I think most people would like to think that their elite status with an airline or hotel group makes them special to that company in some way. After all, the travel brands thank their elite members for being among their best customers, so they’re the ones responsible for the narrative. However, once in a while we get a reality check…
In this post:
When basically everyone is a Marriott Bonvoy elite member
We’ve seen an increasing trend among Marriott Bonvoy properties, whereby they have a sign at the front desk indicating how many elite members are either checking in that day, or are staying at the hotel that night. The sign usually says something along the lines of “we are proud of welcoming our Bonvoy elite members,” and then lists the number of each elite tier that are staying there that night.
On the surface, that might sound like a nice way to make guests feel special. However, in reality I suspect the purpose is the opposite — it’s to remind guests that their status doesn’t make them that special.
In the past, I’ve shared some of the most extreme examples of hotels with inflated elite ranks, and here’s one of the most extreme ones I’ve ever seen. In the Marriott Bonvoy Elites Uncensored Facebook group, one member shares the sign showing the number of elite members at the Sheraton Taoyuan Hotel, in Taiwan. On Saturday, March 21, 2026, those numbers were as follows:
- There were eight Bonvoy Ambassador members checking in
- There were 41 Bonvoy Titanium members checking in
- There were 52 Bonvoy Platinum members checking in
- There were 29 Bonvoy Gold members checking in
Based on those numbers, you might think that this is the world’s biggest hotel, and it must have thousands of rooms. Nope, the hotel has 190 rooms. Just to do the math there:
- Guests in ~64% of rooms have Bonvoy Gold status or higher (130 of 190 rooms), and this doesn’t even include those with Bonvoy Silver status
- Guests in ~53% of rooms have Bonvoy Platinum status or higher (101 of 190 rooms)
Over half of guests having Platinum status or above should give us quite the reality check. For that matter, it’s fascinating how top-heavy elite ranks are, with there being 40% more Titanium members than Gold members. Nowadays the most “exclusive” Bonvoy elite tiers seem to be Ambassador, followed by Gold.
This elite inflation makes it hard to manage expectations
Suffice it to say that this number of elite members makes it really hard for hotels to manage expectations. Years ago when Delta devalued its SkyMiles program (we’re talking like 43 devaluations ago), the program sent members an email stating that “when everyone’s an elite flyer, no one is.”
The same principle applies here. While some elite perks are guaranteed, other perks are subject to availability, and ultimately you’re competing with a lot of other people. As a Platinum member, it’s reasonable to think that you should get a decent room upgrade. However, when over 50% of guests have that status, what can you really expect?
Similarly, how can you offer a decent club lounge experience when so many guests have access to the lounge? Not only does the lounge become a huge cost center, and not only does it cannibalize food & beverage spending, but it’s also hard to satisfy guests when you have so many people to take care of. No wonder so many hotels “temporarily closed” their club lounges during the pandemic, but they never reopened.
As you might expect, many hotel owners are frustrated by having to deliver on elite perks. I think some hotel owners are just greedy and want the upside of being part of Marriott without delivering on what’s promised. But I think any reasonable hotel owner would see the above and think “gosh, that’s a lot of people to give out perks to.”
The issue in part is that Marriott is centrally profiting off of swelling the elite ranks, while putting the onus on hotel owners to provide those perks. Go figure that some hotels then just stop providing some perks, and Marriott doesn’t do much to enforce its policies.
Of course the above is an extreme, and I imagine most hotels don’t have 50%+ of guests with Platinum status. However, it’s not that far off from what might be normal. For that matter, you wouldn’t expect an airport or a business hotel on a Saturday night to be that elite heavy. Instead, you’d expect these numbers at more aspirational properties, in places like Hawaii.
Why have Marriott’s elite ranks become so bloated?
The reality with Marriott Bonvoy is that elite tiers have become incredibly bloated in recent years. There’s not just one thing contributing to that, but rather it’s many things:
- Marriott Bonvoy lifetime Platinum status is really easy to earn, so Marriott has to consistently offer those benefits in perpetuity (or until elite benefits change)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status is incredibly easy to earn with credit cards; there are even credit cards that give you Platinum status just for being a member
- We’ve seen engagement in hotel loyalty programs increase massively outside the United States in recent years, in particular in China and India, which has caused major inflation to elite ranks for properties in India, North Asia, Southeast Asia, etc.
