Mid-Tier Hotel Elite Status: How to Get It and Is it Worth It?

Mid-Tier Hotel Elite Status available more easily than staying a number of nights with the hotel chain, and is it worth it?

Mid-tier hotel elite status can be nice, if you earn it anyway from work travel or via a credit card that you'd have anyway. It may get you a slightly upgraded room, extra points, and in the case of Hilton Gold,  and Marriott Gold, a free breakfast. 

But keep in mind that for luxury properties, you'll actually do better by booking as a TravelSort Client to obtain Virtuoso benefits, for those hotels that are Virtuoso members. That's because Virtuoso benefits include an upgrade if available at check-in, complimentary breakfast, and also a hotel or resort experience or credit, typically worth $100, for the stay. Even top-tier elites don't receive that extra property-specific benefit worth $100 for their stays, so it's always worth booking paid stays with Virtuoso if the hotel is a member.

Here are the best ways to earn mid-tier hotel status if you won't earn them by stays alone, along with some of the top properties of each chain that are Virtuoso members.

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Gold Elite Status

SPG Gold Preferred Guest Benefits: 

• 50% Bonus Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent
• 4 p.m. late checkout
• Upgrade at check-in, when available
• Welcome gift: Bonus Starpoints, complimentary in-room Internet access or a complimentary beverage

How to Earn SPG Gold Elite Status

• AMEX Platinum Card ($450 – $475 annual fee is NOT waived the first year)
• Spend $30,000 on your SPG AMEX
• Hold both the SPG AMEX (personal) and SPG Business AMEX for an annual credit of 2 stays per card, 4 stays total, and complete 6 more stays (award stays count)
• If you reside in Asia Pacific and hold a World MasterCard, you can register for this offer then book one stay in a participating Starwood hotel in the Asia Pacific region to obtain SPG Gold status. Offer ends July 12, 2015.

Examples of Starwood Hotels Eligible for Virtuoso Benefits on Paid Stays

• Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai
• Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville
• Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
• Hotel Imperial, Vienna
• Mystique, Santorini
• St. Regis, Bal Harbour
• St. Regis, Bora Bora
• St. Regis, Florence
• Tambo del Inka, Cusco, Peru

Hyatt Platinum Elite Status

Hyatt Platinum Benefits:

• 15% Bonus Hyatt Gold Passport points for every eligible U.S. dollar spent
• Upgrade at check-in, when available (excludes club level rooms)
• Free Internet access

How to Earn Hyatt Platinum Status

• Hyatt Visa Credit Card
• United Club Card

Examples of Hyatt Hotels Eligible for Virtuoso Benefits on Paid Stays

• Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow
• Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi
• Park Hyatt Istanbul
• Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
• Park Hyatt New York
• Park Hyatt Paris Vendome
• Park Hyatt Saigon
• Park Hyatt Sydney

Marriott Gold Elite Status

Marriott Gold Benefits:

• 25% Bonus Hilton HHonors points for every eligible U.S. dollar spent
• Upgrade at check-in, when available 
• Free Internet access
• Complimentary executive lounge access including continental breakfast for 2 at JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance and Marriott hotels (resorts are excluded)

How to Earn Marriott Gold Status

• Status Match: If you're a United MileagePlus Premier Gold or higher, you can enjoy complimentary Marriott Rewards Gold Elite Status
• Ritz-Carlton credit card ($395 annual fee is NOT waived the first year, but see Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card 70,000 Points and $200 Gift Card: Worth It? for offer with $200 gift card)

Examples of Ritz-Carlton Hotels Eligible for Virtuoso Benefits on Paid Stays

• Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
• Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
• The Ritz-Carlton Denver
• The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
• The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
• The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
• The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

Hilton Gold Elite Status

Hilton Gold Benefits:

• 25% Bonus Hilton HHonors points for every eligible U.S. dollar spent
• Upgrade at check-in, when available 
• Free Internet access
• Complimentary continental breakfast for 2

How to Earn Hilton HHonors Gold Status

• Citi HHonors Reserve Card ($95 annual fee is NOT waived the first year)
• AMEX Hilton HHonors Surpass ($75 annual fee is NOT waived the first year)
• Hold a Visa Infinite Card; see offer
• Watch for periodic promotions that make it easy to acquire HHonors Gold status

Examples of Waldorf Astoria Hotels Eligible for Virtuoso Benefits on Paid Stays

• Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel
• The Roosevelt New Orleans, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel
• Waldorf-Astoria Orlando

InterContinental Ambassador Elite Status

InterContinental Ambassador Benefits:

• One Category Room Upgrade based on availability at check-in
• Fresh fruit on arrival
• 4pm late checkout
• 1 complimentary pay TV film per stay

How to Earn InterContinental Ambassador Status

• IHG Rewards Club Credit Card ($49 annual fee is waived the first year)
• $200 or 32,000 IHG Rewards points