DJ_Iceman

Namely room upgrades (with tons of availability showing online but "sorry, nothing available for upgrades" from front desks) and late check-out (again, far-from-sold-out properties but "sorry, I know it's supposed to be guaranteed but late check out is not available"). Every. Single. Time.

escape4

How many stays since Aug 18th?

boolean64

In general I agree. And don't want to make this a sSPG vs sMR argument that lasted forever with United. But this comment ignores the fact that there is no change from the SPG program with respect to "no blackout dates." I am fully accepting of the changes that have been made to align the program. I get that this is no longer legacy SPG. But it is also no longer legacy Marriott. The new combined program took some from both. And in this case the combined program chose a policy that "if there's a standard room available for cash, it's available for points." So I am not complaining that legacy SPG was better and being unaccepting of the new program. All I am asking is that the new program honor choices made and deliver on its T&Cs without me having to make several phone calls and feel like i am asking for an exception that may not happen next time i try to redeem. And this is not just a technicality hidden in the T&Cs, it is front and center on the "your benefits" page of the website.

This experience suggests not only are hotels not delivering against the program's T&Cs, the culture suggests there is no expectation to enforce the T&Cs on non-compliant properties. I agree that legacy SPG properties sometimes tried to skirt the T&Cs, but if pursued, that was met by enforcement efforts from SPG.

I'm open to the idea that this experience is merely a road bump and will not recur as more properties and agents are trained on the new policies. But if one of the "changes" to the program is that the T&Cs are merely guidelines, then that is indeed an unfortunate loss for the combined program. I don't know legacy marriott well enough to know if this is a shift for that program as well. But the lack of teeth in enforcement is certainly not (to bring it back to CO+UA) "a change that I'll like" as a legacy SPGer.

SHLTP

These experiences are disconcerting...

CPRich

Interesting - this sounds like Marriott's old joke of a "No Blackouts" policy, which simply means that at least one room was made available every night, at some point. When whatever was made available was taken, that was it.

If that is indeed to policy of the combined company, which, quite frankly, surprises me, then the word hasn't made it to their agents, properties, and/or reservation system in this case.

Given the chaos of the integration, I can't say that I'm surprised by that.

CPRich

Following up...the integrated program FAQ says

(limited being no more than 360 or so....)


This is their old policy, and the one I expected from the integrated program. The T&C you cited above obviously conflicts with this.

UA-NYC

T&Cs haven't fully updated yet though, right? Because Marriott...

boolean64

The FAQ does seem to contradict other language on the website. Images below. One problem is the conflation of "no blackout dates" and "capacity controls." This thread is in reference more to capacity controls than blackout dates (unless the properties here have blacked out all saturdays vs restricted availability on saturdays). But the idea of "If we have a standard room and you have the points, it's yours" couldn't be any clearer. This is the image on the Platinum Premier "your benefits" page




And here is the T&C screenshot

spgplat21

I just noticed a Marriott property taking a page out of the SPG playbook and "updating" their room descriptions. The JW Marriott in Austin now has several categories of base room, "High floor", "High Floor, Lake view", "Lake view", and "Pool View". Not sure how recent this is, but I've stayed here a half dozen times and I'm almost positive most of those did not exist earlier this year.

Interestingly enough, they still have the old standard "King" and "2 Queen" options available for cash, but not points, so they still effectively have an award blackout for the weekend I looked at.

CPRich

To bring this to closure - The FAQ has now been updated to match the T&C's.

So the intent to align with SPG's old policy has been incorporated into the program documentation.

Now it's a matter of CSR training, property owners communication and education, etc., to understand and align....

Kacee

One of the supposed "upgrades" to the Marriott program was its adoption of the SPG rule that if there's a standard room available for paid booking, it is supposed to be available for award booking. Specifically:

Those familiar with the Hyatt program know that one of its great weaknesses is that it allows properties to game this "no blackout date" policy by holding back standard rooms from regular inventory and selling them only under "package rates."

Well it hasn't taken Marriott properties long to adopt the same practice. Here's the first example I've seen:

Marriott Grand Wailea Resort, Sept. 28-30. No standard (Garden View) rooms available at the "standard" rate or for award redemption. However, they will sell the standard "Garden View" room as part of their "Summer Escape Resort Credit Package."

Expect to see this odious practice spread further.

CPRich

Grand Wailea is a Hilton property.


Assuming you didn't confuse a Residence Inn for the Grand Wailea, the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort:


The Marriott Wailea Beach Resort is a Cat 6 property, 50K/night is the rate, which is 100K for 2 nights. So I'm confused.

fwiw, the "Summer Escape Resort Credit Package" shows "almost sold out" - awards night doesn't. $1,267.74 for 100K points seems the opposite of odious to me.

For situations where this may actually occur, see my comment
Retraining thousands of property owners, CSRs, etc., and reloading millions of room night availability records will not be an instantaneous process for a company with a migration track record that has been less than stellar so far.

On the legacy SPG side, we regularly reported this through Lurker/CSR channels and it was often addressed. I suggest doing the same to affect change, rather than just kvetching on FT.

Kacee

Yes, I obviously meant Marriott Wailea Beach Resort.

No need to be confused (unless that's your normal state). Property wasn't available for award redemption on those dates last night. I would have booked if it was.

CPRich

Today




February, 2018.



For a date I picked with award availability, the cash rice for those rooms was cheaper than the others.

For a date I found with no award availability, those rooms were not available for cash sale/sold out.

CPRich

Did you report it to Marriott as a violation of their T&C's so they could address/correct it?