clarkef

Actually, an award stay is paid for by points which you earned through the program. For purposes of status recognition, award stays are paid stays.

seat38a

Read the whole quote snippet I posted from their T&C. My point was it could fall under section ii room rate and you did not pay for the room yourself, which would make it non-quaifying.

Happy

It is no different from when an point stay is booked for another person, but not the account holder. The elite benefit usually does not extend to the person who stays, but some properties are being nice to extend the benefits.

My feeling is, the benefit OP wonders about, is not an entitled benefit when the revenue room is not paid by the elite account holder. BUT some properties would extend the benefits anyway when you presented your bonvoy account number, like the OP claimed she got the benefits on a room paid by AA due to IRROP. It was only because the property is being nice to do so, and it is a Fairfield, a limited service property which may not be that keen in enforce the rule (no lounge and everybody gets the breakfast.)

Before Pandemic I know during a company annual Xmas party held at Cancun, with 3 nights of hotel paid by the company negotiated with the property, the property denied elite benefits to all the elite members who were at the party including the head honcho who owned the company.

nacho

I have also seen a Marriott brand hotel in Taiwan that has a discounted rate that would not give any points, elite night and benefits. I was a bit surprised to see that as I had never seen it before. I can't remember the name of the hotel.

I'm asking mostly because I would like to know in advance so I know what to expect (so instead of going straight to the hotel I might have a meal at the TK lounge before heading there), as long as they don't take away the basic amenities like tea making facilities I'm 100% ok with it.

I got good elite treatment at 2 Marriott brand hotels in Istanbul so I was a bit surprised to see this one is so different.

Maybe I will try to apply a SNA to see if it goes through and whether they will honour the lounge access that comes with the room type.

MSPeconomist

Are you sure their suites include lounge access? This isn't always true, including at some USA Sheratons I know.

puchong

I wa sonce accommodated at the Polat hotel by TK as a Business Class transit passenger and although the deal covered transfers & accommodation only without meals (not even breakfast), I got lounge access as well as restaurant breakfast - but that was in the good old SPG days. Goodness knows what Bonvoy would do!

nacho

From the description:
"Premium Junior Suite, Club lounge access..."

SHLTP

I don't think you'll get benefits but this is my suggestion - when you arrive, tell the front desk you know you are not supposed to get benefits but you'd greatly appreciate it if they do... And that you know you won't get the night credits.

I did this recently when I keynoted a conference and the organizer out me into a Delta hotel. When I checked in, I nicely ask for an upgrade to a suite because I'm lifetime titanium but know that I'm not entitled to an upgrade and am not asking for nights or even breakfast. The guy smiled and said sure.

The Delta Baoshan in Shanghai was gorgeous - the Suite on par with Ritz-Carlton in US in terms of hardware. It's in the middle of nowhere so I wouldn't stay there again but it's nice.

In my experience, hotels will often upgrade to a better room because aside from housekeeping there isn't much of an additional cost. Club lounge access and breakfast harder as costs rise.

platbrownguy

I generally agree with this -- I think it's clearer in the IRROPS situation that you're not entitled to anything. I recently stayed at the Marriott LGA on Delta Airlines' dime and asked nicely, ended up getting the $20 in bar credit and free waters that status would normally provide, but not a nicer room.

In OP's situation, I think the best course of action would be to open up the chat function in the app 2 days prior to arrival and send a note like "Hi, I am arriving on Friday, could you tell me whether I will have lounge access at your property based on my Titanium status?" My hunch is they'll likely say yes, but either way, you'll have something in writing so you don't have to wait until you get to the front desk to determine whether you should have stopped to eat along the way. I also think chat is better than calling because it avoids the language-barrier problems that are worse in spoken English than in writing.

myperks

the hotel for the TK stopover program is given upon arrival in Istanbul. (But good advice for other situations, however, even with chat transcript, it may not work if it is ultimately found the rate is not eligible on arrival)

platbrownguy

?
OP said the hotel is the Sheraton & that the reservation already appears in his Bonvoy app.

myperks

The time between getting the hotel name for the TK stopover upon arrival, getting the reservation number into the OPs Bonvoy App account (if no error is created), and getting to the hotel, I guess the chat feature will work for what you are proposing. (unless the stopover program changed)

but let’s assume during chat, the agent said yes to benefits, but later discovered upon arrival it was an ineligible rate, I’m not sure the chat log will be of any use for hotels that is denying rate based benefits to begin with.

mahasamatman

I have never seen nor heard of a AAA or senior rate that didn't earn full benefits.

platbrownguy

Again, OP says the reservation is already appearing in OP's account on the app. That happens only when there is a reservation with a reservation number tagged to a Bonvoy account. So this does not appear to be a case of assignment on arrival.

As for whether the hotel would disavow whatever it says in the chat, that's an edge case and, although anything is possible with Bonvoy, not something I would expect. I personally can't foresee any reputable hotel responding to "I didn't eat on the way here because your agent said I would have lounge access, look here's the chat" with "Please pound sand; Bonv°y!"

SPN Lifer

Unfortunately, by truncating the beginning of the quote, you have reversed its meaning.

OTOH = on the other hand
IIRC = if I recall correctly
IC = InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

So she wrote, exactly the same as you, that Marriott Bonv°y does not deprive AAA or senior rates of full benefits.

What our favorite FlyerTalker economist suggested was that perhaps InterContinental did so, though she wasn't sure, having been some time in the past.