Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - How much of your elite benefits do you actually realize?

Elite status with Marriott comes with a list of "benefits". When you get up to platinum, there is a long list of them. But how many do you actually realize (i.e. can actually take advantage of). Currently, I am Platinum Elite. What are some of the supposed benefits I actually realize? (note that all of my Marriott stays this year, save one, have been at a single property. A full service conference center Marriott)

1. Platinum amenity. I always get this. Sometimes I get take the points, sometimes I will ask for the beverage and food amenity. Depends on my mood when I check in. But it's consistent.

2. Bonus points on my stay. This is automatic. It has nothing to do with the hotel itself.

That's about it. Now, what about all the other benefits??

1. Lounge access. the hotel has no lounge. If I were to stay at a FS Marriott or other property where I could get lounge access, it's most likely that the stay would be on a weekend, when the lounge is closed. This is a benefit I will probably never realize.

2. Room upgrades. To me, a higher floor or better view really isn't much of an "upgrade". I usually get that anyway, even when I had no or lower levels of status. Same goes with recently renovated rooms. I was getting them with lower status levels. And this past stay, I actually was put in an older room. To me, the floor plan has to change for the better to be an upgrade. Doesn't have to be a full on, true suite, but there needs to be a change above the standard room for it to really be meaningful

3. Free breakfast. The corporate rate we have for the hotel includes breakfast. When I had no status, they gave me little vouchers for the breakfast buffet in the restaurant. Even if they didn't, on a work trip, I would be able to expense it anyway. On a leisure trip (i.e. weekends), the benefit doesn't apply. Also, breakfast is included in many property types, and the free breakfast doesn't apply in all of them. I realize free breakie is a big deal here, but I am not much of a breakie guy on a business trip. I really don't care. I'd rather sleep.

4. The 48 hour (or whatever it is) availability guarantee. It's unlikely I would ever need to book a hotel room that close to the stay AND really need to stay at the specific property what was full. But I suppose it's a good thing to have in my back pocket.


anyway, that's off the top of my head without looking at the full list of benefits. Mostly, I am looking at tangible benefits while at the actual property itself. So, really, as Platinum, it seems the only thing I ever realize is the arrival amenity when I choose the food/drink option.




What are other people's experiences? I realize that some of you always stay at full service properties, while others toil away in a Courtyard or Residence Inn.

I have used the "force" before when a hotel has been sold out. However I usually am traveling with another couple and they are not platinum so if we want to stay in the same hotel, that is not an option. Hit and miss.

#1 yes

#2 yes

#1 yes - I moved most of my stays to FS just for that

#2 yes - pretty easy to get CL room or sometimes suites, esp. on one night stays. What is more important when I stay at the same property several times they are usually willing to pre-book me to the room I like.

#3 yes - same as second #1 above. I like breakfast. I moved from CY to FS because of it.

#4 yes - only used it once but it was a blessing because rest of my team had to stay pretty far out and drive close to 2 hours in the morning to the assignment when we had last minute travel.

I stick with Marriott as a Plat for really only 1 reason: bonus points. I've long decided that I should really stay at the best/newest property in a given area, rather than force a marriott even if it's old. However, I don't stay enough to spread over multiple chains, so that's why I stick with one, and I find Marriott's point valuation to be very good (versus, e.g. Hilton).

Breakfast: Frankly, I almost prefer when there is no lounge, because I tend to get a larger/better breakfast in the restaurant that the company will pay for. The lounges seem to be very crowded these days as well. On pleasure travel it's the weekend, so little value when the benefit doesn't apply.

Amenity: Always go for the points, Jeff. Always.

Upgrades: I always think this is great, but here are a couple of stories. At surprisingly many marriotts (e.g. Marriott Biscayne Bay in Miami), the suites have not been updated whereas the regular rooms have been. I often don't find this out until it's too late, as I did in that case. While I think it's fun to get a big room, I'm rarely if ever in it but to sleep. Also, for 1 person, it's not a big deal. Higher/club floor makes no difference, unless it's in a hotel where there is truly a view worth seeing from a higher floor.

