Elite frequent guest Marriott Hotels Marriott Rewards (replaced by Marriott Bonvoy)

Marriott Rewards Elite Benefits Guarantee

Marriott Rewards guarantees several hotel stay benefits to its Gold and Platinum elite member guests. These elite benefits come with guaranteed guest compensation in the failure to deliver hotel stay benefits. This might be one reason why Marriott Rewards is such a popular hotel loyalty program in those traveler popularity contests for hotel loyalty programs.

Gold/Platinum Marriott Rewards elite member benefits:

  • guaranteed lounge access at JW Marriott, Marriott, Autograph Collection and Renaissance hotels with executive/concierge lounges. Gold/Platinum compensation = $100 in the event this benefit guarantee is not met.

Grand Foyer

JW Marriott Chicago Executive Lounge

(photo credit: JW Marriott Chicago Press Kit 2012)

 

  • complimentary continental breakfast in lounge or hotel restaurant if no lounge (only Mon-Fri weekdays in US/Canada; 7 days a week elsewhere; resorts excluded). Gold/Platinum compensation = $100 in the event this benefit guarantee is not met.

JW Marriott Exectuive lounge

JW Marriott Chicago Executive Lounge evening appetizers

JW Marriott Chicago Executive Lounge hours are 6:00 am-10:00pm Monday through Thursday and 6am – noon Friday. Closed Saturday. Open 5:00pm – 10:00pm Sunday.

Continental Breakfast is offered in the 12th floor Executive Lounge of JW Marriott Chicago.

The evening food selections around 6pm in the photo above included crab & avocado salad and a mixed green salad with nuts shown in photo. There were a couple of hot dishes – gnocchi with pesto sauce and pine nuts; and pasta with sun dried tomato sauce. Fruits, vegetables, local cheeses, and breads were also offered.

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  • guaranteed room type (Gold/Platinum) is primarily a US/Canada benefit for bed type. For example you reserve a King room and get two doubles. This guarantee applies to other international locations, but there appears to be more wiggle room for the hotel to avoid compensation. Smoking/nonsmoking and bed types are examples of room types. I wonder how much room view plays into the guarantee?

   Gold/Platinum Room Type Compensation       

   JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Marriott

  • $100 USD

   AC Hotels, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn

  • $50 USD

   Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites

  • $25 USD

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  • hotel unable to accommodate guest reservation (all elites)

Sometimes the hotel has to walk people to another hotel when for some reason the place is booked up for a special event or perhaps when there is an issue like floor flooding which closes off part of the hotel. This is an uncommon situation, but is compensated dearly when it happens. Even Silver elites benefit from this guest reservation guarantee.

JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Marriott

  • $200 USD and two free room certificates (all elites).

AC Hotels, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites

  • $100 USD and two free room certificates (Platinum only).

Ritz-Carlton

  • $200 USD and two free room certificates (Platinum only).

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Platinum only benefits

  • 48-hour guaranteed availability (Platinum only) 

48-hour guaranteed availability is great if you are someone important who needs to be in a specific hotel on a specific date. But this perk will cost you. If a hotel is sold out, you may be paying rack rate for this benefit.

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  • Platinum Arrival Gift

Platinum members receive bonus points, a food and beverage amenity or airline miles for any Marriott brand hotel stay. The amenity varies by hotel brand.

JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Marriott

  • Arrival Gift = 500 points or Food & Beverage Amenity. Compensation = $100 USD.

Courtyard in U.S. and Canada, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn

  • Arrival Gift = 200 points or Food & Beverage Amenity. Compensation = $50 USD.

AC Hotels and Courtyard Hotels outside U.S. and Canada

  • Arrival Gift = 250 points or Food & Beverage Amenity. Compensation = $50 USD.

Fairfield Inn & Suites

  • Arrival Gift = 500 points. Compensation = $100 USD.

Marriott Vacation Club

  • Arrival Gift = 200 points or Food & Beverage Amenity. Compensation = $25 USD.

Edition Hotels

  • Arrival Gift = 500 points or 250 airline miles.

Ritz-Carlton Hotels

  • Arrival Gift = 1,000 points or 500 airline miles.

While I favor 500 points as SPG Platinum or 1,000 Hyatt points as Gold Passport Diamond over F&B in many stays, the Marriott F&B value is likely worth more than the bonus points value at these brands.

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Link: Marriott Rewards Elite Benefits Guarantee

Do Marriott Rewards elite members care to share any comments on the delivery of elite benefits and the guest compensation guarantees?

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7 Comments

  • Cathy May 29, 2012

    You are entitled to $200 AND (not OR) 2 free room nights for the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee

  • Ric Garrido May 29, 2012

    @Cathy – noted and edited. Wow. That is much better compensation.

  • Joshua May 29, 2012

    As you can see, Marriott rewards only favors travelers who book their reservations at the premium line of hotels…even then, the bonus points don’t really stack up given their low value as compared to Starwood.

    Also, I’ve observed that many of Marriott Courtyards that previously served breakfast buffets have now transitioned over to the standardized “boutique a la carte” format, where you pay for breakfast, regardless of your status. This is a disappointment as it completely nullifies any value that was previously realized from showing status.

    Given the recent addition of suite upgrades by competing hotels as well as more “upscale” lower-end accommodations (Hyatt House, Garden Inn, etc.), Marriot just doesn’t seem to offer much compelling reason for rewards travelers to remain loyal.

  • ygcons May 29, 2012

    virtually impossible to claim the $100 for missing the arrival gift. I have on several occasions checked into hotels and being a regular (same hotel over ~15 weeks), most of the front desk recognize me and just issue my points and give me my preferred room. One day I checked my balances and realized on several check-ins they didn’t issue my 500 pts. Now, I called in to try to claim my $100 and it is up to the Hotel’s digression to give you the $100. I’ve heard stories when someone received it. In my case, they just apologized a lot and gave me the missing points – no additional points, no cash compensation. Maybe I just didn’t apply enough pressure.

  • martin henner May 29, 2012

    anything for Silvers

  • cyndi May 30, 2012

    Marriott status means nothing to the Cosmopolitan in Vegas.Stayed there the end of February. Truely a dissapointing experience. Their excuse is we are new to Marriott, and readily admitted that their rewards members were all dissatisfied, but did nothing to try and correct the situation at the time of the stay or at the time of contacting the hotel after the stay. Definitely would not stay there again based upon customer service.

  • Liam March 24, 2013

    I managed to claim my first elite benefits guarantee yesterday!

    Marriott Chateau Champlain in Montreal sent it to the wrong room (I’d complained about the first room being too close to the elevator 1 minute after arriving in the room) and was moved. Somehow it went to the first room and it took them 90 minutes to realize this – my telephone’s message indicator started blinking and there was a message asking me to call the front desk. I was told that it had been sent the wrong room and when I had expressed my dissatisfaction I was told they would speak with the front desk supervisor about it. Not a word was sad following that. So, when I checked out I asked for $100 and got it.

    Score!

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