Marriott Bonvoy Platinum & Titanium Elite Benefits: 5 Things You Must Understand

Are you a current (or aspiring) Marriott Bonvoy Platinum or Titanium member?

If so, you need to understand what benefits are guaranteed, what benefits are not, and, more importantly, how they vary from brand to brand. 

Most people don’t realize that many Marriott properties don’t honor elite benefits.  The variations are neither obvious nor consistent, so I’m sure you’ll be surprised with what you learn as you read this review of Marriott’s Platinum and Titanium elite benefits.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status

In February 2019, Marriott announced “Bonvoy” as the new name of their loyalty program.   And while the fundamentals of the program didn’t change, they did change the names of their highest levels of elite status.

1. Silver Elite – is still called Silver Elite
2. Gold Elite – is still called Gold Elite
3. Platinum Elite – is still called Platinum Elite
4. Titanium Elite – is the former Platinum Premier Elite
5. Ambassador Elite – is the former Platinum Premier with Ambassador Status

So while you don’t have to worry about figuring out what elite benefits changed with the new program, you do have to understand the details of Marriott’s top elite tiers and how they apply and vary at each Marriott brand.

There are plenty of inconsistencies with how Marriott Bonvoy elite benefits are honored across their brands.  Understanding the differences and considering which benefits are most important to you could change your perspective on what properties you choose for future business trips and vacations.

Three of the bigger areas of divergence are:

1. Hotels vs. Resorts,
2. Full service vs. Select service hotels, and
3. Marriott’s legacy luxury properties (Ritz Carlton, Edition, etc..) vs. Starwood’s legacy luxury properties (St. Regis, Luxury Collection, etc..)

The 5 Best Features of Marriott’s Bonvoy Program

While the Marriott Bonvoy program offers a long list of benefits for its top elite members, there are really five that stand out.

1. Welcome bonus gift (points or breakfast amenity)
2. Lounge access
3. Bonus points on paid stays
4. Room & suite upgrades
5. Annual choice benefit

For those of you that don’t want to dive into all the details, below is a quick summary of which brands offer the best and which offer the worst value in terms of Marriott Bonvoy elite benefits.   Let’s go from worst to best.

The Worst Hotels For Bonvoy Elite Benefits

1. Longer Stay Properties. (Element, TownePlace Suites and Residence Inn)
   • You only receive 1/2 the Marriott Bonvoy points on your total bill vs. the other Marriott properties
   • You only receive 1/2 the Marriott Bonvoy points as a welcome bonus
   • There are no suites available for upgrade
   • They do not have club lounges
   • Breakfast is the same for everyone, regardless of elite status
2. Select Service Properties. (Courtyard, Four Points, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn and Suites, AC Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Moxy Hotels)
   • You only receive 1/2 the Marriott Bonvoy points as a welcome bonus (500 vs. 1,000 points)
   • There is no breakfast benefit (you can choose to have a $10 food and beverage credit as a welcome gift, but it will not cover the cost of breakfast and you will not get any welcome bonus points if you choose this option)
   • There is no suite available for an upgrade – you may get an upgrade to a slightly larger room, but all the rooms at these properties are the same, so it’s nothing to get excited about.
   • They do not have club lounges (although Courtyards in Europe have lounges)
3. Ritz Carlton, Design Hotels and Edition.  These are amazing and distinctive properties, but they don’t do much for Marriott’s most loyal customers.
   • They don’t honor Suite Night Awards, even though they have suites
   • Ritz Carlton has beautiful club lounges but doesn’t offer complimentary access to elite members.  You either have to pay for lounge access separately or book a room rate that includes it.  Design and Edition hotels don’t have club lounges.
   • Platinum elites are not eligible for an upgrade at Ritz Carlton properties.  Only Titanium Elite and Ambassador Elite Members members are eligible for an upgrade at the time of check-in and rooms with direct Club access are excluded.  Each property treats upgrades differently and may just offer a room with a better view instead of a “suite” upgrade.
   • There’s no breakfast benefit, which is disappointing because these are the properties that have upscale restaurants where breakfast is very expensive and very good.

