The "grandfathered" Club Marquis Black cards were invitation only, typically by a hotel General Manager or above. They were offered for a few years before the Black and Platinum cards and levels were added to the Marquis program.

I got mine from the General Manager at the LAX Marriott, whose name I can no longer remember. He had been there a long time and was good friends with Mr. Marriott, Sr. I met the GM a few times in my then regular visits to L.A. When I told him how much I traveled and my history with the Club Marquis program, he "nominated” me without telling me ahead of time. I got the card about 18 months before the 50-nights Black Card was introduced.

I certainly felt special and was treated special when I got it. The perks: an unpublished number to call for special services, a very nice room service gift and a best-of-house room, typically a suite. In those days, all of that was quite a big deal.