Originally Posted by
Oxon Flyer
This table neatly summarises the levels.
Lifetime Platinum (not necessarily having any stays or nights at all to requalify) : Core benefits
Platinum [the so-called 'Plat Minus'] (achieved through 25 stays) : Core benefits
Platinum, with 50 nights - additionally : choose annually one from a list of additional benefits, which include 10 Suite Night Awards
Platinum, with 75 nights - additionally : 4 points per $ spend and You24.
Platinum, with 100 nights - additionally : personal SPG Ambassador
Note that there is
nothing at all publically stated in the SPG program terms that requires the higher-level Plats to be given priority treatment over the lower levels for the Core Benefits such as room upgrades. It's a hotly debated point on the SPG forum over whether they
should get priority, or actually
do in reality.
To this list we now need to add :
Platinum, matched from
all levels of Marriott Platinum : Core Benefits
That is technically true. However, being a bare SPG PLatinum offers
GUARANTEED SUITE UPGRADES based on availability. There is no discretion. If the hotel has a standard lowest entry level suite available for sale for the duration of your stay, you are ENTITLED to that suite. Even if a hotel doesn't give it to you, you are entitled to point out that mistake and insist, and you even can call SPG Platinum and get them to force the hotel to give it to you if you wish. Marriott doesn't allow or give that right to anyone.
Obviously, if a standard suite upgrade isn't available, any SPG Plat is automatically entitled to the best available room type. That can also be quite a substantial upgrade, and those happen almost 100% of the time.
There is a big difference between hoping for a room upgrade with Marriott a Platinum and being entitled to a suite upgrade with Starwood.
And even though it isn't guaranteed, my SPG Ambassador makes sure I almost always get suite upgrades....and usually far more than the standard suite upgrade to which I'm entitled.
Which is how I got a deluxe one bedroom suite at the StR Punta Mita over Thanksgiving week in 2015 while on an award stay!
Which is how I got a Marvelous suite at the W Bogota in Feb 2016 while on a paid entry room stay. And my friend got upgraded too for just traveling with me.
Which is how I got a one bedroom specialty suite at the Gritti Palace Venice in Oct 2016 on an award stay!
Which is how I got an Atelier Suite at the Excelsior Gallia Milan in Oct 2016 on an award stay--and was confirmed a month before arrival! And my mother got upgraded to an Excelsior room 3 category upgrade too.
Which is how I got a one bedroom Suite at the Park Tower Knightsbridge London in Oct 2016 on an award stay.
Which is how I got an Astor Suite and Metropolitan Suite every time I've stayed at the StR San Francisco for my last 5 stays...even for award or paid entry room stays. I'm already upgraded to a Metropolitan Suite for my upcoming stay next week.
Sorry, but SPG PLAT is far superior to Marriott Plat...and even Marriott Plat Premier. And there is no comparison at all for SPG Plat 100.