how does e-upgrade cert work?
 

I'm looking at using points for the Residence Inn Downtown Sacramento. They offer a Studio for 15k, and a 1 bedroom suite for 20k.

The 1 bedroom reservation notes:
"eCertificate plus 1 upgrade certificate required per night"

How does this work? Is this in addition to the 20k points? I've never used an upgrade certificate before.

The 20k/night is 15k for a base room + 5k for an upgrade cert. So it already includes the cost of the upgrade cert. If the RI had any 2-bedroom suites available for points, it would probably be 25k/night as it would require 2 upgrade certs per night.

Thanks for explaining this confusing nomenclature. What is the point of calling it an upgrade certificate? It's just 5,000 points for a better room - like you pay more $ for higher room categories. Why introduce the complexity of upgrade certificates? Can one obtain them any other way than by spending more points?

The upgrade "cert" is considered a single level upgrade. At a resort, one upgrade cert per night might get you a mountain view instead of a base garden view. Two upgrade certs per night might get you an ocean view, three ocean front, etc.

Yes, the hotel might also allow you to reserve the upgrade with cash instead. Quite often I see $50 as equivalent to a single cert. An easy way to see this is to look at award rooms at a beach resort. Thy usually have lots of room types and will offer some of them with points.

Does a hotel have to offer higher than base rooms using points? No they don't, but resorts which have lots of different room types typically do. Suite properties like an RI may also offer upgrades from a studio to a one-bedroom with upgrade certs as well.

Note the these upgrade "certs" are only usable in conjunction with an award reservation.

Are room charges (room service, restaurant, etc) points earning if the stay itself is not (due to rate type)? I have some points in my account from a recent stay that should not have credited unless these are points earned from room charges.

I know this question would (should) have been asked before but I can't figure out how to do it.

I'm trying to book a weekend hotel stay at a property with reward rooms available, and I have a Cat 1-5 cert I would like to use for one night with points used for the second. The only way I can seem to get this to work would be to make two separate reservations. That just seems unnecessary so I'm hoping there's just something I'm missing.

Check out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-now-live.html. I think it should help you find what you are looking for.

To save anyone else the trouble the answer is NO. You can book on two separate reservations and see if you can either call in to get them combined, or ask the hotel if you can just stay in the same room.

i'm not sure if this is the right thread for my questions, so apologies in advance.

i will be traveling to argentina in a few months and would like to make use of my marriott points to book a hotel room, if possible. it doesnt look like marriott has any official properties in that country. is there any way to use my points, despite this? can they be used to book another hotel chain? or am i out of luck?

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Breakfast for Marriott Gold at Moxy hotels?
 

Do Marriott Golds get free breakfast when staying at Moxy hotels?

Unfortunately, no.

There isn't any mention either way in the Elite T&Cs, which I'm hoping is a sign that Marriott doesn't distinguish between cash/award stays:

Do gold benefits, in particular the Breakfast benefit, apply on award stays?

Elite benefits are extended on any stay that they have your MR# associated with, including normal paid, awards, opaque rates like Priceline, etc. It doesn't matter. If you are Gold elite and staying at a hotel where your elite status gets you lounge access, you get it. Breakfast? you get it. A room upgrade? You get it. And so on.

Thanks!

Marriott FTW, clearly!