- Unfortunately we’ve seen a lot of fraud and other tricks for earning Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status, and Marriott doesn’t seem to be too concerned about shutting these things down
Now, I think it’s important to recognize that this elite rank inflation isn’t all bad news. In the past, it took a lot of effort to have high tier status with a major hotel loyalty program. Nowadays you can earn it so much more easily.
While I’d argue the value of status has decreased, the ease with which you can earn it has increased. Status does still offer valuable perks, ranging from complimentary breakfast, to guaranteed late check-out (at non-resorts), and more.
You can no longer really think you’re special for having Platinum status, or expect to get suite upgrades with any regularity. But if you’re earning the status quite easily, then you’re probably still better off.
Bottom line
Over the years we’ve seen the number of elite members with the major hotel groups increase greatly. This is due to a combination of factors, from lifetime elite status, to hotel groups increasingly monetizing their loyalty programs.
The thing is, often we’re not aware of just how many people we’re competing with for “space available” perks. Hotels posting signs with the number of elite members is definitely one way to get a reality check…
What do you make of the elite rank inflation we’ve seen at Marriott Bonvoy? And what do you make of hotels posting signs with the number of elite members?
Sorry I took so long to post this but this post is a real nothing burger.
This is 68% occupancy by status holders.
The typical number for Marriott is 62%.
https://blog.savvynomad.io/us-domestic-travel-statistics/
People stay at hotels where they get some sort of benefit for being a frequent customer.
‘Tis amazing how one FB posts triggers all you bloggers into over reaction mode.
Even worse, LL’s headline was - membership info. Was “exposed”!
Horrors.
This member information display isn’t new.
Get a grip, ladies.
Let's get back to basis: hotel elite loyalty benefits should be granted based upon of loyal guests nights spent at hotel, and not based upon credit card or other promotions!
It should be based off raw spend at hotels in the chain group. Tired of BCC consultants who spend half their life at a $50/night courtyard at the top of the totem.
Tech Zaddies with H1B like me who spend $700/night at the St Regis should be at the top.
I’m Bonvoy Silver and recently stayed at a residence inn. The woman at check in went out of her way to thank me for my loyalty. Hard to say if she was being sarcastic…
I wonder how Bonvoy elite numbers via credit cards compare with others like Hilton.
Was a lifetime Starwood platinum member. When Starwood merged with Marriott, there was no doubt in my mind that the elite program would be watered down. Fast forward several years and concerns became true. Wow room upgrades are far and few between. I do appreciate the breakfast amenities if one can possibly keep up with all the rules and all the brands.
Free agency in retirement is the way to go. We used up my wife’s LP points over the last two years at outstanding Central American resorts (including upgrades and resort breakfasts). Our future booked and contemplated travel is a nice array of properties that make Marriott / Bonvoy look like EconoLodge.
How many are Genuine? China/Taiwan have the Highest number of Fake Status Holders or statuses that were obtained by Frauds. Just ask Hyatt!
When anyone gets Platinum with a Bonvoy Brilliant and Gold with tons of other cards and well on the way to Titanium and Ambassador why is it that wild so many could be "genuine"?
Well I can't imagine there's massive numbers of US credit card holders visiting Taiwan, so it does seem more likely in this example a lot are fake status.
Bonvoy seems to be reacting already to this situation. Over the last few years they had a very generous promotion at the beginning of the year: from mid-February to mid-April you were getting extra points for each stay and a bonus extra night for each night spent in a Bonvoy hotel during this period. This was making significantly easier to reach the number of eligible nights necessary to achieve the various elite levels.
This year...
Bonvoy seems to be reacting already to this situation. Over the last few years they had a very generous promotion at the beginning of the year: from mid-February to mid-April you were getting extra points for each stay and a bonus extra night for each night spent in a Bonvoy hotel during this period. This was making significantly easier to reach the number of eligible nights necessary to achieve the various elite levels.
This year the corresponding promotion is much less generous. You get some extra points, but you get a bonus extra night only for each different brand you stay in. Seven nights in the same hotel gives you an extra bonus night instead of seven as it did in the past.
