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Invest 56 Nights To Make Lifetime Plat, worth it or not?

Invest 56 Nights To Make Lifetime Plat, worth it or not?

 
Old May 14, 2018, 11:16 pm
  #1  
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Invest 56 Nights To Make Lifetime Plat, worth it or not?

I have some questions but I've found conflicting answers on different blogs.

And before I plunge into crazy-land with a plan, my facts should be solid. Which is why I've come here, to 'all things SPG'.

I'm a lifetime spg gold and have 444 nights (and 10 years as a plat) which makes me 56 nights short of lifetime status. I'm thinking of making a mattress run to get the remaining nights needed to achieve this, before requirements change for this status.. So for anyone who is willing to help...my questions are as follows:

1. Will August be the deadline to complete the 56 nights or do I have until December 31 to make the big 500?
2. Are there others who are trying this and or, think its worth it?
3. The Lifetime Plats will receive the same benefits after August as they do now and their lifetime status will remain...for life. True?
4. When I book two rooms for 5 nights, do I get credit for 10 nights (currently) or just five?

Thanks for your patience if I've missed a thread that covers some of these points clearly, I apologize.

Last edited by avacadohead; May 14, 2018 at 11:17 pm Reason: wanted spacing
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Old May 15, 2018, 12:22 am
  #2  
 
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This status will be offered in the future as well, you just need 600 nights. So assuming you're going to keep up a health travel pattern for the next 3 or 4 years then just book as you usually do as make Lifetime Platinum with the Marriott combined program.

Even if you had a few years of slow travel, you still have the 10 years of platinum, so once you hit 600 nights, you'll be good to go.

Seems crazy to do a 56 night mattress run.
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Old May 15, 2018, 12:34 am
  #3  
 
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Originally Posted by avacadohead
I have some questions but I've found conflicting answers on different blogs.

And before I plunge into crazy-land with a plan, my facts should be solid. Which is why I've come here, to 'all things SPG'.

I'm a lifetime spg gold and have 444 nights (and 10 years as a plat) which makes me 56 nights short of lifetime status. I'm thinking of making a mattress run to get the remaining nights needed to achieve this, before requirements change for this status.. So for anyone who is willing to help...my questions are as follows:

1. Will August be the deadline to complete the 56 nights or do I have until December 31 to make the big 500?
2. Are there others who are trying this and or, think its worth it?
3. The Lifetime Plats will receive the same benefits after August as they do now and their lifetime status will remain...for life. True?
4. When I book two rooms for 5 nights, do I get credit for 10 nights (currently) or just five?

Thanks for your patience if I've missed a thread that covers some of these points clearly, I apologize.

1. You have till Dec for old SPG Lifetime Plat, after 8/1/18 you can combine both
2. 56 nights is a lot but it could be done, how bad do you want it? if it was me, I would do it.
3. Yes except for 750 who gets Platinum Premier
4. Only till Aug (from my understanding after 8/1/18 its only 1 room elite night)

Good Luck, Congratz on lifetime
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Last edited by JfromTheBay; May 15, 2018 at 12:43 am
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Old May 15, 2018, 6:30 am
  #4  
 
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As others have said, chasing old SPG LTP (maps to new LTP) is kind of crazy when you'd have to do a 50+ night mattress run in 2018 to achieve it. Since new LTP in merged MR will be possible with the same number of years (10 as plat) and only 100 more nights, it would make more sense to just take the next year or two to earn it.

If you keep or open MR Visa or SPG Amex, that will give you 15 elite nights per year to qualify in 2019 and beyond, and if MR Rewarding Events remains intact as-is (questionable), a sub-$100 meeting will garner 10 elite nights. This will make it easier to renew plat in future years and bump your night count towards lifetime. Of course, the Rewarding Events only makes sense if you have legitimate purpose for meetings, or if your stay activity is close (but not exceeding) the 50 nights to hit plat each year.
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Old May 15, 2018, 6:47 am
  #5  
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Programs: plat, aa. spg.
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Originally Posted by yvr76
This status will be offered in the future as well, you just need 600 nights. So assuming you're going to keep up a health travel pattern for the next 3 or 4 years then just book as you usually do as make Lifetime Platinum with the Marriott combined program.

Even if you had a few years of slow travel, you still have the 10 years of platinum, so once you hit 600 nights, you'll be good to go.

Seems crazy to do a 56 night mattress run.
YVR76, Thanks for the input. Taking a calmer and less insanely expensive route is definitely a consideration. I thought the new number would be 750 required nights for lifetime. Thanks for the correct input!

