Mattress run for 15 nights – best option?

[ThriceForgiven]

I need to hit 15 paid (not award) nights before 1st of December in order to retain Platinum Elite. Any more nights and I’d probably not consider it, but I value the free breakfast/lounge access and late check-out at most properties.

What would be the best / cheapest / most painless way of doing this, and is there any way to tell which hotels will be cheapest by when? I recall Rob posting something about a mattress run he didn’t even check-in physically for.

I’m London-based, so doubt many hotels here will be too cheap…

Potential ideas:
-I’ve got a weekend in Madrid next month, though I’m not staying in a hotel. Worth looking for a cheap one and checking in for 15 nights without physical check-out? would that work?
-Any other ideas very much welcome!

[YC]

Award stays also count towards status renewal. If u can get a low category (Spain can be good) with the free 5th night free, could work out better.

Mobile check out is fine but I don’t know if 15 nights without any activity might cause the hotel to investigate if you are around/alive. U could also check with the hotel directly if they can provide a special long stay rate

[tw33ty]

If you don’t already have the Amex bonvoy credit card, get that.
£75 and you get 15 nights credited to your account in a couple of weeks.

[ChrisC]

Don’t remember if it was Marriott or not but someone reported that after a hotel found the room empty after a couple of days they cancelled the rest of the reservation.

So you might get away with it for a couple or days if you popped into the room you wouldn’t get away with 15.

[degsy]

Not sure if it helps but the cheapest Marriott I’ve found is Moxy Aberdeen Airport – if you shop around you can find rooms for under £50 (lowest I’ve found is £41).
Obviously, you’ve got to be able to get there to capitalise.

[David]

ChrisC wrote:

Don’t remember if it was Marriott or not but someone reported that after a hotel found the room empty after a couple of days they cancelled the rest of the reservation.

So you might get away with it for a couple or days if you popped into the room you wouldn’t get away with 15.

I remember reading that too. I’m sure it was the Moxy Aberdeen.
You could always speak to the hotel about it first. After all they’ll get paid without having to clean your room or provide you with loyalty benefits! win-win.

[ThriceForgiven]

Sorry, should’ve clarified. This particular 15 night target is set by a status challenge available to employees at my firm. I’ve registered for it using my corporate e-mail, and have 90 days or so to trigger it.

It explicitly states 15 paid nights (so no award nights, or bonvoy credit card 15 night award) as the requirement to get Platinum for the whole of 2023.

Interesting points re the Moxy Aberdeen – I’d have to factor in flights there to check-in, but will be tricky if they cancel the rest of the reservation…

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

Perhaps a reader living in the regions (aka not London or Edinburgh) could help you out by taking your room key once checked in and staying/ruffling the bed or towels on your behalf for the rest of the nights. I’d likely prefer to do that than engage a hotel directly and encounter a jobsworth who shops you to Marriott HQ.

[APPL]

Moxy Heathrow might be the easiest for London (though more expensive than in the regions). It should be available in November for £60ish if booking prepaid nonrefundable rate now.

[NigelHamilton]

If I was in your position, I’d be working out if the number of breakfasts /late check outs you’d benefit from in 2023 would come close to costing the same as 15 nights in a hotel that you don’t need? Depends where you stay I guess. Or take a few cheap weekend autumn breaks and get some use out of the money you’re paying out?

[YC]

If you can push some stays to marriott (even if slightly more expensive) do that. On mattress runs to top it off, I would book some refundable rates now but for the stays to happen towards the tail end of your 90 days. This allows you to maximise any promos that happen during the challenge (hopefully for you – double night credits).

The other idea (not sure if this will work but worth exploring) is to trigger the challenge later in Q4, this might mean if you hit the 15 nights in 2023, you get platinum for 2023 and 2024.

[Matt]

YC has a good point – definitely worth exploring the rules about when you trigger it and how long the upgrade will last for, assuming it’s anything like the status challenge that was more freely available pre-covid

[zapato1060]

NigelHamilton wrote:

If I was in your position, I’d be working out if the number of breakfasts /late check outs you’d benefit from in 2023 would come close to costing the same as 15 nights in a hotel that you don’t need? Depends where you stay I guess. Or take a few cheap weekend autumn breaks and get some use out of the money you’re paying out?

I was thinking the same. Even at £60 for 15 nights your looking at £900. That’s some pretty expensive breakfast/lounge access and 2pm check out.

[Guernsey Globetrotter]

zapato1060 wrote:

NigelHamilton wrote:

If I was in your position, I’d be working out if the number of breakfasts /late check outs you’d benefit from in 2023 would come close to costing the same as 15 nights in a hotel that you don’t need? Depends where you stay I guess. Or take a few cheap weekend autumn breaks and get some use out of the money you’re paying out?

I was thinking the same. Even at £60 for 15 nights your looking at £900. That’s some pretty expensive breakfast/lounge access and 2pm check out.

This
I managed Plat Elite via a ‘scheme’ last year in the pandemic that used a Far East hotel for a 7 night ‘stay’ that cost around £250 and topped me up to the 50 night threshold. I got about £60 of points back too with their promo. Have had some upgrades and will hopefully get some value from the 5 suite night awards but am not sure I’d feel it was value for money if I’d paid much more than that!

[StanTheMan]

Phone a homeless charity – book a room for them to use for 15 nights.

[Chas]

The Courtyard at Luton airport is pricing at £75 on Sunday nights throughout October and early Nov, before moving to £84 Fri and Sat nights in Oct are £92. Probably too expensive for a status match (but at least you don’t have the cost of flying to Aberdeen), unless you’re really going to milk the benefits…