My experience has been that hotels without a "market" quite often will have a small "amenity" bag for Plats. It may have a couple of bottles of water and some cookies is all, but that is what they would offer.

And normally at non-FS hotels, if they don't make any mention of my elite status when I am checking in, I will mention it and ask about any possible upgrades (FFIs and CYs usually have some bigger and/or suite rooms they will upgrade you to if you ask). I'm not trying to find ways to invoke the Plat guarantee, so I will usually ask what my options are. Now if they have an option where they bring something up to the room later and they don't do that, then I might have an issue. But I almost always try a little prompting at check-in (for the upgrade if nothing else. ;) )

That rep is incorrect. I used used a free cert in Pasadena last month and charged nothing to the room but my 200 arrival points bonus posted automatically

That's right. I got my 500-point arrival gift even on award stays. Now that I'm a miles-earner, I don't get arrival points at all, so I take the amenity.

Bruce

They're quite common at overseas properties. I think the property also sometimes uses them for audit control purposes for their records (as "in lieu of" payment).

I remember them well and wish more properties would use them. Yes, it's just another annoyance, but if it helps the front desk remember to ask and reduces mistakes, then I'm all for them.

Imagine that. A telephone Marriott Rewards rep giving out wrong info! Reading about something like that in a thread here is quite unusual. Not. Unfortunately.

LOL. perhaps Marriott should consider using FT'ers as "secret shoppers" and "on the street trainers" ....

See, I have said it many times. The miles earner can't earn platinum points is bull ..... It's just a glitch of their software system which can't post miles and points at the same time.

Their hotel checkin system doesn't prevent them from giving me points when I am an miles owner, it's just the points don't post on my account.

I got the points on reward stay, because I didn't get any miles post, so the points went through.

most of Marriott's front desk associates don't even know miles earners can't get points. they had assured me many times the points will post or get converted to miles.

Just received EUR 70.53 cash at Renaissance Brussel.
I brought it to Guest Relations Manager and was offered wine or points this morning but did not accept of course.
Very smooth process, she was extremly nice so I did not feel like a jerk :D

Not to mention that my rate was EUR 120 including parking & breakfast.

somehow, i can't do that. I feel like I am a jerk, or the penalty money I get will be deducted from the associate who didn't offer me the choice.

there have been many times I wasn't given the choice, most of the cases they just gave me the points without asking. I usually waited till the end of the check-in process, and if they hadn't ask yet, I would ask them "shouldn't I get the platinum arrival gift?". A couple times, I waited till the next morning, and asked, they said we already gave you the points. They either totally unaware of the penalty, or had no intention to offer me the penalty. I couldn't press on to request talking to the manager or something like that. I would just leave with the points.

Platinum Gift Question
 

So, I checked into the FI in EVV on Sunday night. No mention of my status by the clerk when I checked in, no plat arrival gift mentioned, offered, etc.

As I go to check-out on Tuesday AM, I ask the front desk clerk for the $$$ as I never got a gift nor a mention of one. Desk clerk tells me they no longer do a water/cookies, and that everybody just gets 200 points. I advised that I was never told about this and that I think $25 is due. He pays it out rather quickly as he told me he was never told not to.

So my question is - should I have gotten the $25, or not?

thanks

..... if I shouldn't have gotten the money I'm going to pay it back - I don't like / want to scam anybody. In 15 years or so of travel I've only gotten paid out on the guarantee 2 other times, and both of those times was in the beginning of the program and both by the same Renaissance.

News to me, sounds like a local property decision, if indeed that is the case and not just some sort of FD cover up.

I really find it not worth the bother at the lower end of the Marriott chain to expect anything from being PLT and will simply ask to take a juice from the cooler when the forget to offer me "the gift" or points.

In my discussion with the FD clerk he claimed that ALL FI's now just give points instead of Water/Juice/Cookies.

Hmmmmm.

Not as of three nights ago... The FI @ SJC still had a stock of gift bags they made up on the floor behind the desk and they asked if I wanted points. I hate when FDCs make up a rule/change to justify them not knowing.

As to taking the money, the program rules read they must make the offer or the guarantee is due the guest. Granted $25 is not a lot, but will help the property learn to do it right.

I stayed last night at the BKK Ren.
I was not offered my arrival gift at check in.
This morning I received a letter message stating that they did indeed forget to offer my amenity.
I was running late and told the front desk I wanted compensation for the mistake.
She told me that since they did offer before checkout I didnt qualify.
I did not have much time and ended up leaving like an idiot.

I still have the letter.

A)Was I entitled to the $100 since they caught the mistake and offered the next day?
B)If yes to A any chance of me getting some points out of this? I still have the letter.