Being a Marriott Bonvoy member is like navigating Kafka’s bureaucracy blindfolded. But there’s a special sort of hermeneutical exegesis required to unearth the true meaning of their elite breakfast benefits – as every brand, region and resort status rewrites the rulebook.
Figuring out the correct breakfast benefit for a given hotel is harder than unraveling Schrödinger’s cat’s tax return. But I’ve spent the last seven years trying. And here is what I know about the breakfast benefit for Platinum members and above at their Delta Hotels brand.
- If the Delta hotel is not a resort, then the benefit is for the member and one guest in the lounge. However, if the hotel doesn’t have a lounge (or the lounge is closed) then the member chooses 750 points or continental breakfast in the restaurant. That choice is separate from, and in addition to, the Platinum welcome gift.
- If the Delta hotel is a resort, then breakfast can be taken in the restaurant for the member and a guest as the Platinum welcome gift choice.
And that brings us to the curious case of the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort in British Columbia, Canada… the resort that isn’t a resort when they don’t want it to be one?
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
This property has a club lounge, honors elite breakfast there, and refuses restaurant breakfast as outlined by the Marriott Bonvoy terms.
According to the hotel’s front office manager,
While the property’s name includes the word “Resort” it is not classified as a Resort under the Marriott Bonvoy program’s official brand portfolio and therefore, it is not subject to the breakfast option of the Elite Welcome Gift.
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
Oddly this isn’t even a franchise, Marriott actually runs this hotel. At least if the hotel is “very consistent” in taking this position about whether or not it is a resort, as the manager goes on to suggest, then they shouldn’t be able to push back on late checkout requests arguing the benefit is subject to available (the resort policy) rather than guaranteed.
Still, this manager says that when the hotel calls itself a resort, it is.. lying?
And as if to give this Marriott Ambassador member’s loyalty the final shove, the hotel’s valet wrecked his rental car.
there are many marriott hotels don’t honor elite breakfast. I guess that’s the way it goes nowadays. I’d rather have a good time being there than wasting my time for arguing.
You can get breakfast in the lounge so why are you so upset? I’m sure most people, who likely don’t need to eat a large breakfast anyway, can find something in the lounge that works. You seem fixated on looking at the rules and searching out hotels that deviate from them even if, in this case, there is really no practical problem since people can get something to eat in the morning if they want.
You are really nick picking on the “elite entitlements” lately while largely ignoring many true aviation and credit card issues (CSR rumors for example).
So, a hotel that literally calls itself a resort is not a result? Where are the lawyers? Where are the consumer protection regulators? Canada is much more regulated than the US is in this regard. Surely, this has to constitute fraud.
I enjoy all my stays at Marriott hotels.
Why?
I have no elite status so I don’t concern myself with delivery of perks (or lack thereof)
What I concern myself with is –
1) is the room clean?
2) are the staff halfway friendly?
3) does the wifi work?
4) is the hotel’s location and value for money decent?
Usually the answer to all of the above is YES.
I book Marriott via AAdvantage Hotels and I can get up to 15,000 Loyalty Points per stay. A week of staying in Marriott hotels gets me Platinum and that’s not even including any other flying or spending. Pretty amazing if you ask me!
Cooped up in a skyscraper turning docs for a multi-billion dollar M&A at 3 in the morning.
Good lawyers ridicule the idea of filing suit against a hotel for calling itself a resort….
@Unintinidated, WOW 15k LPs??!! I need to check up on AAdvantage Hotels! I didn’t know such deals were available.
It’s a fake resort if you read their fine print
Fake resorts leave their options open better that way to decline their overly entitled elites
expecting elite benefits
Thank you, Gary, for continuing to ‘name and shame’ these properties. Will avoid.
@Don G — That’s the wrong take, sir. Your apathy (in the aggregate) enables this.
@Un — I’m with you that this is not worthy of a lawsuit, yet, it is worthy of corporate ‘enforcing’ policies (including benefits) across its brands, and if not, then to ‘compensate’ those who did not ‘receive’ their (relatively nominal) $25 breakfast as a credit (maybe some points). This is less an atrocity worthy of a war crimes trial, and more a ‘squeaky wheel gets oiled’ situation.
But does it charge a resort fee?
@1990- Agree with you 100%.. the only way to address this issue is to name and shame..
I personally would never stay at that hotel. I just dont like to feel “cheated.”
i always call hotels before I travel if any doubt about the benefits. Especially in north america..
in europe and asia i rarerly have had problems with marriott hotels and generally and am extremnely pleased with the benefits so I am a Marriott loyalist
Whenever I get tempted to get a Brilliant card for Platinum and a “maybe breakfast”…
The Bonvoyed program reminds me of its worth.
@BeatNavy – interesting observation!
Overall though, I think this just highlights the ongoing inconsistencies with the Marriott brand. For your brand to have meaning and drive loyalty, it needs to be consistent and you need to stand behind it. That is where Marriott seems to be regularly falling short.
@Unintimidated – Well put. My expectations anywhere these days is that I will get what I explicitly paid for and not one thing more. No “upgrades”, no “benefits”, no “waivers”, no “favors.”
Anytime a Marriott property pulls this stunt then refuse to pay the “resort fee” or “destination marketing fee” that is undoubtedly in the bill.
I think reading your blog requires “a special sort of hermeneutical exegesis”. 😉
@josh — That’s a good strategy. I always like to set clear expectations, ideally so that I’m not disappointed. Even if the details aren’t in my favor, at least I can then decide whether to proceed or not. And if realty differs from stated policies, at least you can refer back to the agent or paper trail. Of course, calling (or emailing) ahead does take extra effort, and most folks just won’t even bother. Though, if we (consumers) want better treatment, we often have to ‘do our part,’ too. I wish corporate (and regulators) would better enforce, but these ‘programs’ are somewhat unreliable.
@Mushu_Pork — As I’ve discussed with @Gene on here before, I’m still keeping Brilliant Amex cards for the 85K free night, Platinum (with the ‘maybe’ breakfast), and the $20/mo dining coupon-book-style credit, which I feel break-even so-far, but if they devalue redemptions or raise the annual any further, I’ll re-evaluate. Naturally, a large sign-up bonus helps for that first year.
Why do people still chase Marriott status?
Disappointing. We stayed at this property a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. And yes, we got our elite breakfasts.
I have found that Marriott has become too penny pinching to tolerate. Gotcha games aren’t worth my time. I spend my luxury time in Asia, where premium amenities and service are the norm. I see that American air carriers are seeing massive dropoff in international metrics. We all choose Asian carriers, maybe Air France, Emirates and Qatar. Lo and behold the US carriers are rethinking their product mix. More premium offerings coming this year. I want a 39 minute flight from Vegas to LAX or PHX, I will pay $25 to bear the instagram trash. Marriott is beginning to feel like Frontier Air.