Wickersley

phltraveler

Marriott has not elaborated on what "eligible spend" is, which is the terms of what the $20,000 must be to get Ambassador status. The T&Cs of the merged Marriott Rewards program in detail are not public yet.

If we follow what earned points in the legacy MR program, one of two definitions is possible:

1. If we follow what earned 10 points per dollar on "qualifying charges" at higher end properties, then this would include most folio items (restaurant, spa, etc.) charged to a room. Taxes on room rate, gift card purchases, third party provided goods (e.g. when a hotel has a third party providing their parking), and catering/banquet charges would be excluded.
2. If we follow earning at most other Marriott properties, the spend that earned 10/5/2.5 points per dollar was the base room rate, exclusive of taxes and fees.

Of course, the merged program could apply a totally different definition and allow restaurants but exclude parking, and maybe count meeting room spend in the $20K.

I think possibility #1 is the most likely, but I'm just making a guess. Time will tell.

CPRich

It's extremely unlikely that anyone on this forum knows how Marriott's FF program is planning to track something that was just announced. If they know, they're very unlikely to tell you.

lexdevil

Not quite right. As I explained, I only book actual events a few times a year. I probably have another 15-20 stays each year that are not events booked through the sales office. For most of those stays I have four or more rooms. I want to know if and how my spend beyond the first three rooms will be counted.

Additionally, if spend is calculated based on the earning of points (which it currently appears to be), I want to know if event spend will be included.

CPRich

How are you not aware of the Rewarding Events program when you describe the terms of the program?

CPRich

Again, I recommend you ask the folks who run the program.

lexdevil

Not 100% correct. Some hotels (RI and TPS) only earn 5 points per dollar spent.

Additionally, MR members currently earn points for spend on events. According to the Rewarding Events FAQ: The earning rate for this spend is 3 points per dollar spent, up to 50K points per event. Note that Marriott explicitly rewards event contract guest room spend even when the rooms are paid for by others.

It seems that many folks replying are treating spend under an event contract as if it is part of a different program, but it is not. Most folks who book events ALSO stay at Marriott properties. All points earned are mingled in the overall MR program.

lexdevil

Super aware. I earn points and nights from it. They are added to my regular MR account. Those points and nights get me benefits within the regular MR program. Rewarding Events is, ultimately, part of the overall MR program. Given that, I assume money spent under an event contract should count for spend in some way.

Seriously, in what way does it make sense for Marriott to count my spend on 1-3 rooms, but to give me no credit for spend when I book (and even pay for) 10 rooms under a group contract?

lexdevil

In my first post I mentioned that I have done exactly this and I promised to report back if I learn anything.

txpenny

I'm sure sometime between now and August 1 this will become public knowledge.

I think, as others have suggested, it will be based on the same $$$ that go into the "base points" category.

phltraveler

Which was addressed in point #2 per my post already before you replied. I disclosed that the other properties earned at 10/5/2.5 points per dollar(depending on the property).

True, points are merged for lifetime qualification purposes (in legacy MR - come 2019 it will just be elite lifetime nights + years at a given status and points will be irrelevant) and for redemption. Whether or not meeting spend (earned on the meeting directly or the guest room spend) will be counted equally on the $20,000 or at all remains to be seen.

MSPeconomist

IMO the problem with counting event spend is that this would make it too easy for anyone booking a wedding reception (ONE of them) or some other event of reasonable size (such as most corporate functions) to get an Ambassador for the following year.

C17PSGR

+1

Please consider keeping threads for event organizers clearly marked. This way you can get focused input from other event organizers and share ideas. For example, we have another ambassador thread where its hard to understand how ambassadors benefit most of us regular travelers because we keep hearing stories about how event organizers are treated. We get it ... and don't begrudge it, but issues regarding how event spend is tracked for Ambassador status is really what you are asking.

Others still have questions about how spend will be tracked for regular guests. For example, I've learned from the SPG board that there are complaints they don't get points for other hotel spend such as restaurant/bar/spend. I'm assuming my bar bill at the Marriott here in Mexico will count as spend.

lexdevil

Not just for lifetime qualification. Also for annual qualification.

lexdevil

Point taken. I'll create a new thread regarding event planner points/nights/spend and try to move some of this discussion over there.

That said, I believe my questions regarding spend credit for rooms 4-9 belong in this thread, as they are not part of an event contract. That is one of my questions, and an important one, as I only book 2-3 events per year.