I don’t think they are the problem you are thinking they are, rather those are dedicated members who earn with stays. The problem is the credit cards and Chinese status match promos
Back when I consulted for one of the more popular programs we would call it the elite status illusion.Perception you were special is all it took.Anyone remember the club floor it had rooms exactly or typically the same on the 3rd floor however now your special with a complimentary bottle of crystal Geyser water on the desk and higher floor.Premium!
Marriott is now run by a bunch of penny pinching greedy whores.Prostituting Platiunum status by...
Back when I consulted for one of the more popular programs we would call it the elite status illusion.Perception you were special is all it took.Anyone remember the club floor it had rooms exactly or typically the same on the 3rd floor however now your special with a complimentary bottle of crystal Geyser water on the desk and higher floor.Premium!
Marriott is now run by a bunch of penny pinching greedy whores.Prostituting Platiunum status by credit card did guests no favors but they have the largest program in hotel loyalty in the world with over 237 million members.So more heads in beds,high pricing and subpar recognition for the masses are the name of the game.Hilton followed their lead.
Marriott knows they are shooting at fish in a barrel as there are limited options controlling the market with some of the more popular brands.They to some degree abuse the customer and yet the addicted loyalists will still return to get their status and chase empty dreams.Its brilliant really.Years ago in the retail business management had a thought the worse you treated a customer the more loyal they would become as they thought they must be getting a great value/ deal.There is some truth to that sadly & surprisingly.Perhaps like being in an abusive relationship yet you don’t leave lol
Yeah, a different floor or view has never been an upgrade to me. If it isn't a suite upgrade, it isn't an upgrade.
No shock here, yet you keep telling people that Marriott status is worth obtaining through credit card links. Why?
A single anecdote without any context doesn't say much of anything about a global loyalty program. Was there a convention or other large event in town? Was management even being honest? Considering that only about 15% of travelers are business travelers, with the rest of the population not traveling nearly as often, it seems rather unlikely that over half of a giant chain's customers have status.
Whoops. Didn't mean for that to be a reply.
@TranceXplant
Keep in mind that Americans have access to platinum through credit cards- and people in China have access to elite status through different means too.
When it comes to the people who actually stay at hotels- I think any decent hotel would have around half of all guests being platinum or higher.
The points multipliers and breakfast benefits are not worthless. Add in a free night cert or two and there is value.
The fallacy is to think that being an 'Elite' member makes you a VIP.
I don't understand why people participate in programs that give status away to anyone with a credit card? What's the point? When everyone's elite, no one is, I might as well go independent and save money.
No surprises there. It’s not just current, it’s lifetime status: https://www.expatvista.com/p/lifetime-platinum-is-about-to-be-everywhere
Get rid of the joke credit card platinums whose loyalty is 10 nights a year.
Either credit a new level for these clowns between gold and platinum, or just downgrade them to gold for the 25 ENCs they are given.
These are the people who think they are special because of the card,
That 64% figure assumes the hotel was fully booked which likely wasn't. So could be upwards of 80 to 90% of occupied rooms taken by members with status!
While there was more Titanium elites that night compared to Golds, that is not proof that Gold is a more exclusive tier. Without credit cards, Titanium status requires 3x as many nights compared to Gold. So even if Marriott had twice as many Gold members as Titanium, a hotel will probably see more Titanium elites because they stay 3x more. If you add in complimentary status from credit cards, the elite night credits the cards...
While there was more Titanium elites that night compared to Golds, that is not proof that Gold is a more exclusive tier. Without credit cards, Titanium status requires 3x as many nights compared to Gold. So even if Marriott had twice as many Gold members as Titanium, a hotel will probably see more Titanium elites because they stay 3x more. If you add in complimentary status from credit cards, the elite night credits the cards provide, etc, there will be an even greater difference.
Also, this hotel is going to be unique. It is located further west of the airport, going away from Taipei, does not have a shuttle and is not well connected to the airport by public transit. The Hyatt Regency Taoyuan is closer to the airport, has a complimentary shuttle and is well connected to public transit. The only reason to stay at this Sheraton is if you are a die-hard Bonvoy fan and/or it is dirt cheap.
Longtime ambassador here. The only time I get special treatment is from people at the actual hotels I use all the time. Suite upgrades are worthless and points are devalued by the week.
