I fall in the if it's bookable on the website it's bookable camp. It's not my job to do Marriott's IT work for them.

But I'd sure as heck get a screenshot/printout of the details of the stay showing it was a valid booking.

A few years back I needed to book a ressie for Vegas for a trade show. The rates for the trade show are normally high. When I went to book it I found the rates cheap (or back to reasonable given every hotel jacks up their rates during this show), did a double-take, read the rate rules. I was in the clear. My 'guess' is that Marriott IT meant that promo to be for a few months prior when biz is slow in Vegas. But, but, but - they didn't put the end of that month in when they posted the promo. So my theory was - not my problem they didn't do their job. The hotel didn't even blink btw when I checked in. Might be because it was their normal rate so not out of the norm for them, not a zero rate. But def dif (by $169) than the jacked up rate.

Now if it said in the midst of the printout, rate expired, one would certainly have less legitimate ground to stand on. But if it doesn't, then it's Marriott's problem IMO.

FWIW - re: the quandry, here's a note - don't keep calling back or they will flag the ressie.

And the other part is you have to do a toss-up. Yeah you know, but Joe/Jane Average wouldn't.

The other part is I go w/ what the hotel offers say, not the Marriott offers page. The reason for that is hotels run local promotion rates, etc, all the time.

Cheers.