Thanks. As of now I have 11 years, 1,455,322 points and 893 nights. Another 44,678 points I will be lifetime SILVER. Yipeeeeee.

I get at least silver every year just from having a Marriott VISA.

True, but I think this program predates the silver offered by American credit cards. In other words, it still has value at the silver level for Marriott customers outside of the United States.

My lifetime totals are 6.16 years, 1,060,523 points, and 393 nights. I expect to pass 500 nights this year and probably 1.4 million points.

hey - when I am comparing these totals, I am seeing that us "seniors" have a severe disadvantage pointwise.......inflation, you know. :D

You are correct. My total would be higher if I had gotten a Marriott card earlier (I didn't get one until 2005) and had not wasted my first Marriott Reward stay on Continental miles instead of points. Oh well, it was an early mistake that cost me 2,370 points. I think the promotions have also gotten larger in recent times and the Marriott Premier card helps a lot.

I am not going to write how much the out of pocket cost was to get that many points. Some people might have a cow if they saw the number. My guess is that about 25 % of those points came from promotional bonuses alone (credit card signups, MegaBonuses, and property specific ones), with probably another 15-20 % from elite bonuses and maybe another 5 % from Hertz rentals.

As far as the 12-year limit goes, I'm fortunate. In the early- to mid-1980s, there was a "refer somebody to Marriott Honored Guest Awards" program. My father was an HGA member, and really wanted the points. He referred me when I was a teenager. It took another decade for me to get my first stay.

I still remember the look on the face of the desk clerk the first time I checked into a Marriott and handed over the ancient red card. It went through without a hitch, even though by any reasonable standard my account was inactive.

And I am quite the opposite. Hard head that I am, I have been staying with Marriott (as well as the others) since the '80s and didn't bother with rewards programs (other than airlines) till late '04, so my uncounted loyalty is just that, uncounted. :( :confused:

So for 3 1/2 "member" years I am at 251 nights and 1,142,301 points. Well, I guess on the positive side I still have (just) enough years left before I retire to get the 12 in, and I should be able to meet the other Lifetime Platinum requirements. :)

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Originally Posted by pgh (Post 9603459)

So for 3 1/2 "member" years I am at 251 nights and 1,142,301 points. Well, I guess on the positive side I still have (just) enough years left before I retire to get the 12 in, and I should be able to meet the other Lifetime Platinum requirements. :)

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Well, for 3 1/2 years it appears to me you are doing pretty well. You have about 40% of my nights, and almost equal to me in points - with less than 20% of my "time in". (20 membership years, 615 Elite nights, and have earned 1,188,034 lifetime points.)

I see no way I can hit Plat as I expect my travel to end within the next 2 years or so. I WOULD like to hit GOLD, so if anyone can share their secrets as to how to do it inexpensively I would love to hear them.

I mean, I could care the least about free breakfast NOW, but when I am on my retirement pittance.... it will be another story :D!!!

I do have an advantage. Whenever I travel with other employees (which is not all that often) I get the folio. Other than that most of my stays are FS which helps with the point total and I have hit every MegaBonus offered (including already hitting the most recent 50k megabonus).

If my interpretation is correct, I may get screwed twice here. I work for the govt, therefor, use lower GOV rates which result in less points. Not to mention, I have a lot of time in Residence Inn's. So since it is an AND, I will have enough NIGHTS for a higher level, just not enough lifetime points. I have been at it for 7 year and have about 500 nights, but lifetime points is only around 350K or so.

Perhaps, but points are a LOT easier (and cheaper) to accumulate than nights! I am picking up 75K in bonus points alone during 1Q of this year.

Do you have to stay in RI, or do you just like them? That is where I lost a lot of points, too - because I liked them, and never thought through the "cost" of a 50% reduction in points.:(

I do not HAVE to stay in the RI. If I am somewhere for a week or so, it is more convenient. FI, is just so BLAH, CY is useless for the business traveler and the FS properties are so $$$$$$.

So how are you getting 75k bonus points?

Check out the Marriott Promotions going on. The current Megabonus promotion can net someone as many as 50K points alone. There are different versions of the Megabonus promo that Marriott sent out, but as a Gold you can call MR and request a specific promo. I was given the 5K points for every 2nd stay, upto 25K points. I called and had them put me in the 50K version. ^

Also, depending on where you stay, there are bonus points for weekend stays, bonus points for hosting a meeting at a Marriott, etc. Check out Marriott's website to see what promos they have. Another way to get more points is to use a Marriott branded Visa card. If you aren't doing that, you are missing out another 5 pts/$ spent.

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I do not HAVE to stay in the RI. If I am somewhere for a week or so, it is more convenient. FI, is just so BLAH, CY is useless for the business traveler and the FS properties are so $$$$$$. So how are you getting 75k bonus points?

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Pretty much what hhoope01 has said - except that my math was low. I will hit the 50K mega. (ok, that goes into May but it didn't start until Feb) . The I signed up (3) friends and family - 1K bonuses for each time they stay; up to 5K. They are at 3, 2, and 1 respectively - so (56K). Remaining is coming from weekend Marriot stay (5K) FF weekend stay (2K) and Ren weekend stay (5K) - that is right at 67K; plus I do have the Marriott Visa, so take all the dollars earned from those stays and multiply them X5 - anniversary weekend alone was worth 5K in points!

I hear you about the RI. BUT - I would check out some other properties in the areas to which you travel. IMO, CY is not as horrible as some people make it out to be - especially if I get a King Suite (book one, not expect one as an upgrade) that has a microwave, refrig, etc in it. The newer FI's have these king leisure rooms (or whatever they call them) that also have a micro/frig and are larger than most. I would NOT give up half my points week after week - but for the right circumstances, I still book them (like in an upcoming field trip to Williamsburg - Aunt T lost her mind and volunteered to do the end of year trip for some home schooled youngsters - and the thought of taking them all down to the breakfast buffet in the FS causes a fainting spell) ;)

Many of my nights and points were earned via long-term stays (lower rates) and at extended-stay brands in the Marriott family. So we're in the same boat. I have enough nights for Gold, but not enough points for Silver.

Repeat after me -