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Marriott just officially announced today that starting June 22, Gold and Platinum elites will receive complimentary continental breakfast seven days a week at participating JW Marriott, los angeles traffic court Autograph Collection , Renaissance and Marriott Hotels in the U.S. and Canada. In the past, breakfast at hotels in the U.S. and Canada was only available during the week, but globally the weekend breakfast was included.
Platinum Elite members will also enjoy a new flexibility with their Platinum Arrival Gift: Soon you can choose 500 points or a $10 food and beverage coupon to be used during your stay, with our compliments. Additionally, any time the lounge is closed, Gold and Platinum elites will have a choice of continental breakfast for two in the hotels’ restaurant or 750 points. Though this is definitely an enhancement it is not game changer in my opinion.
los angeles traffic court I always shudder at the participating los angeles traffic court hotel language in hotel promotions and announcements. Sadly, in this case, all of Marriott s lower-tier hotels, like Courtyard by Marriott and Springhill Suites, are excluded from this.
Growing up my Dad was a big Marriott fan and I remember staying at the Marriott Marquis Time Square los angeles traffic court every summer on award nights and thinking how awesome it was to be able to travel to fancy places for free . When I first started traveling for business, I assumed I would just follow in Dad s footsteps and stay at Marriotts. However I soon learned that the promotions were always lackluster in comparison to other chains (and this was in the days of Hyatt s Faster Free Nights and Starwood s mega choice promos). I also didn t think that Marriott Gold status benefits (after 50 nights) or Platinum (after 75) were any better than Starwood and Hyatt s top tier-statuses that were achieved after 25 stays or 50 nights. I value suite upgrades, los angeles traffic court especially on personal los angeles traffic court vacations, and they aren t even offered as a Marriott Platinum benefit!
Taking out elite status, promos and credit card bonuses Marriott los angeles traffic court falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to the amount you need to spend to get a top-tier award night based solely on hotel spend:
Marriott makes it possible to attain top tier status by spending on co-branded credit cards. The Chase Marriott Premier Visa gives 15 elite nights every year and 1 Elite night credit for each $3,000 in net purchases, with no limit. So to get Gold with just spend, you d need to spend $105,000 and Platinum would require $180,000 in spend! The card has a 50,000-point sign-up bonus plus a free category 1-4 night and gives a category 1-5 every year you keep the card open, so it s a no-brainer for Marriott loyalists since that annual fee night and 15 elite night credits is easily los angeles traffic court worth the $85 annual fee, which is waived the first year.
Comparatively, the Citi Hilton Reserve gives instant Gold status for just having the card (free breakfast) and Diamond status at $40,000 in annual spend. The card comes with two free weekend los angeles traffic court nights at almost any Hilton hotel and each year you get an additional free weekend night for spending $10,000, which makes the annual fee of $95 well worth it in my opinion.
Starwood gives Platinum members los angeles traffic court (25 stays/50 nights) an option of continental breakfast and the Starwood Amex gives 2 stays/5 los angeles traffic court nights towards elite status and Gold status at $30,000 in annual spend. You can get the business version as well as and start each year off with 4 stays/10 los angeles traffic court nights towards qualification with both cards. los angeles traffic court The sign-up bonuses on both cards are currently 10,000 points after first purchase and 15,000 additional points after $5,000 in spend within 6 months. The $65 annual fee is waived the first year.
The Chase Hyatt Visa gives Platinum status for having the card open (no breakfast) 2 stay credits/5 night credits toward Diamond status upon spending $20,000 in each calendar year and an additional 3 stay credits/5 night credits toward Diamond status upon spending $40,000 in each calendar year. The sign-up bonus is 2 free nights and a category 1-4 free night every year, making the $75 annual fee well worth it in my opinion.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed los angeles traffic court by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's los angeles traffic court responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I have never had trouble asking Marriott for a complimentary breakfast (I am Gold) on the weekends when the concierge lounge is closed. They usually act like they have no idea what you re talking los angeles traffic court about then produce a pre-printed ticket just for this occasion so you know they do this all the time. I also regularly get room upgrades which I know is not a suite as you mentioned above, los angeles traffic court but for business travel, the Courtyard suite is larger than my first apartment out of college!
Don t forget that for travelers like me who don t stay in major cities, los angeles traffic court Marriott and Hilton are the only options sometimes. And Springhills have free breakfast for everyone, though los angeles traffic court I still don t get why they don t provide an elite breakfast at Courtyards.
For Platinum Elite members the best way is up! Based on room availability at check-in and limited los angeles traffic court to a Member s personal guestroom, we’ll do our best to upgrade your room. Upgrades may include rooms with desirable views, rooms on high floors, corner rooms, rooms with special amenities, rooms on Executive Floors, or suites, subject to availability identified by each hotel. See terms and conditions for details.
On not being a Marriott buff I know I have this feeling: Marriott loyalty is sort of a catch-22 when I travel for business, or for some other reason besides vacation , Marriott it is. I ve found that Marriott s lower-category collections are consistently cleaner (and more consistent in terms of what to expect) than their competitors. (And honestly, sparkling los angeles traffic court clean wins big points with me at lower price points). But for vacations, Marriott los angeles traffic court (typically, not always) falls short in terms of execution and amenities at large resorts as well as a lack of locations for me. I guess it s good that lower level awards are easy to redeem, though I wish my business travel would pay more dividends in terms of luxury stays.
The biggest value add from Marriott is points don t expire . I remember loosing quite a lot of points los angeles traffic court from HILTON just because I changed jobs and stopped traveling . You have a year to use your points from what I recall is it still the case?
When traveling for business, some folks have a per diem to cover meals, so the $10 meal voucher isn t personally valuable. los angeles traffic court The ability to opt for 500 points would carry more value to the person in that circumstance.
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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.