IMHO, Marriott is pretty darn good about posting Plat arrival gift points. I can only think of one time that they didn't. Starwood? I have a quarterly tickler in my calendar to call them and post all the missing plat arrival gift points - which is at least 50% of my stays IME. (& w/ SPG, 500 points is worth a LOT more than MR points.) With the cash guarantee, I find Marriott to be FAR more attentive to such details and much more consistent in delivering them. Starwood can give you incredibly great experiences as a plat, but can also hit you with lame recognition-free visits quite often. You will be on the phone w/ SPG much more than MR chasing points, I can absolutely guarantee you that. Marriott's highs aren't as high, but the consistency in delivering what they promise is incredibly good IMHO.