Aloft: Standard rates get free breakfast, but not Bonvoy redemption?
Jun 23, 2019, 1:46 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 157
Aloft: Standard rates get free breakfast, but not Bonvoy redemption?
I just checked into the Aloft, San Jose CR, which offers a very nice breakfast buffet for free as part of standard rates. I was informed, however, that redemption guests -- I have no status, but redeemed points for the night -- have to pay for breakfast. Does this make sense?
Jun 23, 2019, 2:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,911
I just checked into the Aloft, San Jose CR, which offers a very nice breakfast buffet for free as part of standard rates. I was informed, however, that redemption guests -- I have no status, but redeemed points for the night -- have to pay for breakfast. Does this make sense?
Jun 23, 2019, 2:53 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 157
yes. It makes sense since redemption rewards by definition is room only. aloft brand standards do not include breakfast. This property just so happen to only quote rooms with breakfast rates. Actually there are lots of properties that do this. If you were at a property that has breakfast as part of the brand standards, I would contact Marriott customer care.
Jun 23, 2019, 3:06 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,911
I totally understand what you're saying, but it feels really "cheap" to me that the only people expected to pay for breakfast are loyal Marriott guests. They can do this, and I guess it makes sense based on your explanation, but I won't return to the hotel. I'd rather stay at a hotel where I feel like I'm treated fairly as a frequent Marriott guest.
I dont know rate rate ranges for hotels in the area, but maybe others may ask why are all rates are including breakfast when I don’t want breakfast and subsidizing others to have them.
Jun 23, 2019, 3:12 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: IHG - spire amb, Marriot - tit, Radisson - plat, Hilton - gold, Accor -gold, GHA - plat
Posts: 282
I totally understand what you're saying, but it feels really "cheap" to me that the only people expected to pay for breakfast are loyal Marriott guests. They can do this, and I guess it makes sense based on your explanation, but I won't return to the hotel. I'd rather stay at a hotel where I feel like I'm treated fairly as a frequent Marriott guest.
Jun 23, 2019, 3:44 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 157
Do I get a welcome gift? I did a redemption, but don’t have status
Jun 23, 2019, 5:29 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,714
One can’t really claim to be that loyal a Marriott customer if one doesn’t have any status at all. That sounds like more of a loyal American Express user to me.
Jun 23, 2019, 5:35 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 66
Pretty much every word in the T&C is defined within the T&C. It even includes a line that says essentially, Marriott can change anything they want whenever they want it's even in like the first few paragraphs, not buried way at the bottom:
"All Loyalty Program benefits, amenities, offers, awards and services are subject to availability and may be changed by the Company at any time without notice."
People REALLY don't read the T&C. I get that they're long, and boring...but you should really know exactly what it is you've agreed to before calling all bent out of shape about something, when it was in the rules all along. Just because you don't like a given rule, doesn't make you exempt, or special. I really wish Marriott would be more rigid about enforcing all of it's policies. Rules either apply or they don't and if they don't you shouldn't have them in place.
"All Loyalty Program benefits, amenities, offers, awards and services are subject to availability and may be changed by the Company at any time without notice."
People REALLY don't read the T&C. I get that they're long, and boring...but you should really know exactly what it is you've agreed to before calling all bent out of shape about something, when it was in the rules all along. Just because you don't like a given rule, doesn't make you exempt, or special. I really wish Marriott would be more rigid about enforcing all of it's policies. Rules either apply or they don't and if they don't you shouldn't have them in place.
Jun 23, 2019, 5:41 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 157
My point is just that the hotel de facto has free breakfast for everyone -- not from the little Aloft market, but a buffet from a restaurant in the hotel -- except for Bonvoy guests. This feels really weird to those redeeming points. They're free to enforce policies to the letter, but I'm also free to leave a two-star Trip Advisor review noting how silly and nit picky it is to deny a handful of guests breakfast.
Last edited by ajl1239; Jun 23, 2019 at 5:43 pm Reason: added detail
Jun 23, 2019, 5:45 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,911
My point is just that the hotel de facto has free breakfast for everyone -- not from the little Aloft market, but a buffet from a restaurant in the hotel -- except for Bonvoy guests. This feels really weird to those redeeming points. They're free to enforce policies to the letter, but I'm also free to leave a two-star Trip Advisor review noting how silly and nit picky it is to deny a handful of guests breakfast.
Jun 23, 2019, 5:49 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 157
That's your opinion. Do you think it makes sense for a hotel to deny a handful of guests a breakfast buffet just to make a few extra bucks? I don't.
Jun 23, 2019, 6:20 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,911
again, would you feel differently if there were standard rates without breakfast but only $1 less than breakfast rates? Based on your responses so far, probably not.
Jun 23, 2019, 6:58 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: AC E50k, A3*G, UA*S, MR Titanium, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 3,669
If they sell exactly 0 rates excluding breakfast, aren't they then required to include breakfast in redemptions too? I recall people getting all bent out of shape when Al Maha started refusing full board to redemptions despite not selling any room-only rates, and Marriott (?) Eventually made them return to offering full board + activities to award stays. As an LC, there was no brand standard requiring them to offer these to everyone.