The Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program offers a lifetime benefit program. While I had been chasing this status in the background for several years, the Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Program had shown incorrect lifetime years in my account almost since the inception of the Marriott Bonvoy program. Despite writing in for resolution, the matter did not resolve completely until I checked my account this week. Fortunately, I am happy to report I’ve received a resolution in this area.

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Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Counters Finally Post Correct Number of Years.

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The Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program offers a lifetime program. As a member of the Marriott Bonvoy program with over 17 years of elite status, a lifetime program remains of great interest to me.

After a lengthy and complicated merger between Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards, a turbulent pandemic travel season, we’ve seen a little relief under the Lifetime Years section of this program.

The Marriott Bonvoy Elite Program:

While this might be a re-cap for many, it’s worth just reviewing the levels of the Marriott Bonvoy Elite program.

The Marriott Bonvoy Elite Program is broken down into five tiers:

• Silver Elite – 10 nights
• Gold Elite – 25 nights
• Platinum Elite – 50 nights
• Titanium Elite – 75 nights
• Ambassador Elite – 100 nights + $23,000 USD spend per year

From my perspective, the value in the program starts at the Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite level, or higher. The Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Level offers:

• 50% Bonus on Marriott Bonvoy Points Earning
• 4 PM Check out
• In Hotel Welcome Gift: Points, Breakfast Offering or Amenity
• Enhanced Room Upgrade, Based on Availability, Including Select Suites
• Lounge Access
• An Annual Choice Benefit after staying 50 and 75 nights

While I have usually qualified for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium status, this has simply been gravy on top of already great benefits at the Marriott Bonvoy Platinum level.

The Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Program:

The Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Program has three separate levels. Each are achieved after a substantial amount of travel.

Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Silver Elite

250 qualifying nights & 5 years as a Silver Elite or Higher

Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Gold Elite

400 qualifying nights & 7 years as a Gold Elite or Higher

Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite

500 qualifying nights & 10 year as a Platinum Elite or Higher

Marriott Bonvoy designed the program so that members had to achieve both qualifying nights and elite years over a period of time in order to qualify for lifetime elite years.

There was also previously a Lifetime Titanium Elite level for members that had stayed in excess of 750 Lifetime Qualifying Nights after combination of your Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards accounts. However, this level is no longer publicly available, with Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum being the highest published available level.

Tracking Elite Years:

Along with many road warriors, it became a hobby at the end of every calendar year to track your elite status. For me, it started with the Starwood Preferred Guest program.

Eventually, when Starwood Preferred Guest merged into Marriott Rewards to become Marriott Bonvoy, the tiles looked a little different. However, the lifetime counter purpose remained the same.

I slowly watched my lifetime years and lifetime nights climb upwards with every year.

I slowly watched my Lifetime Years climb upwards, and I eventually passed Starwood Preferred Guest Lifetime Gold after getting 250 Lifetime Nights under the legacy Starwood Preferred Guest Program.

While it’s not too hard to earn elite status if your employer is paying for your travel, it’s a substantially greater investment if you are paying for your travel yourself as a self funded traveller.

Dealing with Incorrect Lifetime Years:

Shortly after the Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Reward mergers, I was checking my account and noticed that the Lifetime Year count appeared to be one year short.

I wrote into the Marriott Bonvoy Customer Service account in mid 2019 and received a number of different answers:

Answer #1:

Thank you very much for getting back to us. 
 
Following up on your query, I have attempted to adjust the credit posted for your recent stay; However, we’re experiencing a technical issue. 
 
WT73, kindly allow us some time and we will resolve your query and confirm through this email channel. 

We value your loyalty as a Member to Marriott Bonvoy. 
Best Regards. 

I waited around for action, but none was forthcoming.

After 4 months with no resolution, I wrote in seeking an update. I received a reply that a ticket would be opened, and that I would get a second response within 28 days.

Answer #2:

I eventually got an answer back. It was pretty neutral and unhelpful; pushing my resolution forward almost 1.5 years:

Dear WT73, 

Thank you for contacting Marriott Bonvoy in Customer Care, we will be delighted to assist.

Members who earned Elite Status in 2019 received an extension of their Elite Status to February 1, 2022.  This should change for you by February 1, 2022

WT73,  we appreciate your loyalty and we look forward to hosting you in the near future.

Safe travels,

Unfortunately, the date of February 2022 rolled around with no change in the annual years. While the pandemic was occurring, there were also a number of complimentary status rollovers. These goodwill rollovers were occurring, despite me earning the status the old fashioned way; through staying in hotels throughout the pandemic.

Missing Elite Year(s) Finally Posting to theMarriott Bonvoy Lifetime Counter:

As the year 2022 drew to a close, according to Marriott, I ended the year on 7 Lifetime Platinum status years and 660 Lifetime Nights Stayed. I re-qualified for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium level status in 2022.

As expected, on January 1, 2023, my counter turned to 8 Lifetime Years and 675 Lifetime Nights stayed. I also received the addition of 15 Elite Qualifying Nights from holding the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card.

However, I signed into my account on January 30, 2023, and happened to note that I was finally credited the missing year that I had been chasing since 2021. My years were finally updated to reflect the accurate number of earned Platinum and Above years; currently showing as “9”.

It seems that this is not an isolated case, as many other Marriott Bonvoy customers have finally reported relief in this area as well.

With this resolution, my account is finally showing the right number of years approximately three and a half years after the problem was initially identified.

How I feel about this:

I can’t even begin to describe what a relief this was. Spending up to 75 nights a year on the road for work and personal travel is tiring enough. However, this means I just have this year to earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum or higher, in order to achieve that coveted Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.

With the current Marriott Bonvoy Spring 2023 Promotion “Earn Twice Each Night”, it should be fairly easy to earn Marriott Bonvoy Elite status for this year, even if you don’t use a credit card that offers fifteen qualifying nights.

I am super happy I don’t have to be tracking my accounts as much anymore.

In Closing: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Counters Showing the Correct Number of Lifetime Years

I was pleasantly surprised when I signed into my account this week and happened to note that my Marriott Bonvoy counters correctly showed the correct number of lifetime years.

After previously writing several times throughout the year 2021, and being promised a remedy that was several years away, I had pretty much written off getting any real resolution from Marriott Bonvoy.

Fortunately, it appears that they have fixed this glitch which showed an incorrect number of years. I am happy to report that my Lifetime Years accurately reflect my records of lifetime loyalty with Marriott Bonvoy. I only wish it didn’t take three and a half years.

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Have Your Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Years Accurately Balanced for the First Time ?

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