Priority Check-In?
 

I was looking at the membership benefits and was wondering what is Priority Check-In?

You've earned more than points. You've earned better living on the road. As a member, you'll receive the recognition you deserve at more than 2,700 hotels worldwide, plus free nights, free flights and many other benefits, including:

1- Priority check-in
2- A newsletter, including member-only specials
3- Bonuses and base points earned at all Marriott hotel brands

Hi there,

It depends on the hotels you stay at. You're more likely to see this at full services Marriotts (Renaissance, JW, Marriott, ...). They will have a separate check-in counter for elite members.

From my experience, I've had it at places like: LHR Marriott, LHR Renaissance, BRU Renaissance, LGW Renaissance, JW Marriott Cairo and some others.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

In general, most the hotels where I see an "elite check-in" line never use it. Most of the time, I have to wait in line behind everyone else.

Rens have started a new program where you can check-in in the CL. They will actually meet you at the door and escort you up to the lounge. I received that treatment at the Wuhan Ren last year.

Hello,

'Priority Check-in' was put in place to give hotels an additional way to recognize elite members. Hotels will choose how they want to do this, so you will see it vary from hotel to hotel.

As mentioned, there is a new benefit that is being offered to our Platinum elite members at our Renaissance properties. A very cool concept where someone will meet you in the lobby at check in, bypassing the whole check in process altogether. Again this is another thing that will vary from Renaissance to Renaissance depending on how they set it up at that individual property.

Kind regards,

Marie

Would an early check-in be part of the priority check-in? Often an early check-in is one very important benefit or preference to me. Hotel programs concentrate alot on late check-outs, but an early check-in can be very important & attractive. It would really make a hotel program stand out.

Yes, most of the prop will arrange early checkin if possible. This week I checked into a SHS that had been full the previous night, and they had my room ready by 9:30AM.

Once I was checking in to the Marriott Park City, and called them from the car a few times to tell them I had a sick child and would REALLY like an early checkin. When I arrived 9AM, they gave me the only room they had available, which was a special room for handicapped guests.

I don't know if early check-in is part of that benefit or not. But I do agree with MsEverywhere that a lot of hotels do try to get you into a room as early as possible.

A number of years back, I checked-in to the Santa Clara, CA Marriott around 10:00am. They were very apologetic that there wasn't a room available yet. The manager came out and gave me a couple of tickets to the Theme Park close by and had someone drive me and pick me up. I thought that was pretty good service. ^

hehe, can I add that the LAX Marriott has priority check-in?

Not the same league as the Intl Marriott/Ren properties you mentioned :)

The Marriott San Francisco has a priority checkin line which can be quite helpful at times given the size of the property. When I stayed there a few weeks back, there were about 20 people in line to checkin at the regular line but no line at the elite checkin counter (I was first in line behind the current guest being helped). When a regular checkin clerk noticed my standing there, he offered to help me before checking in the next regular guest.

I recently stayed at a FS Marriott in Quincy, MA. When I walked in, there was a woman with a clipboard and little desk 20ft in front of the front desk with a sign that said gold and plat priority check-in. I gave her my last name, she asked if I wanted to use the card I had on file, I told her yes and she hands me a key on the CL. It was approx 30 seconds from start to finish. It was actually very nice :)

Large resorts seem to always have it. I have also enjoyed it at the Quincy FS, the NYC Marquis, EWR FS - which is great because all of them often have lines. At smaller FS it seems to be available when they are busy, but they umm...roll up the rug :D otherwise.

By far my favorite though is the new Ren check in - AUS does a fabulous job as does CLT. What a nice (and fast) welcome!

There does seem to be a lot of leeway... I recently had an Assistant Manager give me $50 credit towards dinner at any of the restaurants because he couldn't get us into a room at 1:00 PM ^

Waterside - Tampa and San Diego Hotel & Marina
 

Both have, and use their priority lines. I have seen others, but none stand out quite like these two in my memory.