Earning Hotel Lifetime Elite Status - Marriott, Starwood and Hyatt
Marriott recently announced some new changes to their lifetime elite status program on the Marriott Rewards Insider blog, including reduced night requirements for all three levels and signalling a new era in which they'll be promoting these benefits rather than leaving them largely unpublished.
MARRIOTT
The new requirements for earning Lifetime Status with Marriott are as follows:
Lifetime Silver:
- 250 nights at Marriott properties (previously 600 nights)
- 1,200,000 Marriott Rewards points earned
Lifetime Gold:
- 500 nights at Marriott properties (previously 800 nights)
- 1,600,000 Marriott Rewards points earned
Lifetime Platinum:
- 750 nights at Marriott properties (previously 1,100 nights)
- 2,000,000 Marriott Rewards points earned
Marriott also used to require that you have elite status for at least 12 years in order to earn lifetime status, no matter how many nights or points you had racked up, but that requirement is gone too.
At a time when many programs are making it harder and harder to earn and maintain elite status, it's encouraging to see Marriott relaxing some of their requirements and bringing more loyal customers into the fray.
STARWOOD
Lifetime elite status is a little-discussed facet of the hotel loyalty program world, but Marriott isn't the only brand that offers it. Among the other enhancements to Starwood elite status this year, Starwood also introduced lifetime elite status, and because of all my travel, I'm already a lifetime gold.
Here are the requirements of lifetime status with Starwood:
Lifetime Gold: 250 eligible nights and 5 years of SPG elite status.
Lifetime Platinum: 500 eligible nights and 10 years of Platinum status.
Hyatt Lifetime Diamond Status
The information for Hyatt's Lifetime Diamond Status isn't published on their website, however word in loyalty circles is that you must have earned 1,000,000 base points and have a Gold Passport account for 10 years. To find out how many base points you've earned you must call Hyatt to find out as the website only shows Lifetime points which include elite bonuses, credit card points, etc., which don't count as base points. Just note, a major negative aspect of this is that if you credit your stays to airlines instead of Hyatt, you wouldn't be earning Hyatt base points so those stays wouldn't count. Hyatt Gold Passport members earn 5 base points per dollar, so in order to earn 1,000,000 base points you would have to have spent $200,000. You should get lifetime status with an outlay like that!
[card card-name='Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express' card-id='22034416' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.