Marriott and SPG’s combined program offers quite a few perks for those with Platinum elite status or better. Some of the headline benefits of Platinum status include:
- Lounge access
- Room upgrade to standard suite
- Guaranteed 4PM late checkout
- Welcome choice gift (with daily breakfast as one option)
Those are excellent perks, but did you know that you might not get them? All of the perks have exceptions:
- Lounge access: Certain resorts are excluded.
- Room upgrade to standard suite: Not at the Ritz.
- Guaranteed 4PM late checkout: Not guaranteed at resorts or convention centers.
- Welcome choice gift (with breakfast as one option): “Breakfast” may be a $10 food & beverage credit.
If you want to know what to expect at a particular hotel, you could try reading through the Marriott Rewards Terms & Conditions document. Or, you can try out this new page I setup:
>> Which Marriott elite benefits apply? <<
Loyalty Lobby published a guide (found here) that Marriott sent to hotels to help them understand the elite benefits that they’re supposed to deliver. I combed through the guide and entered the information into a searchable table. In some cases I had to get information from Marriott’s Terms & Conditions since the hotel guide was missing key details.
The idea is to be able to identify the benefits due to you based on your elite status and where you plan to stay. I worked on this guide all day yesterday and continued to find errors and make corrections until late in the evening. I have no doubt that readers will find additional errors. If you do, please let me know! I intend to keep updating this table as needed.
My Marriott elite benefit finder page is mostly based on hotel brands, but in some cases Marriott makes exceptions for individual hotels. When searching for your location, first use the brand to identify the benefits you are due, and then check the individual hotel. Here’s an example…
Example
Suppose you have Platinum status and you’re thinking of staying at The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection. Before booking the stay, you want to find out what benefits you’ll get. So, you visit my page, go to “Platinum Status or Higher”, select “Hotel within US, Canada, or Europe”, and you type “autograph” into the Search box:
Now you see a list of benefits that a Platinum member can expect from an Autograph Collection hotel in the US:
So, according to the table, you’ll get lounge access (or breakfast if the lounge is closed), plus 4pm late checkout, a minor welcome gift, etc. Sounds pretty good, right? But then you remember that Greg said to type in the name of the specific hotel into the search box…
Ideally typing in your specific hotel would return no results. If you get a result, it means that this hotel has specific benefit exclusions. In this case, when the lounge is closed (which happens on weekends) you don’t get free breakfast. Boo!
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I’ll be staying at the Disney Swan, which I believe is a Westin. Do you happen to know whether Westin benefits apply here, or whether it might be an exception?
I don’t know off the top of my head whether the Swan has any exceptions. My guess is that they’ll provide standard benefits.
Hi Greg, how would this work? I have 2 35k nights from my CC’s and my wife has 1 with hers. Can I book 2 nights and her 1 and then combine the reservation? Not sure how status transfers through there (I’m plat, she’s nothing). Any quick thoughts? I’m sure you’ve dealt with this before?
Yes, you can book 2 nights from your account and 1 from her account. Next, contact the hotel directly and give them the confirmation numbers so that they can link the reservations together so that you’ll stay in one room. You won’t get elite credit or benefits for the night booked from her account.
Cool, thanks Greg. I’ve never had 2 certs before. Can I book a 2 night reservation and have them apply, or is it 1 night each separate reservations like hyatt?
Separate reservations.
[…] Marriott Platinum Elite: What to expect when checking in […]
Have had 3 stays in the last 2 weeks at different Marriott properties. 2 single night stays on points and a reserved 28 day paid stay. No suite offers at any. All with serious benefits problems.
At the four points they initially provided only $10 food and beverage credit for my wife and I instead of $10 each. 3 different front desk workers with 3 different explanations of how the credits worked. Then there was some stay charge of like $13 for a points stay.
At the courtyard we don’t know how the food and beverage credit worked because the cafe didn’t open early enough and then when we returned at 940 it was closed.
At the 28 day paid stay at a Courtyard we checked out early because the room we were given was so bad (asked 2 times each day for a different room until we finally checked out after 3 nights and moved to a doubletree that upgraded us to a penthouse suite). When we checked out on the third day they told us the $10 food and beverage credit could not be used on day of checkout so we were paying for our final breakfast (WTF?).
An off topic question…can I use the free nights for friends or family by adding them as guests? Would they be asked for the same credit card when checking in?
Yes, that can work, and I’ve done it successfully (no, they don’t require the same credit card) but in some places they may require that you be present to check in. Alternatively, if you book over the phone you should be able to put it in their name. This is from the T&C:
3.1.c. Awards are valid only for use by the individual designated on the Award and are not transferable, although, if requested at the time of issuance, an Award may be issued to a third party. Third party transfers or transfers to non-Members are limited to twenty (20) Awards in a calendar year on a single Membership Account. In the event an Award is given to a third party in accordance with the prior sentence, neither the Member nor the third party will earn any Points/Miles, Elite Night Credit, Qualifying Nights, or Qualifying Stays in connection with such Award. At check-in, the guest using the Award may be required to show valid identification and provide a credit card to the Participating Property for incidental charges.
Hi Greg I just realized that I deleted the email with my two certificates. What can I do to get them back? Thanks for your help.
Should be in your account
Log into your Marriott account and look under “Activity” to find your certificates.
Greg, any news on the 30K refund for the old Category 6 travel packages? Thanks!
I think I remember a few people reporting success getting the 30K back. If you don’t need the points near-term, though, I’d keep waiting to see if anything changes
Oh my! Do people with Platinum status or higher really have to go through all this trouble?
I don’t have status just the gold from the Amex Platinum card so I don’t even bother.
Wow, clear as mud. Marriott couldn’t have made it more confusing if they tried. Get ready for lots of disillusioned formerly loyal customers when they are repeatedly denied benefits they expected. Hilton Diamond via Aspire is looking better and better.
Hi Greg. I received my Ritz card this June, when would I have to start the 75K spend to keep the platinum elite status past Feb.2020. Just used our two nights certificates at the Retz in Laguna Niguel and received a very nice upgrade.
You can start after your next annual fee is charged to you in 2019, but make sure not to complete the spend until early 2020.
Thanks for the info
This is why FM is the best. Thanks Greg.
Hi Greg, Great article, that is why you are my only “must read” blogger. I am staying at the Westin in China in a few weeks. Do you have any info on how they are handling the Platinum Elite benefits there? MJ
Search for the property on Flyertalk. Usually there are datapoints there
Staying at the Westin Ft Laurderdale next month, second time at this brand so was curious what I can expect. This helps! I will say the Marriott Cancun gave us a nice welcome gift of beer/wine and cheese/nut tray.
Beach resort or city property.
Nice job Greg. This is why I read your blog every morning with my coffee.
Awesome resource! Bookmarking for sure.