Elite frequent guest Marriott Hotels Marriott Rewards (replaced by Marriott Bonvoy)

Marriott Rewards lowers lifetime elite qualification Jan 1, 2013

Marriott Rewards is lowering the qualification requirements for earning lifetime elite membership as of January 1, 2013. This is the second time since 2009 Marriott Rewards has reduced the qualification requirements for lifetime elite. The changes were posted on Marriott Rewards Insiders by MichelleL, a Marriott manager in charge of elite member recognition and social media channels.

Lifetime Milestones as of January 1, 2013

• Platinum Elite: 750 nights + 2 million points (25% fewer nights)

• Gold Elite: 500 nights + 1.6 million points (37.5% fewer nights)

• Silver Elite: 250 nights + 1.2 million points (58% fewer nights)

For more details, visit MarriottRewards.com/Lifetime.

[Loyalty Traveler Note: the MR.com Lifetime link is not yet live.]

The main change is a significant reduction in the number of qualifying nights and the elimination of the 12 years Marriott Rewards membership rule.

What is still unclear is whether all nights earned each year will still count as eligible nights?

Currently, lifetime elite counts all qualified nights count towards lifetime status including credit card nights, rollover nights, and Nights Count Double promotion nights.

There has been no further reduction in the number of Marriott rewards points a member must earn for lifetime elite at the different tiers of platinum, gold and silver. Currently all Marriott Rewards points earned count including hotel stay points, promotion bonuses, credit card points, partner activity points all count.

Earning 2 million points for Marriott Rewards lifetime elite status can be earned for far less than $200,000 in base hotel spend.

Hyatt Lifetime Diamond elite currently requires earning 1,000,000 base points ($200,000 in hotel spend) and 10 years as Hyatt Diamond. 

SPG Lifetime Platinum is achieved with 10 years SPG Platinum elite membership and 500 eligible nights. SPG Lifetime Gold is earned after 5 years elite membership and 250 eligible nights.

Marriott Rewards 2010-2012 Lifetime Elite Status Qualification Criteria:

A. 12 or more years as a Marriott Rewards member and at least one year of earned membership at the corresponding lifetime level.

(20 years as a Gold member, but never having achieved a year as Platinum elite means you can only earn Lifetime Gold, even if the nights and points thresholds for lifetime Platinum are met.)

B.

Lifetime Platinum = 1,000 nights +  2,000,000 points.

Lifetime Gold = 800 nights + 1,600,000 points.

Lifetime Silver = 600 nights + 1,200,000 points. 

All qualified nights count towards lifetime status including credit card nights, rollover nights, and Nights Count Double promotion nights.

Hotel stay points, promotion bonuses, credit card points, partner activity points all count.

Marriott Rewards lifetime status points levels were reduced in January 2010 from 3.0M Platinum, 2.0M Gold and 1.5M points Silver. The 2013 Marriott Rewards lifetime elite requirements maintain the same points requirement of 2.0M Platinum, 1.6M Gold and 1.2 M Silver introduced in 2010.

Related Post: Marriott Rewards Changes Make 2011 Elite and Lifetime Elite Easier(Jan 8, 2010)

Ric Garrido, writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler, shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. You can follow Loyalty Traveler on Twitter and Facebook and RSS feed.

10 Comments

  • Rebecca December 18, 2012

    All the more reason to become hotel loyalty members. There’s too many rewards and opportunities to save to NOT sign up!

  • CU December 18, 2012

    Definitely agree — I’m a very happy Marriott person!

  • KevininRI December 18, 2012

    Is there any way to tell lifetime point totals by looking at your online account? I see total membership nights on my account are over 500, but nothing showing total points earned.

  • Wanderluster December 18, 2012

    @KevininRI – I believe the only way is to call MR and ask them to compute for you. It would be nice if MR made lifetime points totals avaialble online.

  • […] Loyalty Traveller, Marriott is reducing the qualification threshold for lifetime status and will be making it an official part of the programme rather than a secret benefit! […]

  • DB December 19, 2012

    Reducing the thresholds for lifetime status is great and all, but is there any indication that Marriott is just setting us up to also (eventually) just reduce the benefits, too?

  • […] For more details, visit MarriottRewards.com/Lifetime. Loyalty Traveler post December 18, 2012 – Marriott Rewards lowers lifetime elite qualification Jan 1, 2013. […]

  • meliksa carol bryon-seldon March 8, 2013

    Folio # 96339, Rewards #22809665, p o box16201, west palm beach, fl 33416_6201. 305_417_1284

  • Murdo Wallace March 16, 2013

    Being a Marriott Hotels Platinum Elite Lifetime guest is indeed a pleasure in furthering the betterment of loyalty to the wonders of Marriott Hospitality and your magnificent Associates throughout the world.

  • Jerry Uechi March 18, 2013

    Basically, this reduction in nights serves no purpose for me. I have 500 lifetime nights and am still 500,000 points away from lifetime gold status. Your point requirement does not align with your nights requirement. Also, to achieve gold status requires 66% of the same nights as Platinum, but 80% of the points.

Comments are closed.

BoardingArea