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FAQ : Marriott's "breakfast offering" explained, by brand and by Bonvoy elite level

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Old Aug 24, 2018, 10:27 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: PTahCha
Huge thanks to Horace for this list (which is much simpler to understand than Marriott's T&Cs!)

Daily Breakfast for Platinum Elite and Above

Six categories:

1. Breakfast for member + 1 in the lounge. If the hotel does not have a lounge or the lounge is closed, member can choose 750 points OR continental breakfast for member + 1 in the restaurant. A limited number of hotels provide 1,000 points each day the lounge is closed instead of a choice (Through June 30, 2024). Any of these benefits are in addition to the Platinum Elite welcome gift.

— Autograph Collection (excluding resorts)
— Courtyard (properties with a lounge only; Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America, the Middle East, and Africa only)
— Delta* (excluding resorts)
— JW Marriott (excluding resorts)
— Marriott (excluding resorts)
— Renaissance (excluding resorts)
* many Delta properties provide breakfast from an Elite Pantry as an alternative to a Signature Lounge, in which case the hotel does not need to provide breakfast for member + 1 the restaurant.

2. Breakfast in the hotel restaurant for member + 1 as a Platinum Elite welcome gift option (not in addition to it).

— Aloft
— Autograph Collection (resorts only)
— Delta (resorts only)
— Four Points
— The Luxury Collection
— JW Marriott (resorts only)
— Le Méridien
— Marriott (resorts only)
— Protea
— Renaissance (resorts only)
— St. Regis
— Sheraton **
— Tribute Portfolio
— W Hotels
— Westin **
** Marriott Vacation Club, Sheraton Vacation Club, and Westin Vacation Club properties are not Marriott, Sheraton, and Westin hotels/resorts.

3. Breakfast in lounge for member + 1, if the hotel has a lounge. This is in addition to the Platinum Elite welcome gift, which could be breakfast for member + 1 in the restaurant. No alternative benefit if the lounge is closed.

— Le Méridien (only at locations with a lounge)
— Sheraton (only at locations with a lounge)
— Westin (only at locations with a lounge)

4. Daily U.S. $10 F&B credit for member + 1 as a Platinum Elite welcome gift option (not in addition to it). Can be applied toward breakfast or toward other F&B purchase in the hotel restaurant or bar. Does not accrue over multiple-night stay.

— AC Hotels
— Courtyard (locations without a lounge only, which means most locations)
— MOXY ***
*** some MOXY property are more generous, providing full breakfasts to those who apply their F&B credits toward breakfast, with no additional charge

5. Breakfast for all guests included in room rate, regardless of status or membership

— Element ****
— Fairfield (except Fairfield Asia Pacific hotels) ****
— Residence Inn (NO breakfast at Residence Inn New Orleans French Quarter/CBD)
— SpringHill Suites
— TownePlace Suites
**** very few exceptions; check official hotel website

6. No complimentary daily breakfast, even for Platinum Elite and Above

— Design Hotels
— Edition
— Fairfield Asia Pacific hotels
— Gaylord Hotels
— Marriott Executive Apartments
— Marriott Vacation Club / MVC Pulse / Grand Residences by Marriott
— The Ritz-Carlton / Ritz-Carlton Reserve / Ritz-Carlton Residence Club
— Vistana / Sheraton Vacation Club / Westin Vacation Club

Note: This list does not identify specific properties that deviate from the published benefits. In some cases, exceptions are identified in the Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions or on specific property webpages. Exceptions are few, but can be an unpleasant or pleasant surprise, depending on whether the property provides less or more than the published benefits.Through June 30, 2024, the following properties in the United States do not provide free continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant in the event the Lounge is closed but do offer 1,000 Points in lieu of breakfast. These properties include:



• The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection

• Boston Marriott Copley Place

• Boston Marriott Long Wharf

• Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile

• JW Marriott Essex House New York City

• JW Marriott New Orleans

• JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square

• JW Marriott Washington, DC

• The Lexington Hotel, Autograph Collection

• Monterey Marriott

• New York Marriott Marquis®

• Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

• Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel

• Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel

• Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel

• Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel

• Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel

• Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina


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FAQ : Marriott's "breakfast offering" explained, by brand and by Bonvoy elite level

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Old Jan 25, 2019, 5:59 am
  #436  
 
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Originally Posted by bigshooter
This may sound stupid, but I'm really curious. Why does Marriott only give a solo traveler a single $10 Platinum credit at hotels like AC and Courtyard when a traveler with a guest is spending the same amount of money on the room? Shouldn't I be able to get the full $20 if I'm on my own paying the same as someone with a guest?

Are they expecting whatever is purchased to be > $10 per person so they make more on two people?
When Marriott sold this to or imposed this on CY's and AC's, a $20 benefit would have been a harder sell to its franchisees. I suspect Marriott sold this as most travelers are single travelers traveling for work, might not otherwise use the hotel for food, and will end up spending more than $10 so that the actual cost to the hotel is not that much. A $20 benefit would be a harder sell to the franchisees.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 6:22 am
  #437  
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AC has given me the hardest time with this benefit. Everyone gives you different interpretations. Each time I have used it, I ended up paying quite a bit out of pocket. Some say it includes minibar, others say no (after the fact), some say restaurant only, others say lounge and bar, some say must be used in one daily transaction, others say $10 per day (does not carry over).

