Longtime lurker, first-time poster. I've got a bit of a whopper of a situation, so bear with me. Not sure where to turn or what to do next, so advice is welcome.

I'm a Lifetime Platinum who booked a one-night points stay at the Jacksonville Downtown Marriott for 12/13 back in August. Wife and I knew we would be in the area at that time and decided to do dinner and a show at a downtown theater.

Anyway, here's the blow-by-blow, in three acts. Apologies for the length, but the details are important, I think.

ACT I
--I used online check-in via the app the night before arrival.

--Received room ready notification early in afternoon day of arrival. Arrive at hotel late afternoon.

--Approach desk, say "Hi. Checking in. Actually, I used online check-in, so I guess I am just picking up my keys."

--Front desk manager greets me.. Asks name. Takes him a while to find reservation. Finds it. Ask for ID. I hand him license. He checks it. Hands it back. Hands me single key. Mentions that on-site restaurant is open till 11 p.m. and will be open for breakfast in morning. Ask if I would like some water. And that's pretty much it.

--I ask him to code another key as I need two keys.

--I am thinking in my head, he made no mention of my status, my welcome gift or my guaranteed lounge benefit. Very strange.

--Hands me second key.

--"Thanks." I take a step toward the elevator, then turn back. I mean, I have no idea if there is a lounge or breakfast benefit, if I have been upgraded (I had), if my welcome points will be processed (clerks almost always take time to mention the points in some fashion or offer choice of other item/FB credit).

--I'm thinking in my head, "this is exactly when the $100 cash compensation would apply."

--I did online check-in, so I don't know if the welcome gift compensation applies. I assume it defaults to points, which is fine, so I don't mention it. But I do know that the lounge/breakfast benefit is guaranteed and was not offered "on arrival" as the T&C say. I also know that I have given the manager ample opportunity to offer those things and give me the boilerplate welcome spiel that every arriving guest gets.

--I say, as politely as I can "I'm sorry, but I am a Lifetime Platinum. You did not mention my status, a welcome gift or lounge or breakfast benefit. I'm pretty sure I'm due compensation for that."

--Manager seems a bit flustered, especially by my asking for a second key and then bringing up the compensation all in the span of a few seconds. He says "Sorry, uh, this was an online check-in so that threw me off."

--I say something to the effect of "well, that may be, but i do think I'm due $100 cash."

--Manager then mentions that they do offer breakfast, points and the standard welcome gift (points or F&B credit).

--Me: "Ok. But I still believe I am entitled to compensation."

--Second front desk worker joins in, mentioning that "We don't really have a set amount that we offer for compensation."

--I say "Yes, Marriott does, actually. It's $100. And that's cash. I can show you in the Terms and Conditions."

--Manager questions the $100 compensation, but says if that's the correct amount he can offer it in various other ways (assuming through points or F&B credit).

--At this point, I am starting to get annoyed. It seems neither the manager nor the clerk have any awareness of the $100 compensation for Guaranteed Lounge Access or the welcome gift. If I wanted to push the issue, I should have requested $200 because technically I think I was due both.

--I say "It's $100 cash. Again, I can show you the Terms and Conditions."

--Manager says just a second, goes into office, returns with cash purse, pulls out one $100 bill and hands it to me.

--I say "Thank you, I appreciate that." I am puzzled by the sudden lack of pushback but am pleasantly surprised.


ACT II
--A few hours later, during dinner at the hotel restaurant (Marriott burgers for both of us, excellent)., I get a call from a Jacksonville number.

--I answer. It's the front desk manager. Pleasant enough greeting, but he cuts to the chase pretty quick. He tells me that Marriott does not offer cash compensation for my issues on arrival and that I will need to return the $100 bill he gave me and that he has opened a case with Marriott corporate concerning the issue.He insinuates that I have attempted to defraud the hotel and that now his cash drawer is $100 short, insinuating that I have stolen $100 from him. "I will need that $100 back from you," he says more than once. He also keeps referring to the "welcome gift," which is not why I asked for the $100. It was the lack of lounge/breakfast access, but it's clear in his mind they are all really just one single benefit.

--I am flabbergasted. Truly. I am trying to have dinner with my wife before a show and a night out that we have planned for several months, and the manager is in so many words is accusing me of stealing from the hotel. I am offended and angered. I say I am not going to argue with him, I am at dinner, and can we please deal with this in the morning? He agrees.

--Unbeknownst to me, his "opening a case" meant the matter was now being investigated by Marriott's Loyalty Program Risk team, essentially because the manager told them he felt I was trying to defraud the hotel.

