5 steps to a hotel status match: Don’t miss your free perks! (Updated Sept 2020)

Although status matches aren’t new, there are some recent changes to them due to COVID-19. In this article, I’ll cover how to get a hotel status match these days, as well as some updates to recent status match programs.

What is a hotel status match?

A hotel status match is when you ask a hotel brand to grant you free elite status for a certain period of time, usually 90 days. Why would they do this? Because you already have elite status with another hotel brand, and they want your business because you’re a frequent traveler!

But what if I’m not a frequent traveler? Can I still get a status match?

YES! You can gain hotel elite status very easily, without even staying a single night in a hotel. This is especially important these days, because most people aren’t traveling yet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gain elite status NOW for perks LATER when you’re traveling! Now for the 5 steps….

Step 1: Get elite status with ONE hotel brand.

To get elite status, you can spend a number of nights in a single hotel brand, or you can just get a credit card that grants you elite status. This is a common perk provided for having certain credit cards. (If you already have status with a hotel brand, skip to Step 2.)

Which credit cards provide free hotel elite status? Below is a list of credit cards that provide complimentary hotel elite status just for having the card. Note, many of these cards also let you spend more to achieve higher status, but this table shows the status you get just for holding the card:

I had elite status before, but how long will it last?

Currently during the COVID-19 pandemic, many hotel brands are automatically extending elite status. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that your status has been automatically extended. Most hotel brands are automatically extending status through at least the end of 2020. Check out the ultimate guide to hotel program extensions during coronavirus here for a current description of what’s happening.

Step 2: Pick a hotel brand for your new status match.

Now that you have elite status with ONE brand, you can start asking different hotel brands to “match” it. They’ll do this because they want your business, you frequent traveler you! (Even if you’re not – I won’t tell.)

Find a hotel brand you want to match TO. I recommend doing this one brand at a time because typically status match benefits only last 90 days. If you use Brand 1 to match to Brand 2, and Brand 3, and Brand 4 all at once – well, usually you’re not going to stay in all 3 brands within the same 90 day window. If you are, great! Just be sure you’re able to maximize your elite perks. Usually this is difficult across 3 brands in a small time window, which is why I don’t recommend more than one at a time.

How do I choose which brand to status match TO?

First pick a hotel where you want to stay, and determine which brand they’re a part of. For example, maybe I have a trip to New Orleans coming up, and I have my eye on the Eliza Jane New Orleans and the Waldorf Astoria New Orleans. (Both are excellent hotels as I said in my reviews in the links above!)

From there, you’ll learn that the Eliza Jane is part of the Hyatt program and the Waldorf Astoria is part of the Hilton brand. I’d then see what the elite status match requirements were for Hyatt and Hilton, respectively, to try for a status match with either of them. More on that below…

Step 3: Learn the status match requirements for that program.

Not all brands are created equal when it comes to hotel status matches. Some brands are more generous than others. Also, status match requirements and programs change constantly! Below is a current, complete list of hotel brands and status match requirements.

Use the links provided in the list below to see exactly what each program requires. Most of them want you to email them a picture/screenshot proving your elite status with another brand. Some of them have an online form you fill out. All of these matches are fairly easy to accomplish, just be sure to follow the instructions and submit your details accordingly.

Wyndham status match – now dead, BUT…

This used to be the easiest hotel status match, bar none, that would get you top-tier Wyndham Diamond status almost instantly. Even better, you used to be able to receive Wyndham Diamond status and then use that to match to Caesars diamond status, which would grant you a free yearly $100 dinner in Vegas and two free show tickets every month.

According to Wyndham’s website, this status match program is now dead. They might bring it back someday! If they bring it back, I’m guessing it’s in 2021 or later, after the pandemic.

BUT… You can still get Caesars Diamond status through January 31, 2021 just for having other casino status. And, you can get MLife status (MGM’s program) through Hyatt!

Caesars status match – still alive and well

Through year-end 2020, Caesars will grant you Diamond status through January 31, 2021 – just for having other casino status. Go here for requirements and be ready to present proof of status at a Caesars counter.

Having Caesars Diamond status is pretty fantastic. I wrote about my $100 dinner in Vegas and my free show tickets, which I got through status matches – and you can too!

Unless you’re a regular gambler, it will probably be easiest for you to use MLife Gold status to receive Caesars Diamond status. You can get MLife Gold status with Hyatt Explorist or Hyatt Globalist status. If you ARE a regular gambler, the link above shows you all the various casino programs that will get you Caesars Diamond status.

There are several casino brand credit cards that will provide automatic casino elite status, which can then be used to upgrade to Caesars Diamond. One example is the Station Casino Mastercard, which grants you Station Platinum status. Downside: This eats up one of your 5/24 slots. Personally, I’d rather earn Hyatt Explorist status and then match to MLife Gold, and THEN match that to Caesars Diamond.

Hilton status match

What you need: They don’t explicitly say, but as long as you have mid- or top-tier status with most other hotel brands, you should be able to qualify. Having IHG Platinum status (which you can get from the IHG Premier card alone), or Marriott Gold, or Hyatt Explorist, or Wyndham Diamond, or Radisson Gold status (which you can get from the Radisson Business or Radisson Rewards Premier cards alone) should all count.

What you receive: Gold status for 90 days automatically, meaning free breakfast and room upgrades. If you manage to stay 10 nights during the 90 days, you’ll keep Gold status for about a year and a half. Stay 18 nights during the 90 days and receive Diamond status for about a year and a half. If you don’t meet the stay requirements during the 90 days, you’ll still get 90 days worth of elite status that will then expire.

