Platinum Elite - Room Upgrades? Need Quick Answer!
 

Hi, I'm a MR Platinum Elite. I have a two night stay booked at the Marriott WorldCenter Resort starting tomorrow night. Here are my questions:
1. Are Platinums supposed to be upgraded to "the best available room"? Or what is the room upgrade policy?
2. How do I know if I've been upgraded in a room? In all my stays at Marriott properties this year (including my current stay at the Orlando Airport Renaissance), I've always just gotten a 'standard" room. Nothing special. The same rooms I've always gotten before I was Platinum. No different amenities even?

Thanks!

I would call the Platinum line now and make sure an upgrade request is on your reservation. They would be able to tell you what to expect-I believe its 1 category above your booked room. However, it gets a bit sticky when you are in a regular room trying to upgrade to a suite.

When checking it, ask for an upgrade. They will give you one if possible-they are not guaranteed. They are based on availability.

Are you using points or booking a standard rate? I think I've heard before it is difficult to get an upgrade at a resort with points. They usually want you to use the reward code for an upgrade which involves using more points. Otherwise it is usually based on availabilty, unless your willing to guarantee by paying for it.

You can see if you have a room upgrade ahead of checkin by looking at your reservation online. For instance, if you got upgraded to a concierge level room, your reservation will state that you have a concierge level room.

In general, most platinum members can expect to get an upgrade to the concierge level with an occasional suite upgrade. You should request an upgrade through the platinum desk and also in the comment box when you make a reservation online. If you do this, it will go into your profile for future reservations. It can be a pain to call to inquire about upgrade possibilities, but it gives you another chance to remind the people at the hotel about your desire for an upgrade.

The OWC is quite generous with platinum upgrades. If I were you, I would simply ask politely at check-in. "Say, I was wondering if any upgraded rooms are available. I know they're not technically included in the upgrade policy, but I've heard you offer some wonderful suites here when they're not all booked!" Trust me, they're rarely all booked and they'll be happy to give one to a courteous, loyal guest.

I have found that I tend to get better upgrades (larger rooms, suites, etc) when I'm using points. I have always thought it may be because I use points at resorts and when I am traveling with my family. If I'm able to use points at a resort, it may mean that there is a lot of availability at that hotel plus resorts may have more suites to hand out. Also, when I check in, my daughter and son almost always jump out of the car and follow me up to the front desk. I think looking at my daughter's big blue eyes may help get those suite upgrades. :D But whatever it is, it seems that when I'm travelling on business and alone, I just don't get upgraded to suites nearly as often.

And I'm not even a Platinum at the moment, but the last trip we took as a family to Nashville, the Franklin Marriott gave us a very nice really big suite with a big piano in it. I have stayed at that very same Marriott about 5 or 6 times for business before that and not once was I upgraded to a suite room there. (And I was a Platinum during some of those previous stays.)

I'm at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Checked in last night. Concierge lounge on the 16th floor. I'm given a room on floor 7. I ask clerk why no plat upgrade to concierge floor. She say's "Your rate is too low". I start to protest but realize I'm too tired and retreat to my 7th floor room. (This message being posted via the very nice complimentary high speed wireless internet from the nearby Comfort Inn which finds its way to my room).

I can't imagine being tired enough not to throw the BS flag on this one. I'm generally a nice guy, but such a response would channel the "bad DJ_Iceman" who would firmly demand to speak to a manager. There is NOTHING in the Marriott Rewards T&C about rate type affecting benefits.

Maybe he was staying on a rate that he was not eligible for and did not want to muddy the waters.

You couldn't be more wrong. Why you would engage in totally baseless speculation is beyond me.

Room Rate
 

As a Gold, (soon to be Plat) I almost never get on a C-level floor. However, I always get access to the lounge. I used to request a smoking room, but now it would not matter since all should be smoke free. I do use the government rate every chance I get, and yes, I am entitled to it.

I was waiting to see if getting a non-smoking room would get me into a c-level room, but have not been at a full service Marriott since the new policy went into effect.

I really do think that the room rate has a bearing on getting on the C-level, but I don't have any other facts, just my personal experience so far

I just looked at the three reservations I have booked and one shows a request for an upgrade and the other two do not. The one that has the request was made via telephone while I booked the other two online. I always assumed the request was automatic as a platinum elite but it seems I was wrong. As there is no way of requesting the upgrade online, my future bookings will all be done through the platinum desk.

I usually get upgraded to the C-level or a corner room for most of my reservations. When I don't, I usually politely ask if there is something a little bigger/on a higher floor/etc. If they can accommodate, my experiences have been that they will.

One of my bigger pet peeves (hey...maybe I should hit the other thread!) is when I am told that they have me in a nice room, or some such language and then get to the room and it is a standard (or sometimes even sub-standard) room. This has happened to me twice in the last month at a hotel that I frequent more than just a few times a year. One direct quote was "Let me see if I can pick out a nicer room than the one they have here for you...." I get the key card, head up to the room, and find a very basic room. If you cannot upgrade me, I would rather hear something like "I am sorry that we didn't have any upgraded accommodations today, but...." than the implication that there is something nice on the other end. On both occasions, I had stayed at the same hotel within the last month - in an upgraded room. So, I was pretty confident that I knew what an upgraded room loooked like. One time, I was given the handicapped room. I don't consider this an upgrade at all. In both instances, a trip back to the lobby got the true room upgrade, which chaps me because there is no need for that kind of run around.

Not quite related to upgrades, but I stayed at that Marriot in August and have a bit of advice....

I'm not sure why you're there, but if you are attending a conference like I was and will be going back and forth between your room and the conference center often, you might want to try for a room in the main tower, above the lobby area. I was in one of the wings and it was over a 5 minute walk between my room and the conference center. Even if you are not attending a meeting, you may want to ask for a tower room, the ones I saw just seemed nicer overall, including the view.

"MAYBE"
One was inquiring on why one would not fight over your upgrade and I just thought "maybe" you booked a different rate code that you did not want to have scrutinized. You did say that the clerk said that you were on a cheap rate. I did not say that you were on an improper rate.