I've got silver status from Marriott this year and I'm wondering about a few things. I do little business travel so I have a very little chance of getting to gold. There arent many benefits listed, but do they sometimes bend on the rules a little for new silvers? I'm referring more to things like lounge access. I'm travelling to Frankfurt and hear the lounge is great, but the apparantly the Hilton has a better location and the rates are pretty similar. Is it worth it to go with Marriott and hope for some extra help?

As a silver, I was given a room on the concierge level with lounge access a couple of times without asking. On occasion, got a concierge room after asking if one was available, maybe 60% of the time. Never got a suite though.

So, depending on their occupancy, ask and you may receive.

Good Luck!

You get a personalized "Elite" room key at some locations.

If you are asking "is it worth having Elite Status at Marriott VS nothing at Hilton", I would say "Yes", it's worth it.

Yes indeed. On the other hand, Hilton's silver requires only 4 stays (can be four different nights at a Hampton Inn), while Marriott requires 10 nights.

The best benefit of this level of "status," IMO, is access to elite or VIP awards. And of course the little extra bonus points. I don't find much difference in treatment between MR silver, HH silver, or SPG gold. But that's just me.

Your biggest benefit is the 20% bonus Marriott points that you'll get (which is only 10% less than the bonus the Platinum's get). Other than that, if you ask nicely and find a front desk person or manager who's having a good day. You might get a nicer room if something's available - but you might get that without the Silver status too.

Do MR Silvers get the EEO packages in the mail? If they do, then that is your single biggest benefit of the status. It is the biggest benefit of Gold status, too - those 2nd night free certs and other goodies.

I don't know how many different editions were mailed out last year, but I received 1 as Silver. It arrived well into the validity period, leaving little opportunity to use them. It's almost as if someone at the MR office said "Oh look, we have some of those coupon books left over. Let's send them to those Silvers so they can see what they're missing."

Ironically my one planned use was a reservation during the big Northeast power failure last summer... I couldn't go because there was almost nowhere to buy gas enroute and the hotel was not accepting new guests during the outage.

As a silver, I've gotten a couple of upgrades, albeit on the weekends when the lounge is closed. The only advantages to me are the late check-out and the check cashing privilege, it usually takes about 5 days to clear and saves me on ATM fees.

It is worth the cost of the annual fee for the Marriott Visa card (first years fee is waved so I'm not sure how much). Sign up for one, and you are automatically silver elite.

As a silver elite (I make it on stays but also have the visa card) I have gotten a few weekend upgrades at CY/FI type properties. That is really the only tangible benefit I have experienced. The marriott visa card gives you 3x points for each dollar spent at Marriott properties, so this raises the bonus points on stays for silvers to 50%.

If I had it to do over again, I would have joined another program.

SunLover

Marriott Silver and $2.50 will get you a cup of coffee

We pay for our Priceline stays at Marriotts (I use BFT info to target Marriott's with our bids) with our MR VISA, as well as the incidentals. We just returned from Laguna Cliffs today and I noted they gave us 10 points per dollar for our incidentals (which doesn't sound right to me), as well as for the room rate we paid PL.

As we own with MVCI, we have substantial points in our MR account, and see these stay points and bonuses essentially as extra FF miles when redeeming travel packages, which give one FF mile per point, beyond the hotel cert. IMO, that adds value to an otherwise spartan rewards program.

I noted the elite keycards and jackets at both Laguna and at the RI in La Mirada, which we also stayed at this past weekend. Other than the usual courteous and professional Marriott service, I noted no other real extras from Silver status.

BTW, the MR VISA annual fee is 30 bucks, after the first free year. Never hurts to ask Bank One to waive it. We have 3 cards with them....no luck so far, at least with the affinity cards

Pat

I received an elite keycard and jacket for my Marriott Silver Elite status at the Marriott Freemont near SJC this week. Inside the jacket, it lists a "perk" of the WSJ in addition to the regular USA Today, but the small print says if you don't want this, the front desk will apply a $0.50 credit per day against your stay.

No big deal, a paid-for perk. Ok, I have stayed three nights there so far. First morning, no WSJ. mentioned to front desk on the way out, they credited me for the lack of paper. Second morning, no WSJ. complained to the front desk on the way out, they credited me $0.50 again. Came back in in the evening, and stopped by to make sure that I'd get my WSJ. No problem, a note was added against my room. Guess what happened this morning ? No WSJ. Didn't say a word on the way out. Checking out early and moving to the Hilton.

You might think thats overkill, however, if more people voted with their feet, hotels would be forced to make sure they got their act together.

As an aside, I was already miffed, when I checked in, I asked to pay an upgrade to a deluxe room. I was told this wasn't possible since rooms were blocked from Sunday night for Monday and Tuesday checkins and upgrades. Serves me right for not reserving the better room.

Front desk staff there are not too great. Despite staying there ~30 nights last year (not much, but at least regular) there's not even a note on my account saying that I'm a regular guest. No greeting "Hi there Mr. BritBen, nice to see you staying with us again."

Meh.
Ben.
(grouching for the hell of it)

I didn't keep the jacket from the RI in La Mirada but the one from Laguna Cliffs has similar verbage regarding newspapers. We just got USA today. I actually didn't read that part of the jacket until you mentioned it. I didn't expect any extras as we were there on a 50 buck PL stay.

Antithetically, regarding service, even the valet remembered my name (and car) when we called down when checking out. That, plus the professional service of the employees we encounter in the Marriott system is why we keep coming back.

Sorry to hear your experience wasn't up to par. Never hurts to put a snail mail letter in to Mr. Marriott and the GM at the hotel. They like to get feedback from their guests, good or bad.

Pat

And that's the main reason I end up with 10-15 nights a year at a Mariott. The hotels are nice, the food is excellent, and the staff is always pleasant and helpful. Silver status ends up just a side-benefit of patronizing Mariott hotels for me.