Being a Marriott Bonvoy member is like navigating Kafka’s bureaucracy blindfolded. But there’s a special sort of hermeneutical exegesis required to unearth the true meaning of their elite breakfast benefits – as every brand, region and resort status rewrites the rulebook.
Figuring out the correct breakfast benefit for a given hotel is harder than unraveling Schrödinger’s cat’s tax return. But I’ve spent the last seven years trying. And here is what I know about the breakfast benefit for Platinum members and above at their Delta Hotels brand.
- If the Delta hotel is not a resort, then the benefit is for the member and one guest in the lounge. However, if the hotel doesn’t have a lounge (or the lounge is closed) then the member chooses 750 points or continental breakfast in the restaurant. That choice is separate from, and in addition to, the Platinum welcome gift.
- If the Delta hotel is a resort, then breakfast can be taken in the restaurant for the member and a guest as the Platinum welcome gift choice.
And that brings us to the curious case of the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort in British Columbia, Canada… the resort that isn’t a resort when they don’t want it to be one?
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
This property has a club lounge, honors elite breakfast there, and refuses restaurant breakfast as outlined by the Marriott Bonvoy terms.
According to the hotel’s front office manager,
While the property’s name includes the word “Resort” it is not classified as a Resort under the Marriott Bonvoy program’s official brand portfolio and therefore, it is not subject to the breakfast option of the Elite Welcome Gift.
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
Credit: Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
Oddly this isn’t even a franchise, Marriott actually runs this hotel. At least if the hotel is “very consistent” in taking this position about whether or not it is a resort, as the manager goes on to suggest, then they shouldn’t be able to push back on late checkout requests arguing the benefit is subject to available (the resort policy) rather than guaranteed.
Still, this manager says that when the hotel calls itself a resort, it is.. lying?
And as if to give this Marriott Ambassador member’s loyalty the final shove, the hotel’s valet wrecked his rental car.
there are many marriott hotels don’t honor elite breakfast. I guess that’s the way it goes nowadays. I’d rather have a good time being there than wasting my time for arguing.
You can get breakfast in the lounge so why are you so upset? I’m sure most people, who likely don’t need to eat a large breakfast anyway, can find something in the lounge that works. You seem fixated on looking at the rules and searching out hotels that deviate from them even if, in this case, there is really no practical problem since people can get something to eat in the morning if they want.
You are really nick picking on the “elite entitlements” lately while largely ignoring many true aviation and credit card issues (CSR rumors for example).
So, a hotel that literally calls itself a resort is not a result? Where are the lawyers? Where are the consumer protection regulators? Canada is much more regulated than the US is in this regard. Surely, this has to constitute fraud.
I enjoy all my stays at Marriott hotels.
Why?
I have no elite status so I don’t concern myself with delivery of perks (or lack thereof)
What I concern myself with is –
1) is the room clean?
2) are the staff halfway friendly?
3) does the wifi work?
4) is the hotel’s location and value for money decent?
Usually the answer to all of the above is YES.
I book Marriott via AAdvantage Hotels and I can get up to 15,000 Loyalty Points per stay. A week of staying in Marriott hotels gets me Platinum and that’s not even including any other flying or spending. Pretty amazing if you ask me!
Cooped up in a skyscraper turning docs for a multi-billion dollar M&A at 3 in the morning.
Good lawyers ridicule the idea of filing suit against a hotel for calling itself a resort….
@Unintinidated, WOW 15k LPs??!! I need to check up on AAdvantage Hotels! I didn’t know such deals were available.
It’s a fake resort if you read their fine print
Fake resorts leave their options open better that way to decline their overly entitled elites
expecting elite benefits
Thank you, Gary, for continuing to ‘name and shame’ these properties. Will avoid.
@Don G — That’s the wrong take, sir. Your apathy (in the aggregate) enables this.
@Un — I’m with you that this is not worthy of a lawsuit, yet, it is worthy of corporate ‘enforcing’ policies (including benefits) across its brands, and if not, then to ‘compensate’ those who did not ‘receive’ their (relatively nominal) $25 breakfast as a credit (maybe some points). This is less an atrocity worthy of a war crimes trial, and more a ‘squeaky wheel gets oiled’ situation.
But does it charge a resort fee?
@1990- Agree with you 100%.. the only way to address this issue is to name and shame..
I personally would never stay at that hotel. I just dont like to feel “cheated.”
i always call hotels before I travel if any doubt about the benefits. Especially in north america..
in europe and asia i rarerly have had problems with marriott hotels and generally and am extremnely pleased with the benefits so I am a Marriott loyalist
Whenever I get tempted to get a Brilliant card for Platinum and a “maybe breakfast”…
The Bonvoyed program reminds me of its worth.
@BeatNavy – interesting observation!
Overall though, I think this just highlights the ongoing inconsistencies with the Marriott brand. For your brand to have meaning and drive loyalty, it needs to be consistent and you need to stand behind it. That is where Marriott seems to be regularly falling short.
@Unintimidated – Well put. My expectations anywhere these days is that I will get what I explicitly paid for and not one thing more. No “upgrades”, no “benefits”, no “waivers”, no “favors.”
Anytime a Marriott property pulls this stunt then refuse to pay the “resort fee” or “destination marketing fee” that is undoubtedly in the bill.
I think reading your blog requires “a special sort of hermeneutical exegesis”. 😉
@josh — That’s a good strategy. I always like to set clear expectations, ideally so that I’m not disappointed. Even if the details aren’t in my favor, at least I can then decide whether to proceed or not. And if realty differs from stated policies, at least you can refer back to the agent or paper trail. Of course, calling (or emailing) ahead does take extra effort, and most folks just won’t even bother. Though, if we (consumers) want better treatment, we often have to ‘do our part,’ too. I wish corporate (and regulators) would better enforce, but these ‘programs’ are somewhat unreliable.
