bhrubin

I don't think it makes much difference in general. But there are some who swear by it because of confirmation bias.

amrando

hi all- just wondering if there is a network-wide, chain-wide or just local discretionary policy regarding the availability of room upgrades with status. I have been staying intermittently throughout the last year of COVID at some sites in various regions, and have noticed despite Elite status and the hotels basically empty, roughly ~50% of the time I'm not getting any upgrade at all. Sometimes they try to make a big deal of it, and sometimes it's literally not even acknowledged at checkin. There doesn't seem to be any consistency, and I would have expected that if I'm one of maybe 10 customers in the entire hotel, you're going to make a greater effort. Instead, the response has been multiple days without housekeeping and completely closed amenities and services. I understand the reasons for some of it, but you're still open, and you're still in the service industry. Put in more effort than simply turning the lights on.

Frankly, with travel ramping back up (and having over 7 weeks of vacation due now, thanks to having none at all last year) I'm inclined to book strategically at the locations or Marriott chains that have tried to make members feel welcome when we were there in the last year while the general public wasn't..

craigthemif

Welcome to Flyertalk! You'll find a lof of other members complaining about Marriott as well...

cfabar1

Company wide problem. If you find a place that treats you well, thank them and go back.

kaizen7

Bonvoy only promise that elites gets the best available room/suite at the time of check in.

The rest is depends on each hotel own management to execute.

Some hotels did their best to upgrade elites, some did their best to find the lamest excuses to not give you the upgrades.

DallasEsq

I don't count on anything until I get into my room. I've been upgraded checking in on the app a day before arrival, only to be downgraded when I check in to the hotel. It's fine since they may have sold the room and made a little extra money, but nothing is guaranteed.

amrando

shots fired.

amrando

Thanks for the responses folks, I feel a *little* better in context to be reminded I am a small fish with but a couple hotel tier statuses, having been SPG and now Marriott Platinum for a few years.

BUT - Logically I still feel that in the context of COVID when I was still travelling and staying, I would have expected that room-upgrade frequency to have been more frequent, or properties would have been more generous because they were empty. I can't even count the times I stayed at properties where there were fewer guests that night than I have fingers - on one hand. But in my experience, that was not the case - they shut down everything, AND became more reticent with upgrades (because they don't want to deal with housekeeping for the better rooms?), even though as a tiered traveler I should be getting more upgrades now?

Basically I was still out & about during COVID, why wasn't I getting better treatment/more upgrades than when the rest of the Ambassador world and their Titanium-tier dogs were getting all the free upgrades before COVID?


And I think the responses basically summed up my experiences too- the corporate policy says one thing, local operational policy does something else.

There were a couple Delta properties I stayed at multiple times where I was always acknowledged, and given a room upgrade. There were plenty of other Marriott properties of various chains that did absolutely nothing. So yeah, that hews strongly to the 'we do whatever we want' policy. Unless you decide to be a Karen and call them on it. Which I have had to do once or twice- broken A/C and being told there were no other rooms in an empty hotel, or housekeeping shortages so bad that guests were literally putting trash bags out in the hallway. To their credit, Marriott corporate/customer support did take responsibility for those with refunds and points. I'd hope they cracked the whip on those managers.

dhacker

Accidentally reached Platinum for the first time due (I guess) to Covid and credit card bonus nights and a few weeks of timeshare stays.

I'm looking to spend a night or two somewhere in or near DC for a quick getaway with my wife where a nice upgrade is likely. Any suggestions?

fastflyer

I got a nice upgrade at the St. Regis in Washington. Its business has been affected by the designated "permanent protest" block directly in front of the property.

goyankees32790

delete

goyankees32790

Can't speak to upgrades, but the M club at the marriott marquis is the best I've been to (pre-covid of course).

amrando

Hmm. Just tried to use some of my Platinum Suite Nights upgrades for a stay at one of the Design Hotels in Europe during my trip, and was promptly told "They do not participate in Suite Nights Rewards program". Uhh, W-T-F? Your brands can OPT-OUT of your loyalty program benefits? Well, holy ..... Let me remember not to stay with them anymore.. in fact now I'm seriously considering just cancelling my whole reservation out of spite.

TerryK

None of the Design Hotels participate. The opt-out is for entire Design Hotel brand and many other brands. Some hotels opt-out even though the brand participates.

This is better discussed here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...hread-182.html.

Kacee

Bonvoy is all about the small print.