Hawaii
The Princeville Kauai
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Friends with benefits. They’ll pay you back… right?

Hotel elite guest perks can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, or at the very least – no breakfast into free breakfast. Who wouldn’t love turning standard rooms into suites, standard check out to late check out and getting the VIP treatment on every stay? For a limited time, you can take a fast track challenge to elite guest status, accelerating your way to the best perks offered from Marriott, SPG and Ritz Carlton with just 18 single nights, or 6 nights when booking multiple rooms. This kind of magic won’t last forever, so here’s how to get in while the offer is hot…

a pool with a glass wall and a house with a view of the oceanWho’s Eligible

This fast track offer is open to anyone and there’s no current elite status required. You can take advantage as long as you: a) have not had SPG or Marriott Platinum in the last five years and b) have not taken a Marriott or SPG fast track before. So yep, even if you’ve never stayed in a hotel – before, you could go from zero to Platinum status with Marriott, SPG and Ritz Carlton after completing just 18 nights – or 6 nights with 3 rooms per night. Why not book stays for friends or family, and have them pay you back?

What’s Required

You can take either the Marriott or Starwood Platinum challenge. The SPG challenge requires 18 nights over a 3 month period and you must register and begin your challenge before June 30th, 2018. However, up to 3 rooms per night count towards the challenge, so you could book three rooms directly through Starwood for 6 nights and complete the challenge in just six nights. This could be an incredible opportunity to turn family travel into a year of top tier perks. Unsure? Check out the fine print.

a fountain in front of a buildingWhere You Can Stay

To qualify your stays must be paid. Starwood has excellent hotel options on virtually every continent, some of which start at just $50 per night. In fact, there are fantastic SPG sales going on all over the world right now. To ensure that your stays track and qualify properly, it’s crucial to book directly with Starwood either online or over the phone. Make sure to add your SPG number in advance, too. It never hurts to also confirm that you’ll earn 3 stays per night by booking three rooms. If you hear otherwise, the agent is wrong, so politely ask for someone to double check. You absolutely can – no doubt.

How To Register

You can register for this amazing promotion via this page. You’ll be asked to contact SPG to enroll in the challenge. Be sure to do so before any stays. No temporary status will be granted during the challenge, but your Platinum status will be updated within 5-7 days. You must complete your 18 nights or 3 rooms for 6 nights within three months of registration. Once you’ve successfully completed, you’ll have a year of SPG Platinum. You can then match your status to both Marriott and Ritz Carlton Platinum, while also seeking outside status matches with other chains! Not bad…

Featured image courtesy of St. Regis Kauai, an SPG hotel.

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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5 Comments

  1. YOUR HEADLINE SIX NIGHTS IS B.S!!!!! —YOUR WORSE THAN THE TABLOIDS SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS -BECAUSE YOU USE A COME ON TO OPEN YOUR BLOG –THIS NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU DID THIS —-WE EXPECT MORE FROM BLOGGERS —

    1. Simple question: if you book three rooms, how many nights would this require? The post is “how” to do this. Which explains exactly how. And learn to turn off caps lock.

  2. Come on, just admit that the headline was deceptive. You post a lot of good stuff and you’re prolific as hell, but misleading headlines like this just hurt your credibility. You’re better than this.

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