Marriott Rewards (including Ritz-Carlton) - Hotel front desk could see how many rewards points I have in my account

That happened at one of the Marriotts in Washington DC. Not sure if it applies to all Marriott hotels worldwide. I can understand they may want to know my YTD no. of stays/nights to better determine my status. But I think how many rewards points I have is really none of their business.

That happened at one of the Marriotts in Washington DC. Not sure if it applies to all Marriott hotels worldwide. I can understand they may want to know my YTD no. of stays/nights to better determine my status. But I think how many rewards points I have is really none of their business.

At many Marriotts where I stay they give me a welcome letter at check-in that includes my current nights stayed, points, etc. I think they see this as a service. it doesn't help me, but I expect that it is nice for members who do not monitor their accounts online quite as obsessively as do most FTers.

At many Marriotts where I stay they give me a welcome letter at check-in that includes my current nights stayed, points, etc. I think they see this as a service. it doesn't help me, but I expect that it is nice for members who do not monitor their accounts online quite as obsessively as do most FTers.

Never experienced this in a Marriott, but at IHG they always report how many point you have in your PC account.

I think it's worse that they know all your previous transactions and rates you paid on your GC - once in a FFI the FD read out how 'little' I paid in various Marriott hotels.

some folks earn um and burn um......
some stockpile them up for packages......
while some others just stockpile them......
I don't see any harm/fowl in the FD seeing my # of points as unless socrates says otherwise (that it gets one a better upgrade), I would expect my elite status to "talk" more then the number of MR points I have in my account.............


That happened at one of the Marriotts in Washington DC. Not sure if it applies to all Marriott hotels worldwide. I can understand they may want to know my YTD no. of stays/nights to better determine my status. But I think how many rewards points I have is really none of their business.

All Marriott's can see this upon check in. They have access to your full account. They can also take points from your account and book reward stays on your points for their friends if you are rude to them. :p

since these points have "value", if they actually did something like this it is criminal (misdemeanor or felony depending on the # of points = value) and easy to track so I would kind of doubt it..............

All Marriott's ............... can also take points from your account and book reward stays on your points for their friends if you are rude to them. :p

since these points have "value", if they actually did something like this it is criminal (misdemeanor or felony depending on the # of points = value) and easy to track so I would kind of doubt it..............

... but since MR actually "owns" the points, doesn't that preclude you being able to file charges?

And yes, it has been reported in the past, where a FDC played fast and loose with accounts hoping the member doesn't notice. I've known people that didn't even know they had points or what they could do with them. Doubt they would miss them.

Never gave this a second thought or concern.

At most check-ins I'm asked if I want the points or arrival gift to which I usually say, "I'll take the gift because I have way too many points" to which the FD response is usually "I see that you do!"

In fact I think this viewing can be beneficial while finagling an upgrade as a large balance indicates you're a serious Marriott customer. A few times during weekend stays where I've been upgraded I've been told along the lines of "we see you travel a lot for business so here's an upgrade to enjoy on your time off".

But of course at levels below a FS, elite status & points all means crap...

and I guess you'd argue that if a MR member wanted to buy points that after he/she bought the points that the points would still belong to Marriott and not the buyer.........and, I guess when Visa buys points from Marriott to put into your account that these points came to Visa free of charge............obviously not............. the guest owns the points once there in the guests account, otherwise the guest couldn't redeem the guests points for nights and/or redeem for guest cheques, or airline tickets or miles, etc., all of which have "value".............and are therefore criminal to steal, embezzel or otherwise expropriate without the owners permission........[ just think of this as taking money out of my bank account and you'll get the idea.........]

... but since MR actually "owns" the points, doesn't that preclude you being able to file charges?

and I guess you'd argue that if a MR member wanted to buy points that after he/she bought the points that the points would still belong to Marriott and not the buyer.........and, I guess when Visa buys points from Marriott to put into your account that these points came to Visa free of charge............obviously not............. the guest owns the points once there in the guests account, otherwise the guest couldn't redeem the guests points for nights and/or redeem for guest cheques, or airline tickets or miles, etc., all of which have "value".............and are therefore criminal to steal, embezzel or otherwise expropriate without the owners permission........[ just think of this as taking money out of my bank account and you'll get the idea.........]

Read the T&Cs: 3.Accrued Points and Miles do not constitute property of the Member.

You are welcome to your opinion, as am I. Yes, we think we own the account, but in reality it is the property of MR and is made available to us by their good graces. When the program ends, I seriously doubt there will be any "payout" so it is nothing like your bank account. Think of it like buying a gift card and the store goes out of business...

so, when I choose to have United Miles credited to my account instead of points, by and through your quoted T&C when those miles are in my UA account they are not my property but continue to be that of Marriott................... that not only flies in the face of common sense, but is totally absurd, but yes, you are entitled to your opinion!

Read the T&Cs: 3.Accrued Points and Miles do not constitute property of the Member.

