Is Marriott Titanium Elite Worth The Extra Effort? The Incremental Perks…

In this post, I’d like to take a closer look at Bonvoy Titanium status, which is Marriott’s elite tier that requires 75 nights annually. All the time I see people ask whether it’s worth going for Titanium status over Platinum status, so I’ll share my take on that.

Marriott Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador requirements

Marriott Bonvoy has five elite tiers, but I’d argue that status really starts to get valuable at the Platinum tier. There are two tiers above that, though. Specifically, here are the requirements over the course of a calendar year to qualify for Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador status:

• Platinum status requires 50 elite qualifying nights
• Titanium status requires 75 elite qualifying night
• Ambassador status requires 100 elite qualifying nights plus $23,000 of qualifying spending

Before you assume that these requirements are really high and unachievable, keep in mind that in the United States it’s easy to earn 40 elite nights per year through Marriott’s co-branded credit cards.

For example, I have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review) and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review), and just for holding onto those two cards, I get 40 elite nights per year (25 from the Brilliant Card and 15 from the Business Card). That gives me quite a head start to earning status.

What are the advantages of Marriott Titanium status?

Marriott Platinum status requires only 50 elite nights per year, and comes with many great elite perks. I’d consider the most significant to be:

So, what are the incremental perks of Titanium status over Platinum status, given that Titanium status requires 75 nights rather than 50 nights? Let’s go over those, in no particular order.

75% Bonvoy bonus points

When it comes to earning points, Platinum members receive 50% bonus points on hotel stays, and Titanium members receive 75% bonus points. You ordinarily earn 10 base points per dollar spent, meaning Platinum members earn 15x points per dollar spent, while Titanium members earn 17.5x points per dollar spent.

I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so I consider that to be an incremental 1.75% return on Marriott spending.

United MileagePlus Silver elite status

Bonvoy Titanium members receive free United MileagePlus Silver status. This is valid for as long as they maintain Titanium status, and registration is required. This is United’s entry level status, and offers perks like bonus miles, a complimentary checked bag, and space available upgrades to first class and Economy Plus.

If you’re an occasional United flyer this could come in handy, though don’t expect to regularly get first class upgrades as a Silver member. Perhaps the biggest benefit nowadays is that it gives you access to extra award availability, including extra saver Polaris business class seats.

Air Canada Aeroplan 25K elite status

Bonvoy Titanium members receive free Air Canada Aeroplan 25K elite status. This is valid for as long as they maintain Titanium status, and registration is required. This is Air Canada’s entry level status, and offers perks like bonus miles, priority services, and more.

Access to additional Choice Benefits

Marriott Bonvoy members can select Choice Benefits when they pass 50 elite nights and 75 elite nights in a calendar year. So if you earn Titanium status with 75 elite nights, you’ll also be able to select an additional set of Choice Benefits.

Personally I’d select the five Nightly Upgrade Awards, each of which allows you to confirm an upgrade for a one night stay up to three to five days prior to arrival, subject to availability. I’ve gotten good value out of this, though admittedly people have mixed experiences.

Better upgrade odds, at least unofficially

On paper, Bonvoy Platinum and Titanium members have the same upgrade perk, which is that they’re entitled to a space available upgrade, and that could go as high as a suite, at the hotel’s discretion. However, in practice, you should find that Titanium members have better luck with upgrades than Platinum members.

For example, Marriott has an automated tool that automatically processes room upgrades in the days leading up to a stay, and that applies a hierarchy for upgrades — Titanium members are upgraded ahead of Platinum members.

So I don’t want to say the difference will be that huge, but on average, Titanium members should have better luck than Platinum members.

Soft landing perk, so Platinum for another year

Marriott Bonvoy has a status soft landing policy, whereby you won’t drop more than one elite tier per year. This isn’t a permanent, published part of the program, but it is a courtesy that has been extended year after year.

So I do think it’s worth mentioning that if you qualify for Titanium status, but then don’t requalify the following year, you get Platinum status for an extra year. Since Platinum is the point at which I consider Marriott status to get valuable, there is something to be said for earning two years worth of valuable status by qualifying for Titanium once.

My experience with Marriott Titanium status

I had Bonvoy Titanium status for several years (I’ve now had Ambassador status again for a bit over a year), so I’ll share my experience. For context, I’m also a lifetime Bonvoy Platinum member, so I always have that to fall back on. Nonetheless, earning Bonvoy Titanium status is quite easy for me, as I get 40 elite nights per year with co-branded credit cards, so just 35+ organic nights per year earns me Titanium.

Have I found Titanium status to be worth the incremental perks over Platinum status? I’m not sure, to be honest, because I’m also strategic about the destinations where I elect to stay at Marriotts. The way I view it:

• I do consistently get value out of Nightly Upgrade Awards, so I appreciate being able to earn 10 of those per year as a Titanium member, vs. just five per year as a Platinum member; in the past few years, I had Nightly Upgrade Awards clear at the St. Regis Aspen, W Muscat, St. Regis Venice, Gritti Palace Venice, King George Athens, Hotel Grande Bretagne, the Tokyo EDITION Ginza, the Tokyo EDITION Toranomon, etc.
• Most of my Marriott stays are outside the United States, and I avoid properties that are known to be bad with elite recognition
• I can’t say that I feel like I got many incremental “soft” perks for being a Titanium member over a Platinum member

So based on my experience is it worth going out of my way to earn Titanium status? No. But since I typically happen to earn it through my hotel stays (combined with the elite nights I earn through credit cards), the system works for me, for situations where I don’t qualify for Ambassador.

Bottom line

Titanium status is Marriott Bonvoy’s 75-night elite tier, between Platinum and Ambassador status. It offers limited incremental perks over Platinum status, including 75% bonus points (rather than 50% bonus points), United MileagePlus Silver status, Air Canada Aeroplan 25K status, access to more Choice Benefits, and priority for upgrades (at least in theory).

I don’t find there to be much difference in treatment otherwise between Titanium and Platinum status. I think the biggest thing I value is earning an additional five Nightly Upgrade Awards per year through the Choice Benefits program.

If you’re a Bonvoy Titanium member, what has your experience been like?