Hmm. Maybe putting it in big, capital letters at the top of the page: DO NOT POST ASKING ABOUT LOUNGE ACCESS AT RITZ-CARLTON.

I'm not going to post telling someone they can't ask something & definitely not in all caps.

There are people that don't know T&Cs & yes, we frequently get questions on lots of topics that have been asked before - across all hotel & airline chains. It's been that way for many years on FT & will probably be again. But the questions/answers educate those that don't know the T&Cs/aren't yet familiar with the (fill in the name of hotel/airline program). The mods do a good job of moving posts or threads to existing threads and FTers do a good job of answering the question.

If someone gets irritated about a thread where the topic has come up before, the easy answer is don't open the thread.

Cheers.

Reading this thread I notice there is also no lounge access at the luxury collection. I have enjoyed lounge access at the luxury collection as an SPG plat. Is this another wonderful Marriott enhancement?

Technically there is no lounge access at Luxury Collections, but many LCs still offer it. Some don't. It's not universal, which is one reason the exec lounge sticky exists.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...worldwide.html'

If there's a LC that you have recent lounge experience w/, please post in the sticky & I'll update the property.

However, pre-merger RCs didn't offer lounge access or free breakfast to elites, so that has been consistent.

Cheers.

Wasn't legacy SPG's policy if a property, even under a brand that didn't have lounges as a brand standard, had a lounge they had to grant access to otherwise eligible elites? Hence why legacy SPG properties in Hawaii, like the Westin, where lounges weren't standard, gave lounge access?

No, it absolutely was not. This is a huge FT misconception that has existed for quite sometime causing people to get highly emotional about a benefit that simply was never stated or guaranteed in the T&Cs. There was only a handful of SPG flags that guaranteed lounge access as a benefit in the T&Cs, everything else was merely a courtesy. Unfortunately, I did not keep a final copy of the SPG T&Cs before they were taken down, but there are a few threads in the old SPG forum where William, the SPG FT rep, clearly quoted those T&Cs when the issue would occasionally come up. This was much to the chagrin and righteous indignation of many FT members.

Regards

Presumably the point is that these are rules that we're aware of for just one of 29 (or possibly 30) brands. I am reasonably sure that even amongst the obsessives on this forum not one person could explain the programme benefits for Marriott across all brands, geographies, resort/ non-resort and lounge/ non-lounge properties. Clearly customer support are even further away. When I was a Starwood elite member meanwhile I could have written you the programme on a napkin with a crayon and any diversion from that would have resulted in immediate action.

My head hurts trying to remember and figure out benefits by brand and by region. And by weekday/ weekend.

The US tax code is easier to understand

Thanks for the info.

Cheers.

Luxury Collection always provided breakfast and sometimes provided lounge access under the old SPG rules. Of course not all properties have lounges.

Under the new rules, Luxury Collection always provides breakfast and sometimes provides lounge access.

So no change for either LC, StR, or RC. Of course, some properties although managed by the same people have made the decision to cut out lounge access (I believe that includes the Nines in Portland and the Prince .... in Japan).

Of course, the lounge in a RC is very different than a lounge in JW/Marriott/Renn/Westin/Sheraton so the difference in lounge access makes sense. Breakfast, is another story and another thread to be started again soon :)

Good summary!

Cheers.

Although I wish lounge access was given to elites, I could see how it would be cost prohibitive at many RC properties. My only RC lounge experiences are hong kong and new orleans, but the food and beverage offered was a step above any other lounge Ive ever seen. If elites were given access they would absolutely have to go to lower quality champagne and wines. I dont expect free flow veuve clicquot every time I step into a ritz carlton just because I'm a titanium. It's just not realistic.

Valid point. But IMO they (along with Edition) are getting off too easy not having to offer any breakfast benefit at all.