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Do You Get Elite Choice Benefits By Spending Your Way to Marriott Platinum Status?

Jan. 15, 2019
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4 min read
St. Regis New York Review-57
Do You Get Elite Choice Benefits By Spending Your Way to Marriott Platinum Status?
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"Reader Questions" are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.

Upon reaching 50 elite night credits a year, and again at 75 nights, Marriott Platinum and Platinum Premier elites can select a Choice Benefit. These include 5 elite night credits, 5 suite night awards (SNAs), gifting either Silver or Gold elite status (at 50 and 75 nights, respectively), a UNICEF donation and, at 75 nights only, a free night award certificate. TPG reader Jimmy wants to know if all Platinum elites are allowed to pick a Choice Benefit...

[pullquote source="TPG READER JIMMY"]Do we also get 5 suite night awards after qualifying for Platinum status by spending $75,000 on the SPG Luxury Amex?[/pullquote]

Most Marriott members will be best off selecting the suite night awards as their choice benefit, but unfortunately you will not earn a Choice Benefit if you earn your Platinum status by spending $75,000 a year on the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card. Similarly, if you hold Marriott lifetime Platinum status but don't stay 50 nights in a year, you won't be able to select a Choice Benefit. I personally find this to be more problematic than the lack of choice benefits for those who qualify through credit card spending, as lifetime Platinum elites have proved their commitment to Marriott for a decade or more and shouldn't need to jump through hoops every single year to earn a few suite upgrades.

Now remember even without these 5 confirmable suite night awards, Platinum elites are still entitled to space-available suite upgrades at most brands in the Marriott portfolio (with notable exceptions including Ritz-Carlton and EDITION hotels). Choice Benefits are a great way to reward Platinum elites for requalifying for their status year after year, but they are by no means the most valuable element of elite status. The 50% points bonus, welcome amenity and upgrades at check-in add much more value to the travel experience than 5 confirmable upgrade nights do.

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That being said, this question raises an important point about the value proposition of spending your way to platinum on the SPG Luxury Amex. Ignoring for a moment the massive opportunity cost of spending $75,000 on a single card (which for most of us would mean passing up other welcome offers), you don't even get the full suite of elite benefits this way. Post-merger, Marriott has made it relatively easy to qualify for Platinum status with actual stays. After subtracting the 15 elite night credits you earn from holding any Marriott or SPG credit card, you only need 35 nights in a hotel to earn Platinum status "organically." If you aren't traveling that frequently, you'll have a tough time enjoying the Platinum benefits to their fullest extent, anyway, and you'll be leaving a lot of points on the table to do so.

Bottom Line

Spending your way to Marriott platinum status on the SPG Luxury Amex is not a great value, no matter how you slice it. You won't earn elite night credits toward lifetime status or be able to select a choice benefit, and the opportunity cost of that $75,000 spend is just too high. That being said, even without confirmable suite night awards Marriott, Platinum members should have decent odds of scoring a suite upgrade at check-in, and there are even a few tricks to help increase your odds.

Thanks for the question, Jimmy, and if you're a TPG reader who'd like us to answer a question of your own, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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 $6,000 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.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.