Dodge DeBoulet

When I stayed at the Springhill Suites in Arcadia CA, I didn't get doodly-squat. I wasn't sure whether they did the plat arrival gift thing, though (in retrospect I should've checked), and I was beat after a transcon so I wasn't really thinking about it.

Oh, well . . . is no gift at all worse than 4 Hershey kisses?

BigLar

No gift is lots better that the Hershey kisses -- about $25 or $50 better, in fact.

You march down to the desk in the morning and calmly request your credit for no plat gift. Might be a good idea to have the T&C's printed out, but they'll do it.

SanDiego1K

4 Hershey kisses? Oh, my.

These aren't on a par with that - but they are the reason I almost always take points now at full service properties.

• Renaiisance Sapporo - saltine crackers with cheese
• Cairo Marriott - nuts that were sliced thinly as though to put on a sundae

Those don't sound as badly written down as they truly were. Both were left uneaten in the room when I checked out.

Dodge DeBoulet

Might be a little late for that . . . the trip to CA was 3 weeks ago

talopez

I was hoping beyond hope that the 4 hershey kisses were just a nice-to-have and not the platinum arrival gift. Even asked the front desk this morning to describe what the gift should be, thinking perhaps that a mistake had been made. Would've loved the cash instead!

michelin

I stopped taking the gift and now take the points. With the gift, I felt the need to tip whoever brought it to my room (ice cream, for example), and realized this wasn't such a good deal for me anymore.

jonathansullivan

Interesting thing is that many of the hotels I have stayed at indicate on the selection card that gratuity for delivery is provided, or no tipping please...

While not all say that, when it does, I normally do not feel bad, but if it doesn't I definitely tip...

My $0.02

cyberdad

My vote goes to the bottled water they give you at CY and FI. I've gotten so much H20 that I've come to the conclusion Bill Marriott is out to have the wettest guests in the industry.

1st Runner up would be the bag of pretzels (often waiting right there with the water). Perhaps Marriott got in on the same deal with Rold Gold that all the airlines seem to have gotten.

2nd Runner up would be trail mix. Nothing says "thanks for the business" quite like an unidentifiable mass in a cellophane bag. Wish I'd have thought of that for my own customers!

I always go for the points at the full serv properties. Here's hoping they extend that (even on a smaller scale) across all the brands. I'd take even 50 points from the Fairfield over a bag of Rold Golds any day!

kryten22uk

I keep getting Plat arrival bonuses of 500Mr's. I am only Silver though. Why is this? Does this mean that I will be getting the other Plat benefits too?
Anyone else have this unexpected perk?

GPS123

If I were you, I would just enjoy the bonus 500 points and not make a fuzz.
As for other Plat benefits such as lounge access. How/who are you gonna ask? you know those benefits are not yours in the first place.

LPCJr

OP doesn't necessarily need to ask anyone. He/she could simply see if their room key unlocks the lounge door.

aquarius78

It is an administrative error with the check-in software, it is down to the frontdesk clerk to remove your P/Bonus since you are a silver member.....

U would not be entitled to any lounge access until you reached gold!

)

Scifience

As a Silver member, I have gotten the Platinum gifts at hotels numerous times. No bonus points, ever, though.

psychephylax

Could be a Platinum cancelling the room and you get the gift since they may be too lazy to go get it from the room.

aquarius78

Error made due to inexperience receptionist probably changed your profile or mistaken u for a platinum. dumb!