abox03

As a relatively newly minted MR Gold, I appreciate the effort Marriott is trying to make. Before status, when i requested a late check out, it was accepted about 60% of the time, but usually only 1 hour. As a gold, I am 6/6, with times granted from 1-3 hours past posted check out time.

In any case, there is a trade off to late check outs. Elites typically stay in advanced rooms..the later Marriott allows everyone to check out, the later those checking in will have a room available and the fewer 'upgrade available' rooms will be ready. I think there are far more MR elites than SPG, so guaranteeing 4 PM check outs to all MR gold and platinum seems unreasonable.

I think for this to be successful, Marriott properties will need to be more stringent on allowing only elites to take advantage of the late check out.

Just my two cents.

rasheed

Yeah, the word guarantee is being used in a bad way. Very disappointing. What we needed was a guarantee of a time for late check-out if requested. It would have been okay if it varied by flag/brand (but a specific time for each one listed) and that it would be at no extra charge for elites who qualify.

There is still time for MR to fix this -- they have lots of social presence, so easy to let them know that there is really no guarantee here of value.

Rasheed

VickiSoCal

It's different because when I've asked in the past they've said to check back the morning of checkout. NEVER had it guaranteed on check-in.

slowly

As everybody is saying, either it's "guaranteed" or "based on availability". You can't claim both, that is a contradiction.

A system where the hotel has to award you 1000 points if it can't provide 4pm checkout would be much better.

MSPeconomist

.....but 1000 MR points are worth what, $5? For the guarantee to be effective, hotels would need to face something like the $100 cash penalty for not giving an elite the confirmed bedding type. In fact, I consider a GUARANTEED 4 pm checkout to be more valuable than getting a room with one king rather than a queen bed or two doubles.

mikew99

It's the same. Under the old policy, you could ask for late checkout at check-in or at any time, and the hotel is entitled to say, "We can't confirm late checkout for you now, but check back on the morning of your departure," at which time it would be guaranteed.

Under the new policy, you could ask for late checkout at check-in or at any time, and the hotel is entitled to say, "We can't confirm late checkout for you now, but check back on the morning of your departure," at which time it would be guaranteed.

I suppose the only material difference is that the hotel could say at check-in, "We can confirm a late checkout time for you of 12:15pm," but I would argue that this still pretty much the same thing.

JonP

To use the term 'guaranteed' is total nonsense. Do Marriott really believe that Elite members will be taken in by this type of 'spin'.

DCF

I get that Marriott has started to grasp that the greatest asset that it is acquiring with Starwood is its top level frequent guests and that they are trying to harmonise benefits.

But this truly is an epic fail.

It is so transparently bogus that it could not possibly work, and what do they think will happen the first time each SPG Gold or Platinum requests their "guaranteed" 4 pm checkout.....and has it denied?

They are not buying fixed assets. They are buying another company which has an asset-light model, and they have clearly just belatedly grasped that the top level Starwood elites are already starting to walk.

Hyatt, IHG Ambassador and AMEX FHR already have proper, genuine, dependable 4 pm late checkout.

Who on earth do Marriott think they are fooling?

MD/DC Flyer

While I notice the logical inconsistency between "grantee" and "base on availability" I will judge the result by the implementation.

I'm not naive enough to believe that just putting something in writing can change reality instantly. This kind of change is hard, both because it have real costs (e.g., changing workers schedule, reworking room assignment algorithm, etc') as well as being a culture change.

Until those could be worked out (and probably be incorporated into future agreements between Marriott and the hotels), the implementation would not be perfect.

It is a step in the right direction. As much as I agree it could have been communicated better, at least it shows some intended improvements, even if implementation will take some time to accomplish.

hhoope01

Never forget, as someone already mentioned, this is the same company that originally tried to "spin" C&P reservations not like every other hotel company has (i.e. some type of combination of points+cash for each night) but as nothing more than being able to combine a cash reservation and a points reservation into a single reservation #.

Note that after a couple of years, Marriott did finally come around and offer a true C&P offering. Now whether you like their current C&P offering and whether it is usable or not is a different discussion.)

But even so, I will wait on judgement of this "new" benefit until I have a chance to see just how hotels will be honoring it. I can usually get 1 or 2pm late checkouts now and that usually suffices for me. But I will ask for a 4pm checkout during my next few stays just to see what they say (after this new benefit is rolled out of course.)

OU812

Oh no, there is a big difference! Starwood states that at conference centers and resorts it is subject to availability. Marriott's new Guaranteed Late Check-out benefit outright excludes them! This is a devaluation of the old benefit which only excluded Marriott Vacation Clubs!
So after May 16 when an elite requests a late check-out at a resort, they can now refuse stating the benefit does not apply and late check-out can not be granted unless the elite is willing to pay a fee. Honestly, resorts are where I tended to use the priority late check-out benefit the most because I was either traveling with my family or attending a conference that ended shortly after lunch! Sure late check-out was subject to availability but as a lifetime plat, I was usually able to get an extra hour or 90 minutes! IMHO, this is a HUGE devaluation!

Regards,

RIP...

Regards,

RIP...

RogerD408

One thing to keep in mind, regardless what MR quotes, properties are allowed to go above and beyond. Just because the rules say no conference or resort properties, they still have responsibility to meet customer satisfaction goals. So ask, regardless, just don't demand, and appreciate if granted.

rylan

I'm not expecting anything different to happen on the 16th.
I'll ask about late checkout during check-in but its a sure bet that I'll be told to inquire about late checkout on the morning of departure.

I've never had an issue getting 12 or 1pm checkout via the above method, however I don't like that resorts are now excluded (there are a LOT of 'resort' properties that really aren't, so I wonder if they'll deny late checkout now). Any what is a 'convention' hotel... just one near a convention center? Or one with a convention in progress in the area? Thats most city hotels.

pinniped

Within Marriott, it seems like properties are allowed to do whatever they want regarding adhering to Marriott Rewards rules - both good and bad.

And regarding total # of elites: I don't think this is the problem. Marriott has "defended" the integrity of Platinum far better than most other chains. I'd venture to guess that 99.9% of Marriott Platinums actually do 50+ nights per year in the hotels. Considering you can reach the equivalent tier in pretty much every other program much faster - 23 nights in Starwood, zero nights in Hilton, low 20's (I think?) in Hyatt - I don't think the qualification level is the problem.

I'm not sure if the ratio of total room-nights available to total room-nights stayed by Platinums is all that different between SPG and Marriott. Marriott's just a much more massive program in general.

Besides, the rate of Platinumness is probably *highest* at the city business hotels that are neither convention hotels nor resorts. Yet those are the properties where they actually do a pretty decent job (usually) of honoring elite benefits.

MSPeconomist

The being willing to pay a fee part is not new for Marriott. At a NONRESORT property I was told (as a PP and LTP) that late checkout was not available, but I could have it for $99. This was a hotel that was going to be pretty empty that night and I was not part of a conference/convention, nor was it a convention hotel.