It’s no secret that I’ve been extremely happy with my Hyatt Globalist status the past year and a half. After first earning it in late 2019, I’ve been hooked. The benefits at Hyatt hotels have been excellent, and I find that I am generally able to earn enough points so that I can book award stays most of the time (unless cash rates are ludicrously cheap).
But I am also often in the market for picking up other hotel elite status, especially if it requires little-to-no effort and could provide good value over the following year. Last year, I did this with IHG Spire. Now I’m considering targeting Marriott Platinum. Crazy? Maybe. Maybe not.
Marriott’s Augmented 2021 Elite Requirements
Just like last year, Marriott Bonvoy members are being credited with half the elite nights of their most recently earned elite status level. This is a more unique method of augmenting members’ status, but I actually really like it. It rewards those who have been most loyal to Marriott previously. Depending on your 2020 elite status level (which was rolled over from 2019 anyway, or you earned higher), Marriott will award the following:
- Ambassador Elite will receive 50 Elite Night Credits and will need an additional 50 Elite Night Credits and US$14,000 in Qualifying spend in 2021 to re-achieve Ambassador Status
- Titanium Elite will receive 38 Elite Night Credits and will need an additional 62 Elite Night Credits and US$14,000 in Qualifying Stay Spend in 2021 to achieve Ambassador Elite
- Platinum Elite will receive 25 Elite Night Credits and will need an additional 50 Elite Night Credits in 2021 to achieve Titanium Elite
- Gold Elite will receive 13 Elite Night Credits and will need an additional 37 Elite Night Credits in 2021 to achieve Platinum Elite
- Silver Elite will receive 5 Elite Night Credits and will need an additional 20 Elite Night Credits in 2021 to achieve Gold Elite
- Member tier will not receive Elite Night Credits and will need a total of 10 Elite Night Credits in 2021 to achieve Silver Elite
The additional elite nights count toward the 2021 annual choice benefit and toward lifetime status. Thanks to Marriott, I’m a handful of nights away from Lifetime Silver. Which means I’m a handful of nights away from pretty much nothing.
But anyway, the path to 2021 Bonvoy Platinum doesn’t seem all that difficult for me.
The 2021 Path to Status
In 2020 I was a Marriott Gold Elite. I’m not sure how this happened, as I went cold turkey with them after being Titanium Elite back in 2018, benefits that I used in multiple ways. I enjoyed the status, earned from a challenge, but requalifying was impossible for me. I let it go. Somehow I was pegged at Gold, which must have been a sort of soft landing.
Since that rolled into 2020, I received 13 elite nights last year. Picking up the Bonvoy Brilliant Visa meant that I re-earned Gold for 2021 from its additional 15 elite nights. Now, after being award the additional nights for 2021, I’m sitting on 28 elite nights currently.
The thing is…I have 5 nights that must be used this year, plus an additional free night certificate coming up. Assuming I use all these, I’ll land at 34 nights without a nickel out of my pocket. I’m then 1 night away from Platinum, assuming I can pick up the Bonvoy Business card this year for another 15 elite nights.
However, I might not want to go that route. I currently have three cheap one-night stays planned with Marriot for various reasons before the end of the month, and the option for a 4th. Two are stays where Marriott properties are most convenient. The others have multiple options, but this is an intriguing path as well. During the current promotion period, Marriott is offering double points and double elite nights. This is then up to 8 extra nights. Add in the 5 + 1 free night certificates, and I’m at 42 nights. Per commenter: I have one problem: my one-night stays won’t qualify. So looks like I need to subtract two nights.
It’s not difficult to imagine that I’ll land very close to 50 without much more effort. With one anticipated work trip of 4-5 nights, I’ll be only a few nights shy.
Final Thoughts
The question is…is it worth forgoing other options to earn Marriot Platinum status in 2021? Maybe. Maybe not. If I’m only $200-300 into this beyond what I would be, I’d say it’ll likely pay for itself in 2022. It’s hard to know, given the world of travel right now. But I’d like to hope that I’ll be hitting the road more this coming year. Marriott has a huge footprint, and it could make a lot of sense to shoot for status.
What do you think? Is this an enticing opportunity, or an easy pass?
Elite status is garbage these days. I stop being loyal to one brand years ago. Forces me to pay more or be in less desirable location. The small benefits you receive don’t outweigh the additional money it takes to earn that status. Also with Priceline and trivgo I can typically save even more at the same property. I’m thinking of ditching my AMX Marriott this year.
Yes and no. I can earn Hyatt Globalist via credit card for very little out of pocket and enjoy the benefits that save us a good chunk of change. Even if I spend $60 to earn 10,000 WoH points, these are worth way more than that if I redeem for a free night (or two). If this is two nights at Category 1 hotels, I’ve effectively earned 6 elite nights (4 from spend, 2 from the stay) for $60, and this is usually $0 out of pocket for a Hyatt Place stay. I see that as fantastic value.
Hyatt is an easy sell. Marriott is less so, but I’m still weighing the options, as you can see.
So you are pondering whether to bundle together some paid + free nights to get to 50 nights, or just get the biz card? Outside of 5/24 I don’t see how this is even really a difficult choice. Get the biz card, pay the $125 AF and then you will be platinum during the other stays. Otherwise you won’t get the plat benefits until the end of year. If Plat benefits aren’t worth $125 then probably you shouldn’t go for Plat at all.
I have some months to wait until I can dump an Amex card and pick up another. But that is likely the best path. Would be nice to have the benefits in advance of my 5 free nights from the Bonvoy Boundless, but the window between when I can apply for the card and when I need to use the certs is pretty narrow.
Do you enjoy being Bonvoyed? then go for Platinum. If not, skip Marriott. They don’t care about elites.
I think my memory must’ve been wiped. 😉
I currently have both AMEX cards, which put me at 30, and am a Gold, so that put me at 43. I had a point stay at Marriott at the Westin Cozumel earlier this year, which put me at 47. So it was a no-brainer to find a cheap Marriott for a 2 night mattress run-so this weekend I am spending 2 nights 90 minutes away for a total of $140 to reach Platinum for the rest of this year and for next year. I stayed as a Platinum at the Westin in Cozumel-which got me early Check-In, breakfast, and an upgrade to a Junior Suite (900 square feet) on the Penthouse floor , so that was incentive to try for Platinum. That’s better treatment than I get from IHG as a Spire Ambassador!
The business card is an easy path. My main issue is that I can’t pick it up until I dump another Amex card.
I’m currently making the same evaluation and wanted to call out that the current Marriott promotion for double elite nights only applies on stays of 2+ nights. Not sure if that changes your math since you mentioned upcoming one night stays that potentially wouldn’t qualify for the promo.
Whoops. Can’t change two of them, but this will influence one I still need to book. Will correct. Thanks.