Earlier this week, Marriott announced that August 18th is the official date when the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programs will combine. Now, if you’ve been trying to earn lifetime status with the program, you do not have to rush and earn the status within the next few weeks. Despite the August 18th date, you actually have the rest of the year to earn lifetime status under the CURRENT requirements. The one thing to know is that this year, 2018, is the only year you’ll be able to earn Marriott Platinum Premier Elite status. Of course there are new requirements being put into place in August to earn lifetime status as well going forward (and the criteria may actually be easier for you if you are a legacy Marriott person), but you won’t be able to earn Marriott Platinum Premier Elite status with this chart.
Earning Lifetime Status Under the CURRENT Requirements
You’ll need to earn your respective Marriott and Starwood nights and points by December 31, 2018.
Marriott Silve Elite Status
- 250 Marriott nights + 1.2 million Marriott points earned
*Future requirements will require 250 lifetime nights + 5 years of elite status
Marriott Gold Elite Status
- 250 Starwood nights + 5 years of Starwood Gold or Platinum elite status
- 250 Marriott nights + 1.2 million Marriott points earned
*Future requirements will require 400 lifetime nights + 7 years of Gold Elite status or higher
Marriott Platinum Elite Status
- 500 Starwood nights + 10 years of Starwood Platinum elite status
- 500 Marriott nights + 1.6 million Marriott points earned
*Future requirements will require 600 lifetime nights + 10 years of Platinum Elite status
Marriott Platinum Premier Elite Status
- 750 Marriott nights + 2 million Marriott points earned
- 750 COMBINED nights with Marriott and Starwood + 10 years of COMBINED Platinum elite status with Marriott and Starwood
*In the future there will be no way to earn this status
Some things to know…
- On August 18th, your accounts will be combined and you’ll be grandfathered into lifetime status based on the chart above, and you’ll have your status immediately.
- If you earn the lifetime status between August 18 and December 31, 2018, your account will not be reflected with the new status until January 2019.
- If you earn lifetime Marriott Platinum Premier Elite status based on combining your Marriott and Starwood nights and years of elite status (the 2nd option), your account will not be reflected with this new status until January 2019.
- For Marriott points, almost ALL points earned count towards the points requirement – this includes points earned from hotel stays, credit card spend, purchased points, points transferred to you from another account, points transferred from another program (points transferred from your Starwood account will NOT count). While this is the case right now, there is no guarantee that points earned from non-hotel stays will count post August 18th.
This is personally working out great for me. When the programs combine I will automatically earn lifetime Marriott Platinum Elite status (based on the future requirements of 600 lifetime nights + 10 years of Platinum Elite status). And then come January 2019 I’ll earn Marriott Platinum Premier Elite status (based on having 750 lifetime nights + 10 years of Platinum elite status).
What will be your lifetime earning strategy?
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I’ll have 425 SPG nights by mid December (375 currently) with 75 Marriott nights already completed. Can’t wait!!!
When can we see our years at Platinum from Marriott?
@jean – Here you go: https://dealswelike.boardingarea.com/2018/05/15/figuring-our-your-nights-points-and-years-towards-marriott-and-starwood-lifetime-status/
Gary, I think there is a point where you are wrong. You say that there is no hurry to hit status before Aug 18th. If the two accounts are being forcibly merged on the 18th (I am not sure you are correct on that point but I will assume you are) then if a member hits 75 Marriott nights before Aug 18th, then “status matching” means the member would also get Plat status in SPG for another year, i.e.- two years towards lifetime status.
If the accounts are really being merged on the 18th, then the status matching double dip goes away on the 18th.
If I’ve read something wrong, fine. (This is not personal. I already have 75 Marriott nights this year.)
@Joseph – I am not Gary. I am also not saying to not try to earn status before August 18th, but essentially saying you do not need to go so out of your way or spend a ton of money within the next few weeks to earn status. You do have 5 more months to earn it.
You indicate that accounts will be merged on August 18th. I do not think that is true. You must merge the accounts. Once you do that you are under the new rules for lifetime status. If you don’t merge them you are under the old rules for lifetime status for the rest of 2018. Please clarify!
@Mike – Correct, you will need to manually merge your accounts. I will get clarification from my Marriott contact how merging accounts will affect earning status for the year and lifetime status. I haven’t read anywhere that merging them will not allow you to earn status under the old rules, but will get clarity.
I am already Starwood Lifetime Platinum, and it looks like I will get the spiffy ELITE action with my combined. Thanks to good coaching from DealsWeLike I think I am prepared!