hhoope01

Do you have any Marriott emails or correspondence concerning this particular stay? If so, I would suggest checking that correspondence to verify that your MR # is either there or not. If it is, then I would contact the GM and forward a copy of that correspendence showing that they did in fact have your Plat # in the reservation.

If it isn't in the reservation, then my first thought is that it is an issue with your travel company and not Marriott's system (unless you can find others who have the same issue with that particular hotel.) I don't remember ever having an issue with Marriott's system not seeing my MR# if it was correctly put into a reservation (that doesn't mean it couldn't have happened to you though.)

If you have no documentation at all, then your best bet may be to try and work a deal with the GM (for goodwill if nothing else) as per the rules if your Plat number isn't there, the hotel won't know your status.

Personally, I almost always check my reservations online at Marriott's website before I travel (just to make sure everything is in order.) I would suggest you do something similar. If your MR# isn't in the reservation, you won't see it in your profile and you have a big red flag saying come look at me and get this fixed.

noogin

I don't want to accuse them of lying or anything, but my past 2 reservations says '50% Elite Bonus' on them, so they knew I was platinum, I had access to the lounge and everything. I didn't get offered a platinum gift upon arrival, and there's no disputing that.

I just checked my print-out receipts and they have my MR number on there too.

cfischer

Booking through corporate booking tools can be tricky, but if the reservations showed up in your account before the stay and they gave you lounge access, then it is no way for them to dispute the fact. I'd have Marriott corporate take care of this issue.

sophiegirl

Here are my thoughts -
1)Just because it is your third stay at this hotel does not mean they recognize you, or even if they do, remember that you are Platinum.

2) Arrival gift points often do not post. OFTEN. The fact that they did not is not "proof" that your Platinum number was or was not attached to your reservation.

3) You are definitely NOT entitled to the missing last 2 arrival gifts. The rules clearly state that your claim must be made before you check out. No exceptions. Call CS, get your points added, and learn from this mistake.

4) Re calling the front desk and making your reservation - read point 1. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask if they have your number attached to the reservation.

Quite honestly, I am guessing that your Platinum number wasn't attached to the reservation, especially if you made it verbally and "assumed" it was added.

Finally, and this is strictly personal, there is no way I would agree to be walked to the Extended Stay America. Anywhere. If I had to pay for my own room and then take it up with Marriott later I would do so.

hhoope01

It may well be possible that the check-in person "just assumed" you weren't an elite, then told the GM that, and now the GM is going on your MR# not being in the reservation.

First, is your MR# in the reservation now? If so, how did it get there? Most Marriott hotels send me an email before my stay (thanking me for choosing them and asking if there is anything they can do for me, and so on). You might check to see if you received one of those and still have it. That email should reference your elite status if it was in the reservation. So you would have definitive proof.

Otherwise, you might go back to Customer Service and ask if they can verify when/where your MR# was added to the reservation.

noogin

Just checked my e-mail to see... I got 2 'Reminder: Your stay at _____ begins soon etc etc' for the past 2 stays, but did not get a reminder for the current stay I was walked on. So I assume it's the front desk's (who made the reservation for me) error for not putting my MR number on the reservation.

hhoope01

Then you might be able to get the GM to throw some extra points your way for the issue, but they they don't have honor the Guarantee as your number wasn't in the reservation.

As sophiegirl said "ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS" check to verify that your reservation is completely in order before your stay. So yes, the Front Desk agent probably should have put your MR# in the reservation when it was made, but its your responsibility to make sure everything around your reservation is in good order (and verify that MR# is in place.)

noogin

So I might be out of luck for the walked reservation since it wasn't in the system, which is partially my fault cause I didn't confirm they had my membership number down? Sounds

I feel like the arrival gift compensation is pretty undeniable, especially after reading this thread
https://www.rewards-insiders.marriott.com/thread/8879

hhoope01

First, Marriott, since they started giving Plats the option of a points arrival gift have always excluded not receiving those points from their Guarantee. You can always follow up later on getting those points posted if they don't post as they should have.

Second, if you weren't offered a choice of amenity (i.e. points or the F/B offerings) and your MR# was in the reservation, then you can ask for the Guarantee. But you have to start that process before you check-out, not after.

So in the case of your first two stays. If you were offered a choice and you chose the points, then if the points don't post as they should, your only recourse is to contact MR and ask them to post your amenity points.

