Want Marriott elite status? Here's how 8 TPG staffers are earning it this year

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs, both in its member count and number of participating properties. Numerous travelers strive for Marriott elite status due to its benefits and the convenience of having at least one Marriott Bonvoy property in most destinations.

Many TPG staffers also strive for Marriott elite status, and their pathways range from simply holding a credit card or having lifetime Marriott status to racking up elite night credits, stay by stay. So, here's a look at how eight TPG staffers are earning Marriott status this year, including their progress midway through the year.

Andrea Rotondo

Director of Content Operations Andrea Rotondo is deprioritizing Marriott elite status this year while still ensuring she makes progress toward higher tiers of lifetime Marriott status.

"While I'm keeping my two Marriott credit cards (the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card) to continue building nights toward lifetime status (I'm lifetime Silver Elite now), I'm not putting more effort into Marriott," she told me. "Instead, I plan to requalify for World of Hyatt Globalist and American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum, and I'm doing a United Airlines status match to attain Premier 1K."

Marriott lifetime status has three tiers:

• Lifetime Silver Elite: 250 qualifying nights and five years as Silver Elite or higher
• Lifetime Gold Elite: 400 qualifying nights and seven years as Gold Elite or higher
• Lifetime Platinum Elite: 600 qualifying nights and 10 years as Platinum Elite or higher

So, Andrea plans to maintain Platinum Elite status as a benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex while she continues to accrue qualifying nights and years with Platinum Elite status toward lifetime Gold Elite and then lifetime Platinum Elite status. But her strategy lets her do so regardless of how many nights she stays at Marriott properties each year (although staying at participating brands will help her accrue qualifying nights quicker).

Related: Your guide to Marriott breakfast benefits for Platinum Elite and higher members

Ayana Morali

Director of Video Ayana Morali is striving for Gold Elite status, but she noted that she already has Silver Elite status as a benefit of her Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees).

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Gold Elite status requires 25 qualifying nights per calendar year. Ayana's Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card gives her 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and she hopes nights she'll stay during some video shoots later this year will push her "over the edge on Marriott stays."

Alternatively, if the shoots end up being expensive and she can put the expenses on her Boundless card, she'll earn Gold Elite status if she spends $35,000 on purchases this calendar year. Or, if she only needs a few more elite night credits, she could benefit from earning one elite night credit for every $5,000 spent on the card.

Related: 3 reasons why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is worth the $95 annual fee

Carly Helfand

Director of Points, Miles and Credit Cards Content Carly Helfand enjoys Marriott Platinum Elite status as a benefit of her Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.

But, similar to Andrea, Carly has her eye on lifetime status. Although she's accrued nine of the 10 years as a Platinum Elite member or higher, she's only accrued 480 of the 600 qualifying nights she'll need for lifetime Platinum Elite status. Assuming she accrues around 50 elite night credits per year through her cobranded cards and stays, this still puts her a few years away from lifetime Platinum Elite status.

Carly said she's been staying at Marriott properties less this year. "My travel patterns have changed a lot so far this year, thanks to having a baby last October and joining TPG this January. Given the massive devaluations we've seen in recent years, I'm far less enthusiastic about Marriott Bonvoy than I used to be," she said. "And as someone who also holds the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, I have more Hilton statement credits than ever, which has prompted me to spend more of my nights at Hilton properties."

Related: My top 3 picks for the best cobranded hotel credit card

Clint Henderson

"Marriott remains my 'B team' hotel program," Managing Editor Clint Henderson said. He enjoys automatic Platinum Elite status as a benefit of his Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, so he's "not sweating qualifying organically."

Clint has racked up nine elite qualifying nights so far this year from stays and another 25 qualifying nights as a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex cardmember. He's only 11 nights away from lifetime Gold Elite status, but told me, "I'm not even trying to push for lifetime Gold status this year since I think it will happen naturally in the next year or two."

He's also not striving for any status higher than the Platinum Elite status he gets as a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex cardmember. "I'm not impressed with the stories I hear from folks with higher status," he said. "I don't expect to get upgrades, but it has happened a few times as a Platinum Elite."

Indeed, the difference in published benefits between Platinum Elite and Titanium Elite is minimal. But since Marriott now uses an automatic room upgrade system, Titanium Elite members may see more upgrades than Platinum Elite members.

