Marriott – The largest hotel chain in the world.
With over 8,000 properties spanning globally across 138 countries and territories, Marriott International is the largest hotel chain in the world. With over 30 brands and counting, Marriott Bonvoy is an industry leader in loyalty programs. A benefit of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Titanium or Ambassador is the ability to access lounges across numerous brands. With such an outreach, many Marriott Bonvoy members are left with the question, how to tell if a Marriott has a lounge?
Marriott does not have a clear path to tell if a hotel has a lounge, but there are numerous ways to see if a hotel has a lounge.
Over 30 brands, 9 offering lounges.
With Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels there are more differences in the lounge offerings than similarities. While what is offered inside of the lounge seems to vary by brand, there is also a drastic difference in lounges within the same brand. At some hotels, the lounge may not be called the same thing, it is sometimes referred to as Concierge/Executive/Club/Signature Club/M Club lounge. The brands that participate in the lounge benefit are:
- JW Marriott (Resort properties excluded)
- Marriott Hotels (Resort properties excluded)
- Sheraton
- Delta Hotels (Resort properties excluded and at Delta Hotels properties without a Signature Club Lounge, as the approved alternative the member will receive access to the Elite Pantry)
- Le Méridien
- Westin
- Autograph Collection (Resort properties excluded)
- Renaissance Hotels (Resort properties excluded)
- Courtyard properties with a Lounge outside the United States & Canada
The easiest step to determine whether the hotel may have a lounge or not is whether it is included in the list above or not. The lounge benefit is not applicable when the rates include breakfast, or the brand offers an approved alternative.
Once it is determined that the brand booked offers lounges, it then becomes a challenge to determine whether the hotel offers a lounge or not. Many lounges to the date of this article are still claiming the lounge is closed due to the pandemic or being short staffed.
The Marriott full-service brand is the easiest brand as of now to determine whether they have a lounge or not as Marriott offers an M Club search tool.
Marriott Bonvoy Website & App – A powerful tool to tell if hotel as a lounge.
The Marriott Bonvoy app or website will sometimes list the Elite Lounge in the Dine & Drink section of the website. This can prove to be a great way to tell if the hotel has a lounge or not, but this does not confirm if the lounge is opened or not.
Going through the images of the hotel will sometimes show pictures of the lounge which is another key indicator to see if the hotel does in fact have a lounge or not, it will often be marked “Concierge Lounge”, “M Club” or another name depicting the elite lounge.
Calling or Chat – The most efficient way to tell if the hotel has a lounge.
The absolute best and most efficient way to tell if the hotel has a lounge or not is to simply pick up the phone and call. Be aware, if there is an automated prompt, there is a chance that you may get transferred to a central reservations team who is not actually on property. It is best to wait for the prompt to be connected directly with the property. In many cases, this is done by pressing “0.” Many third-party websites will also disguise themselves as the actual property, be sure to get the hotel phone number directly from the Marriott website or Marriott Bonvoy mobile app to ensure you are connected directly with the hotel. By speaking directly to the hotel, you will be able to find out if there is a lounge, the hours of operation of the lounge, and any other questions you have.
48 hours prior to arrival, you can directly message the hotel through the Marriott app if you cannot find the time to call. By messaging the hotel through the Marriott app, you are being directly connected with the hotel.
How do I get access to a hotel lounge?
Finally, while each brand is different with their lounge requirements, in this article we detail the ways to access a Marriott lounge.