Gold Status

[slomac]

We are 7 nights away from 50 which would give us gold status for next year. Are the 7 nights needed by the end of the calendar year? Is it really worth it?

I seem to remember last year we were short and they gave it to us anyway. I am not even sure I have gotten any perks from gold status but maybe I am wrong. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Dave M]

Yes. From the Marriott Rewaards T&C:

To achieve or renew Elite status, the following number of personal nights must be stayed between January 1 through December 31 of any given year at participating locations:

Silver 10 to 49 nights
Gold 50 to 74 nights
Platinum 75 or more nights

Is it worth it? Not worth paying for an additional 7 nights just to get it.

You can read about the additional benefits (See "Platinum and Gold Membership" under the "Elite Member Benefits topic heading) at this link. For me, the best benefit is getting room upgrades, although you often have to ask and often won't get one. Also, if you are Gold, your elite points bonus for charges at a hotel will go up to 25%.

 

[dioxide45]

We are 7 nights away from 50 which would give us gold status for next year. Are the 7 nights needed by the end of the calendar year? Is it really worth it?

I seem to remember last year we were short and they gave it to us anyway. I am not even sure I have gotten any perks from gold status but maybe I am wrong. Any input would be appreciated.

If you get the 50 nights within a rolling year, they will usually give you the status through the remainder of the year but you do need the nights by the end of the year to renew. They may have given you the gold based on the rolling year and are now needing the 7 nights to maintain it.
I suggest booking a cheap II getaway in a Marriott studio where you can checkin. If you add the reservation to your MR account you should get the nights. Though there is no guaranty.

 

[susanmmm]

If you get the 50 nights within a rolling year, they will usually give you the status through the remainder of the year but you do need the nights by the end of the year to renew. They may have given you the gold based on the rolling year and are now needing the 7 nights to maintain it.
I suggest booking a cheap II getaway in a Marriott studio where you can checkin. If you add the reservation to your MR account you should get the nights. Though there is no guaranty.

How do you add the reservation to your MR account when you book your getaway through II? I recently used a getaway to Vegas, and used my MR card for booking it and for additional charges. The stay isn't recorded in my MR account activity. I would love to get it credited to my account. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Susan

 

[Dave M]

The easiest way to add it is to have the check-in clerk insert your MR # into your record when you check in.
Also, if your Getaway reservation incloudes a Marriott reservation number, you can go to Marriott.com, log in and click on the "Upcoming Reservations" tab near the upper left of the page. Enter the reservation # and your last name and the reservation should show up. Then you can enter your MR #.

 

[dioxide45]

The easiest way to add it is to have the check-in clerk insert your MR # into your record when you check in.
Also, if your Getaway reservation incloudes a Marriott reservation number, you can go to Marriott.com, log in and click on the "Upcoming Reservations" tab near the upper left of the page. Enter the reservation # and your last name and the reservation should show up. Then you can enter your MR #.

Once you look up the reservation, there is a link to add your Marriott Rewards Number to the reservation. Then the reservation will also show up in your upcoming stays at Marriott.com.

 

[pharmgirl]

Does staying as owner for your week get nights credited to your MR account? trying for next level

I know you get points for spending and charging to account but need the nights for gold, etc

 

[Zac495]

What about AC's? They're paid for, though not expensive.

 

[Dave M]

Yes, effective as of this past June, staying in your own week qualifies you for elite nights credit. Staying in a Getaway week, like an exchanged week, doesn't qualify, presumably because it's a week for which no part of what you paid (Getaway fee or exchange fee) goes to Marriott.

Marriott does make mistakes though, so make sure you enter your Marriott Rewards # for an exchange or Getaway stay. You might get lucky.

