help booking e-cert + cash reward
Apr 24, 2014, 6:39 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BGM
Programs: DL, US, AA, Marriott Silver, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond
Posts: 188
help booking e-cert + cash reward (45K pts PLUS e-cert PLUS cash??)
Hi all, long time no post!
I'm trying to book a room for the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan (for one night), and was presented with the option to book a room with cash plus points ($70 + 45,000). When I clicked to review this booking option, it said I could pay with my e-certificate plus cash, but the information is unclear -- it appears to state that I must pay 45,000 points PLUS redeem the e-cert and pay cash.
I would be very grateful if someone can help me understand what it is suggesting to me before I book the hotel. Time is unfortunately of the essence on this one, and I just can't figure it out on my own. Thanks for any insight anyone may be able to give me!
I am pasting below the same information presented to me, in which I'm sure you will easily spot the multiple areas of conflicting information. (I am also bolding the areas that appear contradictory to me):
Summary of Charges
Reward Description Qty Points
Hotel Reward: 1 Night, Category 9 Hotel 1 45,000
Total points for stay:
45,000
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
70.00
Marriott Rewards Upgrade, includes eCertificate plus 70 USD required per night, see Rate Rules
ADDITIONAL CHARGES
Using your Points will cover your standard room charges and tax; cash upgrade and additional incidental charges and associated taxes and fees to be calculated as shown, with payment due at time of check out.
Valet parking, fee: 85 USD daily
Off-site parking, fee: 60 USD daily
Reward Rules
Marriott Rewards Upgrade, includes eCertificate plus 70 USD required per night, see Rate Rules
---------------
So... are they going to take 45,000 points AND my e-certificate, or just my e-certificate? Anyone able to clear this up for me? Thanks again!
(Edited to add: To book a room at this hotel it is 45K points all by itself due to being a category 9 hotel, so it would seem to me that to suggest I pay the 45K points PLUS redeem an e-cert (good for cats 1-5) PLUS pay $70 cash "upgrade" fee all just to stay for one night is quite excessive. I would think the 45K plus $70 is what it takes to make up the price difference between a category 1-5 hotel, and the fact that this one is category 9, but I just can't make heads nor tails of this. If I need to redeem my ecert AND pay the cash fee, AND use 45K points, then I would certainly expect to get two nights from all that... yes, I'm confused!)
I'm trying to book a room for the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan (for one night), and was presented with the option to book a room with cash plus points ($70 + 45,000). When I clicked to review this booking option, it said I could pay with my e-certificate plus cash, but the information is unclear -- it appears to state that I must pay 45,000 points PLUS redeem the e-cert and pay cash.
I would be very grateful if someone can help me understand what it is suggesting to me before I book the hotel. Time is unfortunately of the essence on this one, and I just can't figure it out on my own. Thanks for any insight anyone may be able to give me!
I am pasting below the same information presented to me, in which I'm sure you will easily spot the multiple areas of conflicting information. (I am also bolding the areas that appear contradictory to me):
Summary of Charges
Reward Description Qty Points
Hotel Reward: 1 Night, Category 9 Hotel 1 45,000
Total points for stay:
45,000
Summary of Room Charges Cost per night per room (USD)
70.00
Marriott Rewards Upgrade, includes eCertificate plus 70 USD required per night, see Rate Rules
ADDITIONAL CHARGES
Using your Points will cover your standard room charges and tax; cash upgrade and additional incidental charges and associated taxes and fees to be calculated as shown, with payment due at time of check out.
Valet parking, fee: 85 USD daily
Off-site parking, fee: 60 USD daily
Reward Rules
Marriott Rewards Upgrade, includes eCertificate plus 70 USD required per night, see Rate Rules
---------------
So... are they going to take 45,000 points AND my e-certificate, or just my e-certificate? Anyone able to clear this up for me? Thanks again!
(Edited to add: To book a room at this hotel it is 45K points all by itself due to being a category 9 hotel, so it would seem to me that to suggest I pay the 45K points PLUS redeem an e-cert (good for cats 1-5) PLUS pay $70 cash "upgrade" fee all just to stay for one night is quite excessive. I would think the 45K plus $70 is what it takes to make up the price difference between a category 1-5 hotel, and the fact that this one is category 9, but I just can't make heads nor tails of this. If I need to redeem my ecert AND pay the cash fee, AND use 45K points, then I would certainly expect to get two nights from all that... yes, I'm confused!)
