Marriott Rewards - Disappointed with response from Marriott rewards customer service

I stayed with Marriott around 200 days this year while traveling on business. We (I and another co-worker), booked a negotiated room rate at the Residence Inn, with the agreement that rate and points would be split between the two members. All my points are current with the exception of the last 6 nights of my stay.

I contacted Marriott Rewards in order to find out the status of my missing stay request and received this reply:


Dear cucamelsmd15,

Thank you for contacting Marriott Rewards.

Our records confirm that the reservation was not booked in your name and did not have your Marriott Rewards account number on file.

The booked room rate was $99.00 per night. I did locate billing information in your name for half of the booked room rate, $49.50 per night.

I can confirm that the member whose name and account number are on the reservation earned credit for his half of the payment.

I apologize that the Marriott Rewards program only offers credit to one member for a hotel room. This information can be verified through our website at the following link:

http://www.marriott.com/rewards/terms/earning.mi

"6. No other person except the member may earn points for his/her account. Points for a room shared by two Marriott Rewards members will only be awarded to one Marriott Rewards member."

I apologize that I am not able to post the credit in question. I do see that the hotel was posting half of the credit to you earlier and I apologize that they were doing this. If you want more information about why the hotel was posting ineligible credits to your account, please contact the Residence Inn Westford at +1-978-392-1407.


Thank you for contacting Marriott.

Regards,

[name redacted]
Internet Correspondence Specialist
Marriott Rewards Guest Services


So, in other words, Im not getting those points/nights to round out my Fall Megabonus. As a long term paying customer, would it really pain Marriott to credit me the 6 nights, 2228 points and my Megabonus?

If I werent already platinum for next year, I would strongly be reconsidering my choice of hotels for future travels...

It sounds like you worked out some type of special arrangement with the local hotel management. Marriott Corp. will not have any knowledge of that arrangement and will normally only follow their own rules.

I would suggest you contact the RI management and work this through them. They are the ones that send MR the stay information, so they are the ones that can best help you.

There is no way Marriott Corporate would have any knowledge of a shade tree deal you worked out with the hotel, and one of dubious leanings at that. Since the deal was with the hotel, why didn't you contact them?

Sounds like you might have fallen on your sword on this one. Whenever a manager has bent rules for me in the past I've made sure to only have contact with that individual when discussing our arrangement. I'm sure I would be doubly careful when posting an inquiry about a deal that is explicitly forbidden in the T&Cs governing your MR account. :confused:

Also, would you really switch programs based on one inquiry that you didn't even appeal?

There is no way Marriott Corporate would have any knowledge of a shade tree deal you worked out with the hotel, and one of dubious leanings at that. Since the deal was with the hotel, why didn't you contact them?

Dubious leanings? I take it Marriott would rather me take 5 figures of revenue somewhere else? :confused:


Sounds like you might have fallen on your sword on this one. Whenever a manager has bent rules for me in the past I've made sure to only have contact with that individual when discussing our arrangement. I'm sure I would be doubly careful when posting an inquiry about a deal that is explicitly forbidden in the T&Cs governing your MR account. :confused:

Also, would you really switch programs based on one inquiry that you didn't even appeal?

Sorry, I dont really see this as bending the rules for anything. These were double occupancy rooms, two bedrooms.

Lets examine Rule #7:

Point accrual is limited to individual travel and the room must be paid for individually by the member. The member must have an individual room bill that is paid at checkout or direct billed to the party responsible for paying the bill.
Since we are individuals, and paid for individual rooms of the suite including having individual, personal bills, Im not quite seeing the issue here.

And yes, with regards to switching, since I travel with other people from my company on a regular basis, and we tend to choose Marriott, there would be a mass exodus from Marriott in this case. This has never been an issue before, and it shouldnt be an issue now.

There is no way Marriott Corporate would have any knowledge of a shade tree deal you worked out with the hotel, and one of dubious leanings at that. Since the deal was with the hotel, why didn't you contact them?

Sounds like you might have fallen on your sword on this one. Whenever a manager has bent rules for me in the past I've made sure to only have contact with that individual when discussing our arrangement. I'm sure I would be doubly careful when posting an inquiry about a deal that is explicitly forbidden in the T&Cs governing your MR account. :confused:

Also, would you really switch programs based on one inquiry that you didn't even appeal?

whats up your back side? I do agree with the Point of Contact for the compalint should be the local management though.

how is this shady (as opposed to shade) at all when it was arranged with the local mgt?.. :rolleyes:

I have done this before, when staying with a friend
BUT
he paid for the first 2 nites and got 2 nites credit and the points for 2 nites,
then i paid for the last 2 nites and got 2 nites credits and the points for 2 nites

a few years ago we even alternated each day for 4 days to get the stay credits for a promo (4 days yielded 4 stays, 2 stays / person and 2 days per person, rather than 2 days and 1 stay per person

I stayed with Marriott around 200 days this year while traveling on business. We (I and another co-worker), booked a negotiated room rate at the Residence Inn, with the agreement that rate and points would be split between the two members. All my points are current with the exception of the last 6 nights of my stay.