It's more frustrating than a benefit in my opinion.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 6:27 am
  #438  
 
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Originally Posted by margarita girl


Worked fine for me at the SLS Las Vegas (Tribute Hotel). Doubled my breakfast allowance from $15 to $30/day. That was about 2-3 yrs ago, pre-merger.

If you said your spouse was coming in on a later flight, would they still refuse to give you the voucher?
I don't feel comfortable saying something like that.

I think it is dumb, but this was at a hotel where they knew me well and they still wouldn't give it.

Last edited by s0ssos; Jan 25, 2019 at 6:52 am
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 8:30 am
  #439  
 
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Originally Posted by C17PSGR
When Marriott sold this to or imposed this on CY's and AC's, a $20 benefit would have been a harder sell to its franchisees. I suspect Marriott sold this as most travelers are single travelers traveling for work, might not otherwise use the hotel for food, and will end up spending more than $10 so that the actual cost to the hotel is not that much. A $20 benefit would be a harder sell to the franchisees.
That sounds like a very plausible explanation.

I stayed at a Courtyard in Mississauga, Canada a couple of weekends ago. When I gave the Bistro my voucher one evening, the attendant stated it was for $10 off my bill (there were two of us registered to the room). When I showed her that it says it's for $10 for member + 1 guest, she said she'd have to check with front desk. Front desk agent confirmed the attendant's understanding, so I only got $10 off my bill. When I approached the front desk myself, and asked, why would you say it's $10 for the member + 1 guest if you're only going to over $10 off the bill?! She replied that this is what they have been told...it's $10 off the food bill, regardless of number of people registered to the room.

I took photos of the voucher and photos of my invoice. When I wrote to Marriott on-line to complain, they forwarded my e-mail and said the hotel's accounting office would deal with it. Over a week passed and I did not hear back. A few days ago I replied to Marriott's customer service e-mail, indicating that I would appreciate a reply as I had yet to get one from the hotel and all I've received is radio silence.

It's really not the $10 I'm chasing, it's the non-conformance with the terms and conditions of the program. The principle. What would you do to escalate this? I was an SPG Plat until now, and I would have turned to the Lurker's then to help get this resolved.

The property in question is the CY at 7015 Century Avenue in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 8:45 am
  #440  
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I stayed at the Courtyard in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with myself and one other person listed on the room reservation. I received two daily $10 vouchers, so $20 total.

It barely covered breakfast -- $18 and change, including tax, for a yogurt parfait and egg white frittata -- but the food was excellent.

I stopped staying at Courtyard properties last year so I can't comment if the menu is the same at every Courtyard property, but the egg white frittata with arugula and cherry tomatoes (made with real, cage-free eggs) on the menu at this property was better than anything I've had made by a chef in the restaurant of a full-service hotel anywhere.

I presume the vouchers included tax and tip, as the servers never handed me a receipt to sign and pay tip and tax.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 10:35 am
  #441  
 
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Marriott needs to do a better job communicating — with its Elite guests and with its 6,700+ hotels.

The marketing page for Platinum Elite Member Benefits at https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/mem...ts/platinum.mi says very little about the "Welcome Gift Choice" -- just "Upon arrival, choose points, breakfast offering or amenity — varies by brand." There's not even a link to the terms & conditions, as there is from the separate "Lounge Access" benefit.

How many guests actually dig through the terms & conditions to figure out the "Welcome Gift Choice" options for 29 brands, for geographic differences within those brands, for differences between hotels and resorts at some brands, and for documented exceptions?

Meanwhile, it should be easy for the hotels to know the correct benefits and to provide them properly. A given hotel only needs to know what benefits to provide for each Elite tier -- and much of that can be programmed into the computer that the front desk agents use. Yet we continue to read reports here on FlyerTalk from guests who receive less than the published benefits.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 10:40 am
  #442  
 
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Originally Posted by OMCA
It's really not the $10 I'm chasing, it's the non-conformance with the terms and conditions of the program. The principle. What would you do to escalate this? I was an SPG Plat until now, and I would have turned to the Lurker's then to help get this resolved.

The property in question is the CY at 7015 Century Avenue in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Snail mail is still a thing addressed to Arne but keeping it simple focusing on property refused the benefit, contacted customer service and they referred it back to the hotel, then haven;t heard anything back.

Twitter is also an option and the lurkers are here.

Please keep us updated
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 1:41 pm
  #443  
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Originally Posted by s0ssos
You obviously have not stayed alone. The front desk will not give you another one (at Aloft I tried)
smh So you were denied once and it is now universal? Most of my lifetime nights have been me traveling alone.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 3:42 pm
  #444  
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
I stayed at the Courtyard in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with myself and one other person listed on the room reservation. I received two daily $10 vouchers, so $20 total.

It barely covered breakfast -- $18 and change, including tax, for a yogurt parfait and egg white frittata -- but the food was excellent.

