as regards to pts # 1 Im willing to bet had you checekd SPG or Hilton their Hotels would be the same. Seems you are wanting to cash out when special events are a happening

#2 I doubt highly it would be any different with any other chain, in most cases when I get an U with SPG its just to the Club floor, same size room, OK a free bottle of warm water (cold ones in the lounge)and mouthwash, Hilton not much better either

1. I have rarely if ever had an issue using points even during peak times.

2. I have been upgraded a lot at CY's but RI, SHS, and FI what is there to upgrade to? Really not a big deal to me when I am on business travel anyway.

3. One will not receive the same benefits when staying at non FS properties IMO. All the lounges in hotels I have stayed at have been satisfactory and always given access.

4. You should have invoked the platinum arrival guarantee.

5. Has nothing to do with your airline example is my guess. Just a guess here but management at the property has more flexibility on what rates to offer vs the elite line representatives. Anytime this is an issue I always call the property directly.

Overall no program is going to be perfect and if you visit the forums of other hotel chains they seem to have gripes galore as well. Personally I think Marriott treats me well and am a satisfied customer.

1) I've really never had any problems using points - and I've spent a bunch of points.
2) Lot's of nice upgrades - mostly outside the US and for long stays. My sister, who is Plat, was given the "upgrade of the day" last week to the presidential suite (for a two night stay), at a domestic Marriott.
3) US domestic lounges range from OK to poor. Asian ones are amazing.
4) A simple call to MR will fix any platinum arrival gift points missing. Happens to me a lot -as does incorrect posting of points. But then again, I'm not a simple guy - I mix multiple reservations, sometimes with free nights and that confuses their system - plus some hotels are bad about posting points correctly. One call and a fax is all I have ever needed to fix it. Wish it was not a reoccurring problem - but for me it is.
5) I rarely use the platinum override because if a hotel is full the rate will be high. Even if someone else is paying for the room, I treat it as I would. I usually book somewhere else but have on occasion used it. I have never not gotten into a hotel if I was willing to pay the override rate.

And I feel that I am treated better than the average Joe. So, your experience is different than mine.

Billy

My guess is the OP wanted to use thier pts during a Special Event period of tie, eg Superbowl ,March 4, World Series World Cup etc etc They found hotel rates being thru the roof and wanted to go but didnt want to pay the prevailing rate so they tried to use their pts.

Miami is peak in the Winter but even more so say if it was Superbowl Weekend or a boat show going on

It would be nice had the OP detailed where they were trying to cash in their pts and when

Yes, in many ways every stay. If you had said Plat to Gold your comparison would have made sense, but Plat to someone with no status is just silly.

Cheers.

Do I get the upgrades as a PP? No

Do I wish there were better Platinum benefits? Absolutely (especially at RC)

However, Marriott has gone out of their way to accommodate me when I needed them. I got hotels rooms during the SuperBowl in Detroit, Tampa and Dallas (even used points for two suites for Dallas, paid rack rate for the others). They maintained my Platinum status for the year I took off with zero nights stayed.

The Platinum Premier Services people are great. They have found me hotel rooms when flight are cancelled and there were none available. They were able to help arrange my upcoming wedding at a RC when the local hotel was being less than responsive.

Even though I run into issues the same as anyone else who travels a lot, Marriott is consistent more often than not! no matter where I travel in the world.

I travel for business in the US and I'm a new platinum - haven't seen many benefits yet- except for the extra points as my most recent stays haven't been at full service. Staying at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta in August, so we will see. At a full service Marriott, I love the lounge access- I'm not guaranteed it with Hilton. To be able to get a quick breakfast in the morning and a nice place to unwind in evening is worth it to me- plus the free internet . I travel in DC a lot and ask for a room with a nice view and get it- wonderful views of the mall.

001 xxx xxx

true but started in the original program in 1980

I am also pretty new to platinum, and I just got back from a stay at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. I also haven't noticed a ton of benefits yet, although I don't stay at many full-service properties. One thing I will give them is that my automatic preference for a low floor room is usually granted.

But anyway, the trip to the Marquis was not a business trip and was really my first time traveling with some family since becoming platinum so I was hoping to make some use of my "status." I guess you can say it paid off upon arrival because the parking garage was full and they had a list of only a few names of which I was one of them, so I got the privilege of paying $32/night for valet parking while they sent everyone else to a garage for probably half the cost.

Upon check-in I politely asked about upgrades (pretty sure the first time I ever asked for one) and the FDC explained the available upgrades (which were "parlor rooms" that only had murphy beds), but said that I would have to use points in order to get the upgrade. I know suites are not part of the plat upgrades but she didn't even mention that, she just looked baffled when I tried to confirm that the upgrade would be free since I was platinum, and then she started saying something about the fact that I booked a AAA rate. So I just kept my original room, which was on the Concierge Level, however it was a two-night stay checking in on Saturday and the CL was not open until Sunday evening...is that still considered an upgrade? The room was really not that great (coming from someone who does probably 50% of his stays at Fairfield Inn), and then there actually ended up being a somewhat major problem with the bed, so for the first time ever (yes, another first) I requested a room change. After some discussion they said they found me a suite that had a real bed...come to find out it was one of the murphy bed rooms. They claimed that was all they had for Saturday but would get me a real suite for Sunday, which they eventually did.

