I've long wished that Marriott would publish a set of finite criteria that make a place a resort.

If I get to a place that has a golf course, spa, beach, tennis club, etc., I just sort of know I'm at a resort. But there are a bunch of hotels that don't have any of these that just use the label to withhold benefits from elites.

I've honestly never understood the logic behind it. If I do 1-2 resort stays per year, those are likely the exact stays where I'd want any elite status I had to mean something. When I'm traveling solo for work to a city hotel, my needs are minimal: get bed/smoke right and let me into the lounge. The MR resort rules were one of my initial (and continue to be) reasons to be active with HH in particular and SPG to a lesser extent.