Marriott Rewards - Marriott running an Amex promo

I wrote to Marriott concerning Platinum members being excluded from certain promotions, and how it's kind of insulting that they don't consider their best customers first when it comes to running these.

I haven't gotten a response, but yesterday, a promotion appeared on my account screen on marriott.com.

Two things stick out to me.

First, why is it about holding meetings and events? I don't book events or meetings, never have, and most likely never will.

Second, the promotion centers around using an AMEX card to pay for the event. I wonder how VISA feels about this?

Anyway, details are below:






Sign Up To Earn 25,000 Bonus Points When You Book And Hold A Meeting At Marriott


Planning meetings and events is hard work. So here’s a special reward for you from Marriott:
Book and hold your meeting or event at participating Marriott hotels August 1 through February 29, 2008.
Pay using any American Express® Card.
Earn 25,000 Marriott Rewards bonus points for each qualifying meeting or event.
It's that easy to earn the points you need to enjoy the dream vacation you want.

Frequently Asked Questions >>

Terms & Conditions


Marriott Rewards members who register will earn bonus points per qualifying event or meeting booked and held between August 1, 2007 and February 29, 2008 at participating hotels and paid for using an American Express® Card.
Registration is required to be eligible for this promotion.
Qualifying meetings and events must consist of at least 10 or more room nights on a single night or be a catered-only event.
Participating brands include: Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott® Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance® Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, and Marriott Vacation ClubSM International hotels and resorts worldwide.
The Marriott Rewards registered member must sign a sales/group contract with the hotel for the event or meeting to qualify.
The registered member signing the contract receives the bonus points.
It is the member’s responsibility to comply with their own company policy concerning travel programs.
Members electing to earn miles are not eligible for this promotion.
Only individual members (no corporations or organizations) are eligible to earn Marriott Rewards.
Bonus points for all qualifying events and meetings will be awarded to the member’s account no later than 60 days after the conclusion of the event or meeting.
All Marriott Rewards program terms and conditions apply.
Visit MarriottRewards.com or call 801-468-4000 for complete details.
Total charges for each qualifying meeting or event must be more than $2,500 to earn bonus points.

I, too, received the same promo and it is a waste. I never have, nor ever will , use this promo. I am not in the line of business that could even remotely use this promo. I don't book meetings nor do I have the need to. I have no idea what kind of criteria Marriott is using to target people people for this promo. It is like, well, let's throw stuff at the wall and perhaps some of it will stick. Thanks, but no thanks, Marriott. This is a example of Marriott not even trying to ascertain if I am the type of person who could use this type of promo. In all the years of being a Platinum, and then Premier, I do not recall Marriott ever even sending me a questionnaire concerning my type of work and if I am involved in booking meetings. (I also agree with your comments about the Amex card.)

I don't book meetings either but i am wondering if the fall promotion will be AMEX based instead of Visa based on this promo? Speculation anyone? :)

Re: the AMEX, the only thing I could like of is that many companies have AMEX cards that are direct billed to the Company and/or AMEX offers corporate sponsored employee card cards that are guaranteed by the Company in the event of non-payment. Often a corporation requires use of these AMEX cards in order to receive travel expense reports. Just speculation.

It will be a good promotion for those who are booking stuff for corporate travel, especially if they are required to use an Amex card.

I wrote to Marriott concerning Platinum members being excluded from certain promotions, and how it's kind of insulting that they don't consider their best customers first when it comes to running these.

Its hardly insulting. Its business. Its selective targeted marketing. But seriously, if you are insulted, go elsewhere. I am sure their marketing department had a good laugh if you really wrote about this "insult".

A couple of years ago, Marriott ran a promo with double points (IIRC) and you had to use an AMEX card. I have one and did the deal, but my friend didn't, so I paid for his stays, he got the Marriott bonus points, and I got a few Hilton points out of the deal (along with a check from my friend, to keep people from asking :))

Its hardly insulting. Its business. Its selective targeted marketing. But seriously, if you are insulted, go elsewhere. I am sure their marketing department had a good laugh if you really wrote about this "insult".

Thanks for your valuable input to this thread. Now I'm laughing.

I am just waiting for the American Airlines marketing ripoff "We know why you stay".. They certainly dont know that I dont ever plan meetings at their hotels.

