Didn't see a thread on this so thought I'd start one to give other Marriott elites a heads up on a change Marriott made recently to elite T&Cs re: European breakfast options for hotels w/ no lounges (no notice to elites). To date if Marriott elites stayed at a European property without a lounge they received (traditionally) a full breakfast in the hotel's restaurant.
Recently Marriott tweaked the verbiage & added the following (bolding & underlining mine)
4. Guaranteed Concierge/Executive/Club Lounge Access* for Platinum and Gold Elite members plus one guest at JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® and Marriott® Hotels during normal hours of operations. Continental breakfast is available 7 days a week. For JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® and Marriott® Hotels in the U.S. and Canada: any time the Lounge isn’t open, Platinum and Gold Elite members are entitled to a choice of continental breakfast for two in the restaurant or 750 points daily.
In Europe, hotels without a lounge offer a choice of breakfast for two in the restaurant or 750 points daily.
* At JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® and Marriott Hotels® (resorts excluded)
On Flyertalk there is the first report of a European property switching to the new policy. The FTer had stayed at the property previously a number of times & always received a full hot breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. When he checked in recently, the FDC told him he had the option of points or continental breakfast for his Platinum Arrival Gift; obviously the FDC was confused by the new policy as the PAG policy hasn't changed. But the hotel is switching from offering a full breakfast to offering a cont'l breakfast.
It looks like Marriott is trying to align the European breakfast policy to the US/Canada one. Since a # of European properties have traditionally provided a full breakfast, switching to a cont'l breakfast is a bit of a downgrade. Granted properties can still offer it, but I wouldn't be surprised if a # of them decide to switch to cont'l. I'll continue to provide updates in this thread on Flyertalk re: what properties do, as FTers report.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13849211-post1.html
I was emailing another Lifetime Platinum elite re: the change (she's also top tier at Hyatt & mid or top tier at Starwood), and she replied (again, bolding mine):
"Hyatt does it right. No club, then you get breakfast 7 days a week in the hotel restaurant. And it can be very very good. Marriott pushes me away with all its gamesmanship on breakfasts, weekends, resorts. ugh."
Cheers.