Marriott recently changed their status match requirements. The old one was based on number of NIGHTS stayed during the match period. Now, the requirement is based on STAYS. Note that one stay can consist of multiple nights and would only count as one stay. This new requirement is easier to those that can switch between Marriott branded hotels and have one night stays.
You can get a temporarily match to Silver, Gold or Platinum status with Marriott rewards, and then you have at minimum three months to complete the requirements of the challenge you requested/were targeted for.
The normal Silver status requirements is 10 nights, Gold status requirement is 50 nights and Platinum status 75 nights within a calendar year.
Hyatt, Hilton, and Club Carlson have similar programs available. You can read about Starwood options here, Hyatt’s procedures here, Hilton options here, and finally Club Carlson one here.
The new Marriott taste of Silver/Gold/Platinum requirements are:
1. Silver 3 stays during three month period + the month when you sign up
2. Gold 6 stays during three month period + the month when you sign up
3. Platinum 9 during three month period + the month when you sign up
Marriott uses somewhat interchangeably words Taste of Silver/Gold/Platinum, status match, and challenge when it comes to accelerating the status with the program.
The key is to start the challenge after the 1st of the month. If you start the taste of challenge on September 1st, you have only September, October, and November to complete it. By starting September 5th you would have not only September, October, and November, but also December to complete it.
Marriott will give you an instant Silver, Gold or Platinum status for the duration of the taste of period and will extend it upon completion of the required number of nights.
If you fail to successfully complete the challenge, you can do it again after 12 months from the ending of the challenge period.
The best time to apply for a challenge would be right at the beginning of the month. Then you would have the temporarily Silver, Gold or Platinum status close to 4 months and, if you successfully completed the challenge, the status would be valid until February 2014.
Then in 2014 you can probably do another Taste of Silver/Gold/Platinum or simply buy back the Gold/Platinum status for additional year. Marriott Rewards has offered every year a chance to buy back the previous status, if you have been downgraded. You can read more about the process on a recent piece that I wrote.
How to request?
You can call your local Marriott Rewards customer service number. I would, however, rather request the challenge by email. This way you have everything in writing and there is no chance of miscommunication or misunderstanding the requirements. Marriott tends to be quite fast at replying to emails. Email addresses that you can use for requesting challenge are rewards.procedures@marriott.com, marriott.concierge@marriott.com, or elite.member@Marriott.com.
What if I am denied the challenge that I requested?
There are few reasons that Marriott tend to give when they are denying the challenge.
1. Account not eligible
2. Not enough commitment to have Marriott stays
3. No forward bookings
All these are rather easy to argue. If you are switching from another chain, it is rather obvious that you don’t have prior stay history with Marriott or have future Marriott bookings. You can always reiterate the number of stays that you have had with competing chains and that it would be difficult to switch to Marriott, if you don’t get the elite status benefits during the “transitioning” period.
You may get different answer depending what email address you use and/or if you call Marriott. If the answer you received is not to your liking, it doesn’t hurt to contact Marriott using other contact channel i.e. phone.
Conclusion
It is normally rather easy to get a status match challenge from Marriott. The number of stays to get Platinum status extended is only 9 during the month you sign up + 3 full months. If you start the challenge at the beginning of the month, you have close to four months to complete it.
Trying to requalify the hard way is somewhat problematic though. Marriott requires 75 nights during a calendar year and only paid nights count. If you don’t requalify and would prefer maintaining the status, you can always use the Buy Back Your Status-offer from Marriott or to do another challenge
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When does the challenge roll over into 2015 (i.e. how long do I have to wait to begin the challenge so that the status is good until February 2015)?
Sorry, I missed your question earlier. It should roll now, but I have to dig what the exact date usually is.
I emailed Marriott to ask for the taste of gold challenge 3 days ago. I am currently Silver, with 5 nights only this year and mentioned my IHG Priority Club Platinum membership, with scanned points report and memebership card attached to the email. I got a reply 24 hours later saying I would be matched to Gold until January 31st 2013 and if I manage to stay 6 times with them until the end of Jan 2013, I would stay gold until Feb.2014.
Sounds a good deal. Already booked 4 stays for next week (1 night each)
It is a good deal. Gold status with Marriott gets you normally lounge access/breakfast, complimentary internet and an upgrade to club floor.