I stopped staying at Courtyard properties last year so I can't comment if the menu is the same at every Courtyard property, but the egg white frittata with arugula and cherry tomatoes (made with real, cage-free eggs) on the menu at this property was better than anything I've had made by a chef in the restaurant of a full-service hotel anywhere.

I presume the vouchers included tax and tip, as the servers never handed me a receipt to sign and pay tip and tax.

why would you presume tip was included?
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 4:04 pm
  #445  
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Originally Posted by 1973 Ford Pinto
why would you presume tip was included?
Because the standard white Marriott corporate vouchers always, in my experience, include tip and tax. The fact that the staff didn't print out a receipt for you to sign and charge a tip to the room also tells me it is included.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 4:28 pm
  #446  
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Legacy Starwood vouchers for breakfast always showed that gratuity was included FWIW
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 4:40 pm
  #447  
 
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Originally Posted by hockeyinsider
Because the standard white Marriott corporate vouchers always, in my experience, include tip and tax. The fact that the staff didn't print out a receipt for you to sign and charge a tip to the room also tells me it is included.
It seems to me that there's a big difference between a $10 F&B credit and a voucher for "continental breakfast with tax and tip included."

The former could be the daily version for member + 1 at three select-service brands. Or it could be the per-stay version at some full-brands. In either case, it's a credit against restaurant and bar charges, as totaled and signed by the guest. (It would be odd if the server didn't print out a receipt to total and sign, but I'm sure hockeyinsider is honestly sharing his experience.)

The latter is a pre-printed card at five full-service Marriott brands when the lounge is closed. Usually the hotel provides a full buffet or a "real" breakfast from the menu (not just a continental breakfast), but some hotels choose to give only the minimum to Platinum Elite guests. The vouchers make it clear that the tip included. For exceptional service, I might leave a few dollars more.
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 7:46 pm
  #448  
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Originally Posted by OMCA
That sounds like a very plausible explanation.

I stayed at a Courtyard in Mississauga, Canada a couple of weekends ago. When I gave the Bistro my voucher one evening, the attendant stated it was for $10 off my bill (there were two of us registered to the room). When I showed her that it says it's for $10 for member + 1 guest, she said she'd have to check with front desk. Front desk agent confirmed the attendant's understanding, so I only got $10 off my bill. When I approached the front desk myself, and asked, why would you say it's $10 for the member + 1 guest if you're only going to over $10 off the bill?! She replied that this is what they have been told...it's $10 off the food bill, regardless of number of people registered to the room.

I took photos of the voucher and photos of my invoice. When I wrote to Marriott on-line to complain, they forwarded my e-mail and said the hotel's accounting office would deal with it. Over a week passed and I did not hear back. A few days ago I replied to Marriott's customer service e-mail, indicating that I would appreciate a reply as I had yet to get one from the hotel and all I've received is radio silence.

It's really not the $10 I'm chasing, it's the non-conformance with the terms and conditions of the program. The principle. What would you do to escalate this? I was an SPG Plat until now, and I would have turned to the Lurker's then to help get this resolved.

The property in question is the CY at 7015 Century Avenue in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
You were ripped off twice. You were owed US$20 bor breakfast or about C$26. Please keep on this. Write to Arne if you have to!


Last edited by margarita girl; Jan 25, 2019 at 10:44 pm Reason: Typo
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 9:41 pm
  #449  
 
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Originally Posted by OMCA
That sounds like a very plausible explanation.

I stayed at a Courtyard in Mississauga, Canada a couple of weekends ago. When I gave the Bistro my voucher one evening, the attendant stated it was for $10 off my bill (there were two of us registered to the room). When I showed her that it says it's for $10 for member + 1 guest, she said she'd have to check with front desk. Front desk agent confirmed the attendant's understanding, so I only got $10 off my bill. When I approached the front desk myself, and asked, why would you say it's $10 for the member + 1 guest if you're only going to over $10 off the bill?! She replied that this is what they have been told...it's $10 off the food bill, regardless of number of people registered to the room.

I took photos of the voucher and photos of my invoice. When I wrote to Marriott on-line to complain, they forwarded my e-mail and said the hotel's accounting office would deal with it. Over a week passed and I did not hear back. A few days ago I replied to Marriott's customer service e-mail, indicating that I would appreciate a reply as I had yet to get one from the hotel and all I've received is radio silence.

It's really not the $10 I'm chasing, it's the non-conformance with the terms and conditions of the program. The principle. What would you do to escalate this? I was an SPG Plat until now, and I would have turned to the Lurker's then to help get this resolved.

The property in question is the CY at 7015 Century Avenue in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
It is annoying that this CY interpreted the T/C in favor of the hotel. I hope you firmly urge them to do it right!
It is the principle, not the pathetic amount.
I recently stay in 3 CYs, all in NY State. They all gave us (I & SO) $10 voucher EACH. In all cases, we spent more than $10 each, with the overage charged to room.
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Old Jan 26, 2019, 6:46 pm
  #450  
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AC Bellevue, WA today given three choices at check-in:

1) 500 points

2) $10 towards a bar tab

3) FULL breakfast voucher (zero co-pay)
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