Wish I saw this thread earlier! We actually stayed at the W Boston for my wife's birthday and she did receive a $25 GC about 9 days before her birthday, but I was not tracking her email so we didn't know we had the gift card to spend. Now that our stays are over, with no plans to stay at a Marriott this next month, it'll probably go to waste. Maybe will try a Marriott restaurant somewhere, but $25 also isn't a crazy high amount. I'm assuming there's no requirement that the birthday person has to use the gift card?