C17PSGR

This is pretty outrageous but not sure why you attribute it to Marriott. The management at the St. R Aspen are the same now as before Marriott purchased SPG. They are the ones making this decision. Rest assured Marriott corporate isn't dictating this. I had a reservation problem with a different St. Regis before ... they wouldn't budge. I've never had any experience remotely like these in a legacy Marriott property.

writerguyfl

Exactly. I completely understand why many people think that Marriott Corporate should be able to fix these types of issues. But, the overwhelming majority of hotels are franchises. Like it or not, you're stuck dealing with the hotel whenever it comes to billing issues. The accounting systems at an individual hotel are not accessible to anyone at the Corporate Office. As such, they can only pass along whatever information the hotel tells them about the incident.

For the record, this isn't a Marriott-only set-up. It's basically the same for all hotel chains that have franchises.

Sadly, when hotels lie about things (as it seems that's what is happening here), there's very little that Corporate can do. They will open a case, but no one is going to be able to access the hotel's accounting system to see when and who billed the charges. Corporate will rely on what the hotel tells them. Unless it's an obvious lie, I wouldn't expect much from Corporate.

hotturnip

What's particularly outrageous is the way the hotel manager is acknowledging that his employees misinformed the guest, and yet he still thinks they shouldn't be responsible for it.

And to you people saying, "Oh, this isn't Marriott's fault--corporate has nothing to do with it." Well, the manager is citing as his rationale that this is Marriott policy. He may well be wrong, but the company is indeed involved.

hotturnip

I would add--you could try to dispute this with the credit card issuer, but I imagine this case would end up in small claims court, where you would almost certainly win.

simpleflyer

I'm wondering if this had something to do with your friends being added to a reservation of which you were the primary holder, and which you couldn't yourself go to claim and check in for owing to illness.

Could the hotel have suspected you of possibly selling your points based reservation to your friends (even though you didn't). Could this be why they cancelled your reservation and made a new one for your friends?

Either way as you were not even warned this could happen over the phone when you made the arrangements, I think you are justified in being angry.

C17PSGR

what Marriott policy requires a huge charge for missing a night? I travel 125 to 150 nights a year. I'll misconnect a couple of times a year and miss a hotel reservation. The only time I was ever charged was at an StR. So it's clearly not a Marriott policy or we'd have hundreds of reports on FT from other hotels.

Dr. HFH

This seems to be a variation of the facts in OP's other complaint thread about a cancellation at the same hotel, here. I'm beginning to suspect that there's more to this story.

Antarius

Any issue with point selling/bartering/violations is between Marriott Bonvoy and the person. The hotel has absolutely nothing to do with it.

DJ_Iceman

Putting aside any integrity issues with the OP's story for the moment, why is a customer service issue with a legacy SPG property somehow evidence of Marriott ruining the world?

mahasamatman

Because it never happened before the merger. Because it's a Marriott policy that no-show fees are to be paid in cash only. It was never an SPG policy.

C17PSGR

So ... there must be dozens of data points on FT from others at Marriotts who have had this problem, right?

And, if no one has reported this at a number of different properties, wouldn't that suggest this is a hotel policy, not a Marriott policy?

freed0m

Or the hotel was well compensated by SPG last time for award stays, but not by Marriott.

The hotel takes advantage of Marriott TnCs to charge the customer for vengeance.

mikebor

You know I have read both threads and maybe I am missing something but neither of you guys have done(imo) the most logical thing here. Call and ask to speak to the GM. Forget these lower level managers. In my experience most(not all of course) but most are able to think and make decisions using some empathy and common sense. These lower level managers are pretty much useless for these kinds of issues so if I were either of you guys I would be calling and insisting to speak with the GM.

And if you get some assistant who won't put him or her on the phone then ask for his boss and a contact number for him or her and or email. Escalate this. High escalation. I'm stunned both of you guys are letting some middle manager at the hotel get the best of you. I could be wrong of course but you might get the desired outcomes talking to the head of the hotel.

Aventine

Very good advice. If GM proves unhelpful then there's Area VP and so forth to go to.

nacho

I thought point stays are like best flexible rate (obviously it has been changed). I made points reservation with Radisson and they said very clearly that no show = forfeit of points, never mention anything about in case no show $xxxx will be charged.

I really don't understand how they can mix points and cash like this, anyone who has a reservation and paid for the stay already, that person gained the right for the room for that amount of period. I don't see why the hotel would charge him $ if there's no extra cost involved.

What made me really furious about these "franchise" properties is that Corporate seems to let them do whatever they want - if they don't like point stay they just set up whatever bogus rules to get as much revenue back as possible.