Guide To Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status: Benefits, And How To Earn It

The platinum status challenge is actually more like 120 days. It is 3 months + the starting month. So if you requested for the challenge for the challenge on be of January, the challenge will end on April 30. It is also same if you request on beginning of February (it will end on 30 may) and, the same rules apply so on and on. The status will also last until February 2028 if you do it this year. And the challenge can be done once every 3 years

You should make a post about this, explaining the process

Beginning of janairy*

Seasoned members know that realizing any benefit is an uncertainty. View Bonvoy in pure economic terms -- the value of points and nothing more. If you receive any tier benefits, let it be a surprise. This is the healthiest approach.

A shit stain of a frequent guest program in every sense of the word

Beware that the guaranteed 4PM late check-out also excludes convention hotels as per the terms & conditions: "This benefit is guaranteed at all Participating Properties, except at resort and convention hotels, Design Hotels, and StudioRes, where it is based upon availability." I found out the hard way a couple of months ago at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, where I was told at check-in that they do not provide guaranteed late check-out because it's a convention hotel but to ask the morning of check-out if available but alas, it was not available.

Once you earn lifetime platinum, there's really not much motivation to stay engaged with the program.

Titanium isn't that big of a jump. Platinum covers breakfast and lounge access. That's all you really need.

There is also another method of getting Marriott Platinum or even Titanium status. If you have a significant timeshare interest in either the Marriott or Vistana Vacation Clubs, you may qualify for Platinum or Titanium. It isn't “lifetime” but it is continuous as long as you have that timeshare interest (and pay your annual maintenance fees on time).

That having been said, even with my Titanium status for a number of years, I have yet to ever encounter any meaningful room upgrade – they often say that you have been given one, but such upgrades are often more fiction than reality.

Many of the low-end Marriott properties have no club or even restaurants and as such, breakfast benefits are meaningless. That having been said, we've stayed at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (on the Big Island) using Marriott points and my wife and I did have an excellent buffet breakfast every day (that facility has no “club”).

And then to add insult to injury you actually had to stay at that hotel

That’s right. My wife earned her Platinum for Life status at the end of her career. In retirement now, we’re happy to take what we can get. Free breakfast for a week at an expensive high end resort with correspondingly high food prices makes the breakfast benefit quite meaningful.

A somewhat recent problem is the value of the 85k certificate that has reduced. Many luxury hotels charge just above the amount of the certificate plus the additional amount that you can add to it....