lsquare

There is no way Marriott would agree to a $450 Aspire version of the Brilliant. It just doesn't make any sense. I do agree with you that the Brilliant is actually a terrible card to use at Marriott hotels. That's why I also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, and AMEX Platinum in my card lineup.

jamesteroh

I never remembered Marriott gold getting free breakfast. I'm surprised Hilton still gives their golds free breakfast seeing no other chain mid-teir does.

Before the SPG merger though I don't think use Marriott's outside the Courtyard in Toronto and then the AAA rate was usually the cheapest and included a very nice buffet breakfast then.

I always used SPG for my other stays pre merger due to the Delta crossover agreement. It was great getting the bonus delta miles plus the 4 p.m. guaranteed checkout and the spg's top teirs got a shot at upgrades and other benefits on Delta. Wish Marriott and Delta would have continued that benefit and Marriott would be getting a lot more stays from me.

DELee

I give up. Perhaps we should ask the moderators to retitle the thread: "Only credit cards matter, not elite status"

David

eponymous_coward

Gold Devaluation: Any way to keep my lounge access?

And, well, it’s something fairly inexpensive that promotes loyalty. Again, the higher status you have the more you spend with Hilton. They see it in their bottom line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DELee

I give up. Perhaps we should ask the moderators to retitle the thread: "Only credit cards matter, not elite status"

What matters for the hotel chain is hotel chains and franchisees making money. The chain only cares about status inasmuch as it helps their bottom line.

“But I’m a diamond guest”, I guess…

econ

In pre-covid times I would have, but not in this environment where lounges are closed, breakfast options are minimal, and some hotels are not even honoring published elite benefits.

enviroian

Agree about Hamptons. I have been upgraded many times to a suite...i believe there are Hampton Inn and then there are Hampton Inn & Suites properties if I'm not mistaken.

WasKnown

Unlike Hilton, Marriott guarantees late check-out at non-resort properties. 2 PM late check-out for the wildly proliferated Bonvoy Gold (Bonvoy Brilliant, Ritz Carlton Card, Amex Platinum, RewardsPlus, etc) seems strategic as 3 PM check-in is standard (though I’ve seen 4 PM at US properties). Even that 1 hour gap may be too short for certain properties. Guaranteeing anyone with a specific credit card can stay past standard check-in would not be popular with franchisees. If they made Bonvoy Platinum as accessible as Honors Diamond, I would expect them to weaken it to Diamond’s level (no guarantee, subject to availability).

jamesteroh

And same with Hyatt and Hyatt just got a stay a couple days ago due to their guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout time from me that I would have rather given Hilton.

Not sure if they will ever give out Plat at Marriott anyway with a credit card. I thought that was the purpose of introducing plat a few years ago, to distinguish credit card gold from people who stayed and the requirements for Plat at Marriott were the same as gold used to be.

If Hilton wants to go with rewarding their credit card holders the same way they do for people who stay 60+ nights a year in their hotel that is fine, I'll just get a Hilton credit card until I have enougb nights for lifetime diamond and just concentrate my stays at Hyatt to keep status there.

Even IC gives a guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout

If someone is staying 60+ nights a year the least Hilton could do is store bags for those guests until 4 if they won't guarantee a late checkout. The final straw for me in DC was when the Washington Hilton, where I used to stay at a lot, wouldn't give me a checkout past 1 and I had to have them hold my bags until 3 for a flight and got charged for it. I like the location of the Washington Hilton and loved the exec lounge but Hyatt gives me a 4 p.m. checkout and I don't have to deal with paying to store my bags and waiting in line and also have access to the room if I want to use the fitness center or go for a long walk and want to shower and change before heading to the airport.

Herb687

2pm late checkout is NOT guaranteed for Bonvoy Gold. It is "subject to availability." Given pushback that Plats often receive for 4pm checkouts which are guaranteed, I would assume that Bonvoy Golds will almost never see late checkouts.

Remember, a benefit that is subject to availability is no benefit at all.

lsquare

Yep.

WasKnown

You’re right! My mistake. I knew 4 PM was guaranteed for Plat and assumed 2 PM was guaranteed for Gold. The lack of guaranteed check-out for Bonvoy Gold (just like Honors Diamond) members only makes me more confident that Marriott would devalue Platinum late check-out if they fully gave it out through credit cards. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both Marriott’s credit card status (Gold) and Hilton’s credit card status (Diamond) both cannot offer guaranteed late check-out.

I have had 0 issues with late check-outs so far with Bonvoy Titanium and even have a late check-out confirmed in the app a month in advance for a hotel in NYC. Reading the Hilton late check-out thread has convinced me to never book a Hilton whenever I need late check-out lol. If Hilton doesn’t want to award suite upgrade certificates to head-in-bed elites, it might be helpful for them to offer late check-outs at least lol.



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Also, I went through my projected points earn and burn for 2021… 1.3 million Bonvoy, 75K World of Hyatt, and 50K United. People often talk about the points bonus perk of elite status as something insignificant but I reckon elite points bonuses have provided me with a significant amount of value this year. This accelerated elite earning is the only aspect where Hilton Honors is ahead of World of Hyatt and Marriott Bonvoy (in terms of % bonus). To me, this only feeds into my idea that Hilton cares more about loyalty reward than they do about loyalty recognition. I really wonder what % of normal people actually care value things like suite upgrades and late check-out over faster earning toward “free” hotel nights.

jamesteroh

Never knew it wasnt' a stated benefit. I guess I just always assumed it was since I've never had an issue getting it at a marriott.

jamesteroh

I've never had an issue getting a 2 p.m. checkout with Marriott but haven't stayed with them since Covid.

Hilton was stingy wiht late check outs years before giving out the status like candy and it was never a stated benefit.

I like earning poitns but like Skypeso's, Hilton keeps devluing them. I really don't care about upgrades on work trips or weekend get aways but the suite certs from Hyatt are nice to use on vacations and would love to have them with Hilton for overseas vacations. Late checkout is an important benefit for me and one I would use a lot on work trips.

evergrn

To me, Diamond is worth having over Gold if staying even just couple nights a year at an EL property in Asia. But if you’re not traveling to Asia, then the merits of Diamond over Gold are so minimal that the question then just becomes whether you feel the additional $350/yr of Aspire is worthwhile to you. I will go with the Surpass until I know I can start traveling to Asia again.

Chances of you missing out on upgrade due to you being Gold rather than Diamond are pretty negligible. As it is, I rarely get upgraded in USA as a Diamond. Diamond parking spaces are worth nothing to me. The difference in earning bonuses between those two statuses are minimal.

Breakfast benefits have become severely devalued since the pandemic, but that does not impact the Diamond vs Gold discussion and I feel $95/yr to maintain Gold is a no-brainer esp if you don’t have another card that gives you PP or grocery bonus pts.

Yes I am talking Honors status tiers synonymously with AMEx products, but that’s the way it is.

SPN Lifer

In August 2018, Marriott Bonv°y simply changed the names of Platinum to Titanium (75 nights), Gold to Platinum (50 nights), and then created a new, lower-grade Gold (25 nights) (no free breakfast), leaving Silver (10 nights) unchanged.