You are correct.

Huh? How does getting the room you reserved deviate from the expected experience? If you "expect" an upgrade, then your expectations are not aligned with the rules of the program. As noted above, if I expect to be worshiped as a PP god when I walk through the door, should I complain when I'm not?

No clue how the McD reference has any relevance here - OP said the room was to normal standards and lounge access was provided - as one would expect from reading the program rules and policies.

Nothing wrong at all with your situation being unsatisfactory. In fact, i feel like you've been using a wiretap on my own life! I've given this same rant and multiple others to anyone that will listen. HA!

I've made a few comments throught the FT boards on different threads at just how disappointing the MR program has been since i made PP.

In a nutshell - when i was platinum, i took everything with stride and upgrades were cool, points were cool - etc. it was just a "nice status". But since Marriott took the action to designate me with a secret status of PP (again - i didn't ask for it and none of truly know how you qualify, so MR made the distinction for me/us!) ... i have seen nothing different.

And that is a valid 'gripe' to point out. You can't give someone a special tier and not expect something to change. They've now made my rollover nights change - and that is the only variable i've seen different since PP. No new benefits, no new points, nothing. I actually found an email to MR finally get received and i had a very productive conversation with a big shot in the MR dept and she was very courteous and finally "listened". unfortunately - no change. Your boston situation is all too familiar to me - and i'm at 159 nights in a hotel (head on pillow) and being not given anything finally made me ask her to just drop me back down to a Platinum, so i wouldn't expect too much anymore. And then she said she couldn't - and that was equally confusing.

Anyway - sorry for the novel here, it's early AM and i'm on a ORD layover eating bad breakfast tacos and killing time.

But i wanted to tell the OP, that i feel his pain and i don't think he's whining, but unfortunately, any attempts here on my side have gone futile to remedy anything.

Good luck!

I think this is a poor(judgemental) call. As mentioned above if Platinum Prefered-a status that Marriott Rewards has created to designate its top customers-means nothing than why bother? And that is why they need to be treated as top guests.A preblocked upgrade to the best room(note I said room-not suite as the OP has not asked for a suite)should be standard practice.

If a pproperty falls short then this needs to be brought the attention of all parties that can work towards improving this shortfall and I urge all of Marriott's loyal custommers to help Marriott maintain a standard of customer service and loyalty recognition.

Some of us will just have to disagree. Marriott performed in accordance with published MR benefits in this case. IMO, if you're getting some kind of self esteem stroke off a FF program, then maybe your mom and dad have some parenting left to do.

My point is DJ and I have been around FT for many years - I've gotten to know his/her personality as well as anyone can from an online board - his/her expectations have never seemed to me to be over the top (infact I believe he/she is extremely fair in their point of view) and while I haven't a clue what the operational issues might have been, to me there were a few things in his post which made it sound as if something might have happened such as a "blown block" which is why I recommend he share his story with the GM - again it's not that he only received what he reserved but at the very least he saw that he was upgraded only to receive a standard room upon arrival so an explanation might help understand exactly what occurred

I'm not sure I believe this property "falls short" versus an exception in this situation but I do agree with the rest of your post

Was the room actually a standard room or was it one of the "city/harbor" view rooms at the Boston Renaissance Waterfront? Those view rooms would probably be considered an upgrade as they sell for $20/$30 more.

Your post could be considered by some to be a personal attack.It is over the line of civil discourse IMO.

As a Plat, my expectations are never high when checking into any Marriott. Probably what happened in DJ's case was some Plat or Gold checking in before him whined about not being on the CL, so some inexperienced FDC took DJ's upgrade away and gave it to the whining elite.

Doesn't the FDC usually write the room # down on the key jacket and then show you the room # he/she wrote and mention the floor? When I check in, I always ask about the room type and location before leaving the front desk. If I had been preblocked into a CL room, I would have printed out a copy of the reservation and asked what happened to the CL room when it was not offered.

For some reason, Marriott consistly ignores preferences. I also prefer a high floor room and more often than not, my preference is ignored when checking in. Its not that they don't have high floors rooms available, its just that the FDC is trying to be efficient in getting you checked in and therefore grabs the first room that pops up.

Regards,

RIP...

I literally just got off an AA flight where in the in-flight mag there was a message from the AA "VP of Customer Expectations". So for all you naysayers, there are some companies that are paying attention to managing the customer experience. I wonder if Marriott has the same position. If not, maybe they should?

What exactly is your definition of "sense of privlege"? Mine is everything you say after the "-".

This is pretty funny though it sounds like you are tongue-in-cheek and if so then you can ignore the following.

If somebody you know who has no Marriott status got a free upgrade to a better room then yes, you would have a legitimate gripe. Or if you got stuck with a mediocre room next to an elevator, ice machine and maid closet (this has happened to me, even as an elite). But really it was none of the above. You booked a standard room, and it sounds like that's what you got, plus lounge access, and now you are disappointed?

If you want upgrades galore Marriott is not the right program (this has been discussed ad infinitum elsewhere). Though it sounds like you do better with scoring upgrades than most elites in any program.

P.S. As a 1k do you get upgraded every flight? Try flying out of SFO and you'll be knocked back to reality fast.

A personal attack upon who? Or is it whom? Either way, thanks for the input.

I didn't think the OP was out of line by posting the thoughts/comments here. It's not like he started screaming at a clerk, waving his Plat card in the air...

I have "high floor" in my profile. I don't think it's an out-of-line expectation for Plats to be assigned high floors in big-city hotels, especially if it's their preference. I think all Marriott Plats have grown accustomed to not getting suite upgrades or even being on the same floor with the lounge. But if it feels like we were either (a) assigned an outright bad room (e.g., one next to the elevator) or (b) given one that completely didn't align with our preferences, I think we have every right to (politely) bring that to the attention of the hotel.

I look at it as a trade-off: in my experience, Marriott is the least likely (vs. HH and SPG) to give me a "real" upgrade (at least a junior suite of some sorts) but the also the least likely to stiff me with a low floor, bad view, wrong bed type, or a smoking room.

Therefore, when Marriott doesn't get that basic part right, I think people have a right to say something.

Indeed, I struggle to remember when I got a low floor room even as a platinum member. At some properties like the Tysons Corner Marriott, it seems like being a PP member gets me an automatic room on the concierge lounge level or occasionally an upgrade to a junior suite. My odds of getting a room on the same floor as the lounge was not as high as a platinum member.