No - again this is exactly the same as I have experienced before.

Gold has been great for me so far. I have stayed 33 nights this year alone (Usually make silver every year) & was probably on my way to gold anyways. So far I was upgraded twice to ocean view rooms while using Priceline. May 23-26 (memorial day weekend) Marriott Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Fort Lauderdale Fl (got a room on the 14th floor w/a center ocean view)& May 30- June 3, Hilton Head Marriott Resort & Spa (they charge $50 per night for an ocean view, I just had to remind them that I was a gold member & no problem.) Also called the night before just to request an ocean view room. Neither resorts had a lounge, but expected that they wouldn't.
Going to the blackstone renaissance in chicago the 27th - 30th, (using points) I have read that they do upgrades, but not sure if the lounge access is open on the weekends? That is the 1st weekend of the Taste of Chicago. I am not sure what to ask for. Upgraded view?? Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Great! Thanks for the heads up ^.

Courtyard Berlin Mitte-Germany

No Upgrade........

Marriott Dalmahoy in Edinburgh--^Welcomed as a gold and upgraded to a great corner suite with a view of the grounds for my first 2 night stay. Then 4 days later given a miserable room next to the ice machine with a view of the wall.

This hotel only seems to have Standard Rooms, Junior Suites and Suites. As suite upgrades are not included within the Elite benefits, what exactly were you expecting?

I'm only about 5 percent or so of "real" upgrades as a Platinum where the room is materially different from that which I booked. On the other hand, I always get lounge access and almost always get upgraded to the C floor with improved amenities.

Some hotels give "real" upgrades, breakfast coupons on the weekend when the lounge is closed, and have good amenities in the C lounge at night. I try hard to reward those hotels with additional stays and encourage others to stay there.

Over the year, Gold and Plat offer nice advantages. There will always be hotels which fall below the bar. In some cases, even the same hotel will exceed the bar on one stay and fail to meet the bar on a different stay. All in all though, I'm treated fairly well.

I very rarely get upgrades, but as someone else said, it is only a bathrobe and mouthwash. I think a lot of it depends on the hotel and how full it generally is. Someone else commented how they don't get upgraded at Marriott Kensington. I've been staying there for almost two years, my colleagues 3 and we rarely get upgraded. We asked the GM and sales director why not... apparently they've pretty much always sold their executive rooms.

I have found you're more likely to get an upgrade staying one or two nights rather than the week - makes sense really as the room is more likely to of been sold for one of the nights if you're staying longer.

That's the standard excuse, and one that's impossible for customers to check. My favorite use of the excuse was when two desk shifts at the Ledra Marriott in Athens had "sold" their executive rooms until I made it clear that I wasn't going to yield on my guaranteed room type and wanted the elite benefit guarantee money. (The only rooms of my guaranteed type were on the executive floor, though I didn't know that until one miraculously became available. I guess "sold" is relative.)

As a new Marriott Gold, I recently stayed at the Marriott Pinnacle Vancouver, and whilst 'lounge' access was nice, I was surprised that there is no complimentary alcohol! Oh, and no minibar in the room.

Back to IC for me... ;-) Hic!

No reason they should care. I reserve with one card and pay with a different one very frequently.

and there i go responding to a question from a month ago...need to sleep...

Hi! Can you tell me about the FB promo to get Gold Elite status. I had Gold Elite status the last 2 years but didn't stay enough to qualify this year. Is there another way to get it?

The Flying Blue and BA promos for instant Gold ended recently. As it stands, there is no similar way to do. it.