On the other hand, Marriott may be thinking most legacy Marriott customers will stay at legacy Marriott properties and most legacy SPG customers will stay at legacy SPG properties.

Regardless, I don't know why everyone here loves David Flueck.

Last spring he and others claimed there would be a breakfast benefit. At best, he was confused. At worst, he was disingenuous, untruthful or whatever else you want to call it.

Beyond policies related to redemptions and categories, the breakfast benefit of elite status has turned out to be one of the biggest complaints.

Just look at this headline from a Marriott press release:


This was fake news. There wasn't "one set of benefits" under the short-lived Marriott Rewards–Starwood SPG–Ritz-Carlton Rewards unified loyalty program.

There also isn't "one set of benefits" under Marriott Bonvoy.

Instead, there was and is a loyalty program with multiple sets of benefits that depend on the property's brand, whether the property is located in North America or somewhere else, and whether the property carries either a "hotel" designation or a "resort" designation.

And here's what Marriott said about breakfast in April 2018: "The breakfast offering for Platinum and Platinum Premier members will be expanded to 23 participating brands, including Courtyard, AC Hotels by Marriott, Protea and Moxy, as well as resorts. For certain brands, members will receive free breakfast or an on-property food and beverage credit for breakfast or other dining options."

But there is neither a "breakfast offering" nor a "credit for breakfast" at some of these brands because what's offered is not significant to cover breakfast. Then, there are the many named-and-shamed properties in brands that are required to provide a "breakfast" in the restaurant -- not a "continental breakfast" and not a "breakfast snack" but "breakfast" -- claiming a muffin or bagel with coffee served at Starbucks or wherever is a compliant "breakfast offering."