Resort fees and destination fees are among the most annoying “junk” fees you’ll find in the hotel industry. Lots of Marriott-family properties have these, and there are no easy ways to avoid them (in the sense that redeeming points and/or having elite status doesn’t get these waived).
However, there is a trick to at least potentially getting a little bit extra value out of your fee, in theory, and most Marriott Bonvoy members don’t know this (and… perhaps many Marriott employees don’t either?).
Marriott resort & destination fee Wi-Fi replacement perk
Did you know that if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member and a property has a resort or destination fee that includes free Wi-Fi as a benefit, you’re an entitled to a replacement perk? As you’ll see, this is published directly in the Marriott Bonvoy terms & conditions:
Participating Properties that have mandatory resort or destination charges, which include internet access, will provide a replacement benefit, to be determined at each Participating Property’s discretion. MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy does not provide a replacement benefit for the internet access included in their resort fee.
Just to be crystal clear:
- All Marriott Bonvoy members (and not just elite members) get Wi-Fi when staying at Marriott properties, so this extra benefit applies even for non-elites
- Therefore hotels that state Wi-Fi is a benefit of the resort fee or destination fee have to provide a replacement perk for members
- Wi-Fi specifically has to be advertised as a perk of the resort or destination fee in order to quality for this benefit
What are Marriotts offering as Wi-Fi replacement benefits?
Don’t get too excited about the potential benefit replacement for Bonvoy members:
- On the one hand, something is better than nothing, and on principle it’s nice to put some pressure on hotels with these junk fees
- On the other hand, there are lots of reports of hotel employees being baffled when confronted about this, and claiming the hotel doesn’t have such a replacement benefit, so this objectively might not be worth your time
What kind of Wi-Fi replacements are Marriott properties offering? Here are just a few examples, according to a FlyerTalk thread on the topic:
- A discount on the resort fee, with the amount varying
- Some minimal number of Bonvoy bonus points
- A small gift, like a tote bag
This really won’t change your life, but I do find it interesting that this is in the terms. This also explains why you’ll increasingly see Marriott properties not list Wi-Fi as being one of the perks of the resort or destination fee.
Bottom line
Marriott Bonvoy members staying at properties that have resort or destination fees that include Wi-Fi are entitled to an extra perk, given that this is a standard benefit for Bonvoy members. Don’t get too excited, because the benefit may be minimal, and for that matter, hotel front desk associates may not even be aware of this. But it is there in the Marriott Bonvoy terms…
Have you ever requested a Wi-Fi replacement benefit for a resort or destination fee as a Marriott Bonvoy member?
