# Surprise: Marriott Gold Elite membership in 2011, now what?



## winger (Sep 29, 2010)

OK, I am going to have to eat my words - earlier in the year, I mentioned on one of the TUG threads that we will never get close to Gold elite based on our travel history.

Well, it looks like we will be hitting Gold by the end of this November (2010) !  

So, with our entire 2011 vacation planned for with all the stays being at timeshares (both Marriott and non-Marriott), how can we best make use of the Gold elite status?   As I understand it, status is best enjoyed with stays at full-service Marriotts, which we are not planning for in 2011.

Suggestions, please!  We'd hate to waste such a nice status


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## cp73 (Sep 29, 2010)

To really get the benefits you need to stay at Marriott hotels. I haven't seen where it made any difference when staying at timeshares. I was able to get some special rates for my daughter on her recent honeymoon in Hawaii. But again this was with a stay at the Hotel on the Big Island. I did get free parking and free WIFI when my wife and I stayed at the JW in Palm Desert a few months ago.

If your planning on going anywhere I suggest calling Marriott and asking them what specials or deals are offered for Gold Members. There are a lot listed on the website but lots of the hotels donot honor them. It can get confusing.


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## rsackett (Sep 29, 2010)

How did you get free parking?  Is that a Gold benefit?

Ray


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## ondeadlin (Sep 29, 2010)

The best benefit is that at full-service Marriotts you'll be put on the concierge floor, where there's free breakfast, afternoon snacks, and evening dessert. Other than that? Well, there's the point boost.

If you're looking for upgrades, though, you'll be disappointed.


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## LAX Mom (Sep 29, 2010)

Gold elite status at the timeshare properties doesn't really help much. You likely won't be upgraded to a better view or get a free breakfast Mon-Fri. About the only benefit is you will get some additional points for charges to your room.

However if you stay at full service Marriott hotels (not resort properties) you should get at least a continental breakfast Mon-Fri and some will extend that to the breakfast buffet in the restaurant if there is no concierge lounge. Some hotels (fewer than in the past) will extent this breakfast benefit to the weekends. You should have access to concierge lounge (if there is one) and and upgraded rooms (upgrade doesn't apply to suites, unlikely but it can happen).

One of the best perks for golds & plats are the EEO (Exclusive Elite Offer) certificates that Marriott makes available for 3 periods per year. The latest batch expire on Oct. 10 (started in June, can't remember the exact date). These give you a buy one night/get one free at Marriott, JW and Renaissance hotels on weekend nights if you book your reservation at a rate available to the public. They also have some for the restaurants on these hotels, buy one entree/ get one free. I love these EEO'S!!


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## scrapngen (Sep 29, 2010)

ondeadlin said:


> The best benefit is that at full-service Marriotts you'll be put on the concierge floor, where there's free breakfast, afternoon snakes, and evening dessert. Other than that? Well, there's the point boost.
> 
> If you're looking for upgrades, though, you'll be disappointed.



Would that be afternoon rattle-snakes, pythons, garden, or other variety?? 

(Sorry, couldn't resist  )


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## ondeadlin (Sep 29, 2010)

lol, I was just editing when you posted.


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## kjd (Sep 29, 2010)

There is not a major difference between Gold and Platinum except for the point accumulation IMO.  There is a major difference between Gold and Silver.  The post that said that the best use the Gold upgrade is at a full service Marriott is correct.  Preferably on weekdays.  You should get the concierge floor with Gold on any given day.  

Since the concierge floor community room is often closed on weekends depending upon the hotel location, some of the hotels will give you a voucher for a full breakfast in the coffee shop.  You may have to ask for it.

What we like to do is to get the yearly one free night from the Premier credit card and book a full service Marriott for two nights on a weekend.  Usually in a large city.  We pay for one night and get the upgrades for both nights.  Weekend rates at primarily business hotels are cheap.