The Best Hotels For Bonvoy Elite Benefits

1. Former SPG Properties (St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Sheraton, Le Méridien, Westin, Tribute Portfolio)
   • Welcome bonus – free breakfast for 2 people (this is especially great at St. Regis and Luxury Collection properties)
   • Some offer club lounges so you can choose to get the welcome point bonus and still get a free continental breakfast in the lounge
   • Room or Suite upgrade at check-in – All high-end, former SPG properties are very good about giving upgrades to elite members at the time of check-in
   • Suite night award participation – if you don’t want to take a chance at check-in you can use your Suite Night awards to guarantee a suite before you arrive.
2. Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott Hotels
   • They have club lounges so you can get your welcome gift bonus points and use the lounge for a free breakfast
   • Room or Suite upgrade at check-in
   • Suite night award participation

The Best Benefits of Bonvoy Elite Status

Here we’ll cover the five best benefits in detail, but first let’s review what you get with the Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador elite status levels offered by the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program:

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Benefits:

• Platinum Elite – awarded after 50 nights in a calendar year.  Benefits include:
  • 50% Bonus Points on Stays
  • 4 p.m. Late Checkout
  • Enhanced Room Upgrade, Including Select Suites (Based on Availability)
  • Lounge Access (at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection, Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien)
  • Annual Gift Choice (5 Suite Night Awards or Gift Option)
  • Platinum Welcome Gift (Choice of 500/1,000 Points, Breakfast Offering or Amenity, Varies by Brand)
• Titanium Elite – awarded after 75 nights in a calendar year.  Benefits include:
  • 75% Bonus Points on Stays
  • 48-Hour Guarantee
  • 4 p.m. Late Checkout
  • Enhanced Room Upgrade, Including Select Suites (Based on Availability)
  • Lounge Access (at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection, Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien)
  • An additional Annual Gift Choice (5 Suite Night Awards or Gift Option)
  • Platinum Welcome Gift (Choice of 500/1,000 Points, Breakfast Offering or Amenity, Varies by Brand)
  • RewardsPlus – Complimentary United MileagePlus Premier Silver Status.
• Ambassador Elite – 100 nights and $20,000 of spend at Marriott properties.  Benefits include:
  • Ambassador service — Your point person every time you stay. Your ambassador has the knowledge and resources to make your stays as personal and enjoyable as possible.
  • Your24 — have the flexibility to choose your check-in and checkout time
  • 75% Bonus Points on Stays
  • Enhanced Room Upgrade, Including Select Suites (Based on Availability)
  • Lounge Access (at JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection, Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Le Méridien)
  • 4 p.m. Late Checkout
  • 48-Hour Guarantee
  • An additional Annual Gift Choice (5 Suite Night Awards or Gift Option)
  • Platinum Welcome Gift (Choice of 500/1,000 Points, Breakfast Offering or Amenity, Varies by Brand)
  • RewardsPlus – Complimentary United MileagePlus Premier Silver Status.

Lifetime Platinum & Titanium Elite Status:

Marriott Bonvoy also offers the ability to earn lifetime elite status, including lifetime Silver, Gold, and Platinum status.  The highest levels of lifetime status are:

• Lifetime Platinum Elite –
  • Awarded after 600 lifetime nights + 10 years Platinum Elite across the Marriott programs (Marriott Rewards, SPG, Ritz Carlton Rewards)
• Lifetime Titanium Elite –
  • The Lifetime Titanium Elite Status is a grandfathered status, that was only achievable until December 31, 2018.  Members received notice of this Lifetime achievement in January 2019. It was based on your combined Marriott and SPG status prior to 12/31/2018.  This required 750 Qualifying Nights + 10 Years as Platinum Elite. Unfortunately, if you don’t already have it, it’s not an option for you.

The Five Best Bonvoy Elite Benefits

The next five sections will cover the best Platinum and Titanium elite benefits in detail.

1.  Platinum & Titanium Elite Welcome Gift

Platinum and Titanium members have their choice of a welcome gift upon check-in.  This is the first of several elite benefits that vary across brands and geography, which is very confusing.  The table below highlights what each brand will offer Platinum and Titanium elite members as their choice for a welcome gift.

Link to PDF of Bonvoy Elite Welcome Gift Options

It’s really interesting to see how the breakfast benefit is handled – some properties offer a full breakfast for you + 1 guest while others just give a $10 food and beverage credit (which is not enough to cover the cost of breakfast for one, let alone two guests).

The legacy SPG brands offer elite members better options for breakfast.  If you are staying at one of these properties for several days or more, the breakfast option is a far better value than choosing the points as your welcome gift.

The following brands offer complimentary breakfast for two as you’re welcome gift:

• St. Regis,
• The Luxury Collection,
• W Hotels,
• Sheraton,
• Le Méridien,
• Westin,
• Tribute Portfolio

What’s disappointing is that the following Marriott brands don’t offer a lounge or breakfast for Platinum and Titanium elite members:

• The Ritz-Carlton,
• EDITION,
• Marriott Vacation Club,
• Marriott Grand Residence Club,
• Design Hotels

Candidly, I don’t expect a breakfast benefit from a Marriott Vacation Club or Marriott Grand Residence club, but I do from a Ritz Carlton or Edition property.   It just doesn’t make sense that St. Regis and Luxury Collection properties offer complimentary breakfast for their best customers, but Ritz Carlton and Edition properties won’t.  They are all classified in Marriott’s “Luxury” segment, so why not offer a consistent set of benefits across the category?

