I know for a fact that at one time Marriott specifically excluded consecutive-night stays at the same property from "counting" in its bonus programs. It was specifically prohibited in the terms of the promotion. I don't know if this is the case with the current bonus program being discussed.

My vote is that the "checout-checkin" gambit does border on abuse. It doesn't matter whose name you used, you were using someone else's MR acct. Also, it adds extra expense to the property. Personally, I don't believe that it reflects very well on the company whose negotiated rate you are using.

Regarding the quote, "Apparently, this is an area where no further experimentation is now needed." Some were able to come to this conclusion without experimentation. We just knew it was bad idea.