I got this promotion too. Its so specific .. most of us are not planning meetings.. and its not like we can just up and plan a meeting at hotel and spend $2500 (the requirement for the promotion) very easily. Ah well.

are you guys serious? you're mad that there is a promotional offer that you don't care to use? mad enough to write here about it?

should I write United because they're offering bonus miles on US-China nonstops, and I don't currently go to China?

is it just me, or is this forum is getting very whiny lately...

Its hardly insulting. Its business. Its selective targeted marketing. But seriously, if you are insulted, go elsewhere. I am sure their marketing department had a good laugh if you really wrote about this "insult".Their Marketing Dept? I had a good laugh when I read it yesterday.

There are all kinds of promos I would never use, so what makes this one different? Actually the only part of this promo that I wouldn't use is the Amex part. Last year I had a 90th b'day party for my mother which would qualify under this promo (if I used Amex), so the extra 25K bonus points would be nice. It doesn't have to be a corporate meeting or event. All it has to be is an event with total charges of at least $2000, which is a pretty small event IMO. Family reunions, class reunions, family trips, group trips, etc. would all qualify.

What about the promo Earn Bonus Points Throughout China? I am not going to any of those 5 hotels that offer this promo by Sept 30, so should I write Marriott and complain about it?

The bonuses are promotions to generate more business for Marriott, and also in this case their Amex partner. If anyone is planning a b'day, wedding, reunion, etc. and has the choice of Marriott or other hotel, this bonus might bring in additional business for Marriott. The promo is not there just to give extra points to those staying at hotels that are already running at high occupancy, but to generate additional sales in areas that are under utilized. For those hotels with events already booked to full occupancy, no skin off their teeth as they do not need the additional business.

I would love to see double points promo again, but with current occupancy levels running high that just isn't going to happen, IMO.

Thanks for your valuable input to this thread. Now I'm laughing.

Better you be laughing at this that walking around Marriott properties feeling insulted, annoying both guests and staff with your sense of entitlement.

Guys, there are almost always promotions out there for booking meetings at Marriotts. This is not new. It's just that this one happened to wind up on everybody's account page.

This is in addition to the fact that the catering manager at a big Marriott has a lot of power - he/she can craft a variety of incentive packages for people booking events at the hotels. The best upgrades I've ever received at Marriotts have nothing to do with my Marriott Rewards status: they're because I booked an event, and my contact there made sure it happened. My guess is that the Presidential Suite is usually occupied by someone hosting a meeting or event at the hotel - another reason they don't just give those rooms away to Plats.

I have only booked a small number of Marriott events in my life - and haven't done one in about five years - but this is where the hotels make a ton of profit, so they do go out of their way to take care of you.

I suppose the difference is that with airline promos they are usually running more then one at a time and while I may not utilize all of them I have the option of signing up for them if I so choose.

With the Marriott promo the wizard behind the curtain seems to pull random folks out of thin air who are so entitled to be able to participate with no disclosure at all as to how to get on the list. True they are trying to generate more revenue but by not throwing a bone to their best customers it is kind of a slap in the face.

I am not going to say that I will leave Marriott due to lack of promos in my account, but it does make it more tempting if Brand-B comes courting.

I definitely do not want to sound whiny but come on Marriott, show some love!

--DD73

Better you be laughing at this that walking around Marriott properties feeling insulted, annoying both guests and staff with your sense of entitlement.

Actually I wasn't laughing at this thread, I was laughing at you, the internet tough guy. I'm not surprised it went over your head.

I don't complain at hotels when they mess up. It won't do any good, and it's a waste of energy. In this case they asked for my opinion via a survey, and I gave it to them. Is that a sense of entitlement?

Actually I wasn't laughing at this thread, I was laughing at you, the internet tough guy. I'm not surprised it went over your head.

I don't complain at hotels when they mess up. It won't do any good, and it's a waste of energy. In this case they asked for my opinion via a survey, and I gave it to them.

1. It didn't go over my head.

2. You should pick your story and stick to it. Before it was that you "wrote to Marriott". Now its that you answered a survey.

3. And even if you answered a survey, your logic is really bizzare: You say that complaining won't do any good, yet you get an automatic survey and you decide to complain about being "insulted" by a promotion you won't use.

And you are laughing at me? Really, now.

I suppose the difference is that with airline promos they are usually running more then one at a time and while I may not utilize all of them I have the option of signing up for them if I so choose.

With the Marriott promo the wizard behind the curtain seems to pull random folks out of thin air who are so entitled to be able to participate with no disclosure at all as to how to get on the list. True they are trying to generate more revenue but by not throwing a bone to their best customers it is kind of a slap in the face.