The lower you go on the Marriott food chain the less significant the upgrades become.  It's difficult to upgrade a Courtyard or a Fairfield.  We have found it to be a great benefit.


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## siberiavol (Sep 29, 2010)

Flyertalk.com in Marriott forum has a new thread on "protocol of upgrades". It might be helpful.


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## winger (Sep 29, 2010)

cp73 said:


> ...
> 
> If your planning on going anywhere I suggest calling Marriott and asking them what specials or deals are offered for Gold Members. There are a lot listed on the website but lots of the hotels donot honor them. It can get confusing.


I totally agree about calling ahead...a possible for us is next November (2011) at the Kauai Beach Spa (the hotel side, not timeshare side).  The Marriott Rewards Dept told me that hotel has a Concierge Lounge.  Well, I called the hotel and they confirmed they do NOT have a  Concierge Lounge, AND they do not offer free breakfast to Gold members for the onsite restaurant.


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## winger (Sep 29, 2010)

siberiavol said:


> Flyertalk.com in Marriott forum has a new thread on "protocol of upgrades". It might be helpful.



Thanks, I will look that up in a few days.


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## BocaBoy (Sep 30, 2010)

ondeadlin said:


> If you're looking for upgrades, though, you'll be disappointed.



Why do you say that?  I am writing this while sitting in my upgraded room at a Marriott hotel, using the free Internet now provided to Gold members.  Last night I was upgraded from a studio to a 2BR suite at a TownPlace Suites.  In fact, I have been upgraded on the vast majority of my stays at TownPlace Suites and full-service Marriotts in the past year or two.  (Before that, upgrades were more spotty.)


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## Cargojon (Sep 30, 2010)

BocaBoy said:


> Why do you say that?  I am writing this while sitting in my upgraded room at a Marriott hotel, using the free Internet now provided to Gold members.  Last night I was upgraded from a studio to a 2BR suite at a TownPlace Suites.  In fact, I have been upgraded on the vast majority of my stays at TownPlace Suites and full-service Marriotts in the past year or two.  (Before that, upgrades were more spotty.)



I've been Platinum for several years and can count the number of times on one hand I've been upgraded to a suite.  It's usually been at CY's on a weekend.

Usually you'll get a nicer view room, maybe a bit bigger, but the suite upgrades are hard to come by at full service Marriotts, especially during the week when there are a lot of elite business travelers in the property.


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## mickeypops (Sep 30, 2010)

Cargojon said:


> I've been Platinum for several years and can count the number of times on one hand I've been upgraded to a suite.  It's usually been at CY's on a weekend.
> 
> Usually you'll get a nicer view room, maybe a bit bigger, but the suite upgrades are hard to come by at full service Marriotts, especially during the week when there are a lot of elite business travelers in the property.



Agreed.  I've had Platinum status now for several years, and stay at full service Marriotts or Renaissance Hotels for one or two nights most weeks.   I almost always get upgraded to a club room, which are usually the same size as regular rooms, but are a bit better kitted out and tend to include dressing gowns, better toiletries, a trouser press etc.  From Jan 2011, there will be free wifi worldwide also (already in place in the USA.)

I've NEVER had a suite.

The main benefit is definitely the access to the club lounge, plus the bonus MRW points.

Also, when I use my MVC week at the Marbella Beach Resort, they leave me a bottle of wine and a nice note recognising my status, although this is not a stated benefit.


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## Empty Nest (Sep 30, 2010)

I just got back from a 5 day stay( on points) at the Marriott in Monterey CA. We were upgraded to a suite, got free internet and 2 $18 breakfasts each day. The suite was 1500 sq. ft., bigger than 2 bedroom timeshares.
We were NOT disappointed.


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## 1st Class (Sep 30, 2010)

BocaBoy said:


> Why do you say that?  I am writing this while sitting in my upgraded room at a Marriott hotel, using the free Internet now provided to Gold members.  Last night I was upgraded from a studio to a 2BR suite at a TownPlace Suites.  In fact, I have been upgraded on the vast majority of my stays at TownPlace Suites and full-service Marriotts in the past year or two.  (Before that, upgrades were more spotty.)



