The St. Regis Chicago tried to deny any obligation to offer Marriott Bonvoy Platinum members and above a breakfast benefit, claiming that they’d outsourced their property’s restaurant. Once this practice received publicity Marriott forced them to reverse course.
That’s because Marriott’s terms and conditions contain no exception to the breakfast benefit for situations where “the restaurant at the hotel is operated by a third party.”
Another hotel is trying the same argument to avoid feeding Marriott elites. The Muir Autograph Collection in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada says no elite breakfast, too, because they don’t run the restaurant in the hotel. I flagged this hotel’s breakfast claim last month.
Muir (Autograph Collection) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, no longer offers complimentary breakfast to Plat Elites (and above) because the restaurant they used to serve breakfast in is not owned by property. However they offer in-room dining through mentioned “non owned” restaurant… Is this kosher?
by u/MyNameIsDan_ in marriott
Within North America, Autograph Collection hotels are required to offer an amenity choice of restaurant breakfast (resorts) or a food and beverage credit (hotels). And Marriott has a cash guarantee that hotels will honor this.
It’s a unique element of the Marriott program that’s positive for consumers, a throwback to an earlier era (I claimed this benefit over a decade ago): denial of elite benefits entitles the member to cash compensation – the terms of conditions say failure to deliver the elite welcome benefit choice at an Autograph hotel, that includes a breakfast option, is worth $100. However to claim the $100 guest has to invoke the benefits guarantee while still on property, or else they forfeit it. (Not knowing a member is getting hosed until later means the hotel doesn’t have to pay.)
This hotel claims Marriott corporate has even exempted them from the $100 guarantee, though there’s no indication in program terms that this is the case.
Muir & Marriott Bonvoy Elite Benefits drama continue. I didn’t even know a property can be exempt from the $100 USD compensation guarantee??? @OneMileataTime @LiveandLetsFly @garyleff pic.twitter.com/KgTFShPROR
— Daniel Moon (@MyNameIsDan__) July 9, 2023
According to Marriott customer service there are no standards, “each hotel has its own policies and offerings.”
Hotel owners want loyal customers from a hotel chain (what they sometimes call ‘leads’) but don’t want to deliver on the expectations the chain has created to build that loyalty. Marriott has been broadly allowing hotels to get away with this more and more, focused more on owner costs than protecting their brand. They’ll often enforce brand standards when called out, though.
That’s a short-term mindset, because in the asset light model where hotel chains tend not to own their properties, all they have is their brand. They’re afraid of antagonizing owners in a way that costs them revenue in the short term, but that risks sacrificing even more revenue in the long term since the brand becomes the only thing of value that they have, the reasons customers book through their platform. Without a brand driving bookings, a booking platform has nothing else to offer.
Definitely put this on a hotel avoid list, since they do not want your business if you’re a Marriott elite. And if Marriott permits this to continue (the dishonoring of published elite benefits has been known for over a month already) then consider that when valuing the Bonvoy program.
Note that the property offered a on property credit. It must be given as cash correct? No a property credit. Also, is the benefit guarantee per night, per violation, and or per stay?
If the restaurant isn’t part of the hotel then how can you use a credit?
Yet the Bonvoy program is an elite program.. **rolls eyes**
Stuff like this makes Hilton look like Hyatt.
It would be good to have a full on public list of these hotels.
Two points.
1) The description of the benefit is inaccurate. This is more than semantics as these are two separate and distinct benefits.
There is no standalone breakfast benefit at non-resort Autograph Collection properties. In North America, the Elite Welcome Gift benefit is a choice between 1,000 points or a $10 food-and-beverage credit. See section 4.3.c.iii of the Bonvoy terms and conditions.
Under a different benefit, called the Guaranteed Lounge Access benefit, non-resort Autograph Collection properties are also required to offer a lounge with access given to platinums and higher. Contrary to popular belief, the lounges do not have to include breakfast. Instead, lounges “MAY include light snacks and daily continental breakfast.” [emphasis on may] See section 4.3.c.iv of the Bonvoy terms and conditions.
At properties without a lounge, eligible guests receive a choice of 750 points per night or a restaurant breakfast. However, “[t]his benefit is not applicable when breakfast is included in the rate or the brand offers an approved alternative.” See section 4.3.c.iv(a) of the Bonvoy terms and conditions.
The question is thus whether the property in question received approval by Marriott for an “alternative” to the stated Guaranteed Lounge Access benefit. If so, the property is correct.
2) Setting aside the points I raised above, Marriott also has clause in the Bonvoy terms and conditions that basically allows a bad property to do whatever it wants. It’s called the local policy clause. See section 4.1.c.ii:
Local policy may prevail over Loyalty Program standards at Participating Properties, and some Elite membership benefits may not be available at some locations.
