Originally Posted by
pinniped
One of the things I liked about Marriott several years ago was that the Platinum Welcome Amenity did not require "trading off" other elite benefits. It was just a cool little amenity - for me, a bowl of mixed nuts and a half-bottle of red wine. Although it was usually really cheap wine, I still appreciated it. Occasionally a property would shock me by providing a full bottle of a local wine that was fit for human consumption.
Then I dropped to Gold and kind of forgot about. But on August 1, I'll be LTPP, so I briefly got excited about the amenity again - only to realize that it appears that it's now a trade-off for other benefits in most cases. Is that right? Specifically, I'd have to trade breakfast for the welcome amenity - if the welcome amenity is even an option at all.
Whole thing is confusing...
While Breakfast was a choice at SPG properties, if you were staying at most Sheratons, thee was no need to pick Breakfast because there was usually a lounge and if there was one it was always open 7 days a week. I vastly prefer the say SPG / Sheraton did it to the way Marriott did it with no breakfast at Courtyards and no breakfast at some important full service Marriotts on weekends.
YMMV.