Originally Posted by Renard
It's really should have given them the card again at checkout to make sure the number was entered in. When I got that 'welcome call' saying how 'we appreciate out marriott elites' ....I can see them erasing the MR number as they talk to me and see it's a priceline. It wasn't a lot of points for the incidentals...but it would have put me over the top for that one promotion they were running after 10 stays...and it would have requalified me as silver...not that silver means anything really. Of course I will never know what really happened ... but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth after what was an excellent stay... sometimes these properties forget that today's priceline might be tomorrow's non-priceline customer...and I was pleased enough that I would have considered paying the 'going rate' the next time...but now the 'sour taste'
As others have mentioned, as has Socrates, in the past, stay credits (towards elite memberships) do not accrue on PLN stays. Neither do stay points. Any received are a gift....thank you
Incidental points are received from those properties who award them. Our stays normally post in about 5 business days, whether PLN or not. If I'm saving points for a travel package and don't wish to use them on an award stay, and the price of the property is more than I want to pay (booked with Marriott), then I'll target it on PLN. Between 30-40% of our stays are PLN stays.
If you wish Silver Elite status without strings, just get the MR VISA. That way you'll get the 20% bonus on your points right away and don't have to worry about qualifying. IIRC, the fee is waived the first year, incentives vary (15K right now I think) and you get 3 points for any Marriott purchase (we pay our MVCI MF's with it and will likely buy any future intervals using it as well). So, for a 100.00 stay (at a 10pt-per), you'll get 1000 base points, 200 bonus points, and 300 points for using the MR VISA. 1500 points total.
The real bonuses accrue when buying intervals, where incentives run to 150K/wk, and one can get 60-120K in self-referral and VISA points. You can figure a Cat 6/120K travel package for each week, if negotiated right.
When coupled with the incentives/points program of MVCI, the MR program has good value and marked flexibility, IMO. I hope they continue to work hard to maintain that opinion. So far, as leisure users, we're very satisfied.
Pat