 

[javabean]

Reaching Gold

We are currently ONE night away from obtaining gold status.
The MR representative I spoke to said that we do not have to have the remaining night posted by December 31st. As mentioned previously, it can be a "rolling" year. Our first night was January 11th, 2008 which was a Custom House AC. If we get our final night before that January 11th date we're in. If we miss it then that night falls off the books and we have to get the final night in by our next recorded stay. So it is necessary to have 50 stays within a 365 day yearly cycle. That is what we are working for. Sure hope the information was right.
Good luck.

 

[Dave M]

Sure hope the information was right.

It's accurate for obtaining Gold staus. Renewing that status requires reaching the milestone during a single calendar year.

 

[dioxide45]

We are currently ONE night away from obtaining gold status.
The MR representative I spoke to said that we do not have to have the remaining night posted by December 31st. As mentioned previously, it can be a "rolling" year. Our first night was January 11th, 2008 which was a Custom House AC. If we get our final night before that January 11th date we're in. If we miss it then that night falls off the books and we have to get the final night in by our next recorded stay. So it is necessary to have 50 stays within a 365 day yearly cycle. That is what we are working for. Sure hope the information was right.
Good luck.

Actually you would have to have the one night plus the number of nights you spent at Custom House in order to get the 50 in a rolling year.

So if you miss the one night prior to January 11th 2009, and you spent 3 nights last year at Custom house and your next stay was February 10th 2008, you would need four nights before February 10th 2009

 

[jerseyfinn]

Java, you're on the right track. We just had a similar situation ( going for Platinum in our case ). I kept scanning dates and rates at various Marriott chain properties near us. Finally find a $71 /nt rate at a Courtyard and we recently log the night and only had to journey 4 or 5 miles to do so. Definitely worth getting Gold if you're going to venture to a Marriott or a Renaissance hotel next year and you can snag the concierge lounge. We just did a London theater run ( stayed at Marble Arch ). Our gold status got us concierge lounge access, a room UG, and free breakfast in the restaurant ( usual price = $29 per person ). A nice saving for our 4 night stay.

Barry

 

[slomac]

We booked a 7 night getaway to Las Vegas for $299 and got the 7 nights to obtain gold status. Thanks for the info.

 

[jancurious]

I'm really confused what happened with our account. At mid December we had 43 nights with Elite status. We had an owner week at NCV from December 26 to January 2nd. It now shows we have 49 nights (6 more?) and Gold status.

Will the gold status be good throughout 2009? Or do I need one more night (which they really should have credited me) by a certain date?

Jan

 

[Dave M]

"It depends."

If you are moving up from Silver to Gold, you can get the 50 nights on a rolling 12 months, so you qualified for 2009 Gold status. However, if you already had Gold status and were hoping to requalify for 2009, you are technically one day short of the required 50 nights in calendar 2008, since the last day of your stay was in 2009.

Based on what I have seen, it does seem that Marriott is granting Gold status to a number of people that didn't earn it in 2008. So, it's likely that you now have Gold status for all of 2009.

 

[dioxide45]

"It depends."

If you are moving up from Silver to Gold, you can get the 50 nights on a rolling 12 months, so you qualified for 2009 Gold status. However, if you already had Gold status and were hoping to requalify for 2009, you are technically one day short of the required 50 nights in calendar 2008, since the last day of your stay was in 2009.

Based on what I have seen, it does seem that Marriott is granting Gold status to a number of people that didn't earn it in 2008. So, it's likely that you now have Gold status for all of 2009.

We were given gold status in 2008 without earning it. We received a letter from Marriott telling us about the upgrade to Gold. Our new card showed an expiration of 2010, but online it showed that we needed X nights to renew. Since we ended up with more than 50 nights we were able to earn gold so I don't know if our status would have expired or not at the begining of 2009.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Interesting Question....

Dave: If one owns a two bedroom lockoff, spends the $75 to split it for a specific week, and then occupies both the master and the guest suite with two separate reservations for that said week (not two different weeks) then will one earn 14 nights toward their Gold or Platinum status?

 

[Dave M]

Based on my own experience this past year, I think the answer is "yes", although I don't think we should talk much about it....