FAQ : Marriott "The Ultimate Reservation Guarantee" (pre-Bonvoy)
 

The Ultimate Reservation Guarantee: To claim, the confirmation number for a reservation guaranteed with a major credit card must be presented, and the Marriott Rewards membership number must appear as part of the reservation. The specific room type requested will be provided when available, but not guaranteed. If a room cannot be provided, the hotel will pay for your stay at a nearby comparable hotel and the member will be reimbursed for the inconvenience. Compensation varies by lodging brand (see below):

For Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites; Renaissance Hotels Resorts and Suites and Marriott Conference Centers: Alternative accommodations, plus $200 and 2 free room certificates to guest.

For Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites: Alternative accommodations, plus $100. (Platinum members also receive 2 free room certificates)

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What does this mean:
"The specific room type requested will be provided when available, but not guaranteed."

I am currently staying at a very poorly-managed Courtyard that is consistently overbooked and rarely get the room that was requested. For example, I often request suites for meetings, but then get bumped down to a queen room (worthless). Is there any recourse, or it this just feel-good legalese?

The reservation guarantee applies *only* where you don't get a room, not where you don't get the room type you requested.

In hundreds of stays I have only had to invoke the guarantee a single time. I arrived at the SFO Marriott during a big convention. They told me that I wasn't expected to check-in until the following night. Then, they checked the link to central reservations and found that I had changed my reservation to check-in one night sooner, but the central computer didn't send the message to the hotel computer. They gave me a free night somewhere else, and all the benefits (free room certificates and $200) when I came back the next night.

Are those "free room certificates" good at any property? The thought of spending two days of my own time at the Akron Courtyard is a thought I would rather not have.

So I guess the "specific room type requested will be provided when available" means absolutely nothing. -Of course- they're going to TRY to put every guest in the room they asked for. So what? I can understand your compensation for bumping, but how is the above line a "benefit"?

I still think that if you are elite and order a specific room (say, a suite) you should get it. If I was throwing a corporate function in that suite and they backed out I would definitely demand compensation.

Or, what prevents an unscrupulous franchisee to oversell suites at $110, and then "offer" you a room for $90 when they tell you they don't have one? That was how they got me - I came for a cheap suite, and they stuck me in a bunker half that size for almost the same price.

[This message has been edited by Tino (edited 06-13-2000).]

I used it once at the Courtyard in Marina del Rey.

I refused to be put up at the airport, and everything else in Marina del Rey was full except....

THE RITZ-CARLTON!!!

They gave me $100 cash, a phone card, paid for my first night at the Ritz, and secured the same rate ($102) that I was going to pay at the Courtyard.

Needless to say, I didn't complain.

Reservation but no room available !
 

Hi,

yesterday, July 25th, I arrived at 1O:00 p.m. at the Marriott Chicago, Oak Brook, IL and wanted to check-in. But the agent told me that they have no room for me. But I had a reservation. The reason for not having a room was that a group of people stayed longer and Marriott didn't want to kick them out.

What is then a reservation worth ? Who has the right to the room ? Has anybody any same experience ?

End of the story : Free night at the nearby Double Tree Suites, one free long distance call and 5000 Marriott miles.

felix -- It's not that Marriott "didn't want to kick them out". In most states (including IL) hotels don't have legal rights to move out guests, even if they overstayed the originally reserved period of time. In such situations hotels bite the bullet and "walk" people who have reservations (that's exactly what they did for you, and above their duty, gave you 5000 points).

They bought you off SUPER cheap. In fact, I'd say they ripped you off twice. First when they walked you and second, when they lowballed you on the compensation. To answer your questions,

1. A reservation is worth $200 + 2 free nights + costs of inconvenience + alternative accommodations. See below.

2. You have the right to the room, but they can pay you the above and absolve themselves of liability.

3. It hasn't happened to me yet, but if it did, I would not accept anything less than what is in #1.

If you are at least a bronze in the Marriott Rewards program, you should get -

The Ultimate Reservation Guarantee: To claim, the confirmation number for a reservation guaranteed with a major credit card must be presented, and the Marriott Rewards membership number must appear as part of the reservation. The specific room type requested will be provided when available, but not guaranteed. If a room cannot be provided, the hotel will pay for your stay at a nearby comparable hotel and the member will be reimbursed for the inconvenience. Compensation varies by lodging brand (see below):

For Marriott Hotels, Resorts and Suites; Renaissance Hotels Resorts and Suites and Marriott Conference Centers: Alternative accommodations, plus $200 and 2 free room certificates to guest.

For Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites: Alternative accommodations, plus $100. (Platinum members also receive 2 free room certificates)


I would follow up on this. They screwed you.

Tino's right -- of course that assumes you are a Marriott elite member. If you are an elite member, get what's coming to you, it's a 'guarantee'!

Yes, that's right and the profile reads Marriott Gold!

fenix -- I stand corrected as I didn't recognize you were a Marriott Gold.

Tino correctly recited the Marriott Rewards Ultimate Reservation Guarantee. That's all true but ONLY if you are an elite member, and the Marriott Rewards membership number must appear as part of the reservation.

Otherwise, the only legal responsibility of a hotel is to pay for the first night at a comparable hotel and pay for a phone call to your home or office.

This happens quite regularly in every hotel chain, and is nothing to be alarmed about. But if you are indeed a Marriott Gold and they were aware of this, Marriott has shown something less than their normal generosity. I would call customer service and review the facts and ask for additional stay vouchers.

Tino: Marriott "Bronze?" Granted, in this case the "gold" is a little tarnished, but...

I didn't know the level names offhand, and I was trying to think of a cheap metal. Zinc? Lead? Aluminum? Nickel? Bronze?

Actually Tino, they picked the more expensive ones: Silver, Gold, Platinum... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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Ok, for the sake of argument, what if you are Silver status and you don't get a room at say a Residence Inn or a Fairfield. Does this same guarantee apply?

Read my post above.