Did you call the Ritz Carlton reservation line provided by JPMorgan (1-800-542-8680)? My experience has been that there are only a handful of representatives who understand how these certificates work and you need to go through this dedicated number. Agents at the elite desks won't be able to help. In general, these certificates should be able to be applied to the standard, non-discounted rate for a base room. Some properties require you to book into a slightly higher room category to apply the certificate but you should NOT be required to book into a club level room (that defeats the purpose of the upgrade certificate). The Z34/38 code is a good proxy but it's not always reliable.