From a friend who is a longtime Marriott general manager:
The issue is that their benefits are still based on Marriott-owned hotels. Franchises mostly have their F&B outsourced to a third party. The complimentary breakfast for elite guests is charged at full price back to hotel, which becomes very costly. That’s why some hotels try to offer points rather than breakfast. From a guest perspective I totally understand it, however.
^^^^^^^^ This is simple not true, Marriott Corp has not owned hotels itself in many many years, except for a handful, perhaps 5 or 7 from the last time I read their 10K. It does MANAGE a fair amount and takes a fee for doing so. These are likely the properties who do not try to weasel out of everything promised by the program…
I had this BS at Marriott’s Wailea Beach Resort property. They offered only a coupon for a lobby Starbuck’s coffee, as they too tried to claim the outsourced restaurant excuse. When I pressed them for the cash compensation claim, they ducked and dodged that one as well. This LT Plat currently has ZERO Marriott nights this year since that stay because of Bonvoy inconsistencies.
As to @ FNT Delta Diamond’s friend the manager’s claim that they get charged a “very costly” price from the outsourced restaurant, well… I suspect the hotel is receiving rent proceeds from the restaurant operator. So, it is not like the hotel is totally out of pocket for a “very costly” breakfast.
This ambitious rule, which is really a way for the hotels not to give us there sorry little breakfast is ridiculous. The whole point of staying with a certain program is to achieve status and get rewarded for your loyalty. Hilton is a bit better about the breakfast rule and much more clear on the rules. All of the bull**** that these programs are pulling are blind to backfire.
Lifetime Platinum Elite who no longer patronizes Marriott hotels precisely because of these games Marriott hotels play with their best customers. I got tired of fighting for the benefits Marriott corporate said I was entitled to.
Same thing in Houston, TX.
Rotary House
1600 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77030, United States
I agree this is egregious but breakfast games have been going on for years now… at what point do you just accept this is the way it is and take your business elsewhere?
Marriott is charging a significant rate premium and still getting blind loyalty despite all these games, so it must not be hurting them that much.
As for me I’ll pocket the difference and find a decent Comfort Inn. If I’m going to be disappointed, at least I won’t overpay for it.
Chargeback the credit card. If that fails, take them to small claims court. The hotel is part of the Bonvoy program, which contains terms and conditions associated with the purchase.
@TLU:
I assume what my friend was referring to is the amount Marriott pays a property. That’s probably unchanged in years. Look at the Bonvoy terms. The $10 F&B credit hasn’t changed for years even though $10 barely buys you anything anymore. I can remember when $1 was almost 2 British pounds. That $10 credit was even more useless. Likewise, the $100 compensation for benefits not delivered hasn’t changed for years. These amounts are probably all written into 20-year contracts.
@Peter:
“Marriott is charging a significant rate premium and still getting blind loyalty despite all these games, so it must not be hurting them that much.”
I suspect it’s because Marriott has a large number of business travelers. I know dozens of people who are required to stay at a Marriott because of corporate contracts. They can expense meals. It’s not a big deal. Others don’t eat breakfast.
The breakfast benefit is only an issue at resorts or other hotels on leisure stays. You want to nickel and dime me when I’m traveling on other people’s money? Fine. Whatever. But don’t screw me, a loyal customer, when I take my one award-redemption stay every year to some resort with my wife. Happy wife equals happy husband who keeps traveling. That’s what Marriott doesn’t seem to understand.
Look, Marriott is going to pay the price. Marriott’s portfolio is full of hundreds of mediocre business hotels in markets that may never recover to pre-pandemic occupancy and RevPAR rates.
I think that’s why Hyatt is forgoing growth in full-service domestic hotels for low-cost, high-profit Hyatt Place properties, upscale resorts, and all-inclusive resorts.
I really wouldn’t want to be the owner or operator of a mediocre chain hotel in a downtown business district or suburban office park right now. Especially in New York, Chicago/Illinois, California, and Seattle.
I’m done with Marriott. There is one Fairfield that I stay at because it’s very convenient for a driving trip I take twice a year, and then I also have one 35k award stay a year from my $95 AMEX “complimentary” night. I’m LT Gold which gets me virtually nothing.
So it seems to be a better idea to stay with IHG Intercontinental and avoid all the fuss when travelling on buisness? I’ve had similar issues with Marriot not honering t&c which I can’t be bothered to deal with and is a big turn off, but never faced similar issues with IHG.
To the person that keeps quoting local policy (you’ve quoted it the last time this hotel made the rounds), local policy means municipal/provincial/federal policy, not a hotel’s own arbitrary rules. This refers to cultural customs where free gifts/services may not be provided for whatever reason (see 4.1.a). And yes I too have a friend in Marriott property management to confirm this.
