One of the benefits of earning Platinum Elite status with Marriott is free breakfast, but not at all brands. Some brands, instead, give you only a $10 per day food & beverage credit or even only $10 per stay. And some brands are completely exempt from offering free breakfast.
That’s confusing enough on its own before considering that specific rules vary not just by brand, but also sometimes by country. And sometimes specific hotels within participating brands have had their own exemptions (although thankfully not right now). Whew.
The only thing more confusing than Marriott’s free breakfast benefit is their rules regarding qualifying for their credit cards. For the latter, I did my best to simplify things in the post ‘Are you eligible for a new Marriott card?‘ Regarding breakfast, use this post as your guide…
Brands for breakfast
At a high level, Platinum Elites (or higher) can figure out whether they’ll get free breakfast based on hotel brand, as follows:
No Breakfast for You Brands
These Marriott brands do not offer free breakfast for elite members:
- Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy
- Design Hotels
- EDITION
- Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
- Marriott Grand Residence Club
- Marriott Vacation Club
- Postcard Cabins – Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy
- Ritz-Carlton Reserve
- Sheraton Vacation Club
- The Ritz-Carlton
- Westin Vacation Club
$10 Breakfast for You Brands
These brands offer the Platinum Elite member and one guest, $10 per day food and beverage credit (e.g. total of $20 per day):
- AC Hotels
- citizenM
- Courtyard (except those with a lounge)
- Moxy Hotels
- Trailborn – Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy (not Postcard Cabins – Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy)
These brands offer the Platinum Elite member only $10 per stay food and beverage credit (i.e. $10 max per stay):
- Gaylord Hotels
Free Breakfast Brands
The following brands usually offer free breakfast for the Platinum Elite member plus one guest either in the restaurant as a welcome gift choice (e.g. when checking in, you can select free breakfast, points, or sometimes another option as your welcome gift) or in the lounge as a Platinum Elite benefit.
- Aloft
- Autograph Collection *
- City Express **
- Courtyard with lounge
- Delta Hotels *
- Four Points
- Four Points Flex
- JW Marriott *
- Le Méridien
- Marriott Hotels *
- Protea Hotels
- Renaissance Hotels *
- Series by Marriott
- Sheraton
- St. Regis
- The Luxury Collection
- Tribute Portfolio
- W Hotels
- Westin
* At these brands, Marriott differentiates between those that are hotels and those that are resorts. At resorts, the Platinum Elite member gets free restaurant breakfast for self + 1. At hotels, the Platinum Elite member gets lounge access. When the lounge is closed (which is common on weekends and during pandemics), they’ll instead offer daily continental breakfast for 2… unless the hotel is one of the free breakfast exempt properties.
** At this brand, you’ll receive free breakfast for self + 1 at City Centro locations. At City Express properties in the US and Canada, you’ll only receive 500 points per stay.
Free Breakfast Exemptions
As described above, at the following hotel brands (but not their resort equivalents), the Platinum Elite member gets free lounge access: JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection, and Renaissance Hotels. However, lounges are frequently closed on weekends and during pandemics and so you should get free continental breakfast for 2 when that happens.
There used to be a handful of properties that were excluded from having to provide that, but that thankfully no longer appears to be the case.
Free For All Brands
These brands usually offer free breakfast to all guests regardless of status:
- Element
- Fairfield
- Residence Inn
- SpringHill Suites
- TownePlace Suites
Breakfast Details
The following chart shows my current understanding of the specific breakfast benefit to expect at each brand:
| Hotel Chain | Daily Breakfast Benefit | How to Qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, City Express (US & Canada), Design Hotels, EDITION, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Marriott Vacation Club, Postcard Cabins – Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Sheraton Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Vacation Club | None | N/A |
| AC Hotels, citizenM, Courtyard (without lounge), Moxy Hotels, Trailborn – Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy | $10 Food & Beverage Credit Per Night for member + 1 guest (e.g. $20 total per night) | Platinum Elite Welcome Gift choice |
| Courtyard (with lounge) | Lounge Access (or daily breakfast for 2 if lounge is closed) | Platinum Elite benefit |
| Autograph Collection, Delta Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance Hotels | Hotels (Not Resorts): Lounge Access (or daily breakfast* for 2 if lounge is closed) |
Lounge Access is a Platinum Elite benefit |
| Autograph Collection, Delta Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Renaissance Hotels | Resorts: Breakfast in restaurant per night of Stay for Member +1 |
Restaurant breakfast is a Platinum Elite Welcome Gift choice |
| Aloft, City Express (City Centro properties only), Four Points, Four Points Flex, Protea Hotels, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, W Hotels | Breakfast in restaurant per night of Stay for Member +1 | Platinum Elite Welcome Gift choice |
| Sheraton, Le Méridien, Westin | Lounge Access + Breakfast in restaurant per night of Stay for Member +1 | Lounge Access is a Platinum Elite benefit. Restaurant breakfast is a Platinum Elite Welcome Gift choice |
| Element, Fairfield, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, TownePlace Suites | Breakfast Buffet | Free for all guests |
* In the U.S. and Canada, when the lounge is closed you are entitled to continental breakfast for you plus one guest. In Europe, there is no “continental” restriction. It’s unclear what happens outside of the U.S., Canada, and Europe when the lounge is closed.
