Originally Posted by
ZZYZXROAD
Life Plat and PP here and have seen ZERO 'extra' bennies yet as PP. Not one upgrade, zilch. Me thinks if you spend $250.00 a night or more domestically then you can expect an upgrade regardless of status. My room rates are heavily discounted to about $100.00, maybe less, so that's the reason for no upgrades IMO.
Our corp rates are higher than yours - including some over $250 (San Francisco, New York, etc.) - and I rarely saw upgrades as a Gold or Plat. Ordinarily I'd say rate isn't a driving factor, although $100 is so low that maybe it is. In any case, you wouldn't be getting *that* much more if your rate was higher.
It's simply not an upgrade program. Most Marriotts have few true suites to begin with, and they don't promise them to elites. (Then again, IHG doesn't really promise *anything* to elites that I can tell, other than perhaps better points earning.) On the plus side, Marriott almost always gives me a "good room" - bed/smoke right, high floor, better view, that kind of thing.