I think most people would like to think that their elite status with an airline or hotel group makes them special to that company in some way. After all, the travel brands thank their elite members for being among their best customers, so they’re the ones responsible for the narrative. However, once in a while we get a reality check…
When basically everyone is a Marriott Bonvoy elite member
We’ve seen an increasing trend among Marriott Bonvoy properties, whereby they have a sign at the front desk indicating how many elite members are either checking in that day, or are staying at the hotel that night. The sign usually says something along the lines of “we are proud of welcoming our Bonvoy elite members,” and then lists the number of each elite tier that are staying there that night.
On the surface, that might sound like a nice way to make guests feel special. However, in reality I suspect the purpose is the opposite — it’s to remind guests that their status doesn’t make them that special.
In the past, I’ve shared some of the most extreme examples of hotels with inflated elite ranks, and here’s one of the most extreme ones I’ve ever seen. In the Marriott Bonvoy Elites Uncensored Facebook group, one member shares the sign showing the number of elite members at the Sheraton Taoyuan Hotel, in Taiwan. On Saturday, March 21, 2026, those numbers were as follows:
Based on those numbers, you might think that this is the world’s biggest hotel, and it must have thousands of rooms. Nope, the hotel has 190 rooms. Just to do the math there:
- Guests in ~64% of rooms have Bonvoy Gold status or higher (130 of 190 rooms), and this doesn’t even include those with Bonvoy Silver status
- Guests in ~53% of rooms have Bonvoy Platinum status or higher (101 of 190 rooms)
Over half of guests having Platinum status or above should give us quite the reality check. For that matter, it’s fascinating how top-heavy elite ranks are, with there being 40% more Titanium members than Gold members. Nowadays the most “exclusive” Bonvoy elite tiers seem to be Ambassador, followed by Gold.
This elite inflation makes it hard to manage expectations
Suffice it to say that this number of elite members makes it really hard for hotels to manage expectations. Years ago when Delta devalued its SkyMiles program (we’re talking like 43 devaluations ago), the program sent members an email stating that “when everyone’s an elite flyer, no one is.”
The same principle applies here. While some elite perks are guaranteed, other perks are subject to availability, and ultimately you’re competing with a lot of other people. As a Platinum member, it’s reasonable to think that you should get a decent room upgrade. However, when over 50% of guests have that status, what can you really expect?
Similarly, how can you offer a decent club lounge experience when so many guests have access to the lounge? Not only does the lounge become a huge cost center, and not only does it cannibalize food & beverage spending, but it’s also hard to satisfy guests when you have so many people to take care of. No wonder so many hotels “temporarily closed” their club lounges during the pandemic, but they never reopened.
As you might expect, many hotel owners are frustrated by having to deliver on elite perks. I think some hotel owners are just greedy and want the upside of being part of Marriott without delivering on what’s promised. But I think any reasonable hotel owner would see the above and think “gosh, that’s a lot of people to give out perks to.”
The issue in part is that Marriott is centrally profiting off of swelling the elite ranks, while putting the onus on hotel owners to provide those perks. Go figure that some hotels then just stop providing some perks, and Marriott doesn’t do much to enforce its policies.
Of course the above is an extreme, and I imagine most hotels don’t have 50%+ of guests with Platinum status. However, it’s not that far off from what might be normal. For that matter, you wouldn’t expect an airport or a business hotel on a Saturday night to be that elite heavy. Instead, you’d expect these numbers at more aspirational properties, in places like Hawaii.
Why have Marriott’s elite ranks become so bloated?
The reality with Marriott Bonvoy is that elite tiers have become incredibly bloated in recent years. There’s not just one thing contributing to that, but rather it’s many things:
- Marriott Bonvoy lifetime Platinum status is really easy to earn, so Marriott has to consistently offer those benefits in perpetuity (or until elite benefits change)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status is incredibly easy to earn with credit cards; there are even credit cards that give you Platinum status just for being a member
- We’ve seen engagement in hotel loyalty programs increase massively outside the United States in recent years, in particular in China and India, which has caused major inflation to elite ranks for properties in India, North Asia, Southeast Asia, etc.
- Unfortunately we’ve seen a lot of fraud and other tricks for earning Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status, and Marriott doesn’t seem to be too concerned about shutting these things down
Now, I think it’s important to recognize that this elite rank inflation isn’t all bad news. In the past, it took a lot of effort to have high tier status with a major hotel loyalty program. Nowadays you can earn it so much more easily.
While I’d argue the value of status has decreased, the ease with which you can earn it has increased. Status does still offer valuable perks, ranging from complimentary breakfast, to guaranteed late check-out (at non-resorts), and more.
You can no longer really think you’re special for having Platinum status, or expect to get suite upgrades with any regularity. But if you’re earning the status quite easily, then you’re probably still better off.
Bottom line
Over the years we’ve seen the number of elite members with the major hotel groups increase greatly. This is due to a combination of factors, from lifetime elite status, to hotel groups increasingly monetizing their loyalty programs.
The thing is, often we’re not aware of just how many people we’re competing with for “space available” perks. Hotels posting signs with the number of elite members is definitely one way to get a reality check…
What do you make of the elite rank inflation we’ve seen at Marriott Bonvoy? And what do you make of hotels posting signs with the number of elite members?