Friends who know me well enough knows that I used to travel a fair bit within Malaysia and also a hotel person. I enjoy good hotels as they provide good ambience and enhance travel experience or even provide a nice weekend getaway (especially during RMCO where I still don't feel safe enough to travel to places outside Klang Valley).
It's a privilege that I was able to enjoy staying at those 5-stars hotel - JW Marriott Hotel Bukit Bintang, The Westin KL, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur etc and the bills were footed by company. I joined the membership programme and I am now a lifetime Silver. I used to be a Platinum member of SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) before they merge with Marriott Rewards and rebranded as Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott now has one of the world's largest and finest hotels collection and new properties are popping up in various towns in Malaysia.
We also know that in the US, there are ways like having Chase Marriott Credit card which will help you to 'leap frog' to Gold or Platinum status or significantly reduces the required nights to achieve platinum. Unfortunately for us here in Malaysia, there is no co-brand cards that allows us to enjoy the perks. So for a person who aspire to enjoy the platinum status, what can he/she do?
First, let's explore what it takes to be a Platinum Member? To be a Silver Member, you will need 10 qualifying nights (nights that are paid or redeemed with points). To be a Gold member, you will need to stay at least 25 nights. And to be a Platinum Member, you will need a total of 50 nights! I am not going to mention Titanium and above as our aim here is to qualify for the bare minimum Platinum to allow us to enjoy the perks.
Since in Malaysia we do not have co-brands card that will 'leap frog' our status, but don't be despair, there are some tips and tricks that will work things out for you:
1. Stay at Category 1 (aka cheaper hotels) - hotels like AC Hotels, Four Points all have lower pricing as they are 3 - 4 stars hotel. Marriott Bonvoy did not say "how much you need to spend" to earn "1 qualifying night". A night's stay is a night anyway, regardless of a night's stay in The Westin or AC Hotel KL.
2. Plan ahead and book rooms with free cancellation at lower prices. Prices are normally lower if you book in advance. Look for deals which allows free cancellation (i.e. cancellation 1 or 3 days prior to the stay).
3. Plan for staycations - there are plenty of hotels in KL under Marriott brand which you can go and stay for a night or two for the family to enjoy without breaking your pocket.
4. Use points when it's worth it - i.e. Marriott occasionally have points promo where you can redeem a room at lower points.
5. Book on behalf of friends and family - this is a little bit tricky but it works! I used to book for friends and family members so that they enjoyed the same platinum priviledges. The trick is that you book under your name, check in on behalf and put your friends/families' name as room guests upon check-in. This allows them to reactivate their key cards just in case something is wrong with their cards.
6. Sign up for promotions and deals - Marriott Bonvoy constantly have promotions and deals to attract travellers to stay with them. They offer extra points, lower room prices or bundled deals (dinner/breakfast + room).
So what are you waiting for? Start planning if you're keen to enjoy some hotel stays and be a 'lifetime Silver, Gold or even Platinum'.
I took advantage of the promos during COVID19 and stayed a few wonderful nights at those 'high end' hotels in KL. During Promotion time, 5000 points is enough to book another room (this means that my 2 nights stay at Majestic KL + Element KL earns me another night stay somewhere).
So what are you waiting for? Start planning if you're keen to enjoy some hotel stays and be a 'lifetime Silver, Gold or even Platinum'.
