Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.

62strat said:

---

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.



Sounds great, except for the part where you live in a Marriott for work, and then go on vacation and stay...in a Marriott.

---

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.

---

Sounds great, except for the part where you live in a Marriott for work, and then go on vacation and stay...in a Marriott.

---

You referring to me?
I haven't stayed in hotel for work since my first child was born, 8 years ago.
And before then it was one night a week for a while.

Even still, what a weird comment. As if staying in some Fairfield in the city for work is gonna to make you grunt and groan when it comes time to stay somewhere like this, also a Marriott property.

I've made Titanium the last couple of years without the heavy work travel. That's pretty weird to me, but I chalk it up to promotions and our Covid travel. Taken advantage of a lot of deals the last few years. Also, while there aren't any great benefits to Titanium, I will say that I've scored a handful of really great upgrades at higher end properties. For instance, last year we booked the special teacher rate (my wife) at the Gaylord Rockies for Christmas. $130/night and we were upgraded to the best suite in the joint which is like a small apartment. Rack rate closer to $1k.

I got off the road traveling when my son asked if I worked at the airport 6 years ago. That was my gut punch. But the cool thing about this lifetime feature is that my kids now expect the upgrades. So I just showed them what it took to EARN it and they both freaked out. I'm only 768 nights lifetime, but it still serves a good lesson. Nothing to be super proud of, but it helps my kids not be so entitled to the expensive things.

Interesting discussion here. I travel a lot for work. I'm in my late 30's and have 1387 Marriott nights. Lifetime Titanium. My family has had amazing opportunities to travel the world on points, and we've stayed at absurd hotels that we would never pay for otherwise.

I work for one the big global Consulting firms mentioned in this thread. Great career with fun and diverse work.

For the first decade of my career, I did the normal Mon-Thurs 48 weeks a year grind. We now have 3 young kids, and luckily I'm at point in my career that I can make my family the priority. I still travel 3-4 weeks a month, but now my trips are 1-2 nights max. When I'm home, I'm working from home. I coach multiple sports teams for my kids, and I honestly feel like I have a great work/life balance.

Is there any way to see Hilton lifetime? I have a ton there. I had a customer in a rural part of the US and the Hampton Inn was the only game in town.

Unrelated, but I love hiltons rewards system infinitely more than Marriotts

I gave it up when I realized I could never "own" the result. I'm hindsight I would have left before I completed the journey if you know what I mean.

Sea Speed said:

---

Unrelated, but I love hiltons rewards system infinitely more than Marriotts

---

Ironically, I switched to Starwood originally when Hilton started to devalue their points. Marriott is now worse than Hilton ever was with devaluation of points. The Starwood point multiplier promos were where it was @.

Sort of like what's happened to American Airlines. The rewards were fantastic before crap pile US Air bought them. You used to be able to get round trip business class to Hawaii for 100K miles round trip.

Also, I think Covid has permanently changed the profession. One of my best friends is a mid level partner at a big firm and he didn't requalify as even platinum on AA this year.

We got 5 nights at the Hilton on Disney property for something like 120k points over Thanksgiving. It cost something like 35k for one night in Mobile through Marriott. Just brutal.

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

At 22 (first year out of a&m) I spent something like 200 nights, split somewhat equally SPG and Marriott. My flights had layovers both ways, so roughly 200 segments for a full year. Did that game for 4 years. Turned in the laptop the day I returned from my honeymoon for a local job.

Blowing 4 years worth of DC priced Marriott points and AA miles made for a nice honeymoon, but dang I don't miss that life. Not going to lie, the hotel point/status schtick was a fun game to play when I didn't know any better.

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

---

about a decade in big 4 consulting - used to be taught/sold as a huge perk right out of school.. "travel the world" keep the points.

Floating sales rep first year outta college. Lived in hotels for 11 months straight. Didn't have a home address.

I've usually found the exact opposite, that it's a lot more to stay in Hilton's. Although the dynamic pricing that Marriott instituted last year sucks.

Marriot point system is screwed, seems like it takes a couple dozen stays to even get a free night. I started deferring all mine towards AA.

$30,000 Millionaire said:

---

Also, I think Covid has permanently changed the profession. One of my best friends is a mid level partner at a big firm and he didn't requalify as even platinum on AA this year.

---

No, the credit card points have completely changed the game for AA. I got platinum pro this year without the card... there are people hitting EP just on credit card spending. No segment requirements anymore. Complete BS.

The priority boarding line is 100 people long now thanks to the credit card and by the time I would board even in 3 all those people are back in steerage. Ridiculous.

Do you guys watch Up In the Air as you fall asleep at night in these hotels?

I'm Lifetime Unuptainium with Mariot.

$30,000 Millionaire said:

---

Also, I think Covid has permanently changed the profession. One of my best friends is a mid level partner at a big firm and he didn't requalify as even platinum on AA this year.

---

For sure. I had one foot out the door prior to COVID. Now, I would argue I see my family more than my peers that work 4-5 days a week in the office without traveling.

cjo03 said:

---

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

---

about a decade in big 4 consulting - used to be taught/sold as a huge perk right out of school.. "travel the world" keep the points.

