Free breakfast at Marriott hotels, everything you need to know not to waste points and save euros
A guide that explains, in detail, how not to pay for breakfast at Marriott hotels around the world
Marriott
Marriott is the world's largest hotel chain: more than 8,000 hotels scattered around the globe divided among 30 signs, from low-cost to more luxurious. The beauty of such a chain is. the guest is protected by the guarantee of service that will be the same, regardless of whether you sleep in Indonesia or New York. Thanks to the Bonvoy program you can accumulate points and take advantage of benefits worldwide.
In this article:
The best way to To have the Gold level in the Marriott loyalty program is to apply for it for free as benefit included in the annual fee of American Express Platinum. Unfortunately, however, unlike Hilton's Gold status, this level does not give free breakfast.
There is a second major difference between Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.. A difference that often causes confusion between Platinum and Titanium status holders: free breakfast is in fact proposed as a benefit among those to which one is entitled and not as an acquired service as is the case with Hilton. Also, depending on the hotel sign, it will be offered in a different form.
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This is also one of the reasons why I prefer Hilton to Marriott.
Who offers breakfast, who credit, who nothing
There are some signs offering breakfast included to all guests, regardless of status or rate. Marriott hotels that have this policy are: Element, Fairfield, Residence Inn, SpringHill, TownePlace Suites. None of these signs can be found in Italy, some not even in Europe, practically found only in the US.
Just as there are those who offer everyone breakfast, there are hotels that don't offer it to anyone instead, we are talking about: Design Hotels, Edition, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Ritz-Carlton. In these hotels everyone has to pay for breakfast or book a with breakfast rate.
There are then Hotels where breakfast is offered as a benefit by agreement between Marriott and the property manager, this means that free breakfast might not necessarily be offered even if you have a status that provides it. Paradoxically, this happens in many signs starting with the Marriotts, but also includes Autograph Collection, Courtyard, JW, Reinaissance,
There are then Signs that do not include breakfast, but give a voucher which can be used to discount all or part of the breakfast, this happens in the AC Hotels, Gaylord, and Moxy.
Breakfast is offered as a benefit of the guest's choice (Platinum or higher) in the following facilities: Aloft, Four Points, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, Protea, Sheraton, St. Regis, Tribute Portfolio, W Hotels, Westin.
Those who do not offer breakfast give away points
As we have seen in the previous list, there are some Marriott group signs that do not give Platinum and higher holders free breakfast.
You are generally rewarded with 1,000 Bonvoy points, unfortunately not per day but for the entire stay. So if for one night it may be enough "compensation", for longer stays is a detriment to the host.
What is breakfast as a benefit
Platinum and Titanium Elite members can choose among a range of amenity kits at check-in. This does not change according to level, and it is the guest from time to time who can choose from the various offerings the one he or she prefers.
N.B. If for some reason the hotel does not provide the requested benefit, the Marriott program provides automatic forms of compensation that can be triggered by contacting customer service.
However, I must admit that recently I have been receiving both points and free breakfast, this has happened both in Italy and abroad. I think this also depends a lot on the policy of the individual manager of the Marriott-affiliated facility, a way to treat the guest better and hope for their return.
Conversely, however, the credit offered rarely covers the cost of breakfast. Unfortunately, Hilton in the U.S. has also decided to copy this path.
Value 10$s in fact do not allow you to pay the breakfast bill, in fact to date the only place I have come across a breakfast value equal to the credit was the AC Hotel in Riga. Otherwise. there are hotels, especially in the U.S., where with 10$ it is already okay if you can pay for your coffee.
Plan B, breakfast in the lounge
There is a shortcut, or rather a second way, to get the free breakfast: Platinum members and above Have access, free of charge, to hotel lounges.
If you stay in a facility that offers this service, you will then be able to have free breakfast in the lounge without having to choose breakfast as an amenity kit, thus focusing on points or what else the hotel proposes.
Therefore, it is important to know well who offers this service, in the case of the Marriott family, lounges are present in almost every hotel of these families:
- JW Marriott.
- Marriott Hotels.
- Sheraton.
- Delta Hotels.
- Le Méridien.
- Westin.
- Autograph Collection.
- Renaissance.
- Courtyard (not in USA/Canada).
Again, distinctions must be made, especially post-pandemic. There are hotels that do not open lounges for breakfast (I happened upon it at the Mariott in Athens.), others make special schedules, and still others have not decided whether and how to reopen them post covid.
The nice thing, however, is that if the lounge is not open, it is possible to claim compensation from Amex. Compensation that can go up to a credit of 100$.
In conclusion
When I say. I generally prefer the Hilton Honors program. I also do so in light of this confusion about breakfast. Becoming Platinum, if not even Titanium, is a real challenge (we are talking about 50 or 75 nights over the course of a year) and there are no rapid modes or Marriott credit cards in Italy like in other countries, which give away qualifying nights.
Getting to these levels of fidelity And not having the certainty of free breakfast fades The other great benefits that are awarded to the Elite guest.
We should also never forget the difference in treatment whether we are in the U.S. or the rest of the world. It goes from buffets where there is anything and everything, to what Americans call "Continental Breakfast," where not even cappuccino is included.
In fact, in the U.S. the Elite guest is often given a discount on the rest of the breakfast menu.
Last but not least, my advice is always the same. If breakfast at the hotel is to be similar to what we have at home, it almost never pays or wastes points to have it at the hotel. If we are not on an atoll in the Maldives, there are bound to be dozens of places outside the hotel where we can have breakfast while spending a few euros/dollars.
If, on the other hand, breakfast every morning is brunch. who needs to load up with energy for the whole day, then my advice is to carefully choose the best and most generous hotel, starting, for example, by consulting the Many hotel reviews found on our site.