I contacted Marriott Rewards in order to find out the status of my missing stay request and received this reply:



So, in other words, Im not getting those points/nights to round out my Fall Megabonus. As a long term paying customer, would it really pain Marriott to credit me the 6 nights, 2228 points and my Megabonus?

If I werent already platinum for next year, I would strongly be reconsidering my choice of hotels for future travels...

Sorry, I dont really see this as bending the rules for anything. These were double occupancy rooms, two bedrooms.

~snip~

Since we are individuals, and paid for individual rooms of the suite including having individual, personal bills, Im not quite seeing the issue here.
Perhaps you could share EXACTLY what you negotiated with the hotel. I think some people here are assuming that you rented one room and that you are looking to split the nights and points with your coworker. Or did you rent a two-bedroom suite. It's not clear.

Or did you rent a two-bedroom suite. It's not clear.

It was a 2 bedrrom suite according to the OP. But MR rules are pretty clear, you don't get two nights to split when you spend one night in a 2 room suite.

I have done this before, when staying with a friend
BUT
he paid for the first 2 nites and got 2 nites credit and the points for 2 nites,
then i paid for the last 2 nites and got 2 nites credits and the points for 2 nites

a few years ago we even alternated each day for 4 days to get the stay credits for a promo (4 days yielded 4 stays, 2 stays / person and 2 days per person, rather than 2 days and 1 stay per person

And that is basically no different than what we did, except without all the legwork for the front desk. Not to mention the lack of headaches for expense reporting purposes...
Perhaps you could share EXACTLY what you negotiated with the hotel. I think some people here are assuming that you rented one room and that you are looking to split the nights and points with your coworker. Or did you rent a two-bedroom suite. It's not clear.

It was a 2 bedrrom suite according to the OP. But MR rules are pretty clear, you don't get two nights to split when you spend one night in a 2 room suite.

Yes, it was a 2 bedroom suite. The hotel agreed instead of splitting the stay, they would simply split the rate and points and have two separate reservations in essence.

Regardless, I have contacted the Marriott Platinum desk, and they are requesting a copy of my last bill. When that comes in (5 business days they said), the points and Megabonus will post to my account.

Regardless, I have contacted the Marriott Platinum desk, and they are requesting a copy of my last bill. When that comes in (5 business days they said), the points and Megabonus will post to my account.

Or they might see that you were given the other nights credit and pts when per the T&Cs of MR you werent suppose to get either and thusly remove all the pts and nights credit you received till now for that stay.

As others have said, a 2 bedroom room is still just 1 room, heck a 3 bedroom room is just 1 room. and only 1 person can get night credit and pts per room, no matter how many bedrooms or rooms or people that were staying in it.

If the hotel agreed to actually bill you each separately I hope they put down different room #s, otherwise 1 of You guys will/should be losing their nights and pts credit. If on the otherhand the Hotel mgmt had you staying in room 201 and your friend in 202 even thou they are really 1 room, then MR will end up having to give you both everything.

You should have 1 as mentioned already split the stay with the other person each of you paying for the full 'Room' for an equal amount of nights, and MR wouldnt care that you both occupied it the whole time. 2- you should have taken this up with the Hotel and not have gotten MR involved, as most likely they will be spoken to about what they did and I doubt youd be able to do it again that way

Or they might see that you were given the other nights credit and pts when per the T&Cs of MR you werent suppose to get either and thusly remove all the pts and nights credit you received till now for that stay.

And thats Marriotts decision.

However, if they value long term, loyal customers, they wont, as Ill be more than happy to take my revenue elsewhere, as will other people in the company.


You should have 1 as mentioned already split the stay with the other person each of you paying for the full 'Room' for an equal amount of nights,

As mentioned previously, this can not, and will not be done.

and MR wouldnt care that you both occupied it the whole time. 2- you should have taken this up with the Hotel and not have gotten MR involved, as most likely they will be spoken to about what they did and I doubt youd be able to do it again that way
And again, as mentioned previously, this has NEVER been an issue before, so I have no idea why it is now.