But I have a great new perk I’d love. Titaniums and above get access to a booking website that actually works routinely. Would be amazing!
Lifetime Platinum here (former ambassador, but it just wasn't worth the spend). We've adopted a new attitude when we stay at a Marriott. Especially domestic in the US. Expect less. It tempers the check in experience and when something special does happen - it's a real surprise.
So why do you continue to stay at Marriott? Why not stay somewhere else so you don’t have to temper expectations? Genuinely curious.
I’m a titanium. I’ve generally gotten my late checkout and sometimes early check-in at the properties I stay. I value the breakfast + points benefit. Sometimes I get an additional gift as a Titanium that I never got when I fell to Platinum 1 year.
Marriott some times has the best property at a location and we stay there. It's the Marriott Bonvoy program, and specifically the honoring of elite benefits that has been underwhelming. We've just learned to expect less.
I don't doubt this is true, but I can't think of any of my work colleagues (at a consulting firm where we travel just a few times per year), college friends, or family that are platinum or above. Perhaps they all don't know how to play the CC game.
I’m still annoyed that Marriott allowed LT titanium as a one time deal. I had enough nights, but not the number of years (in my early 30’s at that point). Im sure I’m not the only one either.
That would have at least provided some differentiation from platinum.
I’m a LTT. For all intents and purposes there is no difference. Other than the extra point or whatever per dollar.
Well, it makes perfect sense and there is a huge element of self-selection at play. Most people staying at a Marriott are doing so because of status / points. If you weren’t on the hamster wheel, you’d realise that there are so many better options out there and would very likely stay somewhere else. Not surprised by these statistics at all.
Nobody seems to mention that Marriot is ok with so many elite members. These members keep coming back and paying Marriott prices for lackluster hotels.
i simply cannot fathom why we treat these signs as truthful, rather than marriott property owners griping and making things up to use as excuses for failing to meet the program requirements
The question remains whether you would choose to pay more to stay in a base room there instead of a suite at the Monarch Plaza.
No surprise here. All loyalty programs are bloated…no surprise if airline and hotel status is. Tied to a credit card or how much you spend on it. You no longer have to stay there to be Hilton Diamond or fly to be Delta Diamond. Despite my top tier status in several programs I now frequently shy away from hotels full of “fake” diamonds. Waldorf in London recently told they had the hotel filled almost entirely with HH Diamonds. Good luck getting any benefits
There’s some context missing: the Sheraton Taoyuan is located in the Dayuan Industrial Zone near the airport. Normal business or leisure travellers to Taoyuan would elect to stay in Qingpu (near the HSR Station), Zhongli, Taoyuan City, Guishan/Linkou, or half a dozen other more convenient locations.
Guests staying here are likely those who are visiting factories, catching / arriving on international flights, or pursuing status above all else (this being the only Marriott property...
There’s some context missing: the Sheraton Taoyuan is located in the Dayuan Industrial Zone near the airport. Normal business or leisure travellers to Taoyuan would elect to stay in Qingpu (near the HSR Station), Zhongli, Taoyuan City, Guishan/Linkou, or half a dozen other more convenient locations.
Guests staying here are likely those who are visiting factories, catching / arriving on international flights, or pursuing status above all else (this being the only Marriott property in Taoyuan, if you don’t count the Four Points Linkou just across the border in New Taipei).
I suspect what we’re seeing is that last demography self-selecting to stay here…
I receive free breakfast/lounge access if available, 4pm checkout, and free WiFi. I book the room I want and if they give me an upgrade it's a nice surprise. If Marriott continues to deliver on those benefits, should I care about how many elites there are? (I think the example suffers from sample bias.)
Exactly.
This is the primary reason double nights promo didn’t come back this year. They overdid it.
platinum is easy to get.... well that might be the case in US and China were you get it for "free" with your credit card. In europe it's just old skool so you do have to do the stays and use promotions like double nights to get there. 2026 promo is downgraded to 1 night PER BRAND only for an reason. This will make my life more difficult though. On the flip side I see...
platinum is easy to get.... well that might be the case in US and China were you get it for "free" with your credit card. In europe it's just old skool so you do have to do the stays and use promotions like double nights to get there. 2026 promo is downgraded to 1 night PER BRAND only for an reason. This will make my life more difficult though. On the flip side I see mostly good threatment when they see your based in europe. I say mostly because I also see an increse in hotels who follow the letter or try to get away with not offer the elite benefits at all.