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As a data point, I received $20 daily credit (starts the next day, not check in day) when checking into the Excalibur (MGM Resorts property booked through Marriott’s site) this WrestleMania weekend. (Have Platinum status from the Brilliant and wanted a cheap stay.) The credit is good at a select list of places, they give you a list. Need to charge the purchase to the room. Double check your itemized summary in case they don’t apply the credits automatically. I had to go to the desk before I checked out since mine needed adjusting.
Courtyard in Houma, LA, my hometown which I visit often from my current residence in Newport Beach, offer free breakfast for two daily for Platinum and above, and it’s pretty good. The property is also very nice, as are the suites.
…or I could just stay at a bed and breakfast
Offer now ends May 19, same url.
In May 2025, the Penha Longa Ritz-Carlton in Portugal included free breakfast as a general aspect of the stay, not as an elite benefit, so there are some exceptions that are actually good surprises.
When this post appeared today, I was hoping that Bonvoy had come to its senses and simplified it. Oh well 🙂
Nooooo, you wouldn’t like it if it was simplified by Marriott. I’d much rather have things simplified by Frequent Miler.
Probably true.
And then there are some properties that have no food services at all.
Ned Flanders: “Feels like I’m (eating) nothing at all!” …nothing at all …nothing at all.
Hi, citizenM should be added to this guide. Marriott possibly (probably) has added more brands too. Who can keep up!
Thanks. You’re right, we need to update this with the latest 87 or so brands!
[…] If you refer to this page, then you’ll find that Platinum status and above is where things start to get interesting in terms of meaningful benefits. In my case, I find Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status to be very useful as it gives me complimentary breakfast in most cases. Frequent Miler has written a handy guide about exceptions. You can refer to that here. […]
[…] If you refer to this page, then you’ll find that Platinum status and above is where things start to get interesting in terms of meaningful benefits. In my case, I find Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status to be very useful as it gives me complimentary breakfast in most cases. Frequent Miler has written a handy guide about exceptions. You can refer to that here. […]
[…] Now, why does this matter? Let’s say a customer signs up for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, paying a $650 annual fee, thinking that Platinum elite status would give him/her complimentary breakfast. Marriott Bonvoy says, “not so easy“! […]
How do you know if your Marriott or Renaissance property is considered a “resort” for benefit purposes?
Good question. I don’t know
Listening to your latest podcast about Marriott Elite status and the various breakfast amenities at chains you mentioned this chart. This chart shows the W as free restaurant breakfast for self + 1 guest but I just stayed at the W Chicago – Lakeshore last weekend but they only gave me $10 for me and one guest and I could not combine them for $20 if I was eating alone. Both of us had to be seated. Is this just tough luck or is there a terms and conditions I could raise a complaint?
If you had brought it to their attention during your stay you could have qualified for $100 elite benefit guarantee https://frequentmiler.com/marriott-spg-elite-benefits-guarantee/
It’s probably worth calling Bonvoy to see if they can compensate you after the fact but I don’t know what your chances are
Are these Welcome Gift benefits supposed to be “Daily”? I don’t see “Daily” spelled out on Marriott’s Website: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi
I’m getting ready to stay at a Four Points (I’m Titanium) and the hotel does NOT have a restaurant. It’s supposed to be a $50 compensation for a Welcome Gift – I’m wondering if it will be $50 compensation DAILY (per day) or just a one-time $50 compensation.
Marriott’s 50 page document does NOT spell this out clearly.
Breakfast welcome gifts are daily but the elite benefit guarantee is once for the stay overall
Platinum member staying at Koloa Landing in Poipu, Kawaii; which is an Autograph Collection resort, so should include breakfast for member + 1. Got a $15 per person per night dining credit as a welcome gift instead. I asked about free breakfast and was told this is the only food and beverage gift option.
Is Marriott’s policy regarding breakfast benefits at their different categories outlined in writing anywhere?
yes, you can find it on their website, in the elite platinum welcome gift table
https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi#elite
Recently visited Design Hotel, Das Triest Hotel, Vienna, Austria. Received free breakfast with Bonvoy Platinum Status. Nice surprise in my favor, for once.