An Autograph Collection hotel in Detroit – the Hotel David Whitney – is playing an interesting game with denying elite breakfast benefits to guests, and it underscores just how confusing and messy the Marriott Bonvoy program has become.
- Autograph Hotels in the U.S. have to offer a Welcome Gift of points or breakfast if they’re a resort.
- If they’re not a resort, they can offer points or a $10 food and beverage amenity.
This hotel is not a resort. They offer points or a $10 food and beverage amenity for use at their market.
U.S. Autograph Hotels generally have club lounges where Platinum members and above can have breakfast. If they do not or the lounge is closed – and they’re not resort – then they have to offer points or restaurant breakfast.
When a Participating Property’s Lounge is closed, or property does not have a Lounge or approved alternative, the property will offer a daily continental breakfast in the restaurant for the Member plus one (1) guest, or Member can choose 750 Points per night of Stay.
These are two separate benefits. At this U.S. hotel, which is not a resort, guests either get club lounge access or a choice of points or breakfast, and they get a welcome gift of points or a food and beverage credit.
The hotel doesn’t have a club lounge. So they have to offer restaurant breakfast if the guest wants it. Except they don’t. And Marriott’s rules say the hotel should compensate guests $100 for this.
Pursuant to section 4.1.c., if Lounge Access (or alternatives or exceptions as outlined above) is not available, Platinum Elite Members will be compensated $100 U.S. dollars for the inconvenience.
The property is a rebranded Aloft (the former Aloft Detroit at The David Whitney). Based on correspondence I’ve reviewed, their position seems to be:
- They don’t offer a lounge, so they offer points or a food and beverage credit valid at their market.
- They do not allow restaurant breakfast because the restaurant is operated by a third party.
- “The guest choice of where breakfast is offered is not included in the guarantee and many of our guests are very satisfied with the market’s breakfast offerings.” (Emphasis mine.)
The hotel conflates the two benefits. This hotel is required to provide points or a food and beverage credit as a welcome gift choice, and because they have no club lounge they must provide restaurant breakfast.
- The welcome benefit doesn’t satisfy the ‘in lieu of club lounge’ benefit.
- It’s not the ‘guest’s choice’ where breakfast is offered, it’s spelled out in the Marriott Bonvoy terms and conditions.
The St. Regis Chicago tried this same excuse and it didn’t fly. The terms and conditions contain no exception for situations where “the restaurant at the hotel is operated by a third party.” Also, ownership of a restaurant is beside the point to the guest. Any restaurant that accepts room charges is a hotel restaurant for this purpose.
Presley’s Kitchen + Bar is the hotel’s restaurant. It is advertised on the hotel’s Marriott.com page. If a hotel is supposed to be exempt from honoring the benefit, that should be in the program terms and conditions. In fact there are a handful of exempt properties, each listed individually in the terms (with the exemption lasting only through June 30, 2024). The David Whitney is not in that list.
The David Whitney, by the way, also refused to upgrade this Ambassador member at check-in. Only after the originally-assigned room was found dirty were they willing to assign a junior suite, also in contravention of Marriott’s terms.
Back in the Starwood days, the Starwood Preferred Guest program could actually enforce its brand standards. They’d compensate a guest for the hotel’s failures, and bill the hotel for the cost plus an administrative fee. Even with Ambassador customer service, Marriott pushes the issue to the hotel.
The Marriott Bonvoy program is too complicated, with too many asterisks, and hotels don’t always understand it. Marriott customer service associates don’t understand it, and they’re trained to follow the lead of the hotel. The hotel explains they’re in compliance, that seems to be enough for front line customer service (and even managers) and it takes real corporate escalation to get anything beyond that fixed.
I always call hotels now before I check in and ask about each of the elite benefits, I’m supposed to receive. I get the name of the person I spoke to. Unfortunately, this seems to be the only clear way to know which hotels to avoid. Obviously, the David Whitney will now be on my blacklist and all of my business colleagues. By the way, I’ve never had this problem as a Hyatt globalist so curious if anyone else has?
Not with Hyatt. Frequently with Marriott and Hilton (for room upgrades)
The hotel owners and management operators for Marriott and IHG hotels in the US willfully choose to try to go cheap on customers entitled to elite status benefits — particularly the “expensive” one of breakfast. They play the same sort of game and know what they are doing: trying to keep down their costs while reeling in people via elite status benefits that they don’t really care to deliver. There is a reason they try to default to pushing the meager, low-value/low-cost elite status welcome amenity benefit of the points but aren’t so eager to push the elite status breakfast benefit. And the worst of the lot play that game while also trying to even charge a useless “resort/destination/city/amenity” scam fee to those who have no use for it and don’t want it.
