I need to add a night to a reservation at a JW Marriott that is sold out due to a conference I am attending.

After contacting both Marriott and the hotel, I was told that Marriott does not maintain a waitlist for elites (or anyone else) when a hotel is sold out. Instead the customer is directed to check the website periodically or telephone Marriott to see if there is a cancellation. According to the hotel, if a reservation for that night is cancelled at some future date, it goes back into the general system and will appear for booking on the website (not sure if I believe that as the entire hotel is blocked for the conference).

It goes without saying that this system is not efficient for the hotel or the customer. It would seem to me that since the block is under control of the property, it would not be difficult for group sales dept. to maintain a waitlist that could be checked prior to releasing cancelled rooms back into general inventory. Given the # and nature of attendees, I am 100% certain that rooms will be cancelled, particularly as there is no penalty prior to 24 hours.

Needless to say I am not too happy with Marriott. I don't get much that is useful in the way of elite benefits, and this would be something that would cost them nothing to do.