weld3z

Here in AbuDhabi you pay for 50% only gold and plat

pinniped

Starwood, in general, has fewer opt-outs in terms of benefits to elites. In my Plat years at Starwood, I knew what I was going to get.

That was for elite benefits. The reverse held true for promotions: there, Marriott is consistent that almost everything counts, whereas Starwood would have pages of excluded properties that could easily include your most mundane U.S. Aloft or Sheraton.

But yes, I would love it if it was clean and simple. And obviously with elite benefits being honored in more places than not...that would be nice too.

hhoope01

A slight correction, the $10/yr gave you base membership in the CY club. If you hit 36 nights, you would be upgraded to CY Gold and that was supposed to be for life. And yes, once you hit that Gold level status, you would get that "Gold package" with the free breakfast coupons and suite upgrades. Plus every 12th night not only gave you a free night, but another pair of free breakfast coupons and a single suite upgrade.

I think it was '98 or '99, they decided to throw in a 5 minute calling card with the annual Gold packet. And of course, Marriott bungled it by forgetting to add the phone card. So they sent everyone a 2nd packet with another set of free breakfast and suite upgrade coupons. They ended up messing that up by sending mine to the wrong address. So they sent me a 3rd and then 4th set before they finally figured out how to send it correctly. Luckily for me, the wrong address turned out to be my neighbor who meant to give me the packets but was out of town himself. So I ended up with a whole boatload of free breakfast coupons and suite upgrades. Staying at CYs was very good for awhile there.

For today, I still don't mind staying at CYs as I have the best suite upgrade rate of any Marriott hotel (actually any hotel chain except Loews hotels.) I'm almost always get a suite when I stay at a CY.

sdsearch

Be careful what you wish for: The least complicated would be the IHG Rewards Club approach, which is no free breakfast standard at any brand no matter what kind of elite you are. To get breakfast at full-service properties, you have to happen to get upgraded to a Club floor.

(I presume if there were ready to absorb the cost of the Hilton HHonors approach, of some kind of free breakfast at every property worldwide, they'd have gone to that "other least complicated approach" already. Though "some kind" is exactly what it is: Be aware that there are US Hiltons at which the free breakfast for HH Golds is a voucher for a Starbucks next door. But that's of course what Courtyard could do to, a voucher for the Bistro for elites. But for whatever reason, they've chosen not to do that.)

SkiAdcock

For those who have experienced free or discounted breakfast for elites, please post in this thread.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-weekends.html

Please note only CYs that offer elites free or discounted brekkie or lounge access should get listed - not the properties that don't.

Cheers.

pinniped

I think that would kill off the incentive to stay with Marriott for many people. We already know Marriott Rewards is not an upgrade-centric program. The Platinum welcome amenity is comparatively weak. The reservation guarantee is filled with exceptions and opt-outs. Take away the breakfast, and you're pretty much left with the slightly-increased bonus points as your benefit.

When I think of IHG, I think of a program that really doesn't have elite levels at all. I've been Platinum before (I'm not sure why, but I have), and it didn't matter at all. I think of it as a pure transactional program: stay a few nights on roadtrips, end up with a free HIX night to use later. There's no real hook to stay at more IHG hotels. Does Marriott want to go there?

HH isn't quite free breakfast everywhere, but they do have their "main" brands covered. There's no glaring Courtyard gap in the middle. (The competing brand is HGI, where the breakfast is often pretty good with a cooked-to-order hot dish. ^) In my HH Gold years, I've mostly targeted my stays to properties with no lounge: in that case, the common FS breakfast for both Golds and Diamonds is a restaurant buffet. There is no need to avoid properties that describe themselves as "resorts" - this distinction (as a means for withholding elite benefits) doesn't exist in HH.

phltraveler

This is one of the reasons I try to avoid CY properties. Even when my rate includes breakfast, you have to get it from "the Bistro" - which sucks in both selection and speed of service. Often in the morning it takes 15 minutes or more to get breakfast.

ohmark

I guess I'm in the minority (and my CY stays are mostly weekend), but I enjoy the Bistro breakfast, think the variety is just enough, and find it way better than the free breakfasts at Marriott limited service brands. But, I also understand that it adds about $10 a person, or so, to the nightly price of a stay.

One of the most frequent CY's I stay at is next door to a Bob Evans. The breakfast at that CY Bistro is far better and quicker than at that Bob Evans.

T'would be nice, however, if there was at least some minimal elite breakfast recognition at the CY, such as a discount coupon.

pinniped

I refuse to buy breakfast (or anything, for that matter) at a Courtyard as a matter or principle.

But...one of the CY's in north Dallas would give Plats their choice of a Bistro item right when the Bistro concept was rolling out. The breakfast sandwich and the appetizers I had during those stays were actually pretty good - no complaints about the food itself, or the service. (Few people were using the Bistro yet, so definitely no 15-minute wait.)

If Golds/Plats were granted a breakfast sandwich and a beverage each day, I would actually be fine with the Bistro. In fact, if they kind of met us halfway on this, I'd probably end up buying an occasional appetizer + beer after work. I certainly do that on occasion at FS hotels.

cln

Haven't stayed at courtyard for long now, now found out about this during the stay, it is so disappointing... It was the main reason I booked here. This brand is dead for me now.... Worthless status at courtyard

SkiAdcock

Depends on where you stay. US no free breakfast. A few European countries provide breakfast for Plats. In Asia a # of CYs have exec lounges and/or provide breakfast in the restaurant for Golds/Plats.

Cheers.

Points Scrounger

The truly painful point is that even if you DO charge breakfast at their restaurant you don't get points for incidentals there! At least my AC stay came with a $10 voucher towards their $15 breakfast as an amenity (my recent CY amenity was a box of Chips Ahoy cookies from their pantry).

JackE

Don't forget Ritz-Carlton!

I'm coming over from Starwood, but my understanding is RC is and will remain a separate program.

If that is correct, then why wouldn't they consider having 3 programs instead of 2, as opposed to 2 programs instead of 1?

SkiAdcock

Marriott execs said part of the reason for the delay in integrating the programs is trying to combine 3 loyalty programs into 1. None of which has to do w/ CYs not providing breakfast to elites

Cheers.

cln

I could have booked a rate including breakfast for about 5 dollar more,... but I was really under the impression it would be included for Platinum / Gold.

At Hilton you never have to worry and also at spg properties in Europe & Asia....

Well tomorrow at moxy Frankfurt I have booked the rate including breakfast. After I cleared all the Marriott brands I'm back to Hilton, spg, ihg