Same for India, I don’t know why it was mentioned in the article. Yes a lot of property developments are targeted there but there is no fast route to any meaningful status there. There is silver with a Diners cobranded card and Gold with Amex Plat, nothing else. It is almost the same as Europe. The country is still entirely occupied by leisure travellers from third party sites
Absolutely, and in Europe it is not that Credit Cards offer different perks instead. They don't offer any.
Samples of size one are the lowest form of conservation. And while your clickbait got me, fortunately you are not gonna make any money off me as I run both UBlock Origin as well as NoScript
Well, I guess we should all go out and buy UBlock Origin and NoScript.
The story doesn't match what the picture shows. The picture shows how many people at each level are staying at the hotel, but the story calls this the number 'checking in'. And the picture shows the number of elite status members but not the total number of guests at the hotel, it is not showing that 64% of guests have gold status or higher but that out of elite members: 64% have gold status or higher. That is not the same as 64% of total guests.
Enjoyed your post.
Taiwan is a business AND leisure market so elite numbers on a Fri - biz checking out and tourists checking in - would likely be inflated versus any other day of the week.
It was mentioned the hotel has 190 rooms. So the math is correct.
In 2017, the JW Marriott Essex House in New York City was averaging 70 platinums per night. That was before Bonvoy, when platinum was the highest published tier in the former Marriott Rewards program.
While platinum is easy to get, I am surprised by the ambassador number. Especially in Asia, where rates are lower on average than the USA. It's hard to spend US$23,000+ in Asia on hotels unless you are exclusively staying in Hong Kong and Singapore and Tokyo.
I struggle to see why anyone would strive for elite status in any hotel chain. If you want mediocrity then you can have it for much cheaper elsewhere and if you want something actually good you are not going to find it in a points chain.
Unless you live in the us you aren’t going to get hotel points through a a credit card; and even if you do there’s better places to put...
I struggle to see why anyone would strive for elite status in any hotel chain. If you want mediocrity then you can have it for much cheaper elsewhere and if you want something actually good you are not going to find it in a points chain.
Unless you live in the us you aren’t going to get hotel points through a a credit card; and even if you do there’s better places to put your spend.
Overpaying for free breakfast and some dried out canapés in the lounge always seems like a poor deal.
100%.
I am scratching my head at this one too.
But remember most hotel status holders are OPM. If you are unfortunate enough in life to stay 100+ nights in a hotel for work, you may as well get status to make this lifestyle less miserable, especially if its US hotels
If you stay 100+ vacation nights, then yeah you dont really care about status or chain hotels because you know there is better out there.
This is fascinating because I've seen the exact opposite. I mostly stay at Marriott properties in Southern Africa (mostly Protea Hotels) and over the last few years since Bonvoy stopped giving any elite credits on 1 night stays at Protea, the number of elites cratered massively. It reached the stage where my wife who is Silver was getting room upgrades as the only Bonvoy Elite on property (if the checkin signs are to be believed)....
This is fascinating because I've seen the exact opposite. I mostly stay at Marriott properties in Southern Africa (mostly Protea Hotels) and over the last few years since Bonvoy stopped giving any elite credits on 1 night stays at Protea, the number of elites cratered massively. It reached the stage where my wife who is Silver was getting room upgrades as the only Bonvoy Elite on property (if the checkin signs are to be believed). Then again, this was inevitable when those staying 50+ nights on single night stays wind up with no status.
That's why people these days fall for fake news and propaganda.
Who is auditing these numbers.
Since when should you trust these numbers.
The best way to deny any elite benefits, lie. The best way to convince customers you're not lying, fluff something to support your lie. (the official look a like sign)
Most people who believed Tim already proved my point.
Post Covid, most US lounges are disappointing...
There are lounges left in the US?
Who knew
Likely crappy ones
Should we not also be mentioning that this is a hotel/destination/location highly likely to be frequented by US visitors? Which in turn impacts the statistics? Look at other hotels in destinations where there are fewer US visitors and you’ll find a different story.
