This year I did 2 "mattress runs": here's what they are and why I did it
The end of the year is approaching, December 31 will mark the point of no return, and from January 1 [...]
Marriott
The end of the year is approaching, Dec. 31 will mark the point of no return and as of Jan. 1, it will start all over again to obtain or renew status in major hotel chain loyalty programs.
In this article:
In the past we have written explaining what are miles run, today I want to talk about the race you can take to renew your status or get many points in hotel loyalty programs through the "mattress run", That is, the mattress race.
N.B. We are often criticized for using too much English terminology, but there are terms and definitions that just don't exist in Italian, and mattress run is one of them.
What is a mattress run
As well as in the miles run we talk about taking so many flights, making as many stop-overs as possible, in mattress runs you try to make as many stays as possible in the same hotel, or in the same chain, solely and only to accumulate qualifying points or nights.
The best bonuses
However, it would be better to say that the nights booked, and paid for with cash or points, are done solely and only to get the points or status and not because one needs to stay at that particular hotel and/or that particular number of nights.
One could read this activity as a waste of money/points, and it is certainly true. However, there is a different key: the expense incurred, whether points or cash, will pay for itself through the benefits gained from the mattress run itself.
The chase for status
All hotel chain loyalty programs allow you to move up a level based on the minimum number of nights stayed. It happens with Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards and Accor All, just to name the ones we talk about most often.
This is the main motivation so it makes sense to make a mattress run, that is, to obtain/renew status.
This activity, always keeping the economic investment under control, Is to be done when you are "close" to a goal and there is no certainty of passing it by the end of the qualifying period. For example, if you give the Hilton Diamond Level Hunt and we are up to 56 nights, it might be worthwhile to book in the cheapest hotel possible, paying cash or using points, the four missing nights, check in and then leave having the assurance that after 4 days you will be credited with the missing qualifying nights to cross the finish line.
The chases for promotions
However, there are also other types of mattress runs. For example. Those made to take advantage of ad hoc promotions as the American Express offers that provide cashback based on a minimum spend.
In this case, the choice might fall on a more expensive room, just to trigger the minimum spending required to get the cashback. So here, instead of booking two nights in a basic room and spending, for example, €250, it is better in this case to aim for a better room and spend at least €300 to get €100 cashback. Always remember, costing the room more, you will also automatically get more points base, plus bonus points and any other related benefits.
The chases for points
A mattress run could also be done just for the extra points it allows you to earn, linked to an ad hoc promotion, for example.
For example, the Hilton Honors program offers its members to redeem Milestone Bonuses: starting from the 40th night within the calendar year, you can get 10 thousand bonus points for every 10 nights. Here, to trigger the 10,000 points, it might make sense to book for two nights instead of one if the extra night allows the bonus to be triggered.
This is also by taking advantage of any promotions, such as the one active right now, which allows you to accumulate Qualifying double nights at each stay.
My mattress runs 2022
My two mattress runs this year were all to gain status in Marriott's Bonvoy program. The first was to aim for the Platinum Elite level, and since appetite comes with eating, the second was to try to move up to Titanium Elite.
In the first case, I tried to maximize as much as possible the promotion that allowed one extra qualifying night, each night stayed. This led me this year to book in the first part of 2022 almost solely hotels in the Marriott group, effectively betraying those in the Hilton chain. To get to Platinum I had to reach a quota of 50 nights and succeeded by being able to accumulate as many as 24 extra nights.
In total this year I am at 83 nights in Marriott hotels. As you can see in the summary I stayed 55 paid nights and redeemed 4 award nights. At St. Paul's Renaissance and to the Ritz Carlton in Cancun, hotels that is no longer in the Marriott portfolio since last August.
The second ride I took at a very nice, and very inexpensive, hotel whose review will be coming out in the next few weeks: the Fairfield in Kuala Lumpur.
While I was looking for a hotel to stay in Malaysia's capital city, I noticed this hotel that was bookable at a very negligible price: 35€ per night. In the end for my stay I had opted for the Mandarin Oriental, spectacular hotel overlooking the Petronas Towers.
However, I decided to stay one night, booking 6 in total, also in the Marriott chain hotel. Sure, you could see it as a waste of about 180€, but the motive was really to get several qualifying nights by spending as little as possible to move up from Platinum to Titanium and thus try to see how the experience changes In Marriott hotels when you have this status.
Mattress Run, instructions for use
- Always keep an eye on the balance. This is the first reward traveller rule, you spend as little as possible to get the most out of it. Otherwise, the game is not worth the candle and the banker wins.
- Taking advantage of the fifth night for free. Since award stays are qualifying, booking a hotel using a few points for 5 nights, for the price of 4 can help achieve the goal without spending anything but points.
- If it's a real vacation, or a staycantion, it's even better. As you can see in my two examples, one of my 2022 chase was ad hoc for points, the other was targeted by choosing only hotels in a chain during the period of a special promotion. PS given what gas and electricity cost, a week in a hotel might cost less than staying at home.
- In 99.99% of cases you have to check in., unfortunately, it's not enough to book a hotel on the other side of the world and check in online, almost all hotels still require you to stop by the front desk before you get into your room. And as we explained, there is also no The ability to send a friend to check in for us.