Can you reserve a room until you have enough Starpoints ?
Aug 17, 2017, 2:28 pm
#1
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
Can you reserve a room until you have enough Starpoints ?
I was able to have Marriott hold a room until I had the necessary amount of points (Chase --> Marriott UR transfer took a few days). I just needed the room held for a few days until the points came in but upon reading the terms, I believe I would have had until right up to check-in day (or close to) to either redeem or pay for the room.
Does Starwood allow this as well? Need to book rooms for Christmastime and won't have the necessary points until October-ish. Thanks.
Does Starwood allow this as well? Need to book rooms for Christmastime and won't have the necessary points until October-ish. Thanks.
Aug 17, 2017, 2:34 pm
#2
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Unfortunately, no. Hopefully this will be one of the benefits Marriott keeps when they finally merge the two programs as it is a nice benefit.
Aug 17, 2017, 2:36 pm
#3
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
I was able to have Marriott hold a room until I had the necessary amount of points (Chase --> Marriott UR transfer took a few days). I just needed the room held for a few days until the points came in but upon reading the terms, I believe I would have had until right up to check-in day (or close to) to either redeem or pay for the room.
Does Starwood allow this as well? Need to book rooms for Christmastime and won't have the necessary points until October-ish. Thanks.
Does Starwood allow this as well? Need to book rooms for Christmastime and won't have the necessary points until October-ish. Thanks.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Last edited by Starwood Lurker; Aug 17, 2017 at 2:56 pm Reason: trying to make better sense of the timing
Aug 17, 2017, 2:38 pm
#4
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
Thanks for the reply. Another stupid question. What if I pay for the room and cancel when I have sufficient Starpoints to actually redeem it? If by this time, the hotel is fully booked, I imagine I might have to call in so that the agent can seemlessly transition my existing paid reservation into a redemption. Any "gotchas" there? Or they don't even allow this?
Aug 17, 2017, 2:43 pm
#5
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Starwood Lurker will probably have a more definitive answer, as I've not tried it. But I'd guess as long as there is award availability when you want to make the change, they will probably do it for you (or you could just cancel and make the new reservation yourself).
If there isn't any award availability, then it might be more problematic. Maybe call the hotel directly and see if someone there would be willing to change it for you, but I'm guessing the Starwood agents won't be able to do it themselves.
If there isn't any award availability, then it might be more problematic. Maybe call the hotel directly and see if someone there would be willing to change it for you, but I'm guessing the Starwood agents won't be able to do it themselves.
Aug 17, 2017, 2:45 pm
#6
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
You can request a pending award by calling the Customer Engagement Center, but the limit is 7 days, so I would not bother calling in until a week before your arrival date. However, it sounds like you will have the points long before then.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Can you comment on the idea I had in my previous post?
Aug 17, 2017, 2:48 pm
#7
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Thanks for the suggestion. I don't think 7 days is enough time for me. Like I said, I won't have the necessary points until October-ish, that's 2 months from now. By then, that hotel would probably be fully booked as I'm trying to make reservations for Christmastime.
Can you comment on the idea I had in my previous post?
Can you comment on the idea I had in my previous post?
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Aug 17, 2017, 2:55 pm
#8
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
You can't hold a paid-rate reservation and expect that it will be changed to an award booking. Policy is that the paid-rate booking would have to be canceled and then an award reservation made anew when the points were in the account to do so based upon availability at the time of booking.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Either way, perhaps the smart move would be to pay for this booking now and see what my options are when I do have sufficient Starpoints.
Aug 17, 2017, 3:01 pm
#9
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Thanks, that's what I thought, that you would have to cancel the paid reservation first and rebook, instead of "transitioning" the paid to a redemption. I just mentioned the "calling in" part because sometimes, when you make a cancellation online, the system may not free up that room again (assuming the hotel is fully booked at this point) instantaneously for me to then immediately rebook for redemption before someone else snags that room. Doing it over the telephone might allow the agent to rebook that freed up room quickly. Maybe I'm wrong though.