Last edited by avacadohead; May 15, 2018 at 6:48 am Reason: boo boo
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Old May 15, 2018, 6:55 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by JfromTheBay
1. You have till Dec for old SPG Lifetime Plat, after 8/1/18 you can combine both
2. 56 nights is a lot but it could be done, how bad do you want it? if it was me, I would do it.
3. Yes except for 750 who gets Platinum Premier
4. Only till Aug (from my understanding after 8/1/18 its only 1 room elite night)

Good Luck, Congratz on lifetime
JfromtheBay. Thanks for all the answers! And without bitterness! I scramble every year to reach Plat, which I love. But I use 'stays' to do it. Now its nights only and since I'm a leisure traveler...it makes it an even tougher reach. These accurate answers will help me make a solid decision. And its good to know there are other crazy's out there.
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Old May 15, 2018, 6:58 am
  #7  
 
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Originally Posted by avacadohead
YVR76, Thanks for the input. Taking a calmer and less insanely expensive route is definitely a consideration. I thought the new number would be 750 required nights for lifetime. Thanks for the correct input!
750 nights will be required to hit the legacy MR Plat status, which will only be achievable by end of year 2019 2018. If you do such, then it will map to grandfathered Lifetime Platinum Premier status in the merged program, which will not be possible to gain in 2019 onwards.

However, at 444 nights, this would require you to rack up 306 nights before the end of 2018. This assumes you have ZERO legacy Marriott activity. See the thread SPG Lifetime Platinums Can Now Qualify For Lifetime Platinum Premier Status.. Your qualification criteria would be 750 MR + SPG nights and 10 years as plat before end of 2018.

Now, if you have some substantial stay activity at Marriott - say you had at least 200 nights - then you'd be only 106 nights away from earning old MR Plat/new Plat Premier status. 106 nights would be a lot on a mattress run alone, but as of this time, sub-$100 meetings at eligible Marriott properties earn 10 elite qualifying nights. This would mean you could use a combination of cheap meetings and mattress run to hit the goal. Whether or not this endeavor is worthwhile I leave to you, and it's possible that MR may change Rewarding Events come August 1st (SPG/MR program merger) to not provide the 10 elite nights any longer.

However, in the merged program, Lifetime Plat and Lifetime Plat Premier are minimally different. Lifetime status does not confer the Suite Night Awards (you have to hit the 50/75 night thresholds in a year to get SNAs), and the only differences between Plat and Plat Premier (at this time) in the merged program are a 75% points bonus vs 50% points bonus and Plat Premier having the 48-hour guarantee (to get a room at a ridiculous rack rate at a sold out hotel). Lifetime Plat in the new program will still be possible at 600 elite nights + 10 years as plat...
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Last edited by phltraveler; May 15, 2018 at 8:10 am
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Old May 15, 2018, 7:03 am
  #8  
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Programs: plat, aa. spg.
Posts: 49
Originally Posted by phltraveler
As others have said, chasing old SPG LTP (maps to new LTP) is kind of crazy when you'd have to do a 50+ night mattress run in 2018 to achieve it. Since new LTP in merged MR will be possible with the same number of years (10 as plat) and only 100 more nights, it would make more sense to just take the next year or two to earn it.

If you keep or open MR Visa or SPG Amex, that will give you 15 elite nights per year to qualify in 2019 and beyond, and if MR Rewarding Events remains intact as-is (questionable), a sub-$100 meeting will garner 10 elite nights. This will make it easier to renew plat in future years and bump your night count towards lifetime. Of course, the Rewarding Events only makes sense if you have legitimate purpose for meetings, or if your stay activity is close (but not exceeding) the 50 nights to hit plat each year.
Phltraveler, Thanks for your added facts about the 15 year elite nights added for the CC and the Meeting room benefit (after August when the nights will be combined). This helps take the edge off if I decide to take the run more slowly. I need to do some serious Math now. Thanks for the valuable input and new strategy.
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Old May 15, 2018, 7:30 am
  #9  
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
750 nights will be required to hit the legacy MR Plat status, which will only be achievable by end of year 2019. If you do such, then it will map to grandfathered Lifetime Platinum Premier status in the merged program, which will not be possible to gain in 2019 onwards.
...
Did you mean 2018?
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Old May 15, 2018, 7:31 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
750 nights will be required to hit the legacy MR Plat status, which will only be achievable by end of year 2019. If you do such, then it will map to grandfathered Lifetime Platinum Premier status in the merged program, which will not be possible to gain in 2019 onwards.

However, at 444 nights, this would require you to rack up 306 nights before the end of 2018. This assumes you have ZERO legacy Marriott activity. See the thread SPG Lifetime Platinums Can Now Qualify For Lifetime Platinum Premier Status.. Your qualification criteria would be 750 MR + SPG nights and 10 years as plat before end of 2018.

