Chasing hotel elite status in 2025 (Nick’s elite plans)

During a recent podcast recording, Greg and I talked about getting airline elite status through hotel elite status. In that discussion, I noted that I wasn’t sure about my 2025 elite status plans. Now that I’ve had some time to think more about 2025, I think I’m going to be on the hunt for a couple of key statuses this year, but I’m not convinced that I’ll put in much effort in 2026 and beyond.

Hotel elite status I’ll pursue

World of Hyatt

So far this year, I have already earned 4 elite nights from my first hotel stay of 2025. Together with the 5 elite nights I get each year as a Hyatt cardholder, I already have 9 elite qualifying nights in 2025.

In terms of Hyatt plans, I have an upcoming 2-night stay, another 5-night stay planned next month and a two-night stay booked in late spring. That puts me at 18 planned nights.

With a number of expenses coming between now and April 15th, I’ll likely spend $15,000 on my World of Hyatt credit card in order to earn a Category 1 to 4 free night certificate. That spend will also yield 6 elite nights (since I will earn two elite night credits for every $5,000 spent). With those elite nights, I should reach 24 elite nights before mid-year without breaking a sweat.

I also currently have two free night certificates in my account — one Category 1-4 free night certificate and one Category 1-7 free night certificate. I recently passed my World of Hyatt Credit Card anniversary date, so I expect another Category 1-4 free night certificate will post to my Hyatt account soon. That’s three free night certificates plus the one noted above that I expect to earn from spend. If I use all four of those free night certificates in the coming months, that could put me at 28 elite nights before June. I also have two Guest of Honor awards in my account. Assuming I use both of those, I’ll get to 30 nights — exactly halfway to requalifying for Globalist. At 30 elite nights, I’ll also earn another Category 1-4 free night certificate. If I’m able to use that, I’ll be even further along.

That’s actually more nights than I might have expected before running the numbers. I imagine it will be very easy to get to at least 40 elite nights with Hyatt by year end, which is a bit of a sweet spot since at that level I’ll earn a Guest of Honor award (which I could use on one of my own stays if I don’t renew Globalist status) and the ability to select a choice benefit (I’d easily take the suite upgrade award).

I think it’s not impossible that I could once again find myself knocking on the door of Globalist requalification by the end of the year, at which point I’ll have to decide how to best fill the gap — whether to use points for cheap stays or spend on the credit card. While both Greg and I have been disappointed in Hyatt’s loss of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (and subsequent poor integration of Mr. & Mrs. Smith), I still think that Globalist is the best hotel elite status to have. At a bare minimum, the free breakfast and free hotel parking on award stays save me a bundle every year.

A side benefit of Hyatt elite status is the chance to buy American Airlines elite status for a day using Hyatt points. I’ve previously chased American Airlines elite status through shopping portal shenanigans and credit card spend. I haven’t yet decided, but I don’t think I’m going to renew American Airlines elite status this year as I know I can “buy” status for a day through Hyatt if and when I need to fly American. I typically only end up flying American Airlines a couple of times each year, so I think this benefit might come in handy and save me from chasing airline status this year.

But, like Greg, I’m not completely convinced that the chase for Hyatt elite status will be worth it long-term. I love Hyatt and I love Hyatt elite status, but I’m getting less excited about recent additions to the program like Mr & Mrs Smith and Under Canvas, which aren’t being integrated into Hyatt’s award chart. Hyatt’s core strength is its very competitive award chart. Given my travel plans in 2025, that award chart is still compelling enough to keep me on the hamster wheel this year. But if Hilton continues to improve its own program, I’m just not convinced that I’ll continue to chase Hyatt status in future years.

Marriott Bonvoy

My Marriott elite status plans are easy, but still notable: I got the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card last year. As such, I have automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status. That’s the status I want for free breakfast at many properties. It’s annoying that I’ll need to reference our chart to know whether or not I’ll get free breakfast automatically or I’ll need to request it as a welcome amenity or perhaps that I won’t get it at all.

Since I have both the Brilliant card and a Bonvoy Business credit card, I earn elite nights from both cards. That means I started the year with 40 elite nights without having set foot in a Marriott.

I don’t currently have any Marriott bookings in 2025, but I’ll probably end up with a handful. That’s partly because I’ll have free night certificates from Marriott credit cards, but it also has to do with my elite status plans. Here’s what I mean: Lifetime Marriott Platinum status requires 10 years as Platinum Elite or higher and 600 elite nights earned. I am currently at 9 years as Platinum or above and 546 nights earned. I need one more year of Platinum status and 54 more elite nights to have Lifetime Platinum status with Marriott. Once I earn lifetime Platinum status with Marriott, I’m not sure I’ll bother to chase anything with regard to Marriott. At a base level, I will probably dump the Bonvoy Brilliant card once I have lifetime status.

That said, I will keep the Brilliant card until I reach lifetime status. The good news is that even if I don’t spend a single night at a Marriott brand this year, I’ll end up with 10 years as Platinum or higher at the start of 2026 and the 40 elite nights I’ll get at the beginning of the year will mean that I’ll need another 14 nights between this year and next year to get lifetime Platinum.

I expect that I’ll probably pick up 10 of those nights this year as I chase the 50-night choice benefit. Then, starting next year, I’ll free myself from the race to collect Marriott nights each year.

Bottom line

In addition to Hyatt and Marriott elite status, I’ll maintain hotel elite status with both Wyndham and Hilton since those chains offer easy elite status via credit cards that I’m likely to keep long-term.

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