Your Marriott Guide to Status and Upgrades! 🚀

The road to Marriott Bonvoy upgrades status is not complicated. This Marriott guide explains how to get Marriott Platinum Status faster, which means sooner upgrades and and all the perks Marriott offers. Some shortcuts include the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card, and the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. But you don't need credit cards to get there! In this video I share the benefits of having status with Marriott and also how to navigate the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty tiers.
🔴 Why not subscribe? 👉 bit.ly/BirchFinance
⏳ Nobody has time to Scrub ⏳
00:00 - Overview
00:32 - Life is a Game
01:10 - What's a Point Worth?
02:06 - Real Life Valuations
04:05 - Shortcuts to Gold
05:40 - Platinum Nectar
06:12 - Platinum Shortcuts
07:30 - 5 Benefits + Super Bonus
09:53 - Titanium
10:16 - Jackpot, Baby
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[@DubZer020]

how do you not have a billion subscribers already? this was an amazing video.

[@BirchFinance]

Thanks Kadeem. I'm .0002% of the way there (rounded up). Appreciate you dropping the note! 🙏

[@calebbilodeau8472]

Very enjoyable to watch. Thanks for taking to time to make these. Look forward to future videos

[@BirchFinance]

So glad to hear that. Really appreciate you leaving a note to let me know. I look forward to sharing more content with you!

[@icufos1]

I really enjoyed the humor! Thank you for taking the time to make this insightful video.

[@BirchFinance]

Glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! And thanks for taking a few seconds to let me know; much appreciated!

[@candiceabr]

Great video! Love the visuals. Also glad you mentioned Oahu because I just went there recently and found that the hotels were highly variable on the points per cent value even when you subtract the resort fee.

[@BirchFinance]

Oahu is a magical place, hope you found a good place despite the mediocre valuation. And thanks for taking a moment to share the kind words - glad you enjoyed the video!!

[@Rajathon]

Im working through Marriott status. This was a cool video. Great editing.

[@BirchFinance]

Keep up the good work, life gets good at platinum if you haven't already hit it. Thanks for dropping in! Really appreciate the note and glad you found the video enjoyable!

[@atldude12345]

Well done on this video. Subscribed 👍🏾

[@BirchFinance]

Awesome, glad to hear you dug it. Thanks for the feedback and great to have you on the team! 👍

[@teamknuckleheads]

Love this video

[@BirchFinance]

Awesome! 🎉 Thanks for the note!

[@iGimmie]

I love your videos!

[@BirchFinance]

So glad to hear! And thanks for taking a moment to let me know; it's much appreciated! 🙏

[@codycmac07]

I never comment, but great video, great humor, great editing. You earned my sub!

[@BirchFinance]

Thanks Cody! I really appreciate the note and its great to have you on board!!

[@KS-gh7oy]

Great video! Time 0:33, 2:17, 5:39, & 10:45 🤦🏾‍♀️😂😂😂 😂 Thank you for the info and laughs.

[@BirchFinance]

😆 So glad to hear the humor hit you right - gotta lighten up the info somehow! Appreciate you dropping the note and glad you liked it!!

[@Dim.X]

I’m Titanium and no you don’t always get free breakfast, but instead $10 credit 😒 And even for 4pm checkout you have to hustle to get. I’m not even going to mention their “dedicated” support line, it’s embarrassing.

[@BirchFinance]

True indeed. It’s hard to pin down many absolutes with status. The properties that don’t offer any breakfast typically offer the credit or points in lieu of. And agreed on the support line. Frustrating.

[@De_Guatemala]

We just left the Ritz-Carlton Maui, $1,970 or 70K points per night. We used our Ritz-Carlton credit cards' ($450) annual free night awards. And we were upgraded.

[@BirchFinance]

Awesome, must have been amazing. Sounds like that Ritz card paid off! I need to get to Maui; I've always had to rough it in Oahu 🌴

[@KhalifaFDB]

1.4K Subscribers on a video of this quality is criminal. Great work.

[@BirchFinance]

Thanks so much. I've luckily evaded arrest so far. Appreciate you stopping in to drop a note!

[@smallsw1981]

Been ambassador status for the last 5 years. Definitely see the upgrade at international hotels easier than most ones stateside

[@BirchFinance]

Wow. That is definitely a lot of time at Marriotts. Hopefully at ambassador you're getting those upgrades more often than not!

[@majiklantrn]

I really appreciate the humor and pace you deliver the information. I watch a lot of credit card videos and sometimes my brain can't keep up. Thanks, old age. Keep up the great work!