The hotel loyalty program owners/operators want their cake and to eat it too, and they are getting worse and worse about proactive policing delivery of elite status benefits because the hotel brand owners’ primary customers are the hotel owners and hotel management operating companies.
We guests with our heads in the bed are considered easily replaceable product being sold to the hotel owners/operators.
Gary, you are wrong.
Most US or Int’l Autograph Collection hotels do not have a lounge as they are one off, usually boutique variety hotels.
Gary – yet again the fixation on breakfast. You and many others could afford to skip it and drop a few pounds. Also if you must have it spend a few bucks for a change. Finally upgrades are not guaranteed and at hotel discretion (may have planned to sell it as an upgrade)
Please quit posting on minor alleged slights. You come across as a needy, out of touch, entitled whiner!
Had the exact same experience here last week. No upgrade, no breakfast, no room service…lol and refused to provide the $100 when asked. I need to know what to do to get them to give me the $100
@retired gambler & Gary,
to me this post does not come across as needy and out of touch.
I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend and appreciate that Gary makes me aware and raises the flag.
It’s not complicated. There is a guaranteed benefit. Marriott markets these benefits because they know they influence customer decisions. They want you to feel so confident you will receive these benefits that they guarantee to pay you off if you don’t. So hotels, GIVE THE BENEFIT!
It’s healthier to eat a bigger breakfast than eat those same calories for dinner.
Who sounds like the out-of-touch whiner? The people whining about rightful complaints when hotels are failing to deliver what the hotels market in terms of loyalty program benefits.
It’s sleazy to reel in customers via dishonesty that markets one thing and then delivers less than what is marketed. But this is the expected outcome as hotels have gone away from 100% satisfaction guarantee because of their own greed and willingness to fleece customers.
This is ridiculous. Marriott needs to start laying the hammer down on these rogue properties and removing asterisks.
Glad to see HADLEY V. BAXENDALE posting, that’s a reminder about law, if you hurt somebody … you’re liable for all damages that result from it … food poisoning at breakfast=medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering … not just a refund of the breakfast bill. Also applies to bedbugs and such!
GUWonder: Many corporate travel policies require selecting a hotel with free breakfast if an option. Some have gotten savvy and recognize frequent traveling employees have elite benefits and corporate travel knows those benefits and books accordingly.
All the more reason hotels should provide what they advertise or their brand says they will have. I have less of an issue if they are on the exceptions list. If you aren’t going to do something, tell me in advance and I’ll make other plans. But we all know why they won’t do that….
@ Gary — Just don’t stay at Marriott. I spend half my nights in hotel rooms, and I never step foot in a Marriott.
Hotel loyalty programs are now past their “sell by” date. They anger and irritate customers.
I have many thoughts in this regard:
(1) It is remarkable how, over time, Marriott has so (operationally and culturally) deteriorated, and how Marriott’s once brand standards are not worth the paper they are written on. Today, hotel owners seem to have much more control, than Marriott, when it comes to brand (NON) standards, and compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Marriott Bonvoy program. Today, Marriott hotel OWNERS RULE, NOT Marriott guests (the guests seem like a nuisance to Marriott hotel owners);
(2) The Starwood Preferred Guest Program was exponentially superior to Marriott Bonvoy or Marriott Rewards, and, Starwood had dramatically greater control over Starwood Hotels who opted not to “play ball,” when it came to their compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Starwood Preferred Guest Program;
(3) OF ALL PEOPLE, the architect of the Starwood Preferred Guest Program, is David Flueck, Marriott’s Senior Vice President, Global Loyalty Marriott Bonvoy, and Marriott Bonvoy’s henchman. David knows better than the mess that he embraces, today. For some odd reason, Gary Leff does not ride the tail of David Flueck, and demand transparency and accountability;
(4) Breakfast is an important part of our hotel stay, and day, just like a gym or fitness center. I agree with Gary’s attentiveness to “Elite Breakfast Benefits.”
How does Marriott Bonvoy define a resort? I have an upcoming stay at a Delta property that has “resort” included in its name. When I browse hotels on the website there is a filter to apply for hotel type = “resort” but this property is not included in the search result.
Why not start a web site where travellers can list those hotels that do NOT honour the terms and conditions of the Marriott programme.
Ditto to list those that do. Then Marriott Titanium etc members can avoid staying at those hotels that do not comply. Over time, those that do not comply will pay for their parsimoneous behaviour by having fewer guests. I have such a list for my personal use, but worldwide participation would bring substantial pressure to bear.
