Originally Posted by
3Cforme
My point was that Starwood's benefit isn't guaranteed at resorts or convention properties. As a long-time SPG Plat or Gold I can point to many occasions where I asked for late check out and was flatly denied. To me, 'based on availability' at Starwood resorts/conf centers = don't bother asking.
I see no practical difference between the present Starwood benefit and what Marriott is now offering.
My second point was that I expect Marriott to be transparent in providing a list of excluded properties. SPG does not.
NO, if we exclude resort and conference hotels, we have the following:
SPG: GUARANTEED 4 pm checkout at no extra charge.
Marriott: Guaranteed late checkout (which could possibly be as late as 4 pm based on availability that day if all of the stars align on Leap Day and it's also my birthday and the moon is blue), possibly by only one minute, and posssibly upon payment of a fee. A "guarantee" that, as an extreme case, I could be told that morning that I may extend by one minute for $99, is meaningless as an elite benefit.