First, make sure the points requirements actually are the same. Since MVCI properties are timeshare, suite properties, quite often rooms will require some number of upgrade certificates on top of the base award.

Assuming you do find a studio award room for base award points, you'll probably find that MVCI properties may have a higher % of families (with lots of kids). I can say the last 2 times I've travelled to Hawaii and we brought the kids we stayed at 2-bedroom MVCI properties (Waiohai on Kauai and Ko Olina on Oahu). While most MVCI properties will have nice pools and kids activities, they won't necessarily have all the same amenities as a FS resort might. For example, you probably won't have a nice "high-end" restaurant onsite. Maybe if the MVCI is next to a Marriott Resort, you might be have access to some of those "resort" amenities. When we stayed at the Ocean Club on Aruba, we walked next door to the Marriott Stellaris Ruth's Chris for dinner one evening. And supposedly, we had access to the Stellaris' pool and other amenities as well though we didn't make use of those.

If your stay is after Aug. 18th and if your one of the "new" Marriott Plat or higher elite levels, you should get breakfast at a resort, but won't at an MVCI property. Normally, if its just my wife and I travelling, I'll tend to look more for a resort. If there will be more than just the 2 of us, then an MVCI property is a great alternative. Note earlier this year, we did a trip to Las Vegas and my daughter was coming with us. I almost went with the Cosmo (resort), but instead went with a 2-bedroom suite at the Marriott Grand Chateau. And that does bring up another possible benefit. We didn't have to pay for parking nor had a "resort" fee either. :)

Thanks, I have the Chase RC card so I believe I am RC Gold which maps to new Marriott Plat.
Thanks for the info, I have enough points to book up to a Tier 1-3 RC 7 night + flight package deal.

So just looking around to see where in Hawaii should I go.
I haven't even decided on an island.

But i'm thinking Maui or Oahu would be a good place to be for a 1st timer visiting Hawaii. :)

Is there some kind of perk or bonus when reaching 50 nights with Marriott, similar to Starwood's free night award at 50? I will finish the year with 100+ nights with Starwood so I will keep AMB100 status for next year regardless of my night count with Marriott. But I was wondering if it makes any difference whether I finish this year with 49 or 50 nights at Marriott legacy hotels.

Quick question, just to be sure... When booking 5 nights with points with the 5th night free, the stay still counts as 5 qualifying nights, right ?
Thank you

Using spouse card with my account & card change for booking through shopping portal
 

Hi, sorry to bump such an old thread. I have multiple questions over different areas, so I wasn't sure which thread to post this on and just came to the master thread for Marriott Bonvoy. I ask the moderators to move the post to the appropriate thread if necessary.

My wife and I both have Bonvoy accounts; I am Platinum Elite, my wife is not.
We plan to stay at a hotel and want to enjoy Platinum Elite benefits (e.g., lounge access), so we booked the stay using my Bonvoy account.
My wife has recently opened a new credit card, and to achieve the spending requirement for the sign-up bonus, we used her new card for the booking.
In the process, we went through a shopping portal, which was offering a promotion at the time.

I have just learned that when the account holder does not match the cardholder, points for the stay may not be earned.
(I cannot post links yet, so am just listing the FlyerTalk thread numbers here: 1939360, 2061877)

As mentioned above, I would like to use the Platinum benefits, while using my wife's card for the sign-up bonus, while keeping the (now-ended) shopping portal promotion.

So my questions are as follows.
1. Can I earn points for the stay if I open an authorized user card for my wife's new card under my name, and use that for payment at checkin/checkout?
2. What happens to shopping portal offers when the payment method at time of booking (wife's card in this case) is different from the actual payment method (my AU card in this case)?

The second question is for a more general case; I have had multiple occasions where I used card A for booking, but changed my mind in the process and wanted to use card B at checkin/checkout.
I haven't actually tried this yet, thinking it may void the shopping portal offer for some reason.

Thank you in advance.

1. The Bonvoy number that is associated with room will earn the points. So it will be your account and .you can use any credit card, cash or giftcards to pay and still get points.
. The credit card that is used will earn the 6x spend at Marriott. So even if you use your AU card, it will count toward your wife’s sign up bonus.
2. I don’t think it will matter for shopping portals as you don’t give use a credit card when making a reservation unless it’s prepaid.

Free night CC cert counts toward elite status?
 

Subject pretty much says it all--when I use my AmEx Bonvoy free night cert, will that count towards elite status?

Yes.

Thanks for your reply.
Regarding 1., I do understand that I will be the one earning points for the stay, and my wife will be earning points for the card spending.
However, this was not my intended question; I guess I should have phrased it differently.

I am completely fine with the points (for the stay and the card spending) posting to either of us, since we can combine points anyway.
The two threads that I posted previously (sorry still can't post links, so please Google these numbers and "flyertalk" to read the threads: 1939360, 2061877) suggest that when the cardowner was different from the Bonvoy account holder, the points may not post at all.
I am inclined to think that the following terms were invoked:

Quote:

---

2.1.a. A Member will earn:
i. Ten (10) base Points for each U.S. dollar, or the currency equivalent, that is incurred and paid for by the Member on Qualifying Charges

---

Quote:

---

2.1.b. Qualifying Charges. “Qualifying Charges” are:
i. Charges incurred during a stay in a guest room at a Participating Property by a Member on their folio and up to two (2) additional guest rooms with same check-in and check-out dates, including, without limitation, charges for:
...
provided the Member provides his/her Membership Number at the time of reservation or at check-in, stays in one of the reserved guest rooms, and pays for the charges

---

I personally do not understand this regulation, especially since if the points are posted when we pay by cash or gift cards, as mentioned by YoungBubbie; how is this different from using someone else's card (who was staying in the room together)?
On the other hand, I haven't been able to search for additional cases where this was actually enforced (i.e., no points posted for account holder), so maybe those two incidents were the outstanding cases.

So my question remains: when two people are staying together, does it matter if the cardholder is different from the account owner? And can this be avoided using an AU card under the account owner name?

Also, thank you for your reply regarding shopping portals. I haven't prepaid anything, so I hope the bonus holds when I change the payment method to my new AU card (if necessary).

What's the policy for a executive lounge guest that isn't staying in the same room as me? Would they even check? This is for a Marriott property in London
I am staying myself in my room, and would like to guest a friend (gold) who is staying in another room. Is this possible?

It's hotel specific. I've been able to do it before (at a Washington DC hotel) --- but it helps to have your reservation show two guests (and not just you.)

No harm in trying.

I have a question. Some of you have experience with early arrivals (sometime before 12pm). I read in some threats that some FTs are booking on day before they arrive so they could get into the room when they arrive at the hotel. How do you handle the checkin process or getting a room key? I'm thinking about doing the same as I have some early arrivals but never did so far. I appreciate any good suggestions or how to's.

In this situation I check in online and contact the hotel through the chat function in the app (on the day when they expect me) to let them know that I will only arrive the next day (and at which approximate time). That has always worked; they thank me for the information, and I get the key from the front desk whenever I actually arrive.

This sounds very simple. I think I have to try this out exactly the same way. Thanks for sharing.