Either way, perhaps the smart move would be to pay for this booking now and see what my options are when I do have sufficient Starpoints.
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC
[email protected]
Aug 17, 2017, 3:07 pm
#10
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
Cool thanks for the advice.
I just clicked on "rate terms and details" for that particular room and it showed me 48,000 Starpoints for 5 nights (each night is 9,600 Starpoints). I thought it would be 38,400 Starpoints since the 5th night is free. This is a category 5 property btw. Maybe the correct figure of 38,400 doesn't show up until you're actually about to redeem?
I just clicked on "rate terms and details" for that particular room and it showed me 48,000 Starpoints for 5 nights (each night is 9,600 Starpoints). I thought it would be 38,400 Starpoints since the 5th night is free. This is a category 5 property btw. Maybe the correct figure of 38,400 doesn't show up until you're actually about to redeem?
Aug 17, 2017, 3:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
Thanks, that's what I thought, that you would have to cancel the paid reservation first and rebook, instead of "transitioning" the paid to a redemption. I just mentioned the "calling in" part because sometimes, when you make a cancellation online, the system may not free up that room again (assuming the hotel is fully booked at this point) instantaneously for me to then immediately rebook for redemption before someone else snags that room. Doing it over the telephone might allow the agent to rebook that freed up room quickly. Maybe I'm wrong though.
Either way, perhaps the smart move would be to pay for this booking now and see what my options are when I do have sufficient Starpoints.
Either way, perhaps the smart move would be to pay for this booking now and see what my options are when I do have sufficient Starpoints.
Aug 17, 2017, 4:19 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: coastal Croatia
Programs: BAEC Gold, M&M Senator
Posts: 2,181
Cool thanks for the advice.
I just clicked on "rate terms and details" for that particular room and it showed me 48,000 Starpoints for 5 nights (each night is 9,600 Starpoints). I thought it would be 38,400 Starpoints since the 5th night is free. This is a category 5 property btw. Maybe the correct figure of 38,400 doesn't show up until you're actually about to redeem?
I just clicked on "rate terms and details" for that particular room and it showed me 48,000 Starpoints for 5 nights (each night is 9,600 Starpoints). I thought it would be 38,400 Starpoints since the 5th night is free. This is a category 5 property btw. Maybe the correct figure of 38,400 doesn't show up until you're actually about to redeem?
Aug 17, 2017, 4:59 pm
#13
formerly known as s2kdriver80
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Long Island, New York, USA (JFK <--> OTP)
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, Amex MR, Chase UR
Posts: 317
each night is 12,000 points so 4 nights = 48,000 and the fifth night is indeed free. By the way, those are low season rates (high season is 16K/night) so that might bode well for the property having space later on. but I agree with William--if you need to have this property on those nights, it's probably not worth risking it by waiting until October to reserve.
Maybe the correct amount of 38,400 Starpoints won't show up until you're literally about to make the redemption?
Aug 17, 2017, 5:21 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 156
No, I meant literally that it states each night costs 9,600 Starpoints. In the next column, they say that for 5 nights (the amount of days for which I booked), it costs 48,000 Starpoints.
Maybe the correct amount of 38,400 Starpoints won't show up until you're literally about to make the redemption?
Maybe the correct amount of 38,400 Starpoints won't show up until you're literally about to make the redemption?
5 nights: 5 x 12,000 = 60,000
4 nights, with fifth night free = 4 x 12,000 = 48,000
The SPG website already took in the 5th night free discount when it quoted you the 9,600 starpoints per night.
Aug 17, 2017, 6:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
Programs: DL GM 1MM, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 4,116
SPG and Marriott display the 5th night free differently. Marriott explicitly shows you that you're spending 35,000 points for four nights and 0 for the fifth. But SPG shows the average number of points per night without explicitly saying the fifth is free. For a Cat 5 SPG property, you need 12,000 points per night, thus for a five night stay, you need an average of 9,600 points per night [(12,000+12,000+12,000+12,000+0)/5 = 9,600.]
