My Hotel Elite Status Strategy For 2026: I've Got Flexibility & Options

You criticize Marriott and acknowledge the hamster wheel but then keep staying and spending enough to re-qualify for ambassador status. It's kind of like the battered wife who keeps going back to the abusive husband.

@ Nick -- Hey, I won't deny that, you're largely right. 🙂 In fairness, when I earned Ambassador status, my intent was to actually use it and report back on my experience, which I think I've done (and in the process I requalified again, oops).

You're absolutely right that I criticize Marriott and then go back to the program. Here's my only defense, though -- I don't just blindly stay at Marriotts, and I'm not some Bonvoy loyalist who starts and ends my hotel search on Marriott's website. That being said, if Marriott does have a good hotel in a market, I'm happy to stay there.

So in many cases I stay at Marriott affiliated properties because I think they're decent, and if you're going to stay at one of those hotels, you might as well have as high of a status as possible. But yeah, in terms of my perception of the program and general level of customer service, I think much more highly of Hyatt than Marriott.

I think I’m more focused this year on looking for opportunities to get those Amex FHR/Chase credits when it works in my favor than giving any hotel company loyalty. They just don’t make it worth my while to change my spending habits for hotel status.

My strategy is no more loyalty to any specific hotel group. Continued no more business with Marriott. Amex fine hotels and expedia for 90% of my stays now and focus on smaller hotel "non us based" chains, prioritize boutique hotels. Will only use hilton for their certificate and maybe book another 2 nights in conjunction. The remaining 50-80 nights will be amex and expedia.

That argument is exactly why Marriott doesn’t fix anything. They sell elite benefits and brand standards they don’t enforce, then rely on smart travelers to rationalize the failure because of their “scale” or the “market reality.” At some point, continuing to participate — and excuse it — stops being punditry or analysis and becomes complicity in a loyalty program that’s more fictional than a fiction novel.

Hotel status? Lol. If it doesn’t come with the card, why even bother. Hilton Diamond thanks to Aspire; Marriott Platinum thanks to Brilliant; IHG Platinum thanks to several; Hyatt Discoverist thanks to their card. If it helps with a later checkout, free WiFi, bottles of water, and maybe free breakfast, that’s enough. Otherwise, book through Amex FHR for better benefits (guaranteed 4PM late checkout, breakfasts, property credits). Status at hotels is overrated.

I'm a hotel free agent. Amex green + expedia (through rakuten) = 9 - 13X MR
Any expedia one key discount is a bonus

I will probably make most use of my purchased IHG Diamond status this year, which I purchased for a grand cost of $800 but will likely amount to only maximum $200 out of pocket since I’m using the affiliated purchased points to offset no less than $600 of room nights that I would be having anyway.

Not sure if I will make Hyatt Globalist this year, but if a fast track promo comes along for it, I would easily do it.

Have more mid and top-tier hotel status in a variety of other programs but barely use those.

We travelled with our kids from age 2 to n+1. We were employed overseas with kids aged 3 through 18. The youngest doesn't remember much from below 6 and both often regret our nomadic living having missed the opportunity to bond with local Canadian kids K-12. So travel with young un's is perhaps a mixed blessing. Our thoughts of world wide experience don't appear to be fully shared.
Do you have any insight as to how Hilton's DFL program will handle the new higher level? Or do you think it will be a continuous "need to reapply" forever?

I’m curious how many nights you had at hotels this year…

Lucky, have you considered getting status in GHA Discovery? You only need to stay in 3 different hotel brands to qualify for Titanium (although I’m pretty sure NH hotels and other brands under their banner only count as one), and it could be useful to combine it with Virtuoso benefits if reviewing a Capella hotel

I'm fascinated by your Hyatt strategy and predictions. I am also a Lifetime Globalist but I do still spend upwards of 120 nights at Hyatt regardless. As well an Ambassador with Marriott which I consider secondary.

You seem to infer that the best route forward is not trying to get nights at Hyatt because you are already Lifetime Globalist. This is exactly my issue at times with how they level these tiers. There is no incentive. Basically, as you say, you will maybe, or maybe not, get 60 nights while I will achieve 120+ and yet we are considered the same? This is the absolute fault of the Lifetime aspect in that it does not recognize in anyway those who continue to rack up huge nights through loyalty despite Lifetime.