A good thing to remember when requesting one of these challenges is that Marriott Rewards typically reserves them for members who have already been downgraded from a higher status the from the previous year, if they are unable to renew it. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect Marriott Rewards to grant your request just because they did it for your friend or colleague. It is all based on each individual account, and up to the discretion of Marriott Rewards.
They are offered to both new and downgraded members. Of course showing status/activity from competitors helps, but is not always required.
This all seems quite sneaky and asinine. Why don’t you people simply “earn” the Elite status like the rest of us. There’s a novel idea…
Marriott Rewards has made this program (Taste of) available. They must think that it is beneficial for them.
Hi,
Last week, I e-mailed Marriott Elite Helpdesk asking for a ‘Taste of Platinum’ status challenge and the representative replied back saying there was no such promotion for Platinum status but would kindly give out the Gold Challenge to me…I would have argued and tried for Platinum again but was too late at night for that…
Maybe they have changed the rules? I also had a stay booked under my name…(And I did explain if I have this new status, it would help me book more properties)
Anyone have luck with getting Platinum RECENTLY?
Some of the representatives may call it a challenge as well, but most certainly both are valid. Did they give you the Gold status for number of nights I have outlined here?
You may wanna call and plead your case for the Taste of Platinum promo.
Does anyone know if stays booked with a special rate code count toward the “challenge”? I have a special rate code for a wedding party and another for a conference at a different hotel, both are in April, that would give a discounted rate. It would be nice to be able to include these two stays in a possible “challenge”. Any ideas or experiences?
I was thinking of going for the Taste of Platinum and I am wondering:
if you hit the 9 stays and have a few more nights but nowhere near a qualifying number to maintain plat, gold or even silver for that mather.
Do you always soft-land at Gold? Or is it possible you lose status all together?
I didn’t see it in the T&C of the program that you would only lose 1-level (may have missed it but..)
(buy back would be for year after possible soft-landing)
Why wouldn’t you just do it for the PLT? The free cert promo is for 3 certs after 6 stays. Just have 3 more stays and your PLT is valid until February 2014 and then Gold until February 2015.
that was the plan.. did see some opportunities for redemption in Asia and then some stays during MegaBonus Fall (if they repeat them).
The main ‘concern’ was that they would drop me to Silver instead of Gold (again not talking about buy-back)
So thanks 🙂
They will drop you to Gold. If you do the match at the tail end of the Spring MegaBonus, you may end up getting the PLT status for 2014 as well.
I think some of the terms have changed… I just signed up for the Taste of Platinum on 5/11, and it’s only active through 8/11 (three months from the activation date, not three months plus the remainder of the month when activated).
Is that what they told you over the phone or what they emailed you? I spoke with Marriott two months ago and don’t think that there had been any change at the time.
Hi John,
How easy do you think it would be to obtain a taste of platinum challenge as a new member of marriott rewards? I have forward bookings at several marriott places but have only recently joined.
I have platinum status at le club accor but only received it through the instant upgrade link and don’t have much activity on that account. Think I’ll have any luck?
The easiest is if you call the Marriott Rewards customer service in the United States and request them to sign you up for the Taste of Platinum challenge. You can always say that you have status with competing chain, but they don’t usually require any proof of it.
Can you confirm the dates this challenge will give you status until? I understand if I start one now I will have status until Feb 2015. I will have quite a lot of stays in Dec / Jan and I am wondering when this would ‘switch’ to give you status for 2014 AND 2015 – start of year or middle of year? Any idea?!
Have to check, but this is not very important as they have been letting you to do these back to back as long as there have been 12 months between the challenges. You could do it now and then again in 2015.
Awesome…I have some concentrated travel setup for work and stumbled on this article. I requested and was given the ‘Taste of Platinum’ challenge good through February 2014. The rep confirmed for me that a single night counts as a single stay….should be a piece of cake!
That is interesting, as they supposedly retired this offer.
Thanks again, John. Hit the jackpot in points w/ IHG due to your advice and today I called Marriott and got Platinum immediately starting today. It’s good through March 31, 2014. Have two Marriott stays coming this week so it is extremely timely.
I have recently made it through the gold challenge. How long do I have to wait until I can try the platinum since I have a lot of business trips coming up and it will be a breeze doing 9 stays