So anyway, again this was my first time trying to take advantage of my status so maybe I just got unlucky and will see what happens in the future.

I love posts like this. Informative, includes the hotel name, and not a emotion filled rant. I try to provide the same when I post, and sometimes I succeed.

I will put this hotel on my list of ones to avoid. I have a very low tolerance for hotels and their employees that either don't understand the rules, or lie and pretend they don't understand the rules. Pay for the upgrade and AAA rate BS just doesn't fly IMO.

I usually travel internationally, but see that changing in the coming years. I keep saying that but it has yet to happen. I find that benefits at international properties are head and shoulders above those of NA properties and are provided on a very consistent basis. I guess it is because Marriott has a captive audience in the US (so-to-speak) and I can only assume their occupancy rates are high otherwise they would be trying harder.

I guess being a Plat in the US is similar to being a 1K ex-IAD. Of course Marriott does pretty much give away Plat via a Plat challenge to pretty much anybody that asks so it is not surprising.

Thanks, I was actually debating whether or not to post it but figured I would since the previous poster was in a similar situation as me. I've never tried the whole call the property before the trip thing but maybe that would've been a good idea.

Part of the reason I was thinking about not writing it was because they did end up compensating me some points (which I did not even specifically ask for), however that was more due to the original bed situation. The specifics of that I'm not sure if I want to post on here but would be willing to share via PM...I did laugh about it to myself somewhat because I just posted last week in a different thread that basically all Marriott properties I've stayed in have been clean (as far as I could tell, I will admit I am usually by myself but was with my fiancee this time and she's a little more observant than me about things like that, however this one wasn't too hard to point out).

Nonetheless I didn't really feel bad about posting it because the housekeeping manager ended up coming to my room to apologize personally, and said he would personally get me a different room for Sunday night and gave me his business card. We were heading out around 11AM on Sunday and I hadn't heard from him so I called and left him a message with my personal cell phone number. Got back around 5 after sitting in 100 degree heat for four hours at a baseball game and he never called, so I had to go to the desk where the FDC did happily give me the suite but I don't even think he knew what had happened on Saturday.

Between 1/2012 and 6/2012 I spent 90 nights at the Marriott Marquis in ATL. I'm willing to bet that they had no other customer who spent as many nights there in that time frame. Other than getting put on the Concierge level and the Plat arrival gift there was no other recognition of my loyalty. Consequently, I'm spending the 2nd half of the year across the street at the Atlanta Hilton. I was well into my Plat status for next year so I figured I may as well maintain my Hilton Diamond status as well and get Hilton points for more options on vacations if there is no other reason to stay at the Marquis other than it is a Marriott!

Three: 000 xxx xxx :D :D

Cheers.

PS - Sounds like ATL Marquis doesn't do much for elites.

Hi,

Just to add some personal experiences to this:

1. As a plat, I was able to book a room at the NY Marriott Marquis for New Year's eve ... because of the Plat Guarantee

2. As a plat, the Renaissance Waverly Atlanta treated me great, and when I stayed there over Christmas, my wife and I were upgraded to one of the largest suites available ....

3. The Hong Kong JW treated us wonderfully, as a plat ....

Yes, there are times when the love is not there, like the Courtyard Paris Neuilly ... but overall, I've had no trouble using my points (I'm writing this from the Berlin Marriott, wonderful lounge), and I've had very nice rooms due to my status.

Over time, would I mind dropping to Gold for a while ... probably not, since it continues to provide me with lounge access (which is not a guarantee with Hilton, as has been said above), but then again, over time, I'll make it to lifetime status (which Hilton does not grant).

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

I've received very nice treatment at a couple of Courtyards recently (outside of Philly and San Diego). They held my upgraded room even though I checked in after midnight. They were, IMO, suites. And, both times checkin was extremely courteous, and acknowledged status.

I checked in at the ATL Marriott Marquis a couple of months ago. Checkin was very polite (acknowledge status, etc) and they had some scratch off ticket in addition to the arrival gift that allows you to get an additional amenitity. The room was only so-so and dated, but was a high floor with a grand view of the city. I don't remember if I asked for an upgraded room or not, though.

I DO see benefits from the status.

But, it does depend on the hotel. I stayed at a Fairfield or maybe it was a Springhill near Detriot's airport a few months ago. The checkin person could have cared less who I was. However, I believe she would have treated any checking in guest that way.

Basically, the courtesy and service you get really does greatly depend on local management.