canael

So I have been thinking about changing the dates of a points booking and the hotel is willing to move the dates on their end. Their also saying that it would automatically adjust the amount of points required on the new dates. Does anyone know if that's actually the case if a certificate is already attached?

anteater

On the rare occasion I have needed to alter my reservation (usually flight delays or unforeseen circumstances), after contacting the hotel to discuss they have simply altered the reservation on their system without any additional cost, and the changes were later reflected in the Marriott app.

I suppose a hotel would be within their rights to alter the rate if it changes, especially so during peak times.

Mr. Vker

Is an award stay available on the real dates you need? If so, does that take more points than your current booking?

canael

it's available and it costs more points..

freed0m

Point transactions are Marriott Corporate transactions. Individual hotels should not change what Marriott wants to charge its members. Individual hotels get reimbursed by Marriott in cash not in points.


it is different from flexible cash booking that money is collected by hotels so they have the flexibility to alter the rate.

writerguyfl

True. Hotels can't make changes to point reservation. They have to involve Corporate/Central Reservations in order to make changes to existing reservations.

Not true. Although transactions must be handled by Corporate/Central Reservations, each individual hotel is in complete control of their pricing. Hotels can't charge more than their tier allows, but they certainly can move an existing reservation to different dates without requiring more points.

True. Although, the reimbursement amount is directly proportional to the amount of points charged. So, I'm not sure this really matters much to the guest.

Mr. Vker

Then I would expect the change to increase the points. Just like repricing a paid stay.

freed0m

How does this work?

The hotel will be reimbursed less if it requests to charge lower points?

Does Marriott track the points adjustment request made by hotels? seems a lot of work for very little benefit

a much simpler way will be for hotels to offer some points to the guest. That's totally within the hotel's control.

DELee

You get scrod out of more points.

David

escapefromphl

Thats how the system is supposed to work. The hotel is under no obligation to move your stay, for covid or any other reason. There is also some risk something else may go wrong, I believe the certs have an expiration once issued so be sure not to extend it out too far. Or they may drop off somehow. I considered trying to do this on some reservation that were 50% cheaper when originally made prior to March 2020. In the end decided it wasn't worth the hassle and will pay the extra points.

HHonors OUTSIDER

The hotel has given you the correct information the points will adjust up or down for the new dates automatically and a new certificate will be automatically issued and attached assuming you have the additional points available if needed.

MePlatPremier

Not true. Hotels are do not get to decide how many points per night to charge for award stays. Marriott does. Peak and off-peak rates are set by Marriott and follow, according to some proprietary algorithm, the cash rates set by the hotel for each night.

The only discretion hotels have regarding award stays is on whether to make available the cash and points rate plan.

Not true. Within the same tier, cash payments made by Marriott have no direct correlation with the amount of points charged. In fact, prior to the merger there was no correlation at all, regardless of tier.

These are two completely separate transactions. Marriott charges points from the guest and writes off a liability on its balance sheet. Then Marriott orders a night from its hotel and then makes a cash payment.

escapefromphl

There have been a a couple reports of people changing dates with the property and somehow managing to keep the old rate, I know it's not supposed to work like that but for some it has?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32344269-post549.html

writerguyfl

It doesn't happen often because it requires the coordination of the guest, the hotel, and Central Reservations. It's not the sort of thing that's going to be specifically tracked. These types of transactions simply aren't profitable enough to become some sort of scam.

A lot of what happens behind-the-scenes between franchises and hotel groups is done on the honor system. The financial systems at a hotel are purposely walled off from the chain. They are completely separate companies.

You don't have to believe me. That's fine.

But, hotels are in control of their inventory. If a hotel wants to transfer a reservation to a new date and not charge an increase, they have the authority to do so.

And, yes, the reimbursement is proportional to the points redeemed. A hotel getting paid for 5,000 points will be getting five times that a hotel would get paid for 1,000 points.

craigthemif

Yours is certainly the textbook version, but I don't think anybody on FT has the definitive truth.

I've seen more than enough cases of hotels charging the same cash rate but different points rates for it to be down to a proprietary Marriott algo based on cash rates. Especially since Marriott corporate won't have visibility over OTA bookings --> occupancy rates --> likelihood of paying ADR for the award night.

Ultimately Marriott will be making a profit from the points liability it writes off versus the cash payment. This may or may not be higher than the commission it earns from a cash rate. But obviously the hotel knows which it prefers...