Marriott Rewards & SPG Platinum Complimentary Breakfast & Lounge Options Explained

Marriott Rewards & SPG tried to streamline complimentary Platinum member breakfast and lounge options when the programs where merged on August 18 and breakfast was supposed to become complimentary at all properties with very few exceptions.

Well. The devil is in the details. Seems that you still need to be very careful what brands you book if you want to be sure that you +1 will have breakfast. You are safe at legacy Starwood brands but unfortunately Marriott ones are where the minefield lies.

You can access Marriott’s page for combined program here.

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No Breakfast

• Ritz-Carlton
• EDITION
• Marriott Vacation Club
• Design Hotels
• Gaylord

Platinum members are eligible for $10 F&B amenity in lieu of 1,000 points for stays at Gaylord hotels. I know at least one Ritz-Carlton in Asia-Pacific that has given lounge access for Platinum members previously (not the greatest RC).

Breakfast For Everyone

• Element
• Residence Inn
• TownePlace Suites
• SpringHill Suites
• Fairfield

These select service brands offer complimentary breakfast for every guest.

UPDATE: Note that are exclusion from brand standards at some properties like reader points out in the comments (Element Ubud in Bali). These are not disclosed anywhere on Marriott’s website.

Breakfast Amenity Choice

• St. Regis
• Luxury Collection
• W Hotels
• Tribute Portfolio
• Aloft
• Four Points
• Protea

Members must choose between 1,000 or 500 points (depends of the brand) per stay or breakfast in a restaurant for member + 1.

Note that at Starwood legacy brands (Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien) member can choose restaurant breakfast as an amenity choice even when property has a lounge.

$10 F&B Amenity Choice

• AC Hotels
• Courtyard
• Moxy

Members must choose between 500 amenity points or $10 DAILY F&B credit. The DAILY F&B credit is $20 if there are two registered guests and can be used for anything (but must be used every day).

Note that there are Courtyards outside of North America that have club lounges (Bangkok and Hong Kong come to mind). Members can then have their breakfast in the lounge or if the lounge is closed in the restaurant.

Lounge / Breakfast

LOUNGE ACCESS

RESORTS EXCLUDED

• JW Marriott
• Marriott
• Delta Hotels
• Autograph Collection
• Renaissance
• Courtyard (outside of US/Canada) 

In the United States, Canada and EU member + 1 are eligible for restaurant breakfast in case of lounge is closed or doesn’t exist in all above mentioned brands except Courtyards or 750 points per day.

UPDATE: At resorts you can choose the breakfast as an amenity for member + 1 instead of points.

RESORTS INCLUDED

• Le Meridien
• Westin
• Sheraton

If hotel doesn’t have a lounge or it is closed, member must use the Platinum amenity choice and choose breakfast.

Then there are the following legacy Marriott hotels (list changes every once in a while) that only provide 1,000 points when their lounge is closed (no breakfast in restaurant):

• 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

Conclusion

You have to keep in mind that good/great hotels offer more than what is the absolute minimum required by the program and there are many rates that are breakfast inclusive.

The $10 F&B amenity choice in lieu of breakfast at AC Hotels, Courtyards and Moxy hotels is really disappointing. What can you get today for $10?

I don’t think that it is sustainable in the long run that Ritz-Carlton, EDITION and Gaylord brands are not offering breakfast for Platinum members while comparable legacy Starwood ones are.

Not sure why Marriott Rewards doesn’t have this breakfast information clearly presented on its website? Also, the complimentary breakfast option at some hotels (especially at resorts) can be very skimpy such as coffee, yogurt and a pastry from their coffee shop.