How did that happen?  Did you ask for the upgrade or was it offered?  Did you get it before or after you checked in?


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## rsackett (Sep 30, 2010)

I am staying at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for 5 nights on points between Christmas an New Years in a two bed city view room.  I am a Gold Rewards Points Member, and I have NEVER been upgraded.

What do you think are my chances of getting upgraded?  It sure would be nice since this is a tip for our 25 wedding anniversary.  Our anniversary is actually in October but the kids are in school then.

Ray


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## aka Julie (Sep 30, 2010)

Empty Nest said:


> I just got back from a 5 day stay( on points) at the Marriott in Monterey CA. We were upgraded to a suite, got free internet and 2 $18 breakfasts each day. The suite was 1500 sq. ft., bigger than 2 bedroom timeshares.
> We were NOT diappointed.



So is it your experience that even when staying on points your status is recognized?  My DH recently made Platinum (all thanks to our TS stays).

Thanksgiving week we may be staying at a hotel in Phoenix on points if we can't snag a TS during flexchange.  We have a MR reservation at Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains which is an all-suite hotel.  Hopefully if we end up staying there we will at least get free wi-fi and free breakfasts.


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## ondeadlin (Sep 30, 2010)

I've been both platinum and gold with Marriott, depending on the frequency of business travel. Some years, I've travelled a ton. I find upgrades are rare, unless you're willing to actively lobby for them (and quite frankly, since most of my stays are 1-2 nights, it doesn't really make that much of a difference to me).

I only consider it an upgrade when I get a suite. The concierge floor comes with the status. Views don't really matter to me.

Now, all that said, when I was platinum, and when I really needed an upgrade, I've had some very nice successes. The Vail Marriott upgraded my family to a suite for a week during ski season when I was staying on points. The Long Beach Renaissance upgraded my family to the presidential suite for 10 days when I was covering the Rose Bowl (I was a journalist at the time). But there were some additional factors in each case. At Vail, I reached out to the GM in advance and requested the upgrade. In Long Beach, I had already reserved 6 rooms for friends and family, so the GM knew we were bringing in business and was kind enough to treat us very well.

There is a large difference between the upgrades I've gotten as platinum and the upgrades I get as gold, but you have to travel so much to be platinum that I don't really miss the status.


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## gblotter (Sep 30, 2010)

rsackett said:


> I am staying at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for 5 nights on points between Christmas an New Years in a two bed city view room.  I am a Gold Rewards Points Member, and I have NEVER been upgraded.  What do you think are my chances of getting upgraded?


That is one Marriott where the view definitely makes a big difference in your experience.  We used MRP to stay at the Waikiki Beach Marriott earlier this year.  We were told that MRP reservations are always given city view rooms, but you can pay extra for an upgraded view.  Without even asking for it, we were upgraded from a city view room to a partial ocean view room (I think this was because of our elite status - not sure).  Even with that upgrade, we were wishing that we had paid the extra money for a better view.  If you have one of the premium view rooms, you will enjoy your stay so much more (IMHO).



rsackett said:


> It sure would be nice since this is a tip for our 25 wedding anniversary.  Our anniversary is actually in October but the kids are in school then.


Do I understand you correctly that you are taking your kids on your 25-year wedding anniversary trip?  Hmmmm.  Better check with the missus on that one.


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## Empty Nest (Sep 30, 2010)

aka Julie said:


> So is it your experience that even when staying on points your status is recognized?  My DH recently made Platinum (all thanks to our TS stays).
> 
> Thanksgiving week we may be staying at a hotel in Phoenix on points if we can't snag a TS during flexchange.  We have a MR reservation at Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains which is an all-suite hotel.  Hopefully if we end up staying there we will at least get free wi-fi and free breakfasts.