It’s not just the breakfast benefit I was just at the Marriott Cool springs in Franklin Tennessee for a week and I have several weeks coming up and they refused to honor my titanium lifetime benefit all together it’s shameful of Marriott to behave that way
Gary have you developed thick enough skin for some of the responses you get. Ouch! The hotel biz doesn’t operate much different than the airlines nowadays.
@Retired Gambler – ‘upgrades aren’t guaranteed’ to the extent that the room may have been sold and therefore isn’t available at check-in. but at check-in, if available for the duration of the stay, they are an absolute benefit of the program. and so is breakfast. marriott sells the benefits as a reason to choose their brands over competitors – the customer has to give their business first to earn these benefits – i expect hotels that are part of the program to deliver their end of the commitment.
@Hadley V Baxendale – the benefits say if they have a lounge, here’s what’s provided, and if they don’t have a lounge, here’s the benefit.
Really appreciate this article. Makes me aware of what to do prior to booking a Marriott. I already did this with Hilton, since the stiffed me once before.
Marriott is so hit or miss. Both the Park Tower Buenos Aires and Panamericano Bariloche gave us wonderful full breakfasts and the PT executive lounge was outstanding. But the (Accor) Mercure Iguazú gave us 6pm checkout without asking and both (Wyndham) Dazzlers in Buenos Aires gave us 4pm. We are spending more nights with non-Marriott hotels than ever before. Most of my July hotels will be with Accor, IHG, and Hilton.
I’ve run into issues with upgrades at the Royalton Hideaway in Punta Cana and the Fairfield in Niagara Falls Canada. Both times a check-in upgrades were available however the hotel would not offer the upgrade to me even when I called them out on the availability and the response was that they did not take part and the Marriott upgrades even though they’re both Marriott properties.
The Bonvoy program is losing its luster and a question if it’s worth being a loyal Marriott customer?
Retired Gambler needs to shut his piehole and let Gary continue doing an excellent job. Free breakfast is a big deal, it’s an important perq for elite status. Heck, in Asia a hotel without free breakfast for all is considered ‘low rent’. Shut your piehole RG and mind your own business.
I agree with you. Marriott’s program used to be simple. Lounge, eat there. Lounge closed, eat in the restaurant.
I’m LTE approaching 4,000 nights. Stayed in an airport hotel that had unique benefits pre COVID. No lounge, so they had a bar menus with several light dinner selections, 2 free drinks per person and Breakfast. This time, exchange points for breakfast, bar benefits gone and when asked, a $10 one time food credit.
Just booked the Hilton for the first time in 25 years and doing a status match. Hyatt’s footprint is too small.
Marriott benefits now take a search engine to sort them out. Resort fees and other fees are crazy
I now have to call the hotel to see if or what elite benefits are offered, do rooms have tubs and or showers, lounge open/closed or non existent.
Major brand full service just means “guess”. Nothing consistent or really guaranteed. The program has no enforcement.
Hilton’s rep isn’t a lot better at times, but I saved $50 by moving the next res to Hilton. Minimal status so breakfast won’t happen, but it is an airport. Lounges, restaurants and if I’m desperate, a McDs.
Marriotts program is falling apart.
@Gene In that case, explain why you ban Marriott ?
Lots of good responses here. And the usual “let’s insult Gary” diatribes.
Similar problem here trying to get Marriott to enforce the internet replacement benefit. Hotel playing games saying that they are exempt because all guests get complimentary internet… and yet that is also clearly listed as part of the mandatory resort fee. Marriott customer service just rolls over and accepts that as being good enough. Completely defeats the purpose of the benefit.
@ANI Patil : Sall claims court.
pretty much done with Marriott… this is my last year to qualify for lifetime Platinum, but that really doesn’t mean much anymore. I get permanent Hilton Diamond with the Amex card, and the benefits are worth way more than I pay for the card. I no longer even really bother looking at Marriott hotels because of things like this.
And this is why when traveling we do not stay in American owned hotels or fly on American owed airlines if we can avoid it. Both entities have forgotten what customer service means. Too busy trying to extract every dime from their customers. Okay, this customer goes elsewhere where I am not lied to and abused.
What a shame. Great location historic building, I’m so sorry they are treating elites like this.
Since the cost of violating the guarantee is spelled out in the Bonvoy TOS, we just need a class action law firm to beat the $hit out of them.
I only continue to read these complaints to remind myself why I’ve opted out of loyalty fights… and delivery of promised benefits is absolutely a fight between the parties it’s attempting to serve.
