honu

Quick question about promo code eligiblity. SW8: is it available to any WN FF program member or is it reserved for WN crew? I'm asking because I got two different impressions while trying to book two different hotels (Marriott LAX and a hotel at MSY - don't remember the brand).

MFLetou

I am a Government employee. Under what circumstances am I eligible for a government rate? I do have ID that I can produce saying that I work for a branch of the Government, but this time I am traveling for leisure purposes only and will be paying with my own dollar.

So I'm wondering if I am still eligibile for a gov rate?

rebadc

Well.......

Would anyone ever know if you were not on official business?

Marriott does not require Govt Charge Cards so...........

Ethically speaking its a bad move....?? Also in some cases weekend or lesiure rates are lower than GOV rates.

Braswch

I got a COMMUNITY RATE using LPR

Here is the Rules:
Rate Rules
Guarantee Policy
A CREDIT CARD NUMBER IS REQUIRED TO CONFIRM OR GUARANTEE YOUR RESERVATION
Cancellation Policy
CANCELLATION PERMITTED
- BEFORE 1800 DAY OF ARRIVAL
51.06 USD CXL FEE
RateInformation
MUST ARRIVE ON
- FR OR SA
Tax Information
CURRENCY RATES QUOTED IN USD - US DOLLAR AND EXCLUDE TAXES
TAX 13.450 PCT/ROOM PER NIGHT


So, can I use it. What is it? It's for the Denver Marriott Tech Center.

bdschobel

It's probably intended for local people. A Courtyard near my home in Princeton, NJ, has a special $59 rate available to locals. It's about half the usual rate. They advertise this in local newspapers and on placemats at a local restaurant. I suspect the only way to get it on-line is to use the LPR code.

Bruce

Dogspit

So what's the verdict on LPR rates? Is everyone always eligible, or does it really vary by each hotel's description of the rate and that rate rules?

The Altlanta Marriott Gwinnet Place has a couple interesting LPR rates:

Now, if I was Brian, I'd be kinda pissed since I'm paying $89 / night and Jim gets in at $79! How does he rate?

Rate rules on both are pretty boilerplate:

bdschobel

I suspect that Jim is bringing the hotel more business than Brian is. Or Jim signed his contract earlier, when the hotel was less fully booked. Lots of legitimate possibilities.

Bruce

Frequentflyer99

Have just tried VSA on the Marriott HKG in Nov and it slashes 40% or more off the lowest rate. Does this require anything more than payment with Visa card ?

jazzman

I tried LPR and VSA for rooms both in Sept and Nov. and got no rooms available at those rates. Any idea of special rules?

doctor

Anyone know of any discount codes for the Marriott Aruba valid during December.

sfobound

A little more background on the VIP rate... If you work in a major college athletic department or a pro sports front office (coach, scout, special assistant, etc.) you're probably eligible. But Marriott contracts only through associations/organizations and have been stingy about handing out cards in the past. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (mostly newspaper reporters) just got them this year.

Reading from the card, it says: ``This card entitles you to a sports rate of 50% off the regular room rate on a space available basis at Marriott and Renaissance hotels and 25% off the highest mid-week rate on a space available basis at CY, FF, RI, SHS and TPS. (My abbrevs.) Not applicable for conventions, playoffs or bowl games. This card is non-transferable.''

By the way, I get carded about 20% of the time.

dmacst

I would assume that ethically you are eleigible for Gov't rate when you are staying as a result of Gov't business. It has been my experience that sometimes they check your ID and sometimes they don't. What I have found is that the Gov't rate is NOT always the best rate, but I mistakingly was under the impression that it had to be. Discount Codes, telephone calls and timing seem to work.

AMA

Didn't see this viewpoint in previous pages, so thought i'd post a different company angle on people using these discount codes.

* I work for IBM
* In previous years, IBM has been the largest single account for most hotel chains & airlines in the US.
(Don't know about the last few years, as IBM has become extremely cheap/chincy, cut back on travel, and is not a very good place to work, but that's another story ).
* IBM allowed employees(and families) and contractors to use IBM rates on biz and personal travel(for most places).
* Reasoning was that the single biggest negotiating factor when setting rates for the next year was how many bodies a company can direct towards a hotel or airline.

SO, IBM was leveraging it's buying ability by increasing the number of bodies walking thru the door using an IBM code, thereby helping IBM get lower rates in upcoming years.

So, while it may or may not be ethical or unethical for someone outside the company to use these rates, in most cases it did not hurt IBM. Offhand, the only time i'd see it hurting IBM would be if enough outsiders hit a particular flight or room rate enough to fill up that flight/room so'z no IBMer could book it; however, i suspect this hasn't occurred much.

And, let's not forget that MH doesn't 'hand out' a rate to a company for which they're gonna lose money. Capacity controls allow MH to get higher, non-company rates during busy times and to fill in incremental profit(read, use it or lose it on rooms) during the slow times.

socrates

What's MH?

bdschobel

Marriott Hotels, I would guess.

Bruce