i've moved with the times and dont print out anything anymore including flight itineraries. having said that, i'm still a little cautious where i screenshot the booking # on the screen and wait for the email to come through in case stuff like this happens.

You're searching for a red herring. I'm not discussing nor referring to all the IT issues that have been reported. I am only discussing the OP's particular issue in this thread, which may not have been an IT issue at all. I believe it's more likely the OP may not have completed the booking in the first place. As I said before, it doesn't quite pass the smell test for me.

I think the range of opinions expressed here reflects the range of travel patterns held by members. I have long printed out confirmation pages for flights, hotels, rentals, etc - when leaving from home. However, I sometimes - often times - leave home with a one-way flight, my first of many hotels/rentals booked, and I venture out into the world for upwards of a couple of months. Sometimes I hit continents along the way I'd never planned for when I left home. In such a scenario, it's a lot more troublesome to take extra time to head for the business center (and not all of the third-world hotels I stay in even have any such luxury) to print stuff out each time (not to mention the online security concerns that go along with doing so), when instead I'm busy packing and planning and trying to get some sleep (on and on). Not everybody here is a week-at-a-whack salesperson or doctor or idle rich gallivanting about the planet one single round trip at a time.

I also think this knee-jerk reaction to ALWAYS blame the member ignores the fact that very likely no amount of hard prints, e-mails, and/or screen shots would have led to the front desk being able to honor the reservation. Haven't plenty of folks reported that showing their status in the app draws yawns and rolled eyes from FD folk? Why is there such a presupposition that the hotel itself would've been able to subdue Marriott IT simply because they laid eyes on a piece of paper or a screen presented by walk-in off the street? Especially in the case of an award stay, where the hotel can't just enter in a rate override manually and charge a credit card accordingly?

Just because one hasnt experienced a particular issue like in OP's case, it doesn't mean that it could never happen or didn't happen to the OP. And it amazes me on how some people have this mentality of "blame the customer if something goes wrong". Or "If it didn't happen to me, then OP is lying and playing victim"

I myself screenshot everything since the merge but we shouldn't be complaisant into doing something 'extra' because it is not our job as customers to be triple checking everything due to lack of trust with the company.

I'm using Gmail and always always mark important emails like Hotel reservations, Brg confirmations, flight tickets etc. with the star function in Gmail.
Had a small mess with the Prince Gallery at check out last spring, they had the wrong more expensive rate than what I had confirmed from the brg confirmation. This was easily solved by showing the fd the email and they sorted it out after a couple of minutes.

Yeah, I didn't say that. You've chosen the wrong subject, I'm afraid. I am unsure as to what happened, too...but I believe there is more responsibility for the OP than you do.

+1,000,000

Why attack OP? Marriott does owe us something - what we pay for and have earned. That is why we pay money for a service.

Not all my reservations are showing up in my account. Some of the ones that do show up have the wrong date! At one point last week I had a 4 month stay booked at JW Marriott Phuket. Next day the reservation disappeared, next day right dates.

Oh yes sometimes I get email confirmation, sometimes SMS, and sometimes nothing.

I guess the OP and I should magically confirm everything even when it is impossible by app or website? We should... What... Book online and then call CS and wait on hold forever to confirm what we just booked.

Who carries portable printers to print everything out? I have ordered my companies to essentially go paperless. And that was 10 years ago.

I finally had it so I spoke with a senior exec the other day. This exec said he does not blame me for skipping Marriott for a few months while they sort IT things out.

Big problem he said is that to save money Marriott went with "archaic Marriott system" even though SPG system was "much better and more modern."

Might OP have made a mistake? Possibly. But odds are the IT system failed or was confusing.

Or maybe I am an idiot who does not know how to reserve a room either.


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Shades of United/Continental ;)

FWIW - I wasn't throwing all the blame on the OP, especially given Marriott's IT issues. But for years when traveling I do screenshots or get confirmation #s or put confirmation emails (whether it be airlines or any hotel chain, not just Marriott). They have a responsibility to handle things properly but that doesn't absolve me of also taking responsibility myself. I do the same w/ hotel wake-up calls. Might place one via the front desk, but also set my cell phone.

Cheers.

Does it not occur to you that user error is even the slightest possibility?