FHR is sometimes better than even globalist , and definitely better than Marriott status. I don’t mind paying for breakfast but I’m not going to stay somewhere that delivers a reduced breakfast
@ De_Guatemala — Only Hilton will give you a 6 PM checkout, but only if your name is DCS.
@ Pascal — Why? Becuase they are liars. They promise XYZ and then don’t deliver it.
Marriott, hilton and hyatt(in the process) do not own 98% of the hotels with their branding. Hyatt is in the process of selling what properties they have remaining. The wall st journal has a YouTube video created about 3 months ago explaining all of this. Approximately 3 companies own all of these physical properties and I’m betting they are trying to figure out what they can get away with to save money. For people saying it’s just breakfast well you don’t really think in big picture and just can focus on 1 thing at a time. It doesn’t end with breakfast. It’s just a start to figure out where that line is.
Sheraton Reston is the same. No food served in the club, no breakfast for elite members, and they try to charge you for internet. You have to go to the desk to get that charge taken off. I brought all of this to their attention and they couldn’t care less.
It’s quite sad because many hotels abroad in the Marriott spectrum do a pretty good job with the breakfast benefit restaurant or lounge from past experiences
In some cases an amazing job like the new W Sydney or Sheraton Grand
In the US it’s another story and a free for all with some hotels giving elite members the shaft
Added to that Marriotts extortionate Award pricing which is odd because on revenue rooms they tend to be somewhat competitive.All reasons to run from the program.
On top of that Marriott has created a massive conundrum giving out free
Platinum status like candy to credit cardholders making it extremely difficult to manage hotel
budgets.Both breakfast and upgrade expectations may be shattered
Hotels either rise to the occasion or find anyway they can to slither out of
their contractual obligations.From there it’s smoke and mirrors or the elite status illusion
As a surprise you’ve fallen for the largest well known Ponzi scheme in the world!
Some may be aware or noticed that Marriott doesn’t give a rats @s$ about elite members
It’s all about their bottom line greed and getting your wallet
They know many Marriott cult followers will complain but always come crawling back for more.Which makes it a cake walk to ignore the noise around the edges as long
as the cash cow is still getting milked they continue to look the other way Ka Ching!
Moooooooo
Btw Great job Gary as always for keeping up with what matters to most top tier members
Just look at Rio in the Hyatt thread on FT if there is any doubt how important the benefit is to most top tier members..Perhaps excessively so.
While nobody can all agree on anything no one is starving to bad @ a Hyatt property
Bonvoy is such a mess of a program and when they absorbed Starwood it got even worse. Marriott marketing keeps sucking people into Bonvoy via credit cards and other offers but really no longer delivers what it promises. Corporate doesn’t care so why should privately owned properties care either?
As a LT Titanium I’ve learned not to expect anything, especially in the US, where front desks are pretty apathetic and lounges are a waste of time (Yeah, I can sit at the bar and pay 8 or 10 bucks for a beer too). Asia is a different story at least and you pretty much get ALL the elite perks you’re entitled to as well as all around top notch service. Perks are good when I get them but so glad I don’t have to chase nights at Marriott anymore.
“Back in the Starwood days, the Starwood Preferred Guest program could actually enforce its brand standards”
I disagree. Marriott can easily enforce their rules, they simply choose not to. If the company actually cared that hotels were cheating guests they would crack down.
All elite members let’s bomb their google review with 1 star.
So they know the consequences of not providing benefits.
United we win! Spend 5 min and leave a 1 star review on Google.
Skip staying at the iconic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, now rebranded as an Autograph Collection propety. As I understand it, they will no longer provide for the breakfast benefit either. Higher level corporate action is needed to fix it. Perhaps View From the Wing can confirm this deficiency and with their clout pursue the breakfast offering.
As an ambassador I’ve become less enthused generally over Marriott properties in the US and have started staying at other brands due to gaming like this. If Marriott doesn’t wake up sooner rather than later, there will be a gradual flood develop with guests moving away from the chain.
For corporate travel these days, we just select the property that matches or requirements the closest. If they’re a disappointment, then just aren’t booked again.
No stressing about loyalty benefits and all that.
MOXY NYC Times Square is trying to make the same argument, claiming that the onsite restaurant is “operated by third party”.
I’ve spent nearly 4 years of my life in Marriott and Starwood properties. I have earned the benefits that are promised.
Either reflag your property out of the Bonvoy ecosystem or pull a Delta and devalue your benefits in writing.
I have been complaining to Marriott on wrong billing but no response
If Marriott continues to allow it, more Elite members will choose to leaves. I was Diamond with Hilton for 18 years and left for Marriott. I’ll leave for Hyatt if the benefits continue to be reduced.