Originally Posted by
airmotive
This was the advice given to me by the Diamond line:
Book a room with points for a friend or family member who can actually stay at the room.
You must book the room via the diamond line, and add your friend's name as a guest who will be checking in, and explain to the rep that you're doing a diamond challenge and need the stay, but you're unable to stay yourself.
A points-only stay still counts as a stay. It might even help to call the hotel once you're booked, just to confirm that they understand what's going on.
I completed my 8th and final diamond challenge stay using this strategy on Saturday, and my nephew and his wife got to enjoy the new Garden Inn near their home. However, when my nephew checked in, I immediately received a notice on my Amex card that a $175 charge was placed by the hotel. I called the Diamond line, and the rep said it looked like the stay was switched to revenue. I explained the above and he said it was not problem, and switched it back to a points stay.
(I had two multi-stay trips in March that got pushed back to May, effectively ruining my diamond challenge.)
I am not doubting that this happened as we all know staff (of any organisation) may not always know the "right" things and it is not unheard of staff giving wrong advice or processing something not in line with policies.
Staff may do this out of ignorance or also out of goodwill but that does not make the practice official nor should that practice be considered a precedent and thus future events should follow the same (out of norm) practice.
I say this because what was described goes against the policy where benefits / credits will be accrued or given only when the member is staying (or at least checking in) at the property.
To be even more precise, only the room that the member is staying at will get benefits and stay / night accumulations although member may earn points for up to two rooms on the same folio.