As many of the readers know I am brand loyal and one of those brands happens to be Marriott hotels. Well, last month I hit a milestone that I probably never thought as a young business person I would ever do.
I am now PLATINUM ELITE LIFETIME!
I just got the cards and finally exceeded the milestone which means I have either stayed in a Marriott hotel over 1000 nights or have amassed over 2 million in points.
Thanks Marriott for everything you do, the service you provide, your consistency and for recently purchasing the Gaylord Hotels brand as well – I am excited to stay in those properties this summer!
- Have you reached any lifetime status with airlines, hotels or car rentals?
- Do you try and keep your travel to one brand to maximize the awards?
- What is your favorite perk you get from one of these brands?
I look forward to reading your comments.
Ed Sugar says:
Merrill – Congratulations!
The best I have done with loyalty programs has been getting a free sandwich or haircut.
My question to you is: What did you end up doing with all those 1,000+ bottles of shampoo?
Amy Shields says:
As you know, I am not loyal to many brands…and hardly none as a result of loyalty programs. If I like something, I like it – I’m all about instant gratification…just give me a good deal NOW and don’t make me have to work for or keep track of it. And, because I’m scatterbrained half the time, it’s almost impossible for me to remember to redeem my benefits – whatever they are. The exception to this has been American Airlines. While I still don’t love them (and much prefer Virgin), since moving to Dallas, they offer the most convenient routes, so I have become “loyal”. As much as I hate to admit it, I was very excited when I hit an elite status because the benefits really do make a difference – when I’m traveling and when I’m planning travel. It was actually irritating when I took Kaytie to the airport earlier this week and had to pay the $25 for her checked bag.
Joe Baldi says:
Merrill, Marriott has always been my hotel of choice and am happy to say that I have amassed a lot of points over the years. In addition to 2 all expenses paid trips to Aruba for 3 I still have a lot of points that I plan to use for either a trip to Hawaii or Italy. To share a neat experience, on a business trip stay to Sc johnson, I discovered at 8 o’clock in the morning I forgot to bring dress socks to go along with my spiffy suit. The options at that point since there were no clothing stores in the area, were to wear white socks that I wore out with my sweat suit the day before or be really chic and go socklless neither of which I was going to feel very comfortable with.
I thought , let me give it a shot, I went down to the lobby and mentioned I had a need and it was not a tooth brush , toothpaste or a razor. The man aked me what color socks I needed ? How great was that, when I said I’d prefer brown and he reached under the counter and pulled out a brand new pair
Hooked for life.
Joe
Al says:
Why would socks be under the counter? That was a good break for you but that’s odd.
Joe Baldi says:
Al, I’m not sure why you think it would be odd that a chain as prominent as Marriott would be prepared for emergencies beyond tooth brushes, tooth paste and razors. In any event, they had what I needed and I hope that if you are ever in a similar situation you are as fortunate.
Joe