Now, if you have some substantial stay activity at Marriott - say you had at least 200 nights - then you'd be only 106 nights away from earning old MR Plat/new Plat Premier status. 106 nights would be a lot on a mattress run alone, but as of this time, sub-$100 meetings at eligible Marriott properties earn 10 elite qualifying nights. This would mean you could use a combination of cheap meetings and mattress run to hit the goal. Whether or not this endeavor is worthwhile I leave to you, and it's possible that MR may change Rewarding Events come August 1st (SPG/MR program merger) to not provide the 10 elite nights any longer.

However, in the merged program, Lifetime Plat and Lifetime Plat Premier are minimally different. Lifetime status does not confer the Suite Night Awards (you have to hit the 50/75 night thresholds in a year to get SNAs), and the only differences between Plat and Plat Premier (at this time) in the merged program are a 75% points bonus vs 50% points bonus and Plat Premier having the 48-hour guarantee (to get a room at a ridiculous rack rate at a sold out hotel). Lifetime Plat in the new program will still be possible at 600 elite nights + 10 years as plat...
Okay Phltraveler, thanks for the clarification. That was some need-2-know information. I rushed and did some crazy stuff to gain AA Lifetime Plat before the benefit qualifications ended. At the time I felt like I was burning time, energy and money. But its been SOOOOO worth it to me since. Even after all the de-valuations and muddied up benefits of AA. So now...I just need a plan and some cheap hotels, or cheap hotel meeting rooms.

But one more question...After August I include my not so many Marriot stays in the tally as well, yes? And the meeting room bonus could not be accumulated until August as well, yes?

And again Phltraveler, thanks for your help!
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Old May 15, 2018, 7:52 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
750 nights will be required to hit the legacy MR Plat status, which will only be achievable by end of year 2019.
Ummm...what?

OP, please ignore any discussions of 750 nights.


You are correct that you would need 500 nights by 12/31/2018 or 600 combined nights at any point in the future (barring changes to the announced rules), to go with your 10 years.

Should should also be able to qualify with 25 stays in 2018 under the current program rules.

Unless you have a property that will allow you to check-in and leave for $10/night, 56 nights and the thousands of dollars that it would cost seem like a very bad idea to me.
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Old May 15, 2018, 8:09 am
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
Did you mean 2018?
Correct, mea culpa. I meant either "in 2018" or "before 2019" and I apparently brainfarted on that one.
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Old May 15, 2018, 8:28 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by avacadohead
Okay Phltraveler, thanks for the clarification. That was some need-2-know information. I rushed and did some crazy stuff to gain AA Lifetime Plat before the benefit qualifications ended. At the time I felt like I was burning time, energy and money. But its been SOOOOO worth it to me since. Even after all the de-valuations and muddied up benefits of AA. So now...I just need a plan and some cheap hotels, or cheap hotel meeting rooms.

But one more question...After August I include my not so many Marriot stays in the tally as well, yes? And the meeting room bonus could not be accumulated until August as well, yes?

And again Phltraveler, thanks for your help!
Yes. Starting August 1st, according to the new info in this thread your combined MR + SPG night totals will count towards the 750 night + 10 years as plat requirement to get old Marriott Platinum/new Marriott Lifetime Platinum Premier. The meeting nights would not count until August 1st as well, however any nights earned in MR (whether via stays or meetings) would be eligible in the combined total for 750 effective August 1st.
Originally Posted by CPRich
Ummm...what?

OP, please ignore any discussions of 750 nights.
OP has three possibilities. One of which is 750 night relevant.

1) OP chooses to earn lifetime SPG platinum under the old rules (10 years at Plat + 500 nights). This would require him to mattress run 56 nights before the end of 2018 to hit 500 nights total. This would get him lifetime status at the level that current elites qualify for at 50 nights/year.
2) OP chooses to earn lifetime Platinum in the combined program after the merger. This would not require him to get all the nights this year, but it would require him to get 600 nights total (combined legacy Marriott + SPG). This would get him lifetime status at the level that current elites get at 50 nights/year.
3) OP goes for a huge stretch goal and tries to earn old Marriott Lifetime Platinum, which is Premier Platinum (75 nights) before the end of the year. This was originally impossible for SPG elites, but Marriott relented and now SPG elites have ONE shot in 2018 to earn lifetime Premier Platinum. This would require OP to earn 750 nights + 2 million points in Marriott alone before end of 2018, or to earn 750 nights + 10 years of Plat in combined activity between the Marriott and SPG programs before the end of 2018. This will get OP lifetime status at the level that current elites earn in 75 nights/year, a grandfathered status that won't be possible to achieve in 2019 and beyond.

