Largely agree, I'm extremely grateful when I get a suite, certainly don't expect it.

However, as 50% of my plat stays are leisure, I for one preferred the old language which went something like this 'best available room, subject to availabilty...suites excluded' and was not limited to a 1 category upgrade.

Due to my stay pattern, I'd trade the lounge for a decent upgrade and breakfast at resorts, but that view is in the minority.

I recently stayed at this hotel 2 times in a month and both times was upgraded to a room that overlooks the church. I am not sure the room was any bigger than the others and it is a bit of a maze of a floor plan and the room is not near the Lift.

I got upgraded to a junior suite at the Prague Marriott...on a Priceline stay no less.

For business travel, Marriott seems to do better in the US than any other brand. All mid-size and larger cities have a FS Marriott and you can always find a Courtyard or Fairfield Inn in small cities. I like how every single FS Marriott has a lounge and the service / facilities are very consistent.

I've been SPG Plat and Marriott Plat for multiple years and I always rely on Marriott for business travel. If I paid for more leisure travel, I would lean SPG as the perks are better.

Amen to that.^ I have no experience with spg though....I was a hilton diamond for 4 yrs and no complaints there either. I simply because I wanted to try a new brand.

I'm assuming you're referring to the Ren & not the Marriott.

Wow - you lucked out or they have new management. I was there last year w/ a # of FT Plats for a FT Do, and the management was quite vehement that they do not upgrade elites for free to suites but will upgrade for a charge. They do upgrade elites to exec level for free, which is within the terms of the Marriott T&C. I wasn't going to be in the room much so it didn't bother me per se. I was more interested in lounge access. Note, I did a detailed 'trip report' last year (w/ pics) of my stay at the Prague Marriott.

This is also a property that requires you to allow them to xerox your AAA card if you're there on a AAA rate. They said accounting required it. We did get into a bit of a hassle on that one, as I said they just needed to verify that I had the card/my name & they could do that by looking at it, no need to xerox.

Cheers.

This!
^

Heck, I was traveling through a town near sleepy hollow NY.. over an hour out of downtown and there was a FS Marriott complete with Lounge..

I encountered this recently as well, at the JW Cusco, I don't mind showing it but why do they need to xerox - perhaps this is a separate thread?

Started one last year.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...light=AAA+card

Cheers.

I did not know anyone still had xerox machines.:D
But seriously, I do not like the idea of a photocopy of my AAA card that much, but it probably would not be that dangerous. I guess they could pretend to be you when in the States and use up your annual free tows.

European Properties I have had success with suite upgrades:-

London County Hall
Grosvenor House
Grosvenor Square
Ren St Pancras
Worsley Park
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Ren Hamburg
London Twickenham
JW Cairo
JW Kuwait
Zurich
Manchester V&A
Ren Manchester

Have you had any stays where the only way to get the suite upgrade is to pay for it? If so, which properties?

Cheers.

[QUOTE=OrangeCountyCommuter;19828316]BYE!
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I fail to understand why folks think that whining on here is effective. Do you think we care? Send your complaint DIRECTLY to Marriott and follow up with what really matters.... Don't stay there. The rest of it is just whining! Marriott, SPG, Hilton, Delta, AA etc know that at least 50% of the "I am taking my toys and going home" rants are just that. Unless you really don't stay there then it's just words.

QUOTE]

I really don't think the OP was whining at all, merely stating his position.

Like many others here at FT. Stating what they have been told and what their experience was (and at times, asking for help).

I welcome the OP's opinion and/or experience, so I am aware of what happened, and others reading the post will as well. Many here don't want to list the specific hotel, but I bet a simple 'friendly inquiry' to the OP would gather the answer for those truly interested.:cool:

I would reckon it's better not to respond with unfriendly comments if you think someone is whining (as this is your opinion---in which everyone is entitled to their own).

I agree he may not find the grass any greener on the other side. But, he was told it was a 'new policy', then called MR customer service to verify (in which it was).

Therefore, he would have thought it was company wide.

Not trying to pick any bones with anyone, just simply stating the OP has a right to post his experiences, feelings and thoughts as much as anyone else here.;)

[QUOTE=shoreline;19850114][QUOTE=OrangeCountyCommuter;19828316]BYE!
|
I fail to understand why folks think that whining on here is effective. Do you think we care? Send your complaint DIRECTLY to Marriott and follow up with what really matters.... Don't stay there. The rest of it is just whining! Marriott, SPG, Hilton, Delta, AA etc know that at least 50% of the "I am taking my toys and going home" rants are just that. Unless you really don't stay there then it's just words.

QUOTE]

I really don't think the OP was whining at all, merely stating his position....I welcome the OP's opinion and/or experience, so I am aware of what happened, and others reading the post will as well. /QUOTE]

I agree that the post and some discussion is valuable information about FTer's experiences. But I also do think that we often let these things churn their way far past the point of value and into the whining world. But the whining and joining in might be therapeutic for some. The purpose may not be really to change things.

And I agree, if the purpose is to change something, make a difference, etc, you will not that done here. But you might benefit from posting your experience and getting thoughts and advice about ways to pursue things that you can then go and pursue. I also like it when FTers report back on what happened when they made complaints etc.

Yes, it is more value if the hotel is identified. But even without the specific hotel known, it is still useful information.

Agree with what you've posted. BTW - later he did list the property he encountered the problem - Amsterdam Renaissance.

Cheers.