Upgrade Benefit Language Revised
 

Maybe I missed it before, but scanning MR today I noticed the following under the terms and conditions:

For Platinum Elite members, the best way is up! So every time you check in, we'll do our best to upgrade you - at no additional charge - to our best-available guest room in the next room category level. Suites are excluded.

IIRC, the language used to simply say, "we'll do our best to upgrade you to the best available guest room," now they have added, "in the next category level." (As always, suites are excluded.)

Is this Marriott's way of limiting the type of upgrade Golds & Plats receive, especially at a resort or hotels with more than just standard rooms and concierge level rooms? I can see FD managers using this against elites when an upgrade is not received. For example, if I book a standard room at a hotel that offers standard rooms, concierge level rooms and corner rooms does that mean my upgrade is limited to a concierge level room? What if I book an award stay at the Marriott Marquis in NYC, the award is for a standard room. The next category is a Times Square View room. If all the TS view rooms are sold out during my stay (but other categories are available), does that mean I am SOL with regards to any upgrade?

While some Marriotts who truly appreciate elites would have no trouble upgrading elites to the best available room regardless of category, I can think of quite a few where even getting any type of upgrade is a struggle.

Uhhh... this sounds like MR is going in the direction of HHonors.

Hopefully this won't mean a change in practice for most properties, some of which go above and beyond what is required by the program in terms of upgrades. (As a Gold I've received suites a few times in the past year, even though such upgrades were technically excluded by the program's T&C.)

I don't know how long that text has been there, but this is the frist time I've seen it. I wonder how much of an effect this has had (or will have) on upgrades.

I'm not sure it will have a large effect on most of my stays (i.e. most NA Marriotts really only have a few room types (i.e. normal, CL level, and suites). I would think an upgrade to a CL level room would still be as much the norm as it has been (and suites weren't normally a part of the equation anyway.) But I still feel this is a watering-down of benefits.

Quite sneaky… It's also here so probably not a typo or misunderstanding: http://www.marriott.com/rewards/member-benefits.mi

"¶¶¶ Room Upgrade: At no additional charge, we’ll do our best to upgrade you to our best-available guest room in the next room category level. Suites are excluded. Not available at Marriott Vacation Club."

Even less incentive to reach MR gold now…

This sounds like the opposite direction... HHonors has recently introduced language allowing suite upgrades...


this sounds like the upgrade policy for plats is a one level upgrade.... plus the specific exclusion of suites

FDW

This language may be new here, but I've seen it included for individual properties. Ko Olina JW comes to mind, but I've seen it with other hotels, too, where there are multiple different room types with varying rates. Most properties probably don't have too many different levels of room types anyway.

I haven't, myself, seen such a written rule for any Marriott properties till now. If some properties had such a rule, it was in direct contravention of the explicit upgrade rule of Marriott Rewards. On the other hand, I've read in various threads here of front desk clerks making up such a rule in reply to a plat/gold upgrade complaint.

This might be a strategic time for SPG or Hyatt to make a play for Marriott platinums, and I would welcome such an offer and be done with Marriott status. Yes, I know that SPG currently only does challenges without status comps in advance and that Hyatt only does challenges, rather than matches.

Upgrade Benefit Language Revised
 

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you...

Yes, I recall the same comments in the Cosmopolitan and Ritz-Carlton related threads if I remember correctly.

Too bad about the new wording as that further dilutes the benefits IMO.

Yet ANOTHER devaluation!!!

But why wouldn't Marriott continue to devalue?

They clean up at the Freddie's regardless.:D

MR's most loyal customers clearly could not care less....

The previous posters are all referencing the wording with respect to the one level upgrade, but to me the red flag here is "we'll DO OUR BEST"....because, basically, that gives them the out EVERY time to say "no, I'm sorry, I did my best".

Marriott just keeps stickin' it to us. :td:

I do care...and to your point, I voted for Priority Club in the Freddies. Guess what? I haven't stayed in a Priority Club property in years. But I did it in protest, to counteract any Marriott vote. Obviously had no effect, but made me feel better :)

It was written in the JW Ko Olina page and reservations. I remember seeing it on some other properties, which I believe were also resort properties. For some reason, I'm thinking it was also in one of the miami Beach properties. If it was made up by a desk clerk, the desk clerk somehow got it written on the site and in the reservation.

On facebook they are claiming this is no change to their policy. Does anyone have a screen shot of their old policy?