Option #3 is a huge stretch for OP on his Starwood nights alone, because at 444 SPG nights, he would require 306 more elite nights in 2018. This would be physically impossible to earn butt-in-bed as Marriott will only credit one elite night per room (no credit for up to three rooms like SPG) and there aren't 306 nights left in 2018.

However, OP would get credit for any Marriott legacy activity he had (could be 0 nights, could be 200) AND under the rewarding events structure, OP gets 10 nights credit for every meeting booked at eligible properties. People on the MR board on FT have booked $60 meetings for one hour, many were able to no-show them (pay for the meeting, not show up to the meeting, and still get the 10 elite night credit), and essentially "buy" the nights at $6-$10 per elite night, which is way cheaper and easier than earning them via stays. Even if you had to show to the meetings, nothing would stop you from having a legitimate meeting once a week, or having one hour meetings where you merely hopped on the wifi and did some work or browsed the web casually. See later posts in the thread [Marriott] Platinum Status in Eight Days and $800 - No Stays Required

Assuming OP averaged $90 a meeting and wanted to "buy" his way to Lifetime Platinum Premier this year, it would require anywhere from no meetings (if he had 306 nights, but OP calls his legacy Marriott activity "not so many stays") and $0 to 31 meetings (OP has no MR legacy activity, 31 meetings * 10 elite nights per meeting = 310 MR elite nights + 444 legacy SPG elite nights = 754 nights combined effective August 1st + his existing 10 years = Grandfathered LT Premier Platinum in new MR - at $90/meeting, this would cost $2,790).

Personally I would not spend the latter amount, but I might spend up to $1500 to lock in a discontinued higher elite tier. MR has made minimal difference between Plat and Plat Premier in the combined August 1st program at this point, but others have pointed out how as airlines consolidated and time passed, airlines created more of a difference between their elite tiers, leading some to regret that they didn't chase a higher lifetime status earlier (when they were traveling more or while it was still possible). Marriott may choose to make a greater difference between LTP and LTPP in the future, and I strongly believe they will.

The rub is that Marriott may change their rules on Rewarding Events come August 1st. Existing night totals (including Rewarding Events nights given @ 1 meeting = 10 elite nights) will count towards the lifetime qualification totals and MR + SPG combined night totals will count for this, but meetings after August 1st may no longer universally earn 10 elite night credit (no crystal ball, but rumor mill is MR will only give 10 elite night credit for the account's first meeting in a year, and then only 1 elite night per meeting thereafter).
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Last edited by phltraveler; May 15, 2018 at 8:42 am
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Old May 15, 2018, 8:40 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
Originally Posted by JfromTheBay
1. You have till Dec for old SPG Lifetime Plat, after 8/1/18 you can combine both
2. 56 nights is a lot but it could be done, how bad do you want it? if it was me, I would do it.
3. Yes except for 750 who gets Platinum Premier
4. Only till Aug (from my understanding after 8/1/18 its only 1 room elite night)

Good Luck, Congratz on lifetime
I wonder if 3 rooms per night stays at SPG legacy brands between Aug 1 and Dec 31 2018 will count as 3 elite night credits? I hope it would. OP to be clear if you want to hit LTP with 500 nights only SPG legacy brands count until Dec 31. You cannot use Marriott brands or combine your lifetime MR nights. You would need 600 nights if you combine.
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Old May 15, 2018, 9:33 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by HHonors OUTSIDER
I wonder if 3 rooms per night stays at SPG legacy brands between Aug 1 and Dec 31 2018 will count as 3 elite night credits? I hope it would. OP to be clear if you want to hit LTP with 500 nights only SPG legacy brands count until Dec 31. You cannot use Marriott brands or combine your lifetime MR nights. You would need 600 nights if you combine.
Given the reply by Starwood Lurker in the wikipost here and the fact that all points will be converted, I would venture that the answer of points credit for up to three rooms and nights credit for only one is the likely reality come August first.

OP has three possibilities:
  1. He qualifies under legacy SPG Plat criteria of 500 nights + 10 years as plat. This would require 56 nights solely in SPG (not MR + SPG combined) before end of 2018.
  2. He qualifies under new merged MR criteria of 600 nights + 10 years as plat. This would require 156 nights in MR + SPG combined, and would not have to be earned before the end of 2018.
  3. He qualifies for a higher level of status (Lifetime Platinum Premier) at the criteria of 750 nights + 10 years as plat. This would require a combined MR + SPG activity of 750 nights before 2018 ends. Once 2019 comes, it will be impossible to earn Lifetime Platinum Premier.
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