If you chose a F/B amenity and it did not come or you weren't offered a choice at all, then again, you can't do much now except ask for the points as you have already checked-out from those two stays.

If others were lucky enough that a particular hotel went above and beyond what the rules state to give those persons extra points or $$ due to the check-in points not posting, thats great for them. Just don't expect that all other hotels will follow suit as most won't.

DJ_Iceman

I agree with the sage advice offered by some of the other Marriott experts who have posted here. Just contact Marriott to get your 500-point bonus added to the last two reservations.

Regarding this stay, it stinks that you were walked, especially to such a drastically inferior property. But I at least partially sympathize with the GM here--he offered you a pretty generous compensation which you accepted (presumably happy with it). Then you talked to your coworkers and felt you deserved more, so you went around the hotel to HQ and negotiated a bigger compensation package. Now you've kind of ticked off the GM who digs into the situation a little further, and he finds out due a screw-up (with no way to prove whose fault it was after the fact) you're not actually entitled to anything at all.

I think your greed may have cost you on this one. You could have had 20,000 free points and two free drinks; now you've just got advice on an internet message board about how not to get walked in the future...

BKKLEE

You have previously stated that the GM offered you "........ 20,000 points and 2 alcohol vouchers for my inconvenience and I accept it." Therefore, you have taken their settlement and no longer have a PlatResG claim - you waived it by taking their offer...........

iflyjetz

At 1 cent/pt, 20K points = $200. I can understand why the GM wouldn't offer the Plat guarantee on top of 20K pts.

Noogin, my recommendation is that you approach this from a point of view, 'how can the hotel ensure this doesn't happen again'?
Here is the gameplan I'd use.
Schedule a meeting with the GM. State that you understand that you accepted 20K pts + 2 free drinks. You won't pursue the Plat Guarantee, as that is roughly equivalent compensation. In return for dropping the issue, you want to make sure that other issues are resolved.
You expect to get night stay credit for those nights that you were walked - that's a pretty standard guarantee.
Explain that you've stayed there multiple times in the past and have been given lounge access so the property should have been aware that you're a Plat. Bring up the missing past point amenities but let him know that you'll simply call Marriott to get back credits for them; no big deal.
Now this next point is HUGELY important. Let him know that you'll continue booking to this hotel (I assume that you have recurring business trips in the area) but if they ever walk you again, you will immediately demand the Plat guarantee and will not accept any hotel of lesser quality in the future. Make sure he understands that Extended Stay America is NOT an acceptable alternative hotel. Let him know that his hotel is the nicest in Spartanburg and if you have to be walked, you will only accept the Hyatt Regency or Westin in Greenville, SC - those are the only comparable hotels in the area. Personally, I wouldn't worry about ever being walked again; if you handle this correctly, you will likely get treated extremely well in all future visits.

You need to bend a bit here. The hotel can pay you in points because they get them for cheaper than their retail value. On the other hand, if you were to buy 20K points, you'd have to pay $250.
Handle the situation professionally and let him know that 'stuff' happens. You simply feel that you were on the short end of the stick and that you want to make sure that this is resolved satisfactorally for everyone, including the hotel.

Good luck to ya and let us know how it turns out.

socrates

here's what's important - was the Platinum number in the GNR before you arrived.....Customer Service can see if it was or not, if it wasn't unfortunately you aren't due the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee benefits, if it was you are

on another note though - talking a repeat guest who's staying 9 nights...wow, you wouldn't have been high on my list to walk even if you weren't a platinum....additionally, you were walked to a ESA? That is a seperate issue I'd call the hotel's attention to

another 'nother note: be sure the hotel credits you for the points and room night credit you would have earned had they not "walked" you - this is manual process and is sometimes overlooked (MR should be able to assist you if you also on this point)

noogin

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will talk to the GM personally sometime this week when I have some downtime! I hate to be a nuisance and since I will most likely be staying at this hotel in the future, I don't want to get on their bad side.

writerguyfl

That was my first reaction when I read this tale. When I was a Revenue Manager, I always gave the Front Desk a "no walk" list before I left for the day whenever we were oversold. Along with Sales Department VIPs and Elite-level frequent guests, I'd always protect anyone with a long stay. Not only does that help guests by not having them switch hotels needlessly, but it also improved our average length of stay. (I would have been giddy over a 9-night stay, so even without status, I never would have touched this reservation.)