Hi there,

I've tried to find the answer to my question here on FT and in the Bonvoy T&C, yet I haven't found the exact answer yet. This week we've stayed at a Marriott (full service Marriott) hotel in Europe. The booking has been made through the Marriott app on a standard member flexible rate, by one of my colleagues. The booking involved 3 rooms with 1 guest staying per room. The colleague who booked has Bonvoy gold status, one person does not have status and I have titanium and lifetime platinum status. A couple of days before the stay all Bonvoy numbers have been communicated with the hotel.

2 colleagues arrived at the hotel in the afternoon. The standard member gets a standard room. The gold member gets upgraded to a suite and is offered late check-out, finds a bottle of wine and a welcome card in his room. During the evening I check in, to be informed that my titanium benefits won't apply, because all 3 rooms are in the same reservation and it is not about who is actually staying, but who makes the booking. Late check-out: refused, lounge access (incl breakfast): refused, no upgrade and obviously no welcome gift in the room.

The hotel let me know it was not a qualifying rate, which is incorrect, but it might have been not a qualifying stay, because the three rooms were in one reservation.

I just agreed with their explanation that it is against the T&C to offer me any titanium benefits. I'm just curious if the hotel was correct. In that case it obviously makes sense to make 3 individual reservations next time, which would result in exactly the same price and the hotel honoring all individual benefits, because then it is 100% within the T&C. It would result in the exact same 3 people staying in the exact same hotel in 3 rooms, just like this time.