Marriott Gold and Platinum Status Challenge

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This promotion has ended; please review current/active promotions.

Marriott has announced a status match challenge; very similar to the Starwood status challenge from last year. This time around the match requires 8 or 16 stays, which is lower than the 9 or 18 stays needed for the SPG challenge. Unfortunately, there is no link to the offer, and you will have to call up to register.

Key Terms

• There is no webpage for the challenge; you need to call 1 (801) 468-4000 to request the challenge
• Stay 8 qualifying nights in the first 90 days after registering to receive Gold Elite status
• Stay 16 qualifying nights in the first 90 days after registering to receive Platinum Elite status
• You can only take advantage of this promotion once through December 31, 2021
• There is no requirement to have Elite status with another hotel program

Promotion Complexities

The promotion may seem simple enough, but you will soon discover that it isn’t. According to View from the Wing, there are some confusion and quirks you have to take into account to take advantage of this status challenge:

• When you call up you need to speak to someone on the Starwood team; they are better informed about the promotion than the Marriott side of things
• It is unclear whether award nights count; some phone representatives say they do, others say they don’t
• Based on reports, there is some confusion over whether you need to complete your stays in 90 days, or before December 31, 2018

How To Use This Challenge

This status challenge seems to be a case of Caveat Emptor “Buyer Beware.” If you are planning on taking advantage of it, there are some steps you need to take, to make sure things don’t go wrong:

• When you call ask for the details of the person you spoke to, as well as a reference number, possibly record the call if legal
• Ask them to email you the terms and conditions
• Ask them to read out the terms and conditions for you
• If you are planning on using award nights, specifically ask if they count

Our Take

This status match challenge could be quite rewarding if you can take advantage of it. Marriott Platinum has some great perks, including enhanced room upgrades (availability dependent), 4 PM checkout, lounge access, and a choice of points or breakfast as an amenity. If you do decide to go ahead with the challenge, then make sure to carefully document every step, to avoid problems down the line.

Source: View from the Wing

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