I have only been Gold and now Platinum( also thanks to timeshare stays) for 2 years,so I don't have a lot of experience. I have probably stayed 4-5 times on points and my status has always been recognized. Actually, on about 1/2 of my timeshare stays this year I have gotten the 500 point bonus for being Platinum.


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## LAX Mom (Sep 30, 2010)

aka Julie said:


> So is it your experience that even when staying on points your status is recognized?  My DH recently made Platinum (all thanks to our TS stays).
> 
> Thanksgiving week we may be staying at a hotel in Phoenix on points if we can't snag a TS during flexchange.  We have a MR reservation at Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains which is an all-suite hotel.  Hopefully if we end up staying there we will at least get free wi-fi and free breakfasts.



Yes, your status is recognized when staying on points. I've used points for stays in Europe & the US and they have always recognized my status. I used points for a 5 night stay at the Rome Grand Flora last April and they put us in a junior suite & gave us both a free breakfast (worth 60 euros a day) each day in the rooftop restaurant. I've also received upgrades on domestic stays, even when using my Marriott VISA free night certificate. They are supposed to give you the benefits even if you book on Priceline or another 3rd party site. You won't get points for what you paid for the room but you should get the other benefits.


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## winger (Sep 30, 2010)

Thanks for the heads up.  That marriott is definitely a potential weekend getaway for us!


Empty Nest said:


> I just got back from a 5 day stay( on points) at the Marriott in Monterey CA. We were upgraded to a suite, got free internet and 2 $18 breakfasts each day. The suite was 1500 sq. ft., bigger than 2 bedroom timeshares.
> We were NOT disappointed.


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## LAX Mom (Sep 30, 2010)

winger said:


> Thanks for the heads up.  That marriott is definitely a potential weekend getaway for us!


According to flyertalk that Marriott (Monterey) doesn't have a concierge loung, but does offer coupons for breakfast.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...l-executive-lounges-open-closed-weekends.html

Flyertalk is a great resource for figuring out what is offered at different Marriott hotels. It is definitely more difficult to get a free breakfast on the weekends now. They only guarantee a continental breakfast (in the lounge if there is one) for Mon-Fri and many hotels don't extend this to Sat & Sun. I've had better luck getting a weekend breakfast in Europe.


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## Empty Nest (Sep 30, 2010)

winger said:


> Thanks for the heads up.  That marriott is definitely a potential weekend getaway for us!



As with a number of Marriott's the free breakfast is only during the week. On Sat. and Sun. there is no free breakfast- thought you should know for your "week-end" getaway.
Mike


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## LAX Mom (Sep 30, 2010)

This is another good link on Marriott gold/platinum status from flyertalk:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-rewards/1131254-protocol-upgrades.html


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## winger (Sep 30, 2010)

Empty Nest said:


> As with a number of Marriott's the free breakfast is only during the week. On Sat. and Sun. there is no free breakfast- thought you should know for your "week-end" getaway.
> Mike


Yes, that would not be good, to expect an 'empty' weekend breakfast !


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## scpoidog (Oct 1, 2010)

*No lounge*



rsackett said:


> I am staying at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa for 5 nights on points between Christmas an New Years in a two bed city view room.  I am a Gold Rewards Points Member, and I have NEVER been upgraded.
> 
> What do you think are my chances of getting upgraded?  It sure would be nice since this is a tip for our 25 wedding anniversary.  Our anniversary is actually in October but the kids are in school then.
> 
> Ray



I don't think there is a concierge lounge at this property, so you might end up buying breakfast every day.


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## LAX Mom (Oct 1, 2010)

scpoidog said:


> I don't think there is a concierge lounge at this property, so you might end up buying breakfast every day.



The resort properties don't participate in the free breakfast Mon-Fri anyway. If a hotel has resort in it's name (most of the Hawaii Marriott's are resorts) then don't expect a concierge lounge or a free breakfast.


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