I am not going to say that I will leave Marriott due to lack of promos in my account, but it does make it more tempting if Brand-B comes courting.

I definitely do not want to sound whiny but come on Marriott, show some love!

--DD73

I totally agree with your points, but I'll throw this out: it's far worse over at Starwood.

At least with Marriott, two things are true:

(1) When Marriott does something big, they do throw everyone a bone. Everybody gets a Megabonus offer. I sometimes like my Megabonus a lot, sometimes I don't. But nobody gets totally stiffed.

(2) Marriott doesn't do targeted promotions that dwarf the main value of the program itself. So even if I get a lousy Megabonus offer, it's generally not like someone else got such a giant offer than I'm disincentivized from even staying at Marriott. I'll still show up, earn my 17.5 points per dollar, and know that the Megabonus was simply a little extra gravy.

Last year, Starwood granted three targeted bonii that pretty much turned me off from the program: major bonuses to certain Amex cardmembers and then two 50% off awards - pick your award up to a five-nighter, you get 50% off. I got bupkis. My problem wasn't the exclusion itself - it's that those three promos far dwarfed all of the other Gold benefits I'd ever get from the program across many stays. Starwood handed some members hundreds of dollars in value for nothing. No rhyme or reason. It's a big reason I continue to do all of my revenue stays at Marriott, with Starwood now only getting award stays from my Amex spending...

I don't know about Hilton: they haven't given me anything in a long time. I know they have their 5-10-15 thing, but I haven't paid close enough attention to see if I could actually sign up for that unsolicited as a Gold.

1. It didn't go over my head.

2. You should pick your story and stick to it. Before it was that you "wrote to Marriott". Now its that you answered a survey.

3. And even if you answered a survey, your logic is really bizzare: You say that complaining won't do any good, yet you get an automatic survey and you decide to complain about being "insulted" by a promotion you won't use.

And you are laughing at me? Really, now.


Yes, really, I'm laughing at you. You have no clue what you are talking about.

1. I answered a survey. It has a space to input my comments. I WROTE my comments in the space, even though it is by computer. So I WROTE TO MARRIOTT via a SURVEY. Let me know if I need to re-phrase so you can understand.

2. I don't pick up the phone and complain when the hotel messes up, such as room service. Complaining won't make them get it right the next time, and is not worth the time or energy. I will answer a survey when asked to do so if I feel inclined.

3. Look at your own logic before trying to discredit others. My original post, to which you addressed nothing, asked why Marriott was giving me this promo since I don't book events or meetings, never have, and most likely never will. Your well thought out response was "Its selective targeted marketing". Really. How selective and targeted is it? How much money did they spend on targeting people who will never use the promo? And you think this is a brilliant marketing move?!?

This is why I am laughing at you when you try to hijack this thread.

3. Look at your own logic before trying to discredit others. My original post, to which you addressed nothing, asked why Marriott was giving me this promo since I don't book events or meetings, never have, and most likely never will. Your well thought out response was "Its selective targeted marketing". Really. How selective and targeted is it? How much money did they spend on targeting people who will never use the promo? And you think this is a brilliant marketing move?!?

This is why I am laughing at you when you try to hijack this thread.


1. You were likely targeted because you are in the system as staying at Marriott primarily for business purposes. Perhaps the name of your business has even been recorded in the system. It is likely that those staying mainly for leisure did not get this promotion. Of course Marriott has no way of knowing which business travelers schedule meetings. At the same time, all business travelers likely attend meetings at some point, so even if you can't use the promotion, Marriott might have sent the promotion to people who can influence the meeting planners. Some promotions might be aimed at the right audience. Others might simply create buzz. That you, personally, cant use a promotion doesn't make it any less targeted. I concede, it doesn't mean it was targeted to the point that every receiver can/will use the promotion, but honestly, if Marriott did that, they would probably lose a lot of revenue.

2. They probably didn't spend any significant money to send out a simple electronic promotion. I certainly haven't gotten any mailing on this one.

3. I never said it was a "brilliant"marketing move (a word I never used), nor I am not sure what you think I am hijacking, especially since I am not the only person who read your original post and saw it as just complaing about getting something that you don't intend to use and calling it an "insult" (a word you definitely did use).

I'm laughing at both of you: I don't think this promo is really all that targeted. In fact, I'm guessing everybody can sign up for it.

I don't think this promo is really all that targeted. In fact, I'm guessing everybody can sign up for it.Bingo, we have a winner!