Back on June 15th, Marriott announced that they would be taking steps to re-engage with their top tier members and incentivize them to stay at Marriott hotels again.
For those that didn’t read the article, I’ll give a brief synopsis. If you were a status member for 2020, you would receive half of your Elite Night Credits (ENCs) to help you “qualify” for status for the 2021 year. This was a bit of a moot point because if you have earned your status for 2020, it was automatically extended for the 2021 status year, however, this promotion gave you a way to re-earn additional benefits such as Suite Night Awards (SNAs) and a free hotel night (up to 40,000 points) if you made it to Titanium.
Below is a chart of how many ENCs you would receive if you made status for the 2020 Status Year:
Nights Have Been Credited
Over the weekend, my Elite Night Credits landed in my account and bumped me up to 61 nights. That was comprised of 23 nights of stays in 2020 and Marriott’s promised ENCs of 38 nights.
At 50 nights, you cross the threshold to become a Platinum member and at 75 nights, Titanium. Crossing both these tiers allows you to choose your Choice Benefits but finding the link to do so isn’t exactly user-friendly. So how do you do it?
How To Choose Your Benefits
When you cross the threshold for Platinum or Titanium, you should receive an email notifying you of the fact but there have been plenty of reports suggesting that some people haven’t been receiving those emails so I thought I would just give you the direct link and a walkthrough of the process.
Simply go to https://choice-benefit.marriott.com/en-us/marriott-bonvoy and sign in. Here you will see your options to choose your benefits.
Suggested Benefits to Select
At the Platinum level, there are five choice benefits you can select from:
- Add five Elite Night Credits to your 2020 total
- Save 40% on a bed from your favorite hotel brand
- Gift Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status to a family member, friend or colleague.
- US$100 Charity Donation to WE.
- Get five Suite Night Awards
I have bolded the 5 ENCs and the 5 Suite Night Awards as the most valuable benefits. The other benefits are fine but really only suit a select group of people. I personally have chosen the 5 Suite Night Awards.
At the Titanium level, there are only two choice benefits:
- One Free Night Award worth up to 40,000 points
- Gift Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status to a family member, friend, or colleague
Again, I have bolded the most valuable benefit. Do not be hoodwinked into choosing Gold Status for someone else as lounge access (ie. free breakfast) starts at the next level up, Platinum. Interestingly, last year, you were allowed to choose another 5 Suite Night Awards at the Titanium level but that has been changed for the 2020 Qualifying Year.
For the detail-oriented, you can view the full terms and conditions of the benefit choices at https://choice-benefit.marriott.com/en-us/marriott-bonvoy/terms
Conclusion
While Marriott has already extended your 2020 status for all of 2021, they have generously provided their Top Tier guests with the ability to earn additional benefits at the Platinum and Titanium level. If you have crossed over these thresholds, be sure to make your benefit choices.