Solution? There should be a next tier level for Globalist that mixes both Lifetime status with hitting Globalist status, A Lifetime+ if you will. Otherwise your very post just tells everyone that once you hit Lifetime move on and target the next brand. That's not loyalty. That's gaming. And that's what ends up killing these programs and any incentive at all.

Oddly, as they are usually not focused on fairness, Bonvoy has it right. Capping out Lifetime at Platinum. That is the second solution.

This is pretty much the same hotel strategy for 2025 for Lucky. As much as Lucky complains about Marriott he still chooses to stay at a Marriott. There are other programs that readers have wrote about and Lucky knows but he has never tried hard with them.

IHG has improved a lot so at least give it a real shot for at least a year or more as a diamond and/or ambassador. Why not other chain hotels such as Best Western, Wyndham, or Choice? You write about them but don’t ever stay at one of these hotels.

What about GHA or LHW? You can even try an OTA or two to give us your opinion about whether these programs are really any good. And yes Marriott has its footprints but in any given city you can find one of these other hotels to stay at. Stay at a Marriott but you can stay there less and get off the Marriott/ Ambassador/Titanium hamster wheel.

Thanks. Happy New Year Lucky. Even with my two cents you are by far even with setting the bar high the best blogger ever.

As much as Ben travels internationally, he should be looking at NH/GHA or Accor. Heck, even Radisson.

I usually like your stuff, but $800 to buy Diamond with IHG…Why??

Came with 120k points.

$800 gave Diamond status plus 120k points; the 120k points will cover at least 5 hotel nights for me and include complimentary breakfast(s) because of Diamond status. Even if I lowball value the hotel room award nights at $80 per night (when the lower quality & nearest Comfort hotel asks for $110 or more) and each breakfast at $5 (when the hotel charges $25), the status is not really costing me more than $375 out of pocket and I’ll eat that $375 in breakfasts pretty quickly at higher end hotels. This assumes I am around for a few more weeks at the very least. 😀

Also I value IHG Diamond status a bit more because IHG full service hotel rates tend to be lower than Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and they also often have 10-12% cashback on regular paid rates using cashback portals. So lower rates + higher cashback + breakfast value make for a sweet spot.

I don’t usually value upgrades as long as I don’t get stuck in the proverbial windowless broom closet by the elevator or close to the main entrance.

Check out Choice Privilieges.

Best value. No $500 per night hotel room where somehow everything right down to parking, breakfast and use of pool is extra!

Radisson now part of Choice. Only way to go anyway.

Answers: NO and NO. Also, TOTALLY FALSE.

What a load of BS. You go on about earning status. The average person on street would never spend 60 nights in a hotel, other than a business person. Backup of a backup of a backup.....what BS.....

The funny thing is that Ben himself doesn't really spend that many nights on the road nowadays!

I just book through my travel agent who has virtuoso and access to the preferred programs of all the chains so i never have to worry about this ridiculous hamster wheel. Why bother?

No, Radisson in the US is part of Choice. Radisson internationally is a different company and a different program.

Travel agents may have been fantastic in 1993, but nowadays they're almost extinct in many parts of the world. While I don't doubt that a good TA can help in some circumstances, I think that overall you're better off looking at Trivago etc and reserving exactly what you need for each trip as opposed to arguing whether the virtuoso late check out is guaranteed or merely subject to availability and/or whether you can use your Accor Gold welcome drink voucher for a double espresso or a glass of vermouth.

Oh! I almost forgot about that promotion. Now, I recall Ben mentioning it earlier in December. I have Platinum via the Chase Premier card. And I earned Diamond via $75K spend on CSR, so I had not considered purchasing the points for status, but glad it seems to have worked for you!

@ Nick
100% correct. I find this so strange.

My hotel strategy for 2026 - I have none.

I have reached Platinum status with Marriott solely because it is my company’s preferred hotel and required for business travel, combined with the fact that several conferences and business stays occur during its double-night promotions. As a result, I have reached Platinum status for the past two years without actively pursuing it or deriving meaningful value from the status itself.

For personal travel, I will redeem any points accumulated from these stays; however, when paying cash, Marriott is generally a last-choice option.