2.  Marriott Bonvoy Lounge Access

Marriott has club lounges at most of its hotels that cater to business travelers.  These include JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels, Le Méridien, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, and Courtyard (outside the United States and Canada).   The lounges typically offer free continental breakfast in the morning, and hot & cold appetizers in the evening, and they serve as a quiet place to hang out during the day.

Historically these lounges were on an upper floor, made from several converted hotel rooms, and offered very marginal food.  They were anything but an “elite benefit”.  Fortunately, Marriott has realized how dated these lounges were and has rolled out a new lounge concept called “M Club Lounge”.  These new lounges are in the lobby of the first floor, and have a bright, modern decor and a better choice of food.  Not all Marriott hotels have these, so double-check before you book.

Lounges are typically not open on weekends.  In this case, the property will offer a daily breakfast in the restaurant for the Member + one guest, or the member can choose 750 Points per day.

The following table highlights the Marriott guaranteed lounge access policy by brand. 

Link to the PDF of Marriott Hotel Brands with Bonvoy Lounge Access Guarantee

Exception: the following U.S. properties do not give a free continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant, in the event the Lounge is closed, but they do offer 1,000 Points in lieu of breakfast.  These properties include:

●     The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection
●     Boston Marriott Copley Place
●     Boston Marriott Long Wharf
●     Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
●     JW Marriott Essex House New York City
●     JW Marriott New Orleans
●     JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square
●     JW Marriott Washington, DC
●     The Lexington Hotel, Autograph Collection
●     Monterey Marriott
●     New York Marriott Marquis
●     Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
●     Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel
●     Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel
●     Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel
●     Renaissance New York Hotel 57
●     Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel
●     Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel
●     Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel
●     Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

Ritz Carlton has some of the most beautiful, luxurious club lounges in the world, but they are not offered to Platinum and Titanium members.  Ritz Carlton club access must be paid for separately or is included with your rate when you buy a club-level room.   Bummer…

3. Bonus Points On Paid Stays

Platinum and Titanium members can turbocharge the points they earn with the combination of the welcome gift and a 50-75% bonus on base points.   But again, not all properties are treated equally.  The table below shows how many points a member would earn on a stay that costs $200.   Depending on your elite status and which property you choose to stay at, there can be a big difference in the number of points earned.

Pro Tip:  There is essentially a “points penalty” associated with staying at Element, Residence Inn, and TownePlace Suites properties.  They only earn 1/2 the welcome bonus and 1/2 the base points on spending – not good properties for anyone who wants to earn points.

Link to the PDF of Bonvoy Elite Point Chart

4. Room and Suite Upgrades

There’s nothing better than staying at a top-tier Marriott property, like a St. Regis, JW Marriott, or Ritz Carlton, and getting an upgrade to a suite!  However, there is no guarantee that even a Titanium member will get an upgrade, so it can be a bit of a crap shoot.

Marriott’s terms and conditions state that Platinum and Titanium elite members receive a complimentary upgrade to the best available room, subject to availability, for the entire length of stay, at the time of check-in.  However, the term “upgrade” can be widely interpreted.

A complimentary upgrade includes:

• Suites,
• Rooms with desirable views,
• High floor and corner rooms,
• Rooms with special amenities or rooms on executive floors.  

Personally, if it is not an upgrade to a suite, I really don’t consider it a “true” upgrade.

• At The Ritz-Carlton, suites are only included for Titanium members, and rooms with direct club access are excluded.  
• Enhanced room upgrades are subject to availability and are identified by each participating property.
• The complimentary enhanced room upgrade for Platinum and Titanium members is available at all participating brands except at Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Aloft, Element, and participating Vistana properties.

5. Annual Choice Benefit – Suite Night Awards

There are five options to choose from for the Annual Choice Benefit.   The suite night awards offer the best overall value, so we will focus on that option.

Five (5) Suite Night Awards

40% off bed

$100 Charity Donation

The gift of Silver Elite status for a friend or family member

Five (5) Elite Night Credits

How to choose your Annual Choice Benefit:

Once a Platinum elite member becomes eligible to receive the Annual Choice Benefit, he/she must choose his/her Annual Choice Benefit by visiting Marriott Bonvoy and selecting one of the Annual Choice Benefits. 