Geesh you two - give it a rest. BostonFlyer was kidding, as evidenced by his :p

Cheers.

so, when I choose to have United Miles credited to my account instead of points, by and through your quoted T&C when those miles are in my UA account they are not my property but continue to be that of Marriott................... that not only flies in the face of common sense, but is totally absurd, but yes, you are entitled to your opinion!

I'm just quoting the rule as presented by MR.

MR pretty much matches every other reward program I've seen. Besides, once you assign "value" you may run afoul of taxation laws (hence the use of points/miles vs $s), at least here in the US. This "no ownership" provision was implemented exactly for this reason. The IRS tried to tax award programs but now since you don't "own" anything, they can't tax you on it (would it be a capital loss when a program devalues their program?). Even employers attempted to claim ownership of rewards for company-paid activities. Yes, you may have exclusive use, but no title.

To answer your question: MR does transfer ownership to UA (I'm sure UA also retains ownership) when you ask for a program transfer.

We can argue this forever and not get anywhere. Feel free to go for the last word if you need to.

Let's not & say we did ;).

Getting back-on topic. The FDC would be stunned how few points I have, which reminds me I need to go get credit for several stays that didn't post. Sigh...

Cheers.

Let's not & say we did ;).

Getting back-on topic. The FDC would be stunned how few points I have, which reminds me I need to go get credit for several stays that didn't post. Sigh...

Cheers.

I'm in burn mode for now so the balance is dropping. Using points or status is not a good way to determine value of the guest. Fancy cars does not a rich person make. High point/status guest can also be high maintenance which results in low/negative profit. The once-a-year guest might be referring many people and thus high profit.

Topic specific: I have seen my point balance on many folios and the FDC have been able to see my point balance for a long time sometimes even writting it on my key holder. Personally, I prefer they not mention it.

Personally, I prefer they not mention it.

+1. Although I'm sure Marriott told them it was to make us feel more special ;) :p :D

Cheers.

Never experienced this in a Marriott, but at IHG they always report how many point you have in your PC account.

I think it's worse that they know all your previous transactions and rates you paid on your GC - once in a FFI the FD read out how 'little' I paid in various Marriott hotels.

Starwood hotels can also see your points balance. Sometimes they mention it, sometimes they don't (and sometimes they use the balance to try to sell various services for points).

While he didn't say anything about my points balance, the FDC at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront made small talk about the number of nights I've stayed this year while checking me in. So it's obviously something that's readily visible when accessing your reservation.

Starwood hotels can also see your points balance. Sometimes they mention it, sometimes they don't (and sometimes they use the balance to try to sell various services for points).

There are several FS Marriott properties I've stayed at that have printed my points balance on the room key folder prior to my check in.

I really don't see this as an issue.

There have also been few court decisions regarding the taxation of frequent flyer miles. In Charley v. Commissioner, 91 F.3d 72 (9th Cir. 1996), aff'g and rev'g 66 T.C.M. (CCH) 1429 (1993), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Tax Court decision holding that a corporate president was required to include in his gross income the value of frequent flyer miles.

and, as to your point in the rule cited, "Accrued Points and Miles do not constitute property of the Member" although a good point made, I really don't know anyone who has a MR account with accrued miles in it, do you?

MR pretty much matches every other reward program I've seen. Besides, once you assign "value" you may run afoul of taxation laws (hence the use of points/miles vs $s), at least here in the US. This "no ownership" provision was implemented exactly for this reason. The IRS tried to tax award programs but now since you don't "own" anything, they can't tax you on it (would it be a capital loss when a program devalues their program?). Even employers attempted to claim ownership of rewards for company-paid activities. Yes, you may have exclusive use, but no title.

I once had the FDC at the Fairfield Inn Orlando (Lake Bryan) say, "Ohhhh! You have a lot of points accumulated. Are you saving them for something special?"

Maggie

Anyone know if RC's can see this info? No one has ever mentioned it to me...

Also, anyone know if they can see upcoming reservations in your account?

I can't say if they can see future reservations, but I know they can see the last few Marriott stays before your current reservation. Several years ago, I stayed at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront and was given a printout of my past five stays with Marriott at check in.

I can't say if they can see future reservations, but I know they can see the last few Marriott stays before your current reservation. Several years ago, I stayed at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront and was given a printout of my past five stays with Marriott at check in.

The can definitely see upcoming reservations at their own properties, I've had this mentioned once or twice. Never had other properties mentioned though.

When I did a challenge a few years ago I got a somewhat sarcastic comment that I wasn't a "real gold" at one London property. Now that my points balance is somewhat higher I've had this fact mentioned as well. I'm not sure why they need to display this info.

Never experienced this in a Marriott, but at IHG they always report how many point you have in your PC account.
In the Priority Club rules for properties, they have to make your point balance available if you ask. If they don't, it's a penalty against the hotel! So, rather than risk it, many of them tell you whether you ask or not.

