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?

Wow, soon they'll claim that we've always been at war with Eastasia…

Here's quote from 2010 T&C:

Then the property/properties was/were simply willing to defy the rules of Marriott Rewards, and Marriott Rewards wasn't willing to do anything about it. For my part, and while I've never stayed at Ko Olina, I've never come across a Marriott property that was willing to so boldly, and in writing, state they were violating the rules of Marriott Rewards. Unlike SPG, Marriott doesn't seem to have the stomach to deal with recalcitrant properties.

In any case, this new and significant downgrade to plat/gold benefits is disappointing, to say the least.

Do you have a link to that? I'm never on Facebook, but I'll make an exception to call BS to that.

Elimantion of Bogos (sad but I could live with it).
Neutering of cat 1-4 free night certs - that hurt
Cutting back upgrades to only one category - that's the last straw.

Search for Marriott Rewards and Facebook and read their wall.

at the same time as SPG has upgraded their suites policy.........

Somebody asked MR why the upgrade language was changed. MR first responded that they should share their concerns with Marriott Customer Service. MR then responded, "we shared your concern (sic with our customer service team) and found out some good news. The wording of the benefit has actually not changed but hotels often upgrade to suites if they're available. Hope that helps!"

WOW. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing! The person coordinating social media for MR obviously has not been with MR very long!

Someone also posted the same question on the BOGO discussion on MR Insiders. Michelle responded, "We have not changed the T&Cs in any way - they've always said this. However, properties can upgrade to whatever premium room they wish - including suites - and they regularly do. It is a function of their availability and sell strategy (in other words, if they predict they will be able to sell premium rooms at a premium rate, they may hold a few out for last minute upsell opportunities)...."


I think this shows how little MR values elites. They make a major change to a benefit without notification and then deny it! Wow! Starwood, Hilton, and Hyatt are all making major improvements to their loyalty programs, and MR continues to devalue theirs.

Regards,

RIP...

michelle from MR Insiders this morning

We have not changed the T&Cs in any way - they've always said this. However, properties can upgrade to whatever premium room they wish - including suites - and they regularly do. It is a function of their availability and sell strategy (in other words, if they predict they will be able to sell premium rooms at a premium rate, they may hold a few out for last minute upsell opportunities).


Us regular people are running things - as usual. I promise to own up to anything we change - but this isn't one of 'em...

Now that's a benefit I can get on board with!! :p

Thanks for the morning smile.

Slowly, thank you for your time in researching this. To say that Marriott is screwing us over at every turn seems like a fair assessment these days. And they cover up and backpedal and delay...and think we're stupid.

Marriott, what say you?

How about a link to the new policy? Just under general MR Elite benefit terms, I couldn't find any mention of "next room category" language.

https://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.

Member Benefits


Look at the "fine print" at the bottom of the page.

This is a major downgrade to MR Plat benefits. In many hotels, a one category upgrade is almost nothing. Depending on the property, it can be the same room one floor higher or a room of the same size but a different shape, etc. It also limits the required upgrade to cases where the hotel has an empty room exactly one category up and the probability of this can be small if that category contains few rooms.

In fact, one could even envision a hotel redefining room categories to have, for example, many standard rooms but only a handful in the next category, so that they rarely if ever have to give an upgrade.

Please post a link to this, or how to find it. Thanks.

Most Marriott hotels only have a couple room types, excluding suites, and, again, IME, those that had multiple room types already had this policy in writing. Those properties were, IME, vacation destination properties.

Examples:

• Atlanta Marriott Marquis: Non-suite room types for a 7/1 reservation are Guest room and Concierge level. No change
• Eden Roc: The three room types for the same night, at different rates are Guest room, Partial ocean view and Ocean view. My previous reservations here have indicated I could only get a one type UG, but, in fact, I was given an Ocean view room at the Guest room rate. IMO, no change.
• JW Ko Olina: Mountain or Golf view, Ocean view, Deluxe Ocean view. I paid for the least room and was UG to Ocean view. The one room type UG was clear to me before going, and I remember thinking about paying the extra for the Ocean view to get the Deluxe, but read on the Web that the Ocean view was very nice. IME, no change.
• NY Marquis: Guest room, times Square guest room, Executive king larger guest room and CL guest room. IME, I've sometimes leapfrogged to the CL level, and other times to the Executive king. I've declined the Times Square option and mostly had a regular room. In other words, the same as it appears with the "new" language.

It just doesn't seem to be that big a change from what most properties have already been doing.

It may not be a big change from what properties are already doing (which, in my experience lately, is not a lot) but it now gives them the out to do as little as possible.

Is a queen room considered an upgrade over a room with 2 double beds?

What are you, some kind of hippie? We're conducting a major hissy fit here...:D

Bed type is already guaranteed. In those hotels that charge more for a King bed, if you choose the less expensive Queens then a King wouldn't be an UG, it would be a mistake.

We it may not have a big impact at most Marriotts. It does give any hotel the ability to limit the upgrade.

I am more concerned about MR people lying about the T&C language being changed. Really says a lot about MR and their integrity!

Regards,

RIP..

I think we've jumped several categories at almost every resort hotel we've ever stayed at. (Except Grand Cayman which gave us a crummy room despite the hotel being nearly empty). Curacao, Waikikii, Wailea, Waikoloa I book the most basic resort view on points and have always gotten ocean front or very good ocean view rooms.

Sounds like it actually might benefit elites, not hurt them.

How? What if no rooms are avaialbe in the next category up, but 6 rooms are avaialbe 2 cat's up? Are we SOL?

Deleted by poster

I absolutely disagree. I've stayed in numerous Marriotts that have had multiple room types, and have seen no such written language limiting elite upgrades to one category.