Per Marriott’s terms and conditions, you actually have to make your choice online.  You cannot do it through the call center and you have to make your choice by January 14, or the choice will be made for you:

A selection must be made through one of the above methods and may not be made through a Customer Engagement Center.  All Annual Choice Benefit selections are final and may not be changed after they are made.  In the event that an eligible Platinum Elite Member fails to select an Annual Choice Benefit by January 14th of the year following the applicable Qualifying Period, the Member will receive five (5) Suite Night Awards™ as his/her Annual Choice Benefit

Marriott Suite Night Awards:

Suite Night Awards may be redeemed for advance confirmed upgrades for select, premium rooms or standard suites on a per room, per night basis, subject to availability and the applicable terms and conditions set forth below for Suite Night Awards:

1. Suite Night Awards may be used only on Loyalty Program eligible paid stays as well as Free Night Award stays and Cash & Points stays.
2. A Member may request to use their Suite Night Awards on Loyalty Program websites or by calling a Customer Engagement Center.
3. Suite Night Awards may only be used for standard suites or other premium rooms as designated by the Participating Property.
4. Suite Night Award use is based upon the availability of the requested suite or premium room.  Checking for availability begins five (5) days before arrival.  If availability is not confirmed five (5) days before arrival, availability is checked each day before arrival up to 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one (1) day prior to arrival.  If at that time Suite Night Awards cannot be confirmed, the Suite Night Awards are credited back to the Member’s account.
5. Suite Night Awards may be used only when there are enough in the Member’s account so that one is applied to every night of the reservation.
6. One Suite Night Award is required per room per night.
7. Suite Night Awards are required for each night of the stay including any nights that may be designated “free” such as the fifth night in a Fifth Night Free Award.
8. Suite Night Awards may not be transferred or given as a gift; however, a Member may use Suite Night Awards for additional rooms on his/her own stay as long as the Member is present for the stay and the other rooms are under the Member’s name.
9. Members who book separate reservations for consecutive nights that precede or follow a reservation that has confirmed Suite Night Awards will be required to change rooms to the confirmed room type on any night(s) where a Suite Night Award is not used.
10. If a Participating Property offers multiple room options for the Suite Night Award, once the suite/premium room option(s) is selected, the selection may be changed until 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property the day before arrival so long as the Suite Night Award is unconfirmed.  Confirmed Suite Night Awards may be canceled up to 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one (1) day prior to arrival only if the entire reservation is canceled.

Marriott Suite Night Award Booking and Cancellation Policies

Suite Night Awards have requesting, booking, cancellation, and modification policies that are in addition to – but completely separate from – the booking, cancellation, and modification policies for the reservations on which they are used.

(a)    Requests to use Suite Night Awards on a reservation may be made up to 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one (1) day prior to arrival.

(b)    Requests to withdraw the use of unconfirmed Suite Night Awards may be made up to 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one day prior to arrival.

(c)    Confirmed Suite Night Awards may be canceled up to 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one day prior to arrival only if the entire reservation is canceled.

(d)    Once Suite Night Awards have been confirmed, the Member must cancel the entire reservation to receive credit back for all Suite Night Awards.  Cancellation of a confirmed Suite Night Award reservation after 2 p.m. local time of the Participating Property one day prior to arrival will result in the forfeiture of all Suite Night Awards applied to the entire reservation.

(e)    Suite Night Awards cannot be applied to a reservation once the reservation has been checked in to a Participating Property.

(f)    If a Member departs his/her reservation early, any unused Suite Night Awards confirmed for the stay will be forfeited.

(g)    If a Member extends his/her reservation and has enough Suite Night Awards to cover the extension, the Member may use his/her Suite Night Awards based upon availability and at the Participating Property’s discretion.

Not all properties participate in the Suite Night Awards.  Suite Night Awards are not redeemable at the following brands:

• The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club,
• EDITION,
• Protea Hotels, Aloft, Element, Design Hotels, all-Suite Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, ExecuStay, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club properties and participating Vistana properties.

Marriott Bonvoy Elite Benefits – Final Thoughts

Marriott has some fantastic properties and a huge footprint, so you can always count on finding a Marriott property near your destination.  However, their awards program can be confusing and inconsistent.

If you are a Marriott business traveler and have the choice of which hotel to stay at, it is incredibly important to stay on top of these things if you want to get the most of your travel spend and time away from home.

Here is a link to all the terms and conditions of the Marriott Bonvoy Program, in the event you want to really dig into the details further.

More Content for Marriott Bonvoy Fans:

If you like what you are reading now, here are some more great articles every Marriott Bonvoy member should check out!

• Detailed Guide and Review of the Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program
• Everything you need to know about Marriott Platinum & Titanium Status
• How to save with Marriott Corporate Discount Codes
• The latest Hilton Honors Promotion and other ways to save on your Hilton stays
• The Marriott Explore Employee Rate – Are you eligible for big savings!