[@BirchFinance]

Glad you enjoyed it, Rich! And thank YOU for stopping to drop a comment and let me know. The feedback is super valuable. A business credit card video is on it's way. Maybe I'll add some riddles to help you stay sharp! 😃

[@fatimatkhakakhova5359]

@birchFinance Good one! 👍 😅

[@BirchFinance]

@@fatimatkhakakhova5359🙃👍

[@mathewmclean9128]

Think of it this way, owning the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is the cheapest way to reach Platinum status. It only costs $650 per year. And even if you got lucky and hit Platinum status by getting 2 elite nights per every night you stayed, you would still have to pay for 25 nights and that would be probably about $3,000 minimum. So yeah the bonvoy brilliant is the cheapest and best way to reach Platinum status. Not to mention the free night certificate that you get with the card.

[@BirchFinance]

Great call! It's a shortcut both financially and time-wise. As always, the key is ensuring that you recover that $650 annual fee either in free Marriott breakfasts at nice properties or from other perks the card offers.

[@mathewmclean9128]

@@BirchFinance The annual free night is worth it and pays for the card entirely for me.

[@BirchFinance]

@@mathewmclean9128 that’s awesome! Homerun!

[@jmoultrie13]

i travel a lot for work and am really contemplating getting the brilliant card to use on top of my Amex Platinum. Maximize benefits from both cards.

[@BirchFinance]

Hey! Sorry I missed your comment - YT didn’t notify me (👎). Did you end up pulling the trigger on the Brilliant. If so, would love to hear how it’s working out!

[@jmoultrie13]

@@BirchFinance I have not yet. Still not sure if it's worth having both and paying the annual fee on both. Still traveling a lot for work and love the Platinum for lounge access. The only reason I'd want the Marriott would be for the 25 nights free to help get to platinum status quicker every year. Idk man

[@BirchFinance]

@@jmoultrie13 Yeah man, those are some heavy annual fees. You might consider the Bonvoy Bold. You'll get 10 less elite nights (15 instead of 25), which is still a pretty good jump start with $0 annual fee.

[@Leada1ne]

I've been fortunate enough to "Live" in a Marriott hotel for 6yrs while in Los Angeles!! I've been Ambassador Elite for 5 of those yrs, used points 3X's to stay at the cosmopolitan for 7 days each time. It's fantastic

[@BirchFinance]

Wow. Talk about a long-term stay! You probably got to know the entire staff. Hopefully you were able to pay for it with a personal Marriott cc! Points on points!!

[@Leada1ne]

@BirchFinance Unfortunately not, but I have a venture one card so, I was able to put it on that and recoup "SOME" points for my stays. So, it still worked out!! 😉🫡

[@BirchFinance]

Hey, that works too! Still a win! 🎯

[@BirchFinance]

🛄Travel in 2024 is expected to be at all-time high levels 📈. If you plan on hitting the road, I hope this video helps inform your decision while you weigh your options on where to stay! ⚖️ Thanks for watching!

[@BlinkPls]

I’m a bit confused about the 25% and 50% faster marriott point rewards, since I just signed up for the Marriott Boundless to get 6x points from the card plus 10x points from marriott member…. what does the 25% and 50% more actually translate to in terms of points per dollar spent? Thanks for the great video!

[@BirchFinance]

Hey, so glad to hear you enjoyed the video! Generally, you earn 10 points per dollar spent, although some properties are less. So, if you're at the 50% tier, you would earn an extra 50% points per dollar spend (instead of 10, you would get 15). Those points will rack up quick by paying for the stays on your boundless! Great call!

[@BlinkPls]

@@BirchFinance Makes sense! Thank you!

[@dannydang2014]

I know the double night earns started in mid-February 2024 up until the end of April 2024. How often do the double night earnings happen? Do they occur at the same time each year or randomly? Trying to plan for future trips at the right time for the double night earnings.

[@BirchFinance]

Hey! It’s so tough to try to plan for double elite nights. They seem to happen irregularly, although this is one of the longest promotions I’ve seen in a while. Perhaps there could be another one in the fall, you just never know. Thanks for checking out the video and best of luck with your trip planning!

[@DF-bx9hd]

i just reached platinum at the end of 2023 after grinding my nights. now my nights reset so im not sure if ill be able to maintain my plat status in 2025. Im using the boundless card and plan to upgrade to RC this summer. I'm hoping they beef the RC up to give automatic plat status

[@BirchFinance]

That's awesome! At least you'll be platinum for all of 2024 🙌 Double check the RC card perks. You might only get gold with it. However, if you go with the Marriott Brilliant, you'll get auto-platinum...BUT the annual fee is $200 more ($450 for RC / $650 for Brilliant). Is plat worth an extra $200 for you??

[@DF-bx9hd]

@@BirchFinance lol that is what I'm considering if it is worth the upgrade or not. Thanks for the awesome video! Im a subscriber 👌

[@BirchFinance]

Big decisions! I appreciate the support and it's great to have you on the team!

[@CheerupA1]

Lol at the montage 😂

[@BirchFinance]

Near miss! 😆

[@mattm.1958]

First time being a platinum member here, but for some reason when I booked a few rooms from the 5 nightly suites button and confirmed the reservation, the “upgrade option” never appear anywhere for any of them… -one is a JW Marriott and another is a autograph collection.

