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Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium status is an elite level that Marriott stopped offering at the end of 2018 when the merger of Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) was still in progress but it’s an elite level that I still seem to get quite a few questions about.
A quick history
Originally, the top lifetime elite status Marriott offered was called Marriott Lifetime Platinum status which required a guest to have earned a minimum of 2,000,000 Marriott Rewards Points (as they were then called) and to have earned a minimum of 750 elite nights with Marriott. This changed following the merger with Starwood.
The status was renamed ‘Marriott Rewards Lifetime Platinum Premier Elite” status when Marriott announced most of the details surrounding the merger of Marriott Rewards and SPG in April 2018, and at the same time, Marriott confirmed that the status would be unobtainable after 31 December 2018 – the hotelier decided to only offer Lifetime status for Silver, Gold, and Platinum members and changed how Lifetime status is earned to a system closer to what SPG had used prior to the merger.
In January 2019 the name changed again (to Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Status) when Marriott decided to come up with a silly new name for the combined loyalty program.
Marriott Lifetime Titanium package
I had no idea that Marriott sends out special packs to Bonvoy members who earn Lifetime Elite status (I haven’t even been sent an elite status card for the last 3 years), and even though I earned the status back at the end of 2018, it was only over the recent holiday period that I received my pack in the mail.
To say that the contents were underwhelming would be…well….true…but I thought I’d share details of what Marriott sends out just in case anyone is interested (or is still waiting for their pack with great anticipation!)
This is what the pack looks like when it arrives in the mail (I’ve taken off the plastic packaging that covered it)…
…and it folds out into a wallet with a congratulatory letter one side and a metallic Lifetime Titanium card and some images/paperwork on the other:
To be fair to Marriott, the metallic card is certainly weighty (it’s considerably heavier and less bendable than the likes of card_name or the card_name) …
… but that was really the only thing of consequence in the pack.
The rest of the paperwork that Marriott included in the pack looked like this:
The one interesting thing that I noticed was that the congratulatory letter states (quite clearly) that “[I’ll] enjoy Titanium Elite benefits – forever“, before going on to confirm that those benefits include things like a 75% points bonus on all stays, lounge access and 4pm checkout.
I wonder if that’s legally binding?
The congratulatory letter goes on to say that “All Marriott Bonvoy terms apply” and the Marriott Bonvoy terms include language saying that Lifetime status can be canceled if a member violates Bonvoy rules (4.1.b) and that Lifetime Elite benefits can be changed at Marriott’s discretion (4.2.e.ii), but if Marriott changes the benefits that have been outlined in the congratulatory letter, is the corporation in breach of anything?
I genuinely have no idea, but I’m prepared to predict that someone will test this if (when!) Marriott moves the goalposts in a few year’s time and changes the benefits on offer. That will be fun to watch.
Link to current Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Status benefits
Bottom Line
I have to confess that I don’t really care that there wasn’t much of substance in the Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium package (it helps that I never knew such a thing existed), but Marriott isn’t doing itself any favors by sending out large envelopes with not a lot in them to some of its more loyal customers (presumably other Lifetime status levels get something similar).
A large package congratulating a customer on achieving something may well create a sense of anticipation that the package has no chance of living up to, so Marriott would be better off just putting the metallic card in a small box with a brief explanatory note and sending that out without any additional pointless paperwork.
That would be classier, cheaper, and probably a lot more environmentally friendly too.
I received the Lifetime Titanium package with the metal lifetime card. I am glad to have it and can’t imagine what else the package should contain (except for possibly an acknowledgement that it is a higher status than Platinum which has basically the same benefits. In other words, if there is 1 suite available does my Titanium trump a Platinum for the upgrade. I have heard very different speculations.
Technically Titanium Elites have priority over Platinum Elites for suite upgrades but, based on anecdotal evidence, things don’t always pan out this way.
Well, given the rate at which Marriott has killed loyalty…I’m taking my 1800 nights and resetting to Hyatt…..that’s just how valuable Bonvoy has become to me. Already booked the first 20 Hyatt nights for Jan/Feb and am looking forward to the change.
I did get this LTT mailer some time ago, and the card went into a drawer and the paper went into the recycle. I wish that they just stop with the BS and save the money for the mailer….between wall mounted toiletries, not paying their housekeepers enough, and devaluations….the mailers seem like an expense that can get dumped.
100% agree
Did you get the status from SPG, Marriott, or a combination? I have over 300 lifetime nights, mostly through Starwood, but given the Bonvoy changes and the direction the program has been heading, I just don’t see myself having the stomach to deal with Marriott frequently for another five years. Do you think gold is even worth consideration?
I got my LT status 100% through Marriott.
Personally speaking I wouldn’t make any special effort to get LT gold status as I don’t think the benefits on offer are worth going out of my way to spend more nights with Marriott.
What do you do with a metal Titanium Elite card? If you’ve stayed that many nights, you obviously know your own Bonvoy number by heart. The card offers no advantage, I’m not sure why someone would carry it – unless you honestly can’t remember your number
It’s way too heavy to carry around – you’d have to have some serious “look at me” issues to feel the need to get the card out when you check-in at a Marriott.
I too felt the package underwhelming and recycled the whole thing. I don’t need another card to carry around.
I do love the treatment by staff and benefits when getting room preference both in hotels and vacation club stays.
I exclusively use Marriott Amex and Visa for purchases and pretty much stay for free in the chain.
You all are whiney travellers. Most of you are not paying out of your own pocket it is businesd travel and your organization covers the bill and you reap the rewards for your personal travel. Yet you want and feel you deserve more. You are usually the rudest and complain the most do you can obtain points you truly don’t earn. I wish all companies would do away with loyalty programs. As there is no loyalty from any of you.
“I wish all companies would do away with loyalty programs. As there is no loyalty from any of you.”
That strikes me as a very odd thing to wish for – please would you elaborate as to why you think this would be a good idea?