Link to submit status match: Fill out the online form here. You’ll need your Hilton Honors number and proof of your status. You’ll ALSO need to upload proof that you actually stayed at least once, at the other brand, within the past 12 months. This is a requirement I haven’t seen before; it appears to be unique to Hilton for status matches.

One other way to get Hilton Gold status: You’ll receive Hilton Gold status just for having the Amex Platinum card. However, you will have to enroll in this program through Amex. It only takes a few minutes to enroll, but is not automatic.

Hyatt status match (UPDATED Sept 2020)

What you need: Hyatt doesn’t make status matches very easy. If you work for a certain set of corporations – and they don’t tell you which ones – you might be able to get one by entering your work email address. Alternatively, if you have MLife status (MGM’s casino loyalty program), you can match to Hyatt status because they are partners.

What you receive: The corporate program will grant you either Explorist or Globalist (top-tier) status, giving you Club level access, breakfast, and suite upgrades. If you stay 10 nights in 90 days, you get to keep your status for about a year and a half. If you don’t meet the stay requirements during the 90 days, you’ll still get 90 days worth of elite status that will then expire.

The MLife-Hyatt program will grant you either Discoverist (low-level) or Explorist status. This is a straight-up match partnership, meaning you do NOT have to stay at Hyatt properties a certain number of nights to retain status.

Link to submit status match: Go here to see if you qualify for the corporate status match. Or, sign into your MGM account and then go here to take advantage of the MLife-Hyatt partnership.

One more way to get Hyatt Explorist status, only from now through December 31, 2020: Follow the three steps listed here in my post. Essentially, you’ll get Caesars Diamond status, then use that to match to MGM MLife, then use that to get Hyatt Explorist status. Limited time only!

Marriott status match

What you need: Marriott doesn’t do hotel status matches anymore, only status challenges. The good thing about this is, you don’t have to show proof of another hotel brand’s status. The bad news is, you’ve gotta actually stay there a certain number of days in order to receive status. You also must call Marriott to request a status match at 801-468-4000.

What you receive: If you stay 8 nights in 90 days (for Gold) or 16 nights in 90 days (for Platinum), you will receive that status after the 90-day period is up. This is different from the other status matches we discuss because you don’t receive elite status up-front. If you meet the requirements, you’ll get your newfound status for the next ~year and a half or so.

Two other ways to get Marriott status: Marriott and United are partners, so if you’re a United Gold or above, you automatically receive reciprocal status on Marriott! Check it out here.

You also get Marriott Gold status just for having the Amex Platinum card. You do have to enroll in the benefit, which takes just a few minutes, but it’s not automatic.

IHG status match

IHG currently does not offer a status match program. However, they have done so in the past, so it’s worth checking out IHG’s promotions page occasionally to see if they’ve changed their policy. For now, there are no status matches available though.

Remember that you automatically receive IHG Platinum status with your IHG Premier card. That’s a pretty sweet benefit for only an $89-annual-fee card. Platinum status normally takes 40 nights to receive.

Radisson status match

Online, there’s no Radisson status match page. However, if you email statusmatch@radissonhotels.com, in my experience you’ll automatically get a status match. (I got matched up to Radisson Gold, for which I received a welcome gift during my stay at the Park Plaza Nuremberg, a Radisson hotel.)

In your email, state your Radisson Rewards number, and provide proof of your status with another brand. I showed that I was a Hilton Diamond member – which I got just for having the Amex Hilton Aspire card. Radisson responded within a business day that I had been granted Radisson Gold status. Note, Radisson Gold is the highest status they’ll give you; even though I had top-tier Hilton Diamond status, they only matched me to Radisson Gold.

Accor status match

Accor hotels are best known for their luxury Fairmont and Sofitel brands in the U.S. Otherwise, they’re a Europe- and Asia-focused brand. And unfortunately, as I said in my Ultimate Guide to Accor Hotels, I couldn’t find any evidence that Accor has ever granted status matches.

Step 4: Receive your newfound status and use your perks to book!

Now for the fun part. Depending on the program, you should receive your status match sometime between 1 day and 1-2 weeks after requesting it. (Follow up if not.) Once you have your status, confirm it by logging into your account. Book your next stay directly through the hotel brand to ensure you get your elite status perks.

Elite status perks range from a free drink, to a welcome gift, to free room upgrades, to reduced parking passes. Make sure you pay attention to the perks of each program and know what they are, so that when you check in, you can receive them correctly! Sometimes hotels tend to “forget” and you have to remind them when you check in.

Links to the complete benefits of each program are below:

• Wyndham
• Caesars
• Hilton
• Hyatt
• MLife
• Marriott
• IHG
• Radisson
• Accor

Step 5: Repeat this process with other brands.

Now that you know how to do a hotel status match, do some more of them for future stays! Remember, you don’t want to try to do 5 status matches all at once because the perks will run out before you can use them to maximum benefit. But you could do a Caesars signup for now (if you have a Vegas trip planned), and then 3 months from now try a Hilton status match, or vice versa.

Timing is an important part of this game. Right now, make calendar reminders of important dates:

• Date you signed up for/requested the hotel status match;
• Reminders between 2 days – 2 weeks after you signed up (to follow up and check);
• Date the status match started;
• Date the status match ends (probably 90 days after it started, but pay attention to the program).

For those who already have either Wyndham OR Caesars status, note January and February as important dates. You need to keep “matching” your status between these two partner programs in January-February of each year, in order to receive perpetual status with both brands.

With this information, you can start to map out when you want to do your next status match.

Bottom line

Hotel status matches are an excellent, easy way to gain elite status perks for free. For only about 5-15 minutes of paperwork, you can gain some great benefits, at least temporarily!

I’d love to hear how your hotel status match experience went! Tell me about it here or shoot me an email!