In Hilton's system, when the clerk opens up your profile, the points balance is prominently displayed.

It may be silly or creepy but it's fairly standard across programs.

It's funny anybody would be concerned about a front desk seeing your MR points and I believe someone above suggested maybe even "stealing" them. The front desk person could much more easily sell your credit card number. Or, if they were at all devious give your home address to their friend, since you are out of town and thus very easily for a criminal to break into your house. If I was to worry about something it seems those are more likely than a front desk clerk stealing your Marriott points.

The front desk person could much more easily sell your credit card number. Or, if they were at all devious give your home address to their friend, since you are out of town and thus very easily for a criminal to break into your house.
Great, now I have a whole new set of issues to worry about...

Great, now I have a whole new set of issues to worry about...

... and let's not forget about the waiter/waitress that walks off with your card at a restaurant. Or the skimmer on the ATM or gas pump. Or the website that stores your CC number for your "convenience" and gets hacked.

Hmmm, those CCs are the source of many problems. :)

Nothing is fool proof otherwise I wouldn't get anything done!

SPG's systems auto-prioritize upgrades based on factors including the number of points in your account. If the front desk can see your impressive Marriott points balance, maybe you can score a better upgrade when checking in.

Well the desk can also see your name and address and ask for your DL or other personal ID to verify that you are who you say you are and these are more intrusive, but very necessary measures to assure compliance & security.

In addition to total MR points & level of membership I think they can also see abbreviated info about where your last three Marriott stays have been. I personally don't see any issue over the points. It's more important that your stays and points are accurately credited.

In any case, it's Marriott's program to which we voluntariliy belong and I see the points listing as instructive to the desk and perhaps helpful to a guest who might be pondering a MR points stay.

Barry

I work in the Front Office of a Fairfield Inn and Suites and I can assure you that there are many situations where viewing a member's current point balance is beneficial to the member.

Say you want to change a paid stay to a rewards stay when you arrive to check-in or would like to extend a reservation on points; instead of keeping you waiting while I attempt to make the necessary changes to see if it will work, I can give you a "yes that's possible" or a "you do not have a sufficient point balance" answer just by looking at your point balance. You also have the option of using points at most properties as a credit against charges on your account. Granted, the exchange rate for points to account credit is abysmal, however it is an option that is available to you and in order to see if you have that option, I need to know how many points are in your account.

Some members have asked me in the past how many points they earned for a previous stay. I can see the last three properties where the member has stayed and the number of points they earned at each property. This information is available to us merely as a convenience to the member.

You can also use points purchase a room upgrade if you are paying for your stay. This option obviously only applies if you do not have a complimentary upgrade as part of your elite benefits. Most of the posters here are Gold Elite or above and probably have no use for this option. :)

In response to another post that said that the Front Desk can see your future stays, this is only true for future stays at that same property. At least with the property management system in use at my property, there is no way for the Front Desk to see your future reservations at other properties unless you provide us with the confirmation number and even then, we can only see limited information.

As far as a Front Desk Agent "siphoning" points from a members account, we cannot remove or transfer points from an account. That would have to be done by someone at the Marriott Rewards desk at a regional level. In addition, everything that is done within a members account or reservation is traceable back to the individual associate that made the change.

I work in the Front Office of a Fairfield Inn and Suites and I can assure you that there are many situations where viewing a member's current point balance is beneficial to the member.

Say you want to change a paid stay to a rewards stay when you arrive to check-in or would like to extend a reservation on points; instead of keeping you waiting while I attempt to make the necessary changes to see if it will work, I can give you a "yes that's possible" or a "you do not have a sufficient point balance" answer just by looking at your point balance. You also have the option of using points at most properties as a credit against charges on your account. Granted, the exchange rate for points to account credit is abysmal, however it is an option that is available to you and in order to see if you have that option, I need to know how many points are in your account.

Some members have asked me in the past how many points they earned for a previous stay. I can see the last three properties where the member has stayed and the number of points they earned at each property. This information is available to us merely as a convenience to the member.

You can also use points purchase a room upgrade if you are paying for your stay. This option obviously only applies if you do not have a complimentary upgrade as part of your elite benefits. Most of the posters here are Gold Elite or above and probably have no use for this option. :)

In response to another post that said that the Front Desk can see your future stays, this is only true for future stays at that same property. At least with the property management system in use at my property, there is no way for the Front Desk to see your future reservations at other properties unless you provide us with the confirmation number and even then, we can only see limited information.

As far as a Front Desk Agent "siphoning" points from a members account, we cannot remove or transfer points from an account. That would have to be done by someone at the Marriott Rewards desk at a regional level. In addition, everything that is done within a members account or reservation is traceable back to the individual associate that made the change.



Welcome to FT. ^

and your information posted is most helpful.

Thanks for sharing.