Lately, Hilton and Marriott have followed IHG in devaluing their points to near 0.5 cents per point. Hyatt is the only program that has maintained its value over the years, closer to 2 CPP.

I often say 'don't hoard points,' but, I can't help but hold onto hundreds of thousands of IHG points, waiting for that idealistic 4th night free at an InterContinental in Maldives or whatever. LOL. Some day...

The multipliers via the portals is a more advanced method, and it relies on those third entities staying afloat. (I feel more confident with an AA Hotels, especially if it enables status earning with AA, etc., but, not necessarily Rakuten, namely because of the delay, yet, I know some evangelize for those.)

I'm with you on hotel upgrades, generally (I don't rely on them), unless it's a certificate, confirmed in-advance, etc. And, quite honestly, unless you really 'need' the extra space, or want a specific room for the view, amenities (tub, work desk, etc.), it's not necessary.

I've been using her for the hotels I wanted to book for the past 5 years and have had zero issues- the rate i find online is always what she finds and i pay, and the benefits I get through booking with her are better than I get on my own. Not sure what outdated thoughts you are referring to here. Dont know what an "Accor Gold welcome drink voucher" is supposed to mean but I've always been happy with the amenities, upgrades, free breakfast, etc, I've received when I've booked through her.

The voucher is an elite benefit which obviously comes with terms and conditions which can create amusing debates.

These programmes aren't available for every hotel, your choices are restricted to what is available on the reservation systems she's using. Do you ever stay in non-chain hotels that aren't luxury/upper upscale?

I do not stay in hotels often, and when I do i'm willing to pay for a good one.

Fair enough, the approach can work, particularly if you mostly tend to visit places with lots of tourist infrastructure.

What a strange post - this blog's target audience is not random people on the street who don't travel much

The point still sort of stands though - even for those who do travel frequently, there's arguably not a lot of benefit to chasing elite status unless one already needs to do lots of work travel with limited options in terms of where they stay (owing to corporate contracts and/or work locations).

Agree Nick. I used to stay at Marriott brand hotels 50+ nights a year without trying. Now I'll maybe scrape 10 nights a year where there is limited choice/alternatives in one of the big four programs. If people don't change their behavior and move away from Marriott, there's zero incentive for them to change Bonvoy or to prioritize the consumer.

As LTT with Bonvoy, I'll continue my post-Bonvoy strategy of primarily trying to stay at Hyatts or thru FHR/similar, then IHG, then Marriotts/Hiltons.

I'm looking forward to seeing some more economy / premium economy and more basic hotel reviews.

Going for Hilton Diamond Reserve
Also very close to lifetime diamond with Hilton

@ Nick -- Hey, I won't deny that, you're largely right. 🙂 In fairness, when I earned Ambassador status, my intent was to actually use it and report back on my experience, which I think I've done (and in the process I requalified again, oops).

You're absolutely right that I criticize Marriott and then go back to the program. Here's my only defense, though -- I don't just blindly stay at Marriotts, and I'm not some Bonvoy loyalist who starts and ends my hotel search on Marriott's website. That being said, if Marriott does have a good hotel in a market, I'm happy to stay there.

So in many cases I stay at Marriott affiliated properties because I think they're decent, and if you're going to stay at one of those hotels, you might as well have as high of a status as possible. But yeah, in terms of my perception of the program and general level of customer service, I think much more highly of Hyatt than Marriott.

@ Nick
100% correct. I find this so strange.

I usually like your stuff, but $800 to buy Diamond with IHG…Why??

Answers: NO and NO. Also, TOTALLY FALSE.

As much as Ben travels internationally, he should be looking at NH/GHA or Accor. Heck, even Radisson.

The funny thing is that Ben himself doesn't really spend that many nights on the road nowadays!

Travel agents may have been fantastic in 1993, but nowadays they're almost extinct in many parts of the world. While I don't doubt that a good TA can help in some circumstances, I think that overall you're better off looking at Trivago etc and reserving exactly what you need for each trip as opposed to arguing whether the virtuoso late check out is guaranteed or merely subject to availability and/or whether you can use your Accor Gold welcome drink voucher for a double espresso or a glass of vermouth.