I have never had any problem using "Marriott Cheques" (Marriott calls them "cheques" not checks), even with special rates (BOGO, EEO, deeply discounted rates, etc.), because the hotels either do not care about the rules against using cheques with certain rates, or the FDC doesn't have a clue about anything (including what the cheques actually are, or how to apply them properly to the folio). I am not sure what payback the hotels get for each $50 cheque used, but they seem to act as if the payback is face value from Marriott HQ.

I have ordered cheques (always the package of $1,000 option, never the $100 option) on five different occasions (including this past week), and by using them, I have always received both points and room night credits (although two or three times I have had to call MR to receive proper credit, because the FDC did not apply them properly to my folio).

The two biggest reasons for me to use cheques are that there is "a return" for their use, and there is no need to make sure that a hotel has award availability for the nights I wish to stay.

What I mean by "a return" is that I get both points and room night credits for all nights.

So, if I use $450 in cheques (example: category 5 hotel @$150/night, 3 nights, pay for taxes with credit card), as a Plat, I will get at least 6,750 points for the stay (Plat welcome points are given for every stay anyway), and the usual 3 room nights credit.

However, if I made an awards reservation, it would have cost me 75,000 points, and I would get no points FOR the stay, and no room night credit. ($1,000 in cheques costs 135,000 points, so $450 in cheques costs 45% of 135,000 points, or 60,750, which is also a better return on the points than a 3 night award reservation). Net cost in points for the same stay would be 54,000 points using cheques, versus 75,000 for a regular award stay. Make sense?

Vicki is absolutely right about the time consuming nature of having the cheques applied at check out, it is tedious and long, and you must allow about 90+ seconds for each $50 cheque applied (cheques are always in $50 denominations when you order $1,000 worth), so in my example above, considering NINE cheques will be used, allow about 15 extra minutes for check out. Change is never given for cheques used, so for a $495 total folio, use NINE cheques, and pay $45 on credit card, and there is no benefit to using cheques to pay for taxes anyway.



PS. Important to note, IMO, the math changes significantly, in favor of using a regular awards stay, instead of cheques, for category 7 & 8 hotels, assuming the room cost is also applicably higher. (Category 8, at 40,000 points per night, would be 120,000 points for three nights, but if the room would otherwise cost $389 per night, it would wipe out $1,000 in cheques, at a cost of 135,000 points, leaving a balance of $167 plus taxes, but with a points return of 17,505 for Plats.)