When Ajay hit Marriott Platinum Status last year, one of the first things we had to wrap our heads around was the different Platinum arrival gift options he was eligible for at different Marriott hotel brands. We learnt this lesson quite early after our first stay at Fairfield by Marriott in Lucknow turned out to be a bummer.

Marriott and Starwood hotels offer elite members a choice of welcome amenities which is basically a gift when you arrive at the hotel. They range from complimentary breakfast to food and beverages and even include bonus loyalty points. Marriott also guarantees these benefits which means that if an elite is not offered the welcome amenity he/she is entitled to a monetary compensation. They paid us!

Marriott’s current Platinum Arrival Gift have an option among bonus points, F&B credit and a local amenity.

Whereas Starwood Platinum Gift ranges between choosing bonus points, local gift or continental breakfast. Members can opt for 500 Starpoints (1500 Marriott Rewards points) at full-service hotels such as Westin, W and Sheraton and 250 Starpoints (750 Marriott Rewards points) at select service properties like Aloft and Four Points.

While Marriott and Starwood welcome amenities may sound similar, a key difference is that at Marriott Hotels breakfast is a separate benefit and not a part of the welcome amenity. However, at Starwood hotels, you can opt for breakfast or points or amenity. So, when we stayed at the JW Marriott Bengaluru we were eligible for breakfast as well as a welcome gift through elite status.

Like you know, Marriott Rewards & Starwood Preferred Guest are merging in August 2018. Marriott has shared how Platinum Elite Arrival Gift will work August onwards. They’ve released one consolidated chart listing the welcome arrival gift options at each of the 36 Marriott hotel brands.

My first thoughts when I glanced at this chart was, Wow! this is a lot of information to remember. Looks like I’ll be referring to this chart every time I have a stay coming up at a Marriott hotel.

Though after a closer look at the chart I realised that it’s integrated keeping the current welcome gifts in mind. For example, at JW Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard hotels Platinum members will continue to receive breakfast plus have a choice of welcome gift. At Starwood hotels like St. Regis, W and Westin Platinum members will still have to choose between breakfast and other amenities. Although, it wouldn’t be wise to choose breakfast at hotels that come with lounge access as there is a breakfast spread in the lounge.

Also, there has been some adjustment in the bonus points numbers and now you can earn 1,000 bonus points at full-service hotels or 500 bonus points at select service brands. While this is good news for Marriott hotels as almost all brands now earn higher bonus points, the amounts don’t seem to be adjusted in the ratio of 1:3 (Marriott: Starwood) for Starwood properties. For instance, you could choose 500 bonus points as a welcome amenity at a Sheraton hotel while now you the option is 1000 points.

Given the fact that a few months down the line all 36 brands will just be Marriott hotels and people will no longer differentiate between Marriott and Starwood when booking stays, I don’t see a drawback in the bonus points adjustment.

Also now that soon all Platinum members will earn 15 points per eligible US dollar (includes 50% bonus) instead of the current earning of 3 Starpoints per US Dollar it only seems fair that the bonus points have been adjusted.

Bottomline

In my opinion, Marriott’s new Platinum welcome gift options are reasonable though I would have still liked them to align the breakfast benefit for Starwood properties with Marriott. Those who patronised Starwood Preferred Guest will see a 33% reduction in the number of bonus points offered as part of the welcome amenity, although the improved earning rate on hotel spends more than makes up for it.

As for Marriott elites, the Platinum status requirement has gone down from 75 nights to 50 nights now. So, more Marriott elites will now be entitled to welcome amenities as well.

What do you make of the new welcome amenities for Marriott elite members?