---

Then along comes a woman...

62strat said:

---

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.

---

Sounds great, except for the part where you live in a Marriott for work, and then go on vacation and stay...in a Marriott.

---

You referring to me?
I haven't stayed in hotel for work since my first child was born, 8 years ago.
And before then it was one night a week for a while.

Even still, what a weird comment. As if staying in some Fairfield in the city for work is gonna to make you grunt and groan when it comes time to stay somewhere like this, also a Marriott property.

---

Airbnb kind of broke the hotel experience for me. Plus, I like to go places where they don't have hotels. Crystal Beach, Cloudcroft, NM, national parks... Headed off to Puerto Rico - wish me luck on my apartment rental!!

94chem said:

---

cjo03 said:

---

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

---

about a decade in big 4 consulting - used to be taught/sold as a huge perk right out of school.. "travel the world" keep the points.

---

Then along comes a woman...

---

ha! actually... you bring up one of the more challenging aspects to this that is rarely discussed.

mrs. cjo is class of '05 and has been around since the beginning.. she says one of the hardest parts about the whole traveling consultant arrangement was getting used to living with me indefinitely after i stopped traveling!

maybe it was an absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder type situation. or more likely I was just a lot to handle without a 4 day break every week...

cjo03 said:

---

94chem said:

---

cjo03 said:

---

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

---

about a decade in big 4 consulting - used to be taught/sold as a huge perk right out of school.. "travel the world" keep the points.

---

Then along comes a woman...

---

ha! actually... you bring up one of the more challenging aspects to this that is rarely discussed.

mrs. cjo is class of '05 and has been around since the beginning.. she says one of the hardest parts about the whole traveling consultant arrangement was getting used to living with me indefinitely after i stopped traveling!

maybe it was an absence-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder type situation. or more likely I was just a lot to handle without a 4 day break every week...

---

Yeah, she had to get rid of her own "consultant."
.
.
.
I keed, I keed!

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

What do you guys do that you spend like 1/3 to 1/2 of the year in a hotel?

---

I only paid for 34 nights (including work trips) last year and still cleared 62 total nights. There are an assortment of promotions and credits that inflate your night count

Traveled 45+ weeks/year for about 7 years straight right after graduating. For me it was awesome - young, single, stay in cool places, stay the weekend in cool places if you wanted, get all the travel perks, etc. "Live" cheap in your hometown with a cheapish apartment (basically a glorified laundromat at that point). Getting on a regular routine of flights/destinations and flight status - it wasn't as bad as it sounds (or how awful it is to travel these days). Most of my travel was pre 9/11 - much different then.

I was very productive back then because I had less idle/free time. Now, working at home, with kids...ah what the hell am I thinking I have no free now time either.

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.

---

Sounds great, except for the part where you live in a Marriott for work, and then go on vacation and stay...in a Marriott.

---

You referring to me?
I haven't stayed in hotel for work since my first child was born, 8 years ago.
And before then it was one night a week for a while.

Even still, what a weird comment. As if staying in some Fairfield in the city for work is gonna to make you grunt and groan when it comes time to stay somewhere like this, also a Marriott property.

---

Airbnb kind of broke the hotel experience for me. Plus, I like to go places where they don't have hotels. Crystal Beach, Cloudcroft, NM, national parks... Headed off to Puerto Rico - wish me luck on my apartment rental!!

---

Just spent 11 days remote working from an Airbnb in a tropical country. Need more ideas so let us know how that ends up

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

94chem said:

---

62strat said:

---

Ghost of Bisbee said:

---

Silver status? Might as well pay rack rate

---

I don't care so much about status (we do typically use late check out though), I just churn marriott cards, and haven't paid for a hotel in 7-8 years. So I don't pay anything.

My wife is platinum.
I'm gold.

---

Sounds great, except for the part where you live in a Marriott for work, and then go on vacation and stay...in a Marriott.

---

You referring to me?
I haven't stayed in hotel for work since my first child was born, 8 years ago.
And before then it was one night a week for a while.

Even still, what a weird comment. As if staying in some Fairfield in the city for work is gonna to make you grunt and groan when it comes time to stay somewhere like this, also a Marriott property.

---

Airbnb kind of broke the hotel experience for me. Plus, I like to go places where they don't have hotels. Crystal Beach, Cloudcroft, NM, national parks... Headed off to Puerto Rico - wish me luck on my apartment rental!!

---

NPs are definitely my thing, too. We've hit 3 since September; Black canyon, canyonlands, and mesa verde, and we're booked for yellowstone and Tetons in July. Cabins, or our travel trailer. Gotta make use of that pass fee!

But we love a good resort on the beach too.

So Why not both?

I'm in Cancun as I type this, at a Westin.

I don't want to pigeonhole my kids' (our our) experiences by eliminating any certain type of lodging.

I will say the bonus is not paying for flights or hotels if we don't want to

Lifetime Titanium here and I do good to stay about 50 nights a year with Marriott now. I've converted to Hyatt and hit globalist every year now and find it much better, even given their smaller footprint.

Just over 5,500 lifetime nights and 23 consecutive years at Platinum or higher.