Related: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex worth the $650 annual fee?

Gene Sloan

Cruise Team Lead Gene Sloan enjoys Marriott Gold Elite status as a perk of The Platinum Card® from American Express. "I don't ever come close to the number of nights to get the next tier," he noted.

This year, he has accrued 28 qualifying nights with Marriott and believes he'll have around 35 qualifying nights by the end of the year. The next status up from Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, requires 50 elite qualifying nights per year, so he'll fall short of earning a higher Marriott elite status tier. (Enrollment is required)

Related: Guide to Marriott and Hilton elite status with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

Katie Genter

As digital nomads who travel full time while living out of hotels and apartment rentals, my husband and I have elite status with most of the major hotel loyalty programs. Within the Marriott Bonvoy program, we both have lifetime Gold Elite status and are a few years away from lifetime Platinum Elite status.

Each year, we strive to accrue at least 50 elite qualifying nights in each of our accounts, which qualifies both of us for Platinum Elite status. By doing so, we should also each accrue enough lifetime elite night credits and years with Platinum Elite status to earn lifetime Platinum Elite status in 2028 (assuming Marriott doesn't change its lifetime elite status program by then).

But, each of the last few years, we've both accrued 75 elite night credits and secured Titanium Elite status. Titanium Elite status doesn't provide many additional perks, but it does give us each United Silver status; this is occasionally useful for the additional saver award space it unlocks. This year, we're on target for my husband to earn Titanium Elite and for me to earn Platinum Elite. But, we also still have a lot of unplanned stays later this year, so it's possible I'll also reach Titanium Elite again.

It would be a lot to get 150 elite qualifying nights per year across our two accounts. However, we each have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, so we both start each year with 30 elite night credits. This means we each only need 20 more elite night credits for Platinum Elite status and 45 more elite night credits for Titanium Elite status. For most couples, 90 elite night credits per year would still be a lot, but it is relatively easy for us, given our digital nomad lifestyle.

Related: How to redeem Marriott points for upgraded rooms

Nick Ewen

Senior Editorial Director Nick Ewen already has lifetime Platinum Elite status, which he says gives him all the perks he wants. However, he told me: "I still try to hit at least 50 elite qualifying nights every year to get an Annual Choice Benefit. And I get a really good head start on this goal, since I have both the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex. I start the year with 40 nights — 25 from the Bonvoy Brilliant and 15 from the Bonvoy Business."

Nick also said: "Funnily enough, I've already hit my goal, as I have 55 qualifying nights for the year. I had a few stays during an earlier promotion that counted as double elite qualifying nights, and I also used a couple of expiring free night certificates at the start (or end) of trips. These stays, coupled with some paid business travel, put me over the 50-night threshold in early May, at which point I chose my five upgrade awards, valid through Dec. 31, 2026."

But, despite already being at 55 elite qualifying nights this year, Nick doesn't plan to strive to gain the additional elite qualifying nights for Titanium Elite status. "I will likely pick up a couple of additional stays when Marriott properties are the best option in a given city, but unless something changes, I don't think I'll go out of my way to close the gap to hit 75 nights and earn Titanium Elite status," he said.

Related: Here's why you need both a personal and business Marriott Bonvoy credit card

Summer Hull

Senior Director of Content Summer Hull has Marriott Platinum Elite status as a benefit of her Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex. Summer is pleased with the return she gets from her Bonvoy Brilliant card and Platinum Elite status, noting that "free brekkie benefits matter with a family." She notes that "Nightly Upgrade Awards also can be nice, though of course not a guarantee."

Summer already has 51 elite qualifying nights this year, but notes that most of these nights came from having a couple of cobranded Marriott cards. However, she's also accrued a few elite qualifying nights from work and personal travel, and she notes that she has a few more Marriott trips this year during which she expects her Platinum Elite status will be useful.

Related: The complete guide to earning Marriott elite status with credit cards

Bottom line

TPG staffers are going for various tiers of Marriott elite status via different methods. So, hopefully, reading these experiences will help you decide whether to pursue Marriott elite status, and if so, how to best achieve your desired tier.

It's certainly appealing to get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status as a cardmember perk. But, especially if you stay with Marriott less frequently, enrolling in Marriott Gold Elite status as a perk of The Platinum Card from American Express or The Business Platinum Card from American Express is also a compelling option.