Originally Posted by
brokenwindow
This has probably been asked here before, so sorry about that.
I have a 7 night category 5 certificate expiring September 4th, 2019. My question is: does the stay have to be completed by this date or is it just about applying the voucher before?
For instance, could I make a booking for New Years next year using the certificate, as long as the booking is made before September?
In the past, you just had to make the booking within that window. If the stay fell outside it, Marriott reps would simply adjust/extend the certificate to cover the stay (they usually said it was a one-time exception, but there were many DPs of people extended multiple times).
HOWEVER, if you've converted to a new certificate (and it sounds like you did, given the expiry date), word is that the new certs cannot be extended. Word from the Starwood Lurkers and the Community Managers on Marriott Insiders is that no extensions will be allowed, so that may not be an option any more. What I would suggest is that, in January, you make your NYE booking with a points advance reservation, then call Marriott to see if they will apply your cert to it. If they extend your expiry and attach it, you're golden. If not, plan on using it elsewhere before September 2019.