Adding Plat Guest to Reservation
 

I used a Marriott free night cert. I'll be staying with a friend who is a Platinum. Anyway to add him to the reservation to take advantage of his elite status?

According to the T&Cs the status of the registered/paying guest is the one that applies. However, I have been successful in presenting my Platinum card at check-in when staying with a lesser-status guest and was granted Plat on-site benefits (club access, breakfast, etc., no PAG).

There are no rules saying they must, but asking nicely can go a long way.

Platinum named guest conferring Platinum status on booking?
 

I've just finished my Platinum challenge and was upgraded to Platinum the next day. My husband only has Gold status.

I understand that going forward a room booked under my name will attract Platinum benefits, but what about a room booked under my husband's name with me as the named guest? Will we still receive Platinum elite benefits or will it default to his Gold status i.e. practically zilch. The plan is to alternate between booking in my name then his.

Thanks for your help.

My experience has been that it is difficult (near impossible) to add/ change a MR number by phoning reservations prior to checking in. Adding a name to the room is easy, but not a MR number. I have, however, been able to achieve this by phoning or emailing the hotel itself, or at check in.

Once you change the MR number attached to the room, that is the person who will earn elite nights and points. If you want to use your status but alternate earning, I would always book under your name, but have the hotel change the MR number at check out. This means you will have to check out in person at the front desk instead of just leaving and waiting for your efolio.

Actually, that is incorrect. As long as the elite member is staying in the room you are eligible for the elite benefits, regardless of who is listed as the primary guest. Here is the rule:
Notice the rule does not say it is for the guest room the elite member is paying for or is listed as the primary guest. The wording intends to include the room in which the member is staying, as it states, without regard to those things. There are many instances that have been posted over the years of a husband and wife where maybe she has status but they are working on his status so they will put the room in his name but include her MR number to ensure CL access. You will not get the PAG or the extra points that an elite member may get when the room is in his/her name, but you will get CL access. I have personally done this a couple times when we were using my travel companion's cc certificate.

So now the issue is how you do it. It used to be easy to add a second guest when making an online reservation but now you need to call and have the second guest added. The agent may say he/she cannot, but hang up and call back. If necessary, call the hotel directly.

Just to clarify...

According to the T&Cs, to get room credit there must be a qualifying stay, which is defined as a stay for which the member is registered and pays for the room.
and
The rule for receiving elite benefits does not require there be a qualifying stay, just that the member be staying in the room. Marriott could have included the qualifying stay language in the rule for elite benefits but obviously chose something different.

Thanks everyone for your quick replies.

Looks like it's going to be a bit of a hit and miss logistics mess to be honest. Perhaps I should just get husband on the Platinum challenge and be done with it. Thanks again.

It's not really that complicated. Book under your name/MR number and then make the switch for payment/earning at check out. Regardless of whether this meets the rules, it is possible and predictable. It just takes a little time at check out.

There should not be any errors, as you'll be able to see which MR number is on the folio before you depart.

You could also alternate booking and just add your number upon arrival, but then you will miss any Platinum benefits that would have required advance notice to the hotel (for example, upgrades are sometimes assigned prior to check in).

Just like I posted back in 2014, I have never been denied on-site benefits when not being the one to reserve the room. If both getting status does not prevent you from keeping status, then that is the easiest and gives you more leverage. But if it is an issue, reserve under whichever name is needed (maybe an expense report issue) and present your account info at registration. Only new FDCs might have a problem understanding how to get you your benefits.

It's getting breakfast for us both that's the niggly bit. If I can swing that then we're ok. Do you think it would be worth phoning Marriott's reservation line up in advance with a list of stay dates and get them to do it? I don't want to spend too much time with the receptionist discussing it if I can.

With many elite members reporting long hold times it might not be worth calling ahead of time. The only potential benefit you might miss out on is a pre-check-in upgrade. No other benefit will be different if you show your status at check-in, but I would be ready to show the terms to the check-in clerk who may not know the rule.

Having reservations add your name to the rez will not add your status (only one MR account per rez). Making the reservations under your account is the only "sure fire" way to make sure, but I've never been refused. Yes, not the rule but I find a friendly conversation goes a long way in getting what you want. You also might want to check reviews for your specific property to see if their breakfast is worth any effort to secure. Like when I go to New Orleans, the club breakfast is far from desired with all that great food outside! I may stop in for a snack waiting for friends, but not what I want for a meal.

The terms quoted above state otherwise. There are two different issues which are mentioned in different places within the terms and conditions: getting credit for the room and getting elite benefits during a stay. To get credit for the room the reservation needs to be in your name and you need to pay. To get elite benefits you do not need to be the one on the reservation, just one of those staying in the room. You have had success because that is the rule. Where is there any rule that says elite benefits require the reservation be in your name? No such rule exists. This has been posted numerous times over the years by numerous people. You have had success because that is the rule, not because you were nice or someone gave you something extra.

In making reservations in places where passports must be shown at check-in you still get a space online to add additional guests' MR#. It has been taken away for domestic reservations but you can still call in and have it added.

And I agree about not eating breakfast in the hotel while in NO.

You'll have better luck spending 2 minutes with the front desk clerk to accomplish what you want than dealing with the Marriott reservation line. Others have told you how to make this work. It's not that complicated.

Cheers

I think it's going to be more bother than it's worth to me. I go away for pleasure and potentially turning that course even this much is something I can forgo. If it was as simple as ticking a box on the website as I booked then yes, I'd do it. But I'm not the type to go loaded with the T&Cs on hand just in case the receptionist doesn't understand or, go down for breakfast and get stopped and have to explain it all again. I've just made 180,000 avios for £117 so will let this one slide.

Thanks everyone.