rgrunnah

Can someone please advise if it's possible to purchase platinum status, or must it be earned from hotel stays?

I am Gold but wish to get to Platinum and am willing to pay $$ for it, and/or get the appropriate credit card that provides it.

Thanks!

freeloader

not possible. there is no magic (credit card) way to make platinum w/o spending time in hotels.

quickest way would be asking for a platinum challenge. a lot faster that way

Land-of-Miles

This isn't quite true is it in the US? It is perfectly possible to buy 10 nights towards the magic 50 night total by taking the personal and business SPG Amex. No such route for those of us elsewhere in the world though.

rgrunnah

Thanks.

IS there a thread somewhere on here which shows the cheapest rooms available in the STarwood network? It might be worth doing the 18 night challenge, and then booking a solid 18 night stay at a place with a big rate sale.

Anyone ever do this?

CPRich

Cheapest Starwood in USA

Keep in mind that you can't just make an 18 night reservations, you need to at least check-in.

BonViveur

To the OP,

Out of interest, and disregarding the large cost involved, let's say $1500, to achieve platinum status when you don't even need to be in a hotel, how will someone who doesn't normally stay with Starwood be advantaged by the status?

OK, then.. about the cost: If it's to get upgrades for a special holiday, the upgrade is not guaranteed. Wouldn't it make more sense to spend the money on a better room type in the first place, earning points and status, along the way?

Unless it's for a super-special event, with a huge reason to believe you would be upgraded, the status will only be of benefit for a year. If you don't normally have 25 stays a year, you will lose the status the following year and never be allowed to challenge again.

For someone who is a big spender, and has loyalty credit cards, spend a lot of money on the cards; e.g.; Amex, or Starwood Amex, depending on your location, earn a bunch of points which can be transferred to SPG and use the points to stay at low end properties, or lowest 5th night free redemptions. These stays count and as you actually got something for the money you spend earning the stays, it's better value.

In theory, you can earn platinum by redeeming 25 nights (3 weeks and 4 days) at a category 1 hotel for 63000 points. If you use Starwood Amex, it's even less. You could make it in a month without wasting money!

V60t

That would be twenty-five check in and check outs. Yikes.

CPRich

Consecutive nights at a hotel, regardless of check-in and check-out, are considered one stay. So this would accumulate 1 stay and 25 nights. You would need to find two Cat 1 hotels close enough together that you could alternate check-ins. Detroit and Saginaw, 102 miles apart, are the closest I see in the US. Jakarta has two, only 26 miles apart.

Pedro M

It is possible to purchase platinum status, although it comes at a very high cost. If you buy enough timeshare weeks from Starwood such that you achieve the 5-star elite level, you are granted platinum status for as long as you own the timeshare weeks. Certainly not a cheap deal.

Out of my Element

One check in, for 25 nights.

myperks

that will get you gold.

Koby

Or to Plat if you are already Gold. The thread title is "Quickest Way for Gold to Become Platinum?"

yosithezet

Depends how he got Gold, no?

Koby

You are right. I should have added "...assuming he became Gold by staying 25 nights...".

MSPeconomist

Remember that after 25 stays, you will only be PlatMinus, the fourth published SPG tier from the top.