[@BirchFinance]

Welcome to the club! So the system for using suite night awards is as follows: First, book a room. Once the booking is confirmed, log into your Marriott Bonvoy account and pull up the reservation. If that particular hotel allows for suite night upgrades then you can "request the upgrade." It's not guaranteed and you often don't find out until the day before your arrival whether or not it was successful. However, some hotels don't have the option to use suite night upgrades at all. I've definitely seen this at some Autograph collection properties, but I'm surprised it's not populating as an option for the JW stay. Finally, the suite nights need to cover the entire stay. If you have 5 suite nights, but your reservation is for 6 days, you won't be able to use them. Let me know how it goes!

[@mattm.1958]

I appreciate the response. Yes, the two I booked under the upgrade tab were both for just 1 nighters in Tampa. I know they might just upgrade anyways without it, it happened a lot even with gold but I was just trying to test this out. I’ll call and ask out of curiousity

[@BirchFinance]

@@mattm.1958 Yeah, you should be able to get to the bottom of it with a phone call. Best of luck! Hope the upgrade happens for you!

[@kobyjones]

$650 - $300 (dining credit) - (free breakfast) you probably save money if you stay more than a week at a Marriott. Oh and 185k bonus.

[@BirchFinance]

Definitely savings compile with free breakfast that longer you stay! Just need to weigh it against the cost of additional nights if not using points.

[@Caitlinsway]

This vid is Titanium status!!!

[@BirchFinance]

😆Thanks, Caitlin! Glad you liked it!

[@jimbobimboslice]

What’s your opinion of Hilton lifetime vs Marriott lifetime plat? Currently chasing Hilton Lifetime Diamond but seeing how many more properties Marriott has overseas is making me double think my Hilton pursuit. I stay 50-60 nights per year at Hiltons and am thinking of switching to Marriott. Been Diamond for 2 years and have 211 night so far. I don’t have any Marriott cards but do have my Hilton Aspire. I Can afford to get Brilliant too but am kicking myself for not picking it up during the insane 150k points offer last year.

[@BirchFinance]

Great question. I think its totally worth it if you're a Hilton guy. I'm just partial to Marriott and don't travel nearly enough to get status at both so I have to commit to one or the other. I like Marriott because it has more properties which provides flexibility. Just boils down to personal preference. I'd say that if you do decide to make the switch, it might be worthwhile to grab the Brilliant for that first year so you can jump right into the platinum perks! Safe travels!

[@jimbobimboslice]

@@BirchFinance great point! I agree. Great channel btw brother. Subscribed.

[@BirchFinance]

@@jimbobimboslice fantastic! Great having you on the team!

[@lamar6007]

I hit my lifetime platinum status last year

[@BirchFinance]

Jackpot! I'm jealous. Congrats! That's a heck of a journey and I'm sure well-deserved.

[@GoPadres619]

Lounge access with plat work at the Ritz?

[@BirchFinance]

If the Ritz has an executive lounge, with platinum status you'll be in there like swimwear. 👍 (2024 is the Padres' year)

[@TomChek]

Platinum is not enough at the Ritz. You’ll need Titanium for Club Lounge access. Although the food offerings are a step up from typical lounge fare

[@get2dachoppa249]

Came to genuinely find about about Gold status bennies since attaining United gold, left because of the overused cutaway content that damn near every creator and their mother is using.

[@BirchFinance]

Congrats on the United gold status! Sure helps make travel more tolerable, especially if you’re traveling international at all 👍

[@lienecarter6411]

Who does rocket surgery

[@BirchFinance]

Mostly just rocket surgeons 🚀🏥

[@fatimatkhakakhova5359]

😂😂😂😂

[@BirchFinance]

@@fatimatkhakakhova5359🤣

[@jgavpercussion]

A few good gags here and there, but I'm going to be honest, too many jarring edits and ramblings to effectively get your point across.

[@BirchFinance]

Hey John, thanks for the feedback! I appreciate your patience as I learn the all nuances to making good content. Onward and upward!

[@jackjoans340]

Sir, it is pronounced Marry-it, like chariot. Straight from Bill Marriott’s mouth. Great video!

[@BirchFinance]

Done. Henceforth it shall be spoken as the good J-Dub intended, “Marry-it.” Thank you for keeping us honest 😁Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@fatimatkhakakhova5359]

Very informative correction! 👍😁 ("🤓 alert"). Never heard of it. But Good to know. Will work on my pronunciation as well! 👌🤓

[@BirchFinance]

Nice! +1 on the correct pronunciation! 😂📚@@fatimatkhakakhova5359

[@fatimatkhakakhova5359]

@@BirchFinance The opposite, sir! 😆 hahaha. But 🤫

[@BirchFinance]

@@fatimatkhakakhova5359😂🤦

[@sharjeelkhan7437]

Credit cards have become a legal rip off . A legal scam

[@BirchFinance]

Definitely dangerous if not handled with care ⚠️