48 hour guarantee: I used it 1 time, but I could have simply bit the bullet and stayed at another brand nearby. Whenever I've really really needed it (e.g. when a large conference is in town and all downtown hotels are full), the "guarantee" is null and void since it's a special "event".

Amenity: Always go for the points, Jeff. Always.



But I can get free booze! Hard for me to turn down free booze. :D

Yes, to all of them. 95% FS international properties. Breakfast at Thailand resorts (not a benefit per the rules, but they give it anyway) as all the other properties I have stayed at have lounges open 7 days a week. I have used 48 hours or more guarantee numerous times. It is pretty seamless booking online and you may not realize you are getting a reservation using the guarantee unless you look closely.

I realize pretty much all of the Platinum bennies.

Cheers.

I realize very few.

Bonus points--valuable since I value free nights highly.

Upgrades once in a blue moon. By that I mean a suite. Far more likely ex-US, especially if I ask for them. Stated differently--Marriott does not dole them out automatically.

Lounge access. Good to very good in FS properties. Free breakfasts are average most of the time--rarely hot options.

Free breakfast-see lounge access. The fact that this is not standard at resorts is why I give far more of my business to Hilton than Marriott.

48 hour availability: Used once--at an exorbitant rate in NYC during a major UN conference week.

Elite status with Marriott comes with a list of "benefits". When you get up to platinum, there is a long list of them. But how many do you actually realize (i.e. can actually take advantage of). Currently, I am Platinum Elite. What are some of the supposed benefits I actually realize? (note that all of my Marriott stays this year, save one, have been at a single property. A full service conference center Marriott)

1. Platinum amenity. I always get this. Sometimes I get take the points, sometimes I will ask for the beverage and food amenity. Depends on my mood when I check in. But it's consistent.

2. Bonus points on my stay. This is automatic. It has nothing to do with the hotel itself.

That's about it. Now, what about all the other benefits??

1. Lounge access. the hotel has no lounge. If I were to stay at a FS Marriott or other property where I could get lounge access, it's most likely that the stay would be on a weekend, when the lounge is closed. This is a benefit I will probably never realize.

2. Room upgrades. To me, a higher floor or better view really isn't much of an "upgrade". I usually get that anyway, even when I had no or lower levels of status. Same goes with recently renovated rooms. I was getting them with lower status levels. And this past stay, I actually was put in an older room. To me, the floor plan has to change for the better to be an upgrade. Doesn't have to be a full on, true suite, but there needs to be a change above the standard room for it to really be meaningful

3. Free breakfast. The corporate rate we have for the hotel includes breakfast. When I had no status, they gave me little vouchers for the breakfast buffet in the restaurant. Even if they didn't, on a work trip, I would be able to expense it anyway. On a leisure trip (i.e. weekends), the benefit doesn't apply. Also, breakfast is included in many property types, and the free breakfast doesn't apply in all of them. I realize free breakie is a big deal here, but I am not much of a breakie guy on a business trip. I really don't care. I'd rather sleep.

4. The 48 hour (or whatever it is) availability guarantee. It's unlikely I would ever need to book a hotel room that close to the stay AND really need to stay at the specific property what was full. But I suppose it's a good thing to have in my back pocket.


anyway, that's off the top of my head without looking at the full list of benefits. Mostly, I am looking at tangible benefits while at the actual property itself. So, really, as Platinum, it seems the only thing I ever realize is the arrival amenity when I choose the food/drink option.


#1 and #2 (arrival points and bonus points)
For most part, my reasons for not using other benefits are same as OP.

My biggest advantage is hoarding 50% extra points and hoping for a suite upgrade on multi-week stays (haven't had success here so far). I was in a cat 8 property in NY Times Sq for last 10-11 weeks and if it was left to them, they wouldn't even give me corner rooms (10% bigger room).
Hoping less busy properties would show more appreciation.

Lounge access. Good to very good in FS properties. Free breakfasts are average most of the time--rarely hot options.

Which property lately doesn't have a hot option?!?

