Marriott Rewards & Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programs had separate status match & fast track programs that were combined under the Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy members can sign up Gold & Platinum status fast tracks that don’t require the member to be an elite with any hotel loyalty program.
You can access Marriott Bonvoy here.
READ MORE: Marriott Bonvoy Rate & Bonus Points And Miles Promotions
If you don’t have Marriott Bonvoy account yet, you should sign up using the promotion below that allows you to earn a free night award after two stays:
Marriott Bonvoy Sign Up Promo For A Free Night Certificate After Two Stays Within Four Months
The current Gold & Platinum challenge is valid through 2021 or until Marriott Bonvoy decides to modify or withdraw it.
Qualification Period:
- The month you sign up + the following three months.
Qualifying Stays:
- Only paid stays now qualify (awards are not included)
Status During Challenge:
- Applying for the challenge itself doesn’t change the status that you have (Base, Silver or Gold) until you have successfully completed it.
Previous Status Requirement:
- None. You don’t need to have any status with Marriott Bonvoy or any other hotel loyalty program.
Challenges:
- GOLD: You need to complete 8 nights during the qualification period.
- PLATINUM: You need to complete 16 nights during the qualification period.
Requesting Challenge:
- You can request the challenge by contacting Marriott Bonvoy customer care by calling or sending them a message.
Note that you should request the fast track sign up preferably online for you to have a written confirmation of it.
When Status Is Upgraded?
- You can expect to have the new Marriott Bonvoy Gold or Platinum status within 48 hours after your qualifying stays have posted.
How Often Status Fast Track Is Possible?
- Marriott Bonvoy allows members to sign up for Gold or Platinum fast track once every three years whether the previews one was successful or not.
Conclusion
There isn’t much point doing the Gold challenge (this status comes with most Amex Platinum cards) due to lack of benefits such as breakfast, lounge access and space available suite upgrades.
Marriott Rewards allowed members to sometimes qualify for their challenges based on stays but this is no longer available. Your only option now is to qualify based on nights.
Yeah, but these are yawn statuses in terms of any tangible benefits; you can get them with credit cards.
I had a Gold status with SPG which gave me free breakfast or Club access.
I had a Gold status with Marriott which gave me free breakfast or Club access.
So 2 mid-level statuses with both entities with decent benefits … and sure enough, these got combined to … Gold … a status with no breakfast and no Club access.
Sorry, but this sucks.
I know due to the merger they likely have too many elite members, but they’ve taken (Spire Royal Ambassador with IC) who would seek out hotels in both programs wherever there is no IC hotel, and now, meh. Lost room nights. All they needed to do is keep the breakfast benefit. Now you need to commit 50 nights a year, and then you’re still a mid-tier member.
my feelings exactly. Went from Gold to Gold and lost out!
agree but the only reason I stay with Marriott as Platinum is the guarantee 4pm check out for Elite members ( 2pm for gold).. no other hotel offer that GUARANTEE of 4pm!
That is NOT a GUARANTEE! Just like anything else it is based on availability. If the hotel is completely sold out they will not let you keep your room all the way until 4 pm, most likely the latest will be 2 pm. I have this status and usually I can have the room until 4 pm, however, there was one time when the hotel was completely booked and they would only let me keep my room until 2 pm.
#fakenews. For Platinum members it is a GUARANTEE with the exception of resorts and convention centre. Go read the T & C and the Bonvy Elite serviced confirmed in writing. for GOLD it is until 2pm. Maybe you should review the comments on Insiders. the hotel being full is none of my business – it’s a competitive advantage.
There is wiggle room on this because it states that it is guaranteed at all participating properties with the exception of resorts and convention hotels. The wiggle room is “participating properties” leaves this open as a loop hole that a hotel could use to not guarantee the 4 pm check out, if they are fully booked and need your room. As I stated above this happened to me just a couple of years ago where I could not keep the room past 2:00 pm because they were sold out.
However, I have had the 48 hour room guarantee work in my favor before. Needed a room at the last minute, the hotel was sold out on line, but when I called them directly the front desk manager told me they always hold back a couple of rooms for top tier guests.
there is no wiggle room… the hotel being full is not my problem or if they all have PLAT and up elite… Marriott made a GUARANTEE and I expect them to honor it… the exception hotels = resorts, conventions and MVC are all noted. The last hotel that tried that with me about full and made an exception to give me until 4pm, end up costing them 15,000 points to my account for not honoring a guarantee and competitive advantage of Marriott. If you simple accept it, they will use that excuse – not my problem as long as u wear the marriott brand..are you on Insiders? this has been the pain of Elite PLAT & above and the misinformation that hotels make. Now I keep that email from Bonvoy to show them.
I prefer not to make that big of an issue about it. As I stated it only happened to me once. It was at a Ritz Carlton which I stay at several times a year and I don’t want to be known as that customer that made a stink about a late check out. In the grand scheme of things it was not a biggie because I was leaving for the airport at 3:30 so I just had them hold my luggage until I was ready to depart. Now another time where I had an unusual circumstance, I had an international flight departing at 10:45 pm and I was staying at a hotel that was right by the airport. I requested to keep the room until 7:00 pm so my daughter would have time to shower after work before we departed. In this case they did charge me 1/2 night to keep the room until 8:00 pm but I had a good rate to begin with and it was so worth the money to keep the room for the extra time.
SPG Gold never had free breakfast.
Unfortunately, the link to the BonVoy page for members doesn’t mention anything about signing up for the Fast Track promotion. What am I doing wrong?
if u r already Platinum, from doing challenge last year. Can you ask for challenge to Platinum Eliete?
A Lifetime Gold Platinum already decided to jump ship, Im coming now Hilton
It is unfortunate that Marriott seems to keep diluting their paths to achieving status. They don’t seem to make those with lifetime status feel appreciated and the fact that they only offered Lifetime Titanium last year and that was it is almost a dis-incentive. I keep staying at Marriott because of earning points but sometimes it upsets me that I have Lifetime Plat status and would now have Lifetime Titanium status (if that was still an option) yet I never receive any type of incentive or bonus offer. Never get sent a random survey regarding my hotel stay. Almost at 800 lifetime nights with Marriott and nothing.
I was just told by an agent that it is three months from the date you ask, and not the three months plus the month that you ask.
Im thinking of doing this challenge. If i call now (Dec 11th), and have till March 2020 to complete it, will I have Platinum for 2020 and 2021 or does it start from 2019 (the year I requested the challenge) and 2020 only? Can’t seem to find anything about this.
PLATINUM: You need to complete 16 nights during the qualification period.
can i also do 9 stay will work ? or should be 16 night only to got platinum !!