The one thing that Marriott gets consistently wrong with me -- and, as we know, I'm not the only one -- is processing of the buy one, get one free, EEO certificates. Just last weekend, I used one of these at a Marriott. Stayed Saturday and Sunday nights. Turned in the coupon at check-in and confirmed with the clerk that Sunday night would be free. I asked if she knew how to set it up so that the second night would be processed correctly. She assured me that she did. All of this -- and more -- has happened a hundred times before at different hotels across the country.

So Monday morning arrived, and I happened to wake up around 5 a.m. Saw the bill that had been slipped under my door. Charged for two nights, of course! I had to call the front desk and explain everything. Then I had to stop by the desk to get a corrected copy of the bill. Was any of that necessary? Why is this so difficult for hotels to do?

By the way, the right way to set it up is to input a rate change to zero effective on the second night. One hotel refused to do that on the grounds that I might stay a third night and get that zero rate. Yeah, OK.

Bruce