Last month Starwood announced enhancements to the SPG program. Additional benefits were added to Platinum members starting with 50+ nights, and new program features for Gold members as well. Starwood also launched a way to earn both lifetime Gold and Platinum status. Both Hyatt and Marriott programs had had the lifetime option already for a while.
Starwood just rolled out a new website function that not only shows the number of nights you have had since joining the program, but also the number of years you have had an elite status with them. It does not, however, show the number of years you have had a Platinum status with Starwood.
Requirements for lifetime SPG Gold status
– 250 qualifying nights
– 5 years of elite status (Gold or Platinum)
Requirements for lifetime SPG Platinum status
– 500 qualifying nights
– 10 years of Platinum status
During my four years as a SPG member, I have earned close to 400 nights. I should be lifetime Gold sometime next year. I will probably have the required 500 nights before the end of this year, but need another 5 years of Platinum status to meet the number of years as a Platinum member requirement.
The number of nights required is on the low side, but the requirement of having had the actual Platinum status for 10 years makes it more difficult. Last year Starwood started to count award nights as qualifying too, so basically all the nights count.
Wow! I would be highly upset if I had stayed all that time and because it was over 90 days, they basically ignored the whole stay. I guess this is where it pays to read all the fine print.