Does anyone have, or keep, a listing of the Marriott Hotels we should avoid based on this and other policy avoidances?? I want to make sure I do not give my loyalty to these hotels. The only way we are going to get them to change is if we all avoid them
@DMoon:
Except that’s not it says. See section 4.1.c.ii:
“Local policy may prevail over Loyalty Program standards at Participating Properties, and some Elite membership benefits may not be available at some locations.”
Marriott is specific throughout its terms and conditions, particularly about ineligibility due to sanctions, laws, etc. If Marriott’s intent is that “local policy” mean a government law, regulation, rile or ordinance of some kind then it would have said so.
I’ve had properties invoke “local policy” before.
First, they came for the print newspapers
And I did not speak out
Because I did not read print newspapers
Then they came for the daily housekeeping
And I did not speak out
Because I didn’t need daily housekeeping
Then they came for the toiletries
And I did not speak out
Because I didn’t care about the toiletries
Then they came for the bathrobes and slippers
And I did not speak out
Because I never used the bathrobes and slippers
Then they came after breakfast
And there was nothing left
To speak out for
This is just one example out of many why this multi-year Titanium no longer stays at Marriot properties and gave up status at Marriot.
The W Lakeshore in Chicago also refuses to honor breakfast due to the restaurant not being owned by the hotel. Marriott backed them up when i went after the elite guarantee.
Cairo Ritz-Carlton did the same to me. no benefits as an elite member wanted 100 us just to access breakfast and lounge. Each hotel has different rules and some offer no benefits any more . even late check outs are denied when hotel is busy.
I am a current Titanium so annoyed with the lack of any Bonvoy benefit at most hotels that I won’t even make Gold this year as I am no longer loyal to Marriott. The massive points devaluation last year made it even worse. This all started falling apart after CEO Arnie died and the accountants took control.
Hotel owner: “$100 USD breakfast credit?!? Look you ungrateful ignoramus, you’re fortunate that we provide you with an ice cold water shower and 800 grit sandpaper sheets on your roll up mat bed! . You want breakfast?!. Here is a 24 pack variety box of generic brand Pop Tarts and a 24 pack of miniature Pepsi-Cola cans.! Go away!”.
@CB:
There is no breakfast benefit at Ritz-Carlton.
Does anyone know the breakfast policy at the Westin, Singapore?
@Noise Around the Edges, I love it. I’d add:
Mouthwash (which I did use)
Platinum LT Arrival Gift (which I loved, wine & cheese or even better instead of a useless $10 credit or 500 points)
Concierge Lounges (that were actually open, well stocked and had edible real food appropriate to the local area)
Turn down service
Late checkouts without an argument
Death by a 1000 cuts we used to call at FT
My last Marriott stay 2017, St Pete, FL “full service”, I got into a pissing match with the front desk when he wouldn’t let me use my $10 F&B credit towards some power bars at the “store” off to the side while checking out. I threw the coupon back at him and haven’t seen another Marriott since despite be LT Titanium
JW Marriott at Mall of America told me to go to the lounge Saturday morning, but found it closed. GM came up with a $40 voucher, seemed reasonable. She said Lounge was supposed to be open 7 days a week starting the week before, but alas, not yet. It would be nice if they were more transparent about what the approved alternative to breakfast is when lounge is closed. I’ll add, breakfast buffets in Europe are outstanding for both Hilton and Marriott brands with elite staus.
@Dennis Morgan:
At any Westin you should at check-in receive a choice of breakfast in the restaurant, 1,000 points or an amenity.
Reports on FlyerTalk indicate this particular Westin has a club lounge with a good breakfast. So it’s up to you. I still think an ala carte breakfast in the restaurant is better than a club lounge. You might want to consider the amenity as the 1,000 points isn’t worth much.
Can we get past the free breakfast issues? It’s getting redundant.
I have started contacting Bonvoy hotels, which are not Marriott or Sheraton Well before any stay to confirm the breakfast benefit and other items which may be of interest to me for my stay.. it’s unfortunate but if you want to be sure, it is the only solution.
Recent stay at the Ritz Carlton Golf Resort in Naples. No breakfast offered – they didn’t have to. No lounge access offered unless I wanted to pay an additional $250/night. Again, the manager claimed they did not have to offer it, despite my being “Lifetime Titanium”. No room upgrade available.
Oh yes — looking on their website for a way to complain to Bonvoy — didn’t find that either.
I don’t bother to complain to Marriott anymore, because it’s about as useful as a screen door in a submarine.
Congratulations Mariott Elites, you’ve been Bonvoyed
Good thing I only stay at Marriotts in Asia, where the servi e level and the hotels are awesome. I’ve stayed only a few times in North America, where I was shocked at how bad it was. Europe is better, but nothing like Asia.