Free 90 Days Of Marriott Platinum Status, And Reduced Requirements To Keep it

by Gary Leff

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Marriott has a status challenge program where they’ll give anyone with at least mid-tier status in one of the major hotel loyalty programs and just one night of stay credit in the past year up to Platinum status in their program for 90 days, and a quick path to keep that status.

  • Free status lasts for 90 days
  • You can keep matched Gold status through February 2022 with 5 nights in 90 days
  • You can keep matched Platinum status through February 2022 with 15 nights in 90 days (It does not appear that you can match to Platinum and keep just Gold with 5 nights.)

Hilton Golds and above are given a Marriott Platinum challenge. (Gold is more or less a giveaway level, which you get from a credit card)

Hyatt Explorists are given a Marriott Gold challenge, which is rather silly because it’s harder to get than Hilton Gold. Hyatt Globalists are given a Marriott Platinum challenge, which is great if you want to use Marriott as a secondary program for places where there aren’t Hyatts.

Accor Golds are given a Marriott Gold challenge, while Platinum and Diamond members are given a Platinum challenge.

IHG Rewards Club Platinums and Spire Elites are given a Platinum challenge. You get IHG Rewards Club Platinum just by having an IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

Marriott’s own Golds and above need not apply. The 90-day period begins when temporary status is upgraded, which can take a certain indeterminate number of days from making a request. Marriott says the offer won’t last – they have a certain number of registrations in mind for the promotion, but haven’t said how many that is.

When you register you’ll have to show proof of status in a competitor chain and at least one stay in the last 12 months in that program. Status in other programs not listed aren’t eligible.

Anyone with 15 nights to offer within the next 90 days is worth something to a hotel chain right now. Of course many people that would consider switching don’t have the certainty in their travel plans to know. So it’ll be interesting to see how this works out for Marriott, though there’s relatively little cost to doing it – especially while hotels are doing less and less to honor benefits.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Does that mean current Marriott Golds cannot take the Platinum challenge (and taste the benefits for 90 days for free)?

  2. Would an award stay count toward the 5 night requirement? Can I apply as Globalist, book 5 nights in Cabo on points with 5th night free, and then have Platinum all next year?

  3. So whenever the lounges re-open they will be even more crowded with people fighting over powdered eggs and bacon for breakfast. We are getting to the point where automatic platinum lounge access should be eliminated. Give five or six one night’s access certificates instead. There are way too many platinums now.

  4. Any idea what happens if status expires in the middle of a stay? For example, let’s say I check-in for a 10-night stay on day 88 of the challenge and don’t reach the required # of nights. Would I get free breakfast/perks for the entire stay, just two nights, or not at all?

  5. Us former SPG Platinums used to be at the top of the dog pile, now we have been Bonvoyed down to “lower than whale XXXX status. Life used to be good!

  6. This sounds great but there’s no indication (here and on the T&C from what I can see) how long the offer is in effect.

    Strategically, I wouldn’t want to sign up until I am ready for the 90-day period.

    Anyone know the answer?

  7. If Marriott’s won’t give you platinum benefits, status is worthless. I learned that the hard way.

  8. Plat status is pretty much useless the way they have been handing it out. Certainly not something to go out of the way for.

Comments are closed.