Old Marriott Gold perks after SPG/Marriott account merger

Question

Last year, I acquired Starwood (SPG) Gold through staying a bunch of nights at SPG properties. When I linked my account with Marriott, I was comped to Marriott Gold, which provides a series of very handy perks including lounge access & free breakfast at most hotels. Yay!

But recently, I merged my Marriott & SPG accounts, ending up with the new Marriott Gold Elite as a result. However, it appears that Gold Elite does not include lounge/breakfast, and I would need hit Platinum for that.

So my question: did I just foolishly sign away my old Gold perks? Or is there a grace period during which the old legacy benefits still apply?

Answer 1

I think you got the short end of the stick here. All Marriott Golds were upgraded to Platinum in August (at least until the end of the year) EXCEPT if you had Gold as a comp from SPG.

Note: the chart below does not apply to SPG Gold and SPG Platinum members who received Rewards Elite status due to linking and status matching. Click here to see SPG Elite status chart.

https://members.marriott.com/marriottrewards/

SPG conversion is here https://members.marriott.com/spg/, SPG Gold -> Marriott Gold

Answer 2

So while I suspect Hilmar's answer is correct on paper, as ever reality is a wee bit more complicated. I tested showing my old Marriott Gold Elite card ("Valid thru 02/2019") at two hotels in New Orleans, around 1 month after the new system was supposed to kick in in mid-August, and asked if old Gold benefits still applied after the merger:

• JW Marriott: Was aware of the change, but said their systems have not been updated yet, so my card will still work for lounge access and I'm welcome to use it.
• Renaissance French Quarter: Did not seem aware/concerned with the change, has no lounge but happily gave me food vouchers for breakfast instead.

So practical success rate 100% (N=2). This will likely change, but I'll enjoy it while I can!