Spent the last few years deep in the Marriott Bonvoy points/status game, and after helping a bunch of beginners get started, the same 3 mistakes show up every time:

1. They chase points before status. Points get devalued. Status compounds — free breakfast, suite upgrades, and late checkout on every stay pay off way faster than a points balance sitting in an account.

2. They spread stays across brands. Splitting nights between Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt feels safe, but it resets your progress everywhere. Concentrating stays with one program is how you hit Elite in months, not years.

3. They don't automate the tracking. Manually checking stay credits, promotions, and card spend thresholds is where most people quit. The operators who actually hit Titanium/Ambassador have a simple automation stack running in the background so nothing falls through the cracks.

If you're starting from zero: pick ONE hotel program, set up tracking before your first strategic stay, and give yourself a real 14-day plan instead of winging it. That's the difference between hitting Elite this year vs. still being confused next year.

Happy to answer questions on Bonvoy strategy specifically if anyone's stuck.