When the Marriott & SPG programs become unified on August 18th, members will be able to select a ‘choice benefit’ when they reach 50 nights and then again at 75 nights. Previously we’ve known that you’d get to choose between 5 suite night awards and a gift, but we didn’t know what that gift would be. Frequent Miler is reporting that the choices will be as follows:
- 50 nights:
- 5 Elite Night Credits
- 5 Suite Night Awards
- Gift Silver Elite Status
- $100 Gift to UNICEF
- 40% off “the Marriott/SPG/RCR bed”
- 75 nights:
- 5 Elite Night Credits
- 5 Suite Night Awards
- Gift Gold Elite Status
- $100 Gift to UNICEF
- 40% off “the Marriott/SPG/RCR bed”
- 1 Free Night Award
The free night award is restricted to properties that cost 40,000 points or unless unfortunately. I imagine most people will choose between the elite night credits, awards, free night and possibly UNICEF donation. If you hit the requirements, what will you choose?
I might be in the minority here but that doesn’t seem like a lot considering a person spent almost 2 months in a Marriott to get this…
Marriott gave no options for a choice benefit prior to this, so these are already more than they had in the past. Add that to the existing Platinum arrival gifts, lounge / breakfast access, United Silver status, and there’s a fair number of benefits for getting up to 75 nights. Just my opinion at least…
Category 5 hotels at peak or 6 at off-peak encompasses a ton of properties, so I won’t be upset with this. Don’t look a gift-horse in the mouth!
If these 5 Elite Nights count towards lifetime status, or if someone wants to try and reach the next tier, then it may be beneficial. Otherwise, this “benefit” has lost a little value since they are discontinuing the elite rollover nights. In my situation, the choice seems pretty clear — 5 Suite Nights Awards for 50, and 1 Free Night Award for 75.
Have always been Marriott- if we have 65 nights already, will we get the choice on the merger date?
just checking: these are only available after you actually reach 50/75 nights, right? that is, those who had the old Marriott Platinum through status challenge and who will be converted to the new Marriott Platinum Premier won’t be eligible?
From the wording that I remember, you need to hit the 50 and 75 night mark in order to activate the choice benefits – if you are at the status level due to lifetime status, credit card matching, or a soft landing, you don’t receive them. I’m 99% sure of this, but don’t have a link or anything.
Correct.
Likely taking the 5 suite night awards
I’ll take the 5 suite night awards for my account at 50, and then probably the free night at 75. My wife is the trickier one as the 5 night credits, if valid for the current year (2019 status), may make her hit 75 without an extra meeting. If it’s for 2019 into 2020 status year, it wouldn’t help, so she would do the same as me, 5 suite night awards, and then hope to get to 75 through an extra meeting or stays and get the free night award.
Free night has the highest cash value. I wonder how easy will it to redeem the suite awards. Probably lots of destinations will block you from using it, very likely Hawaii.
It’s capped at 40,000 points so I doubt they will also property restrict it.
the free night I get. I was talking about the suite award that is going to be questionable.
My bad, sorry!
40% off “the Marriott/SPG/RCR bed” seems like a decent possibility if you can combine with a Citi 4NF?
It’s for an actual bed. Like a physical bed if you want to sleep in the same bed model bed you sleep in at their hotels.
What should be the resale value of an unused, unpacked bed?
Before you sell it, make sure to create a business and get a card for the business though!
Edit to add: Obviously buying the bed with the business card.
Probably not close to the 60% of the inflated retail price you’d pay to get and then ship the bed.
>The free night award is restricted to properties that cost 40,000 points or unless unfortunately.
Typo, you mean 40000 points or fewer 😛