If you’re looking to earn Marriott elite status, one of the lesser known ways is through holding events at Marriott properties. Marriott Bonvoy members earn 10 elite night credits per year on their first meeting, and then an additional night credit for every 20 room nights.

However, starting next year, Marriott will no longer be offering the 10 elite night credits on your first meeting as a standard benefit.

Beginning January 1, 2020: Members will no longer earn ten (10) Elite Night Credits for the first event of the calendar year with Marriott Bonvoy Events. This change does not affect the current points/miles earn structure. Members who hold qualifying events at participating properties will continue to earn one (1) Elite Night Credit for every twenty (20) room nights actualized up to a maximum of twenty (20) Elite Night Credits per contract.

Bottom Line

Offering 10 elite night credits per year for holding an event has been a great way to earn elite nights, however Marriott has likely caught on to this as well. In reality, you could find a meeting room for 4 people for an hour for around $100, and that would qualify as a meeting and you’d get the 10 night credits, so it’s likely that this change has been done away with by Marriott to prevent gamers from earning elite night credits without holding legitimate meetings.

With that, everything seems to be negotiable, so it’s unclear if this is something you can still negotiate. Marriott has several lucrative offers for holding meetings including earning bonus points, or even getting status outright, so it’s definitely still worth a try asking the property if there’s anything they can do for you.

Have you held a meeting with Marriott this year in order to earn the 10 elite night credits? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.

Hat Tip: Loyalty Lobby