@Mushu_Pork — As I’ve discussed with @Gene on here before, I’m still keeping Brilliant Amex cards for the 85K free night, Platinum (with the ‘maybe’ breakfast), and the $20/mo dining coupon-book-style credit, which I feel break-even so-far, but if they devalue redemptions or raise the annual any further, I’ll re-evaluate. Naturally, a large sign-up bonus helps for that first year.
Why do people still chase Marriott status?
Disappointing. We stayed at this property a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. And yes, we got our elite breakfasts.
I have found that Marriott has become too penny pinching to tolerate. Gotcha games aren’t worth my time. I spend my luxury time in Asia, where premium amenities and service are the norm. I see that American air carriers are seeing massive dropoff in international metrics. We all choose Asian carriers, maybe Air France, Emirates and Qatar. Lo and behold the US carriers are rethinking their product mix. More premium offerings coming this year. I want a 39 minute flight from Vegas to LAX or PHX, I will pay $25 to bear the instagram trash. Marriott is beginning to feel like Frontier Air.
Does it charge a “Resort Fee”?
Would be interesting if they did but claim to not be a resort…
So, a hotel that literally calls itself a resort is not a result? Where are the lawyers?
Cooped up in a skyscraper turning docs for a multi-billion dollar M&A at 3 in the morning.
Good lawyers ridicule the idea of filing suit against a hotel for calling itself a resort….
The best lawyers are constantly sniffing out class action lawsuits like these where a $50 million dollar restitution fund will be established for those cheated out of elite breakfast in the years 2014-2018. 40% will be payable to the lawyers in cash, plus reasonable expenses and elite members who fill out long and complex claim forms with documentation on stays between 2014-2018 will receive a coupon for a 20% to 30% discount on a future paid breakfast, percentage to be determined by the the response rate.
I think most people would agree that brands want brand loyalty. But, in the absence of brand standards why should they expect brand loyalty?
One of the problems I have with Marriott is it seems like many of their hotels are misbranded. This seems to happen often in Florida where they slap a Marriott logo (e.g. a Premium Brand like Delta or Marriott) on an old hotel that used to be the equivalent of a 1950’s Holiday Inn.
Then the booking app/website does a bad job at describing what is offered (e.g. does it have a lounge, is it open on the weekend, etc.)
I am amazed by all the submissive masochists in the comments section who side with the offending corporations. “Oh I’m just grateful if my room is clean, I don’t mind if they renege on the supposed extra benefits they bait-and-switch us with.” “Gary why don’t you eat in the lounge” – or maybe go to the corner McDonalds instead of ruffling corporate feathers. What’s up with that? I say thank you Gary for trying to keep them honest.
Which Marriott properties offer 15K LP? I only see 2-3K…
After spending 300 nights this last year in a hotel I will tell you that unless traveling overseas, free hotel breakfasts are completely underwhelming. Mystery eggs, fatty bacon, soggy pastries from the freezer, bagels and bread packed full of preservatives with a shelf life of 6 months. It’s all the same and definitely not worth getting upset about.
Good to name and shame. They could just rename it “Delta Victoria Ocean Point” (take off the resort *and* the superfluous “e”, calling places “pointe” is silly IMHO. It does seem like they shouldn’t have resort in the name without it being a resort.
I stopped at a Hotel in Colorado… “American Hotel $19.99 and up”. I didn’t seriously expect a room for $19.99… the room was like $120. I did ask if the rooms were ever $19.99 (I expected it to be like one room is $19.99 1 day out of the year, so it’s technically “$19.99 and up”.) Nope! “That’s just the name of the hotel”. LOL.
Been to Victoria a couple of times since 2015. Most recently in 2024. We stayed in a short term rental because we don’t love that Delta Hotel (Lifetime Titanium). This past year was the first time I caught negative attitude from service providers in hotels, restaurants, shops, and even Canadian CBP. We’re not ugly Americans – we’re very respectful, and we also don’t lie and admit to being American when asked. Every time we did that we got eye rolls, attitude, rude comments. Also whenever anyone saw our credit card they knew we weren’t Canadian and would make little jabs. Very odd. Prior visits everyone was more polite and after 2016, even consoling. They seem to be over the US – mind you this was LAST YEAR. We’re heading up to Banff in July – will report back on what we find. I wonder if the Delta staff have been actively discouraging the return of US visitors? Maybe there’s a Canadian with Ambassador status who can weigh in?
As for breakfast and lounges – we haven’t had access to either since prior to the pandemic.
Marriott USA free breakfasts are disgusting. The eggs are boiled en masse and then squeezed into thick plastic wrap and then removed for use when needed. Concentrated Juices kept in plastic?! This is 2025 and California aka the breadbasket of the world and this is the free poison hotels offer today! So much for being ‘local’
I’d rather pay for a freshly prepared breakfast at a nearby restaurant with a cappuccino mimosa and tip my server rather than sit in their cold lifeless breakfast hall any day.
I guess the question is whether to let them get away with it. Since the hotel is in Canada, small claims court is out but I’d fight against the policy, absolutely refuse to pay a resort fee under whatever name, and roast the hotel in Tripadvisor.
@Checkpoint Cheryl. I totally agree with you. Marriott is getting worse by the day and they must be held to account. Here we’re only talking about elite breakfasts but when one delves into what else is taking place at Marriott – a la corruption – that’s an even more difficult issue to challenge
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