Originally Posted by
Often1
Exactly. As a for profit business, Marriott (and other vendors whether hotel chains or air carriers) doesn't give away the last room/seat for free.
You've never heard of SPG? I've booked $450 Christmas week rooms at ski resorts late in the year. The "if there's a room available, you can book it on points" policy has been around a long time and is a very significant differentiater from MR.
Other chains have caught on an matched them. MR continues to obfuscate with the "no blackouts" claim which this situation shows is a pale shadow of the others.