Last edited by GGE; Apr 24, 2014 at 7:24 am
Apr 24, 2014, 7:57 am
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott LT Gold, IHG Club, Hertz Gold, Aeroplan, Avios, SkyMiles, Thrifty, AMEX
Posts: 985
You're confusing 2 different e-certs, I'm afraid.
Whenever you reserve a hotel with points, what in effect is happening is that you use points to purchase an e-certificate good for your free night in a standard room. In this case, you are booking a higher category room, therefore you need the e-certificate PLUS $70 to secure the room.
This is separate from the Cat. 1-5 certs you earn thru Megabonus/CC. Trust me, there's no way to use a Cat. 1-5 cert for a Cat. 9 hotel.
Whenever you reserve a hotel with points, what in effect is happening is that you use points to purchase an e-certificate good for your free night in a standard room. In this case, you are booking a higher category room, therefore you need the e-certificate PLUS $70 to secure the room.
This is separate from the Cat. 1-5 certs you earn thru Megabonus/CC. Trust me, there's no way to use a Cat. 1-5 cert for a Cat. 9 hotel.
Apr 24, 2014, 8:02 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Programs: UA 2P, AA LT Gold, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 3,159
You're confusing 2 different e-certs, I'm afraid.
Whenever you reserve a hotel with points, what in effect is happening is that you use points to purchase an e-certificate good for your free night in a standard room. In this case, you are booking a higher category room, therefore you need the e-certificate PLUS $70 to secure the room.
This is separate from the Cat. 1-5 certs you earn thru Megabonus/CC. Trust me, there's no way to use a Cat. 1-5 cert for a Cat. 9 hotel.
Whenever you reserve a hotel with points, what in effect is happening is that you use points to purchase an e-certificate good for your free night in a standard room. In this case, you are booking a higher category room, therefore you need the e-certificate PLUS $70 to secure the room.
This is separate from the Cat. 1-5 certs you earn thru Megabonus/CC. Trust me, there's no way to use a Cat. 1-5 cert for a Cat. 9 hotel.
Any Cat 4 or Cat 5 e-certs lurking in your account will not be involved in this transaction but will remain available for use at lower level properties.
Apr 24, 2014, 8:07 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BGM
Programs: DL, US, AA, Marriott Silver, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond
Posts: 188
Thank you both, that was how I *thought* it worked before I went to the Marriott website and began the reservation process. Suddenly I was hit with wording that made so little sense, I would up hopelessly confused (and spending 2.5 hours looking for an answer).
I didn't want an upgraded room, but I did have a slim hope in the back of my mind that I *might* be able to pay with my e-cert plus cash to offset the difference, so when they OFFERED me what appeared to be just that, it naturally caught my eye and I of course jumped at it.
Then they threw in references to "Points" as well as "E-Certificates", and I certainly know the difference.
I have two e-certificates. I also have Points. They are not the same thing. That is why they have different names.
For Marriott to throw both of those names around like that is incredibly misleading, and very unfair. I resent wasting all this time this morning. Time is money, after all.
Thanks again for your help!
I didn't want an upgraded room, but I did have a slim hope in the back of my mind that I *might* be able to pay with my e-cert plus cash to offset the difference, so when they OFFERED me what appeared to be just that, it naturally caught my eye and I of course jumped at it.
Then they threw in references to "Points" as well as "E-Certificates", and I certainly know the difference.
I have two e-certificates. I also have Points. They are not the same thing. That is why they have different names.
For Marriott to throw both of those names around like that is incredibly misleading, and very unfair. I resent wasting all this time this morning. Time is money, after all.
Thanks again for your help!
Apr 24, 2014, 8:09 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BGM
Programs: DL, US, AA, Marriott Silver, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond
Posts: 188
(Of course they could make it up to me by either matching my Diamond status at Best Western, or by letting me combine my category 5 cert and my category 4 cert, since they do add up to a category 9, after all! 
)
)
Apr 24, 2014, 9:56 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,240
All Marriott stays are paid with e-certs but it generally happens "behind the scenes"