--Regardless, I am shocked. We finish our meal and begin walking to the theater. I immediately dial the Platinum Bonvoy line and ask for a supervisor. I get a supervisor, who mentions that yes, there is a case already open (requested by the manager). I vent. I tell her getting a phone call from the manager demanding the $100 back is absolutely uncalled for. I tell her I am worried about being ejected from the hotel, or having my card charged for the $100, or having my car held by the valet in retaliation. I cannot believe this is happening, and it's ruining our night. Wife is scared we are going to be thrown out of hotel. Supervisor assures me our reservation is guaranteed and we will not be ejected. She says it sounds like there was a miscommunication at checkin and that she will call the hotel to sort it out. She never flat-out agrees with me that I was due $100, but whatever. She does seem to agree that the manager calling me and demanding the $100 back was out of line. She then mentions they "loyalty program risk" team and explains the case is being investigated by them. I am further shocked, because now I have learned that I am suspected of some sort of fraudulent behavior.

--Attend show. It sucks because we are worried about what might happen in the morning.

--Return to hotel. Terrible sleep.


ACT III
--I spend part of my morning studying T&C, writing notes on the pertinent sections so I can show the manager at checkout.

--Skip breakfast, because the phone supervisor I talked to the previous night said that the property does not actually offer lounge access or free breakfast but instead offers a general F&B credit. I figure if we get that credit we can just apply it to our dinner. Neither of us is hungry, anyway.

--Approach desk for checkout. Manager says "Ah, glad you are here. We need to discuss this compensation."

--I say, "Sure. But shouldn't we do this in private?" Manager agrees. We go to an empty area of the lobby.

--Manager starts by apologizing,sort of, for the phone call the night before. Says he could have handled it better. .Good start. We are cordial. The first point I want to make is that the welcome gift and the lounge access/breakfast benefit are two separate things and I try to explain this, but he continually cuts me off. Again, in his mind, it is clear these benefits are all part of one package they offer to plats and above. Whatever. But again, I tell him, I was not offered anything at all. That's why I was due $100 (and perhaps $200) in cash.

--He again insinuates that because I checked in online I was not due any compensation and that "Marriott does not offer cash compensation."

--I show him the T&C which are pulled up on my phone. I show him my notes with each section of of the T&C that applies. He's not interested.

--I can tell all he wants is that $100 bill back. Which is insane. He gave it me. If he thinks it was a mistake, well, that's a learning experience. It's not my problem. But to continue to harass me for it is out of line. Especially a lifetime plat. I mean, come on. You don't treat any guest like this, but certainly not a lifetime plat. And I tell him to insinuate that I was committing some sort of fraud or a scam all for $100 is insulting. He says "Hey, people will do all kinds of stuff."

--He again says he is willing to compensate me $100 "If that's what you insist," but he can't do it in cash, only points or F&B. I tell him I am not insisting anything. It is a written Marriott policy.

--We are getting nowhere. So I flat-out say "You know, as a matter of principle, I am not giving you that $100 bill back. I can't, anyway. I already spent it."

--This infuriates him. He says "Ok, then we are done discussing this and Marriott can figure this out." He starts to briskly walk back to the desk.

--I say "That's fine, but I still need to checkout." I want a printed folio because I have no idea what sort of charges he might apply. He closes me out -- I think -- and prints folio and hands it to me. I look at it. There is no F&B credit applied to dinner. I know I am pushing my luck, but I say "The phone supervisor I spoke to last night said you offer a general F&B credit in lieu of lounge/breakfast benefit. You say you don't, but we did not use the breakfast credit you say you offer because we were under the impression that we could apply it to our dinner charge based on what the supervisor said."

--Manager loses his cool at this point. We are now standing in front of desk among several guests waiting to check-in or checkout. He says "We're not doing any credits for you. In fact, you will no longer be welcome at this hotel in the future." He storms back behind desk and into office.

--I am again shocked and flabbergasted. Unbelievable.He essentially told me I was banned from the hotel, and he did it in front of other guests.

--I get in car and immediately call Platinum line again. Get different supervisor. He says case is actually closed, but I relay what happened at checkout. He says he is opening the case up again based on what I have told him about the checkout experience. As we are talking, he says he sees that there is new information -- manager appears to be calling at the same time. He tells me in his opinion that it appears I should have received the $100 cash compensation. I tell him how shocked I am to be treated this way to be banned from a property for requesting --and receiving -- a benefit guaranteed by Marriott. I tell him I am not looking for further compensation but I am offended and that the manager should be, at the least, retrained, because you don't treat guest like this. He says the case should be resolved soon and I should hear from Marriott in the coming days.


Now, I am thinking more and more that I should indeed ask for more compensation from Marriott based on how I was treated by a manager. Again, apparently I was banned from a property and had my account investigated for fraud because I asked for AND RECEIVED guaranteed compensation and then was asked to return it.

Sorry for the length and thanks for reading if you made it this far.

But this whole thing is mind-boggling to me. What should be done going forward?