SPG Platinum 2016

After our stay the other night at the Sheraton Bucks County, we hit 25 stays for the year and re-qualified for SPG Platinum status through February 28, 2017.

This was our second time staying at the property, again for the convenience of going to Sesame Place right across the street.

The best perks of having Platinum status are (a) complimentary upgrades to suites and (b) complimentary continental breakfasts each morning.

Those benefits alone keep my family on the hotel elite status hamster wheel. What do I mean by that?

Well, first you have to earn status, which means staying at that hotel chain for 25 stays (or 50 nights) a year. That's almost 2 months of hotel nights!

Then to enjoy the elite status perks once you've achieved status, you'll need to stay at the same chain the following year. After getting used to the benefits, you'll then feel compelled to continue re-qualifying for the next year, otherwise, you'll just be a "regular guest" with no upgrades, comped breakfasts or late checkouts.

So you end up staying at this chain's hotels, just to stay more at the chain's hotels. Very circular and very clever.

But whenever you tempt my father with free food, you'll almost always get him hooked.

Congrats, Dad!