 1-4 cert. Marriott does seem to be tracking these and is actually following their own T&Cs by giving only one per person (no matter how many CCs a person applies for and receives.) If this is the first Marriott branded CC, though, you would receive the Cat. 1-4 cert when the card is first activated, not a year later.

Also, in both cases, the person would receive a Cat. 1-5 cert at the first year anniversary and all subsequent anniversaries (assuming we are talking about the Premier CC of course.)

boberonicus

Interesting. I did sign up for the lesser card, used it for a few months, read the FT thread on the signature card, and signed up for it independently. Currently, both cards are active. However, no hotel cert in my MR account. Sigh. I love making phone calls about nonsense like this. I really have nothing better to do with my life.

BigLar

The cert comes in the mail.

badjuju

Really - my account shows I have an unused certificate but I did not receive anything in the mail.

freeupgrade

I could certainly see Marriott doing this - 3 or 4 years of earning PLT the hard way is an incredible amount of loyalty.....

it truly is.

having said that, i've done 108 nights already this year - with around 15 more to go - i better be renewed automatically by the computer...

USFreak

If you don't want to do the CC route, give your MR number to a friend who travels who may have already qualified for PLT or give it to family who travel....I get 3 weeks worth of nights from my family using my number......of course i hit the 75 nights myself but for lifetime plat, it never hurts to add more