Crazy for Promotions???

So I am headed for Chicago-land for a 5 day business trip today.  This morning my husband and I were discussing my trip and he asked which hotel I was staying in.  “Well sweetie, that’s a tough question to answer because I am in a different hotel every night.”

“But why, when you are working at the same place every day?” he asked.  The only truthful reply that I had was that I am obviously crazy!

So now I had to explain my reason for putting myself through the inconvenience of packing up, checking out, checking in, and unpacking EVERY SINGLE DAY this week…..”Well Sweetie, Marriott is running a promotion where I can get 2500 bonus points with every stay after my first stay, and Hilton offers Diamond status to someone who has 28 stays or 60 nights.  So I am trying to maximize benefits at both chains”.

“Why?”  he asked.  “Is it the “thrill” of going for these promotions or are you running low on points?”  Hmmm….I had to think about that one.  I don’t particularly find it thrilling to earn the maximum bonus during a promotion, but at the same time if I didn’t try to earn the maximum then I would feel like I let a resource go to waste. (Maybe I am obsessive-compulsive along these lines?)  I don’t really need the points, I have almost a half-million in my Marriott account – and this is AFTER booking several stays with points in the last few months.  So WHY am I doing this again?

The Hilton thing is a different story.  I requested Hilton match my Platinum status at Marriott earlier this year.  The reply I received did NOT make me joyous.  “We can give you Gold status for now, and if you stay 21 nights in the next 90 days we will give you Diamond status”.  OK, since I was just a lowly silver member, I was happy with the bump to Gold, but 21 nights in 90 days when all it takes normally is 60 nights (28 if your stays are only 1 night) in 365 days!  Their offer for Diamond status seemed like a penalty because of the 90 day time limit.  So to maximize the number of stays for Diamond status doing it the normal way, I need to have some time in between nights at the same hotel. 

I really would like to attain Diamond status at Hilton to compare the benefits with Marriott.  Due to Marriott’s Roll-over promotions, I have already earned Platinum status until 2012, so why not try elsewhere.  And just another 75 nights total at Marriott and I will have attained LIFETIME PLATINUM!!!  LOVE IT!! 

So this trip I am spending the first night in a Fairfield Inn (Marriott), which will count as my first stay during the promotion period.  The next night I will be in the Hilton Garden Inn to get a stay there.  The next night is the SpringHill Suites (Marriott) to get my 2^nd stay for the promotion – and the extra 2500 bonus points.  The next night will be at the Courtyard by Marriott – which I really hate but hey – another 2500 bonus points.  The last night will be back at the Hilton Garden Inn for my 2^nd stay.

Am I crazy?????   Probably.  All this LUGGING of LUGGAGE will probably throw my back into a tizzy  – which will serve as a good excuse to get a massage when I come home.

Sorry sweetie, you married a crazy person!!