Pls read my comment re pricing- it doesn't matter where these people are from, they look like a self-selecting group that only patronises the hotel because of its loyalty programme affiliation.
Going forward my philosophy for all status is to make zero effort or sacrifice for it. I will get cards for SUBs only, and if it has status too then so be it. When I stay, I will expect only what is explicitly promised, free breakfast, late checkout, etc, and no more. Anything at hotel discretion I will assume won't happen. No expectations means no disappointment. Mattress running, MSing for elite nights, choosing hotels based...
Going forward my philosophy for all status is to make zero effort or sacrifice for it. I will get cards for SUBs only, and if it has status too then so be it. When I stay, I will expect only what is explicitly promised, free breakfast, late checkout, etc, and no more. Anything at hotel discretion I will assume won't happen. No expectations means no disappointment. Mattress running, MSing for elite nights, choosing hotels based only on affiliation...no more. This is how they want to play it so ok.
Also, your percentages assume the hotel was full. If it wasn't, the percentages are even more egregious.
It makes perfect sense that members with high status would be overrepresented in any given hotel. They are the members who spend the most nights in hotel rooms.
Excellent point.
Hotels strive to get repeat customers.
With the possible exception of Globalist, all hotel status is mostly worthless. Much better benefits with Amex FHR/Hotel Collection, Chase Edit, etc. Or book through Ford / Virtuoso / etc. Or, my favorite, book through AA Hotels for great mileage/LP offers. Enjoy free agency, folks.
My GHA status has been amazing over the years, and even the very pedestrian ALL Gold almost always results in an upgrade
Moreover, I view the involvement of intermediaries such as Virtuoso as an avoidable risk. The 2-3 times I've had serious complaints about a stay, an email to hotel management was sufficient for them to investigate and they were more or less able to resolve the issues.
Well for the first time in several years, Bonvoy is no longer doing the 2x elite qualifying nights promo this spring. Maybe that will do something with elite ranks next year?
@DWT
It certainly will affect me. I used to gain platinum because several business trips fell during the promo period. Now that the double nights promo is no more, I believe I will only reach silver. And I am not bothered. When I am paying cash out of my pocket, Marriott properties are usually the last brand that I consider.
What I find bizarre, are the number of people on other blogs who are...
@DWT
It certainly will affect me. I used to gain platinum because several business trips fell during the promo period. Now that the double nights promo is no more, I believe I will only reach silver. And I am not bothered. When I am paying cash out of my pocket, Marriott properties are usually the last brand that I consider.
What I find bizarre, are the number of people on other blogs who are stating they are planning to and are doing the 1 night hops from brand to brand for some points. Some people are on vacation and changing hotels every night. I don't understand this addiction... IMO stupidity.
All the more reason I've considered leaving Bonvoy.
On paid stays, bonvoy ain't bad. But for redemptions I get more bang from ihg and hyatt. I use marriott points for low valu stays (road trips, one nite airport) and points topoffs to airlines. I find valu in the latter use.
I don't see why you'd be surprised by the concentration of elites in that specific hotel.
On a random Saturday in May, the Sheraton charges 6687 TWD for its most basic room @32 sq. metres. The nearby five-star Monarch Plaza charges less than 5.5k for the most expensive room, an executive suite @46 sq.m. It's unlikely that anyone would choose the Sheraton in those circumstances unless it's for a Bonvoy-related reason: earning points on employer...
I don't see why you'd be surprised by the concentration of elites in that specific hotel.
On a random Saturday in May, the Sheraton charges 6687 TWD for its most basic room @32 sq. metres. The nearby five-star Monarch Plaza charges less than 5.5k for the most expensive room, an executive suite @46 sq.m. It's unlikely that anyone would choose the Sheraton in those circumstances unless it's for a Bonvoy-related reason: earning points on employer spending, needing to top up nights for elite qualification, a misguided hope of getting an upgrade to a theoretically super expensive room etc.
But its not a chain hotel ;)
I actually prefer this setup. Let people stay in faux luxury like hyatt or Marriott, and leave the better non chain hotels to the rest of us.
Same reason people wait in those ridiculously long lines to get into a lounge. They feel special having access. It's just another way to pry more $$ from people for some imagined "elite" benefits.