Marriott has once again clarified their new late checkout benefit for Gold and Platinum elite members, this time seemingly making it a real guarantee.
On Tuesday Marriott Rewards announced three new benefits similar to offerings of Starwood Preferred Guest.
- Experiential redemptions like SPG Moments
- A member concierge trial like Starwood Ambassador
- Guaranteed late checkout for Golds and Platinums
This was great news — with Marriott acquiring Starwood hotels it’s clear they need to do something to offer Starwood’s customers the kind of treatment they’ve been used to in order to retain them. These new benefits, without any simultaneous takeaways, seemed like a start.
However the devil was in the details. Marriott quickly clarified that guaranteed late checkout wasn’t guaranteed after all.
Renaissance Boca Raton
The late checkout announcement was:
The guaranteed late checkout benefit will be available to Gold and Platinum Elite members of both Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards who will enjoy a more seamless travel experience when planning their trip. These members will receive a guaranteed late checkout, which could be as late as 4pm.
I gave them the benefit of the doubt in this wording, assuming that “could be as late as 4pm” meant that the member would have the choice when to check out as late as 4pm. It turns out that’s not what it meant at all.
Instead they clarified what they were doing:
- Guaranteeing late checkout of some time to be determined by the hotel
- Late checkout won’t be later than 4pm but it may well be earlier.
There was significant blowback over this. Guaranteed late checkout is important. It’s offered by Starwood (4pm for Golds and Platinums), by Hyatt (4pm for Diamonds and 2pm for Platinums) and by Intercontinental (4pm for Royal Ambassadors). Marriott needs to accommodate its top tier members, and those it will inherit from Starwood.
But even more important the tone that Marriott sets with their members, whether they treat their members honestly and forthrightly, matters. Marriott begins with a trust deficit with frequent guests and “framing” like this damages their brand.
Marriott Boca Raton
I have to give them credit for recognizing quickly that this was a problem and doing something about it because Marriott has once again clarified the late checkout benefit.
Guaranteed Late Checkout
Gold and Platinum members may checkout as late as 4pm if they ask. This benefit is guaranteed at all participating Marriott Rewards hotels, except at resort and convention hotels, where it is based upon availability. Marriott Vacation Club is excluded. Guaranteed late checkout launches globally on May 16.
At Marriott Rewards properties, other than rewards and convention properties (which are similarly excluded by Hyatt and Starwood), the benefit no longer appears to be at the discretion of the hotel. So it’s a real guarantee. That’s great for members. And the whole episode, hopefully resolved over a period of just three days, can hopefully serve as a lesson going forward: how you communicate with members — candidly and forthrightly — is as important or even more important than the benefits you deliver.
There will be many changes to come over the next 18 months as Marriott closes its acquisition of Starwood and eventually ends the Starwood Preferred Guest program. They can carry this simple lesson with them, as there will be many announcements to come.
Does it apply at RC properties?
A mistake and a dilution of this benefit, in my view, but let’s say that Marriott just “guaranteed” it to the same extent that any loyalty benefit can be “guaranteed”. 😉 However, it is the right move to make since it really costs them very little to make this “guarantee”, but it is likely to earn them a lot in goodwill from SPG loyalists they are trying to appease and retain…
@Justin I assume it does.. they participate in marriott rewards, and were included in the last late checkout benefit announcement. but I have asked for clarification.
Amazing that some people still can’t comprehend the concept of a “guarantee”.
Good on Marriott to join the better loyalty programs in guaranteeing it.
One conspicuous program omission tHougH…hmmm….
Confirmed, it does extent to Ritz Carlton properties (subject to exclusions like subject to availability at resorts etc)
“At Marriott Rewards properties, other than rewards and convention properties (which are similarly excluded by Hyatt and Starwood), the benefit no longer appears to be at the discretion of the hotel.”
When you say “rewards”, does that mean point redemption? So Gold/Platinum members redeeming free nights won’t get this 4PM late checkout guarantee?
@ Gary — What exactly is a “convention hotel”? I though that most big hotels hosted conventions (albeit of varying sizes).
@Gene don’t know how Marriott is currently defining it. With Starwood there are very specific rules and a hotel has to be approved as such. No doubt there will be games with the definition of convention and with resort, which I’m even ok with as long as they publish a list of which hotels don’t have to honor.
@Kevin no, properties that participate in marriott rewards are included in this policy
@Kevin, Gary just has a typo in his text. It should say *resort* and convention properties, not *rewards* and convention properties.
But I guess I still don’t know for sure if elites are entitled to all their elite benefits on reward stays. (I’m not a Marriott elite.)
@Gary @dbeach Thanks. I have a lot of stays at Marriott properties since they are almost near all my business travels. Regarding the current elite benefits, it’s a 50/50 for me with reward stays. On paid stays, I have gotten suites before (never a benefit so it’s up to the property) but that’s after staying at a certain property for an extended period of time.
@dbeach says: “But I guess I still don’t know for sure if elites are entitled to all their elite benefits on reward stays. (I’m not a Marriott elite.)”
I am a Marriott Rewards Gold and the program SEEMS to be similar to HHonors in that elite benefits are independent of whether or not one is on an eligible (i.e. non-3rd party or “opaque” booking) revenue or award stay. I have been upgraded to a suite on award stays in Bangkok with lounge access and free breakfast. I have never redeemed points for an award stay at any Marriott property outside of Asia, hence the caveat that “it SEEMS to be similar to HHonors.”
From all “participating” hotels, huh?
“How you communicate with members — candidly and forthrightly — is as important or even more important than the benefits you deliver.” I absolutely agree with this, and this is where Delta fails miserably, and that’s why Delta is not running a good airline, irrespective of what Delta delivers.
As a Marriott Plat, I’m glad they made this change.
Gary – note the IHG 4pm late checkout benefit is for all Ambassadors, not just Royal Ambassador
As of today the MR website still reflects the old language.
https://www.marriott.com/marriott-rewards/member-benefits/get-more-rewards.mi
Maybe MR will change the language when the benefit rolls out May 16. Confused elites are much better to deal with than informed elites!
You’ll have to forgive my cynicism, but there is still some troubling language in the above statement. In particular:
“checkout as late as 4pm if they ask”: How long is it before the hotels say that they are the ones who decide what time “as late as” refers to, not the customer?
“This benefit is guaranteed at all participating Marriott Rewards hotels, except at resort and convention hotels”: They used the p-word. Yes, we understand it to mean that non-participating hotels are resorts and convention hotels. But I have no doubt that there will be many properties who claim not to be participating. That language doesn’t clarify who’s in and who isn’t.
If those who choose this option for 4pm they should know to not start getting ready to check out at 4, to not leave earlier and leave dNd on door and not norm anyone to name a couple of issues