fredsxb

Anyone had a hard time with CTS booking a MO stay with 2 free nights for 2 Cent card holders?

i.e.:
My wife and I both have a Cent card on the same account.
I've read here that some Cent card holders use the free night benefit twice on the same stay with 2 different cards:
Example:
I'm booking a 2 night stay with my Cent card and my wife is booking a 2 night stay with her Cent card right after our first 2 nights, hence making it a 4 night stay with 2 free nights.

The French CTS is giving me a hard time with this reservation: booking was made a week ago but we still haven't received the free nights confirmation from the property. The CTS agent told me she was afraid to call them as they might realize both bookings were made under the same last name...

I don't think I'm trying to rip off MO with this booking as the way I understand it, the MO benefit is for Cent card holders and not Cent card accounts.
I'd like to know what other Cent card holders think about that.

I would certainly drop this reservation if you guys think I am going a bit too far...

stevens397

FWIW, I've had continual problems with CTS regarding this benefit. I have to totally stay on top of them.

All I'm asking for is a confirmation that lists the type of room I have reserved and the fact that one night is free. Seems they have no template for this and have to create it each time. And it takes a lot of coaching.

Recently reserved two nights at the MO Miami during Christmas. When I called to cancel it, I was told it would take up to four months to get my deposit back. "What deposit?" I asked which led to a big argument. Fact is, there was no deposit. I tracked down a supervisor in cusotmer service and wrote an email explaining my upset. To their credit, I got a call but very, very little else.

My experience tells me you have to know what you want through your own research and often guide them through the process. So many of our trips are on rewards that it doesn't matter that much, but I'm glad I don't have to depend on them for big stuff.

troyb

As part of trying to use this benefit, I've called CTS twice, who has agreed to call the hotel I am trying to book each time. Since it is in a way different time zone, they have not been able to call while I'm on the line and instead tell me that they will call me back the next day. Neither time have I received a call back.

Granted, I'm trying to use the benefit from someone else's card, but approaching it like the cardholder plans on being there, but may not be able to make it.

Winetemplar

Took advantage of it in Feb this in at the MO HK. Booked through CTS (they're quite good here) without a problem. When I arrived though, they at first appeared to have no record, was offered upgrade at arrival but went to lunch rightaway, thereafter the upgrade was not available anymore. Very poor handling overall. Complained to the GM as well as within the survey I had received just thereafter. The GM sent a crappy bottle of undrinkable generic Bordeaux to my room. Got a written apology though addressed to a Japanese guy but with my address.

Winetemplar

failed to mention though that I was offered the free night...

SusanDK

Is the Centurion MO free night still offered at the property in London? I know that NYC is excluded, but thought London was still an option.

Good tip about trying to book consecutive 2-day reservations with my card and my husband's. Hope it works out for you.

Susan

Nicksta

I know from a recent business trip that it is possible to book the free nights in LON and it is possible to double up with the 2 different card-holders names. But, when I asked the couple how they did it, the wife just rolled her eyes and said it was more trouble than it was worth. Seems like they could use some work on it.

landmike

I was under the impression, perhaps mistakenly, that the benefit applied to primary account holder only. Last year we stayed at the MO in London, and it was divine. Apparently they held a room for us because a client of theirs with the same name likes all the furniture covered in sheets (including the desk) and also no duvets (only sheets) on the bed. So they bought us cocktails in the bar while we waited for the room to be put back to normal. But the best part was at check out a manager magically appeared from out of the blue and apologized profusely for the problems at check in and asked if we felt like a 50% reduction in the rate would be satisfactory. I was floored. I don't think we even showed mild dissatisfaction.

mattm00se

I've used the Free night benefit at MO mia, sfo and muc - Usually takes a couple of calls to get someone to properly follow-up with the hotel, but I've never had a problem with it once CTS has told me it's been done/confirmed.

mattm00se

Forgot to mention, the CTS reservations are booked in sabre, and you can generally get better visibility into your reservations at http://www.virtuallythere.com/ - there'll be a notation in the record for Free Night, good to have this copy of the res in hand if there's any problems @ hotel.

g50

This is what I was told also.

jsq

hello,

i have recently used the mo centurion free night at 3 diff mo properties in the far east. no problem booking (my wife no longer has a secondary centurion so can not address that part of the question). i did make sure they manually documented with the centurion travel rep that the one free night was part of the reservation so i had it in writing. the singapore location had some problems figuring it out but the hk and macau properties were a-ok from the get go.
be sure to mention at check in (we did at singapore and still had trouble at check out) and be prepared to leave a bit of extra time to argue with them and show your documentation. ie do not have a tight airport departure related to the scheduled time you want to leave the hotel.

regards,
jsq

fredsxb

I received a confirmation last week from French CTS for the following reservation:

2 night stay at the MO SF under Mr. fredsxb name with one free night followed by:
2 night stay at MO SF under Mrs. fredsxb name with one free night

I have a copy of the letter sent by the hotel manager in which he confirms both free nights under both our names!

H99

the way I've done this (which has worked) is to book my 2 nights in my name, phone a different rep and book 2 nights in my other half's name (she has a different surname). I think trying to book 4 for the price of 2 using the same rep/booking could get some push back. At the hotel I've simply checked out late, had my other half check in and rolled our luggage between the 2 rooms. I think the hotel have no visibilty that its two cards booking on the same account, because (as we know) amex are 2 disfunctional to work out what you're up to

fredsxb

Well, we've booked using the same rep. As a matter of fact, I'm the only one who called and explained the rep what we wanted. The rep then called the hotel and made the booking. A week later, the hotel manager wrote a single confirmation letter confirming the 2 free nights. So I guess this is ok with MO!

The only thing the hotel asks/wants is to see and charge a black card. I asked at the MO Tokyo if I could pay with my AF Gold Amex card but they insisted they had to charge everything on a Centurion card.

(I usually pay all my FHR bookings using my AF Amex Gold card and it never is a problem)