Originally Posted by
ethernal
I guess it depends on the definition of "not honoring a reservation" means. To me, canceling a reservation 28 hours in advance is equivalent to not honoring a reservation. But I suppose it is Marriott's interpretation that matters...
The definition that matters is the one in the
loyalty program Terms & Conditions, with the key phrase bolded by me:
"Pursuant to section 4.1.c. if an Elite Member has a confirmed reservation,
but is relocated from the property upon arrival, the Participating Property will pay the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee compensation in place on that date under the Program Rules."
Although the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee does not apply officially, I agree that the spirit of the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee should still apply.
In a proper culture of customer service, this FlyerTalk thread would not exist. An empowered hotel employee or Marriott customer service employee would have provided an appropriate refund of points (partial or full, depending on how much the guest was being inconvenienced), without the guest even having to ask. The guest would conclude, "Well, I didn't get the hotel reservation I wanted because of some sort of glitch, but Marriott took good care of me under the circumstances." That didn't happen here — and it raises questions about what has happened to Marriott's customer service culture.