I wonder that nobody mentioned the free Internet access - this is something of immense value to me when traveling abroad. No need to get a prepaid data card in the country I am traveling to, and not paying through the nose like 20-30 Euro per day to check your eMail...

Apart from that most of my travel is within Europe, and as such free breakfast is available seven days a week, which is very important to me both during the week as well as over the weekends given that on a business-trip I not that easily can expense that (different rules in Europe than in the US) and on weekends tabs can easily run up 100 Euro+ for breakfast alone for our party of three.

As to the other benefits, I have made very good experience with upgrades when I needed them, i.e. on weekend-travel with my family. In fact just recently when I did a weekend-trip I booked a regular (lowest category) room at 10am, eMailed the GM and on arrival at 6pm I received one of their suites...I did stay at that hotel in the past on business, but my last stay was probably three to four years ago, and I was far from a regular then.

So yes, I tend to realize most Elite benefits when I stay...

Greetings - Dirk

Let's not forget the $1000 Marriott cheques. Used those countless times for vacation fun, gifts for friends and family. Also, they are great when you really need those paid nights for the megabonus.

Can't get those cheques at a discount unless you are platinum!

I wonder that nobody mentioned the free Internet access - this is something of immense value to me when traveling abroad. No need to get a prepaid data card in the country I am traveling to, and not paying through the nose like 20-30 Euro per day to check your eMail...



Fair point. I forgot to mention it because the FS Marriott I stay in provides free WiFi to everyone. In the guest rooms and public areas. But that is a benefit I would get to realize if I stayed at another Marriott property that didn't provide free WiFi.

Let's not forget the $1000 Marriott cheques. Used those countless times for vacation fun, gifts for friends and family. Also, they are great when you really need those paid nights for the megabonus.

Can't get those cheques at a discount unless you are platinum!

+1

Especially when you can LNF the hotel that would cost you a nice chunk of points - say 120k and you can get those 5 nights for $500 or so.

My corporate rate has most often the same benefits as Platinum, always free internet and free breakfast and sometimes free minibar as well.

At Courtyards I would actually get worse benefits as a Plat than my corporate rate gives - corporate rate includes breakfast while Plat benefits doesn't.

It's not as bad as with IHG thou. There my corporate rate includes free internet but plat benefits often don't so I actually didn't get free internet there whereas my colleagues who don't have any status, got it. Marriott properties have at least this far been able to offer most of the benefits that status and/or corporate rate include and not just look at one of them.

To sum it up: extra bonus points are my only real elite benefit.

What about the friendly greeting when they tell you "thanks for being a loyal customer!" :)

although I don't see 100% benefits on 100% of stays, I consider them very nice when traveling with family and the bonus points, internet, and breakfast is nice when I stay where it's offered.^

I also agree with a poster above who stated the redemption ratios are fair. I've actually never encountered a problem being able to use points or certs, so I say ^^ to Marriott.

I wonder that nobody mentioned the free Internet access - this is something of immense value to me when traveling abroad. No need to get a prepaid data card in the country I am traveling to, and not paying through the nose like 20-30 Euro per day to check your eMail...

Apart from that most of my travel is within Europe, and as such free breakfast is available seven days a week, which is very important to me both during the week as well as over the weekends given that on a business-trip I not that easily can expense that (different rules in Europe than in the US) and on weekends tabs can easily run up 100 Euro+ for breakfast alone for our party of three.

As to the other benefits, I have made very good experience with upgrades when I needed them, i.e. on weekend-travel with my family. In fact just recently when I did a weekend-trip I booked a regular (lowest category) room at 10am, eMailed the GM and on arrival at 6pm I received one of their suites...I did stay at that hotel in the past on business, but my last stay was probably three to four years ago, and I was far from a regular then.

So yes, I tend to realize most Elite benefits when I stay...

Greetings - Dirk

Hello, can you further explain the above in yellow? You made a reservation and then emailed the GM to tell them what exactly?

Thanks - Mike

Free internet, free breakfast, extra points are what I use. LNF and 24 hour reservations are generally useless.

What about the friendly greeting when they tell you "thanks for being a loyal customer!" :)

Never heard them say that but I don't think I have missed much:)