Trying to change [shorten] an award stay
Mar 18, 2019, 10:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
Trying to change [shorten] an award stay
I have an awards day booked for five nights. I want to amend it and only stay for three nights. Unfortunately, I can’t rebook it, so canceling and rebooking is it in action. I called reservations, it was called the hotel, and the hotel says they can’t do it. Is this correct? They say they can’t change it because they don’t have a new room to put me in, but I already have a room. I’ve asked for revenue management to take a look at it. Anything else I can do?
Mar 19, 2019, 1:29 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: STR and the rest of EMEA
Programs: LH HON, Marriott Platinum, ...
Posts: 731
I have an awards day booked for five nights. I want to amend it and only stay for three nights. Unfortunately, I can’t rebook it, so canceling and rebooking is it in action. I called reservations, it was called the hotel, and the hotel says they can’t do it. Is this correct? They say they can’t change it because they don’t have a new room to put me in, but I already have a room. I’ve asked for revenue management to take a look at it. Anything else I can do?
Mar 19, 2019, 1:30 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
That's strange,. I did that several times and never had an issue... but that was some time ago, maybe the IT system needs to allocate a new room first before changing the old reservation and if it is full, it won't work... just guessing how a change is implemented in IT...
Mar 19, 2019, 1:50 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 121
I have an awards day booked for five nights. I want to amend it and only stay for three nights. Unfortunately, I can’t rebook it, so canceling and rebooking is it in action. I called reservations, it was called the hotel, and the hotel says they can’t do it. Is this correct? They say they can’t change it because they don’t have a new room to put me in, but I already have a room. I’ve asked for revenue management to take a look at it. Anything else I can do?
Mar 19, 2019, 5:33 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
This scenario has nothing to do with new IT. It's basic Revenue Management. It's also not a Marriott thing. As Jaunts notes, it happens at other chains. All of them, actually. Additionally, hotels have operated this way for decades. I was a Revenue Manager during Y2K and we did this type of thing back then, too.
Revenue Management is about maximizing profit through the allocation of room inventory. It sounds like the hotel (via their software) believes it has demand for a 5 night or longer stay over your dates. And, they don't believe they will be able to re-sell the nights you are trying to discard. Therefore, if they allow you modify your reservation, they will take a loss in revenue.
Or, they are significantly overbooked on at least one of your nights and it's in the best interest of the hotel to have you completely cancel your reservation.
Revenue Management is about maximizing profit through the allocation of room inventory. It sounds like the hotel (via their software) believes it has demand for a 5 night or longer stay over your dates. And, they don't believe they will be able to re-sell the nights you are trying to discard. Therefore, if they allow you modify your reservation, they will take a loss in revenue.
Or, they are significantly overbooked on at least one of your nights and it's in the best interest of the hotel to have you completely cancel your reservation.
Mar 19, 2019, 6:07 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
This scenario has nothing to do with new IT. It's basic Revenue Management. It's also not a Marriott thing. As Jaunts notes, it happens at other chains. All of them, actually. Additionally, hotels have operated this way for decades. I was a Revenue Manager during Y2K and we did this type of thing back then, too.
Revenue Management is about maximizing profit through the allocation of room inventory. It sounds like the hotel (via their software) believes it has demand for a 5 night or longer stay over your dates. And, they don't believe they will be able to re-sell the nights you are trying to discard. Therefore, if they allow you modify your reservation, they will take a loss in revenue.
Or, they are significantly overbooked on at least one of your nights and it's in the best interest of the hotel to have you completely cancel your reservation.
Revenue Management is about maximizing profit through the allocation of room inventory. It sounds like the hotel (via their software) believes it has demand for a 5 night or longer stay over your dates. And, they don't believe they will be able to re-sell the nights you are trying to discard. Therefore, if they allow you modify your reservation, they will take a loss in revenue.
Or, they are significantly overbooked on at least one of your nights and it's in the best interest of the hotel to have you completely cancel your reservation.
Mar 19, 2019, 6:43 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,914
Thanks for the insight - I'm pretty sure they can sell it - it's during one of the city's largest festivals, and pretty booked up for most dates. If this is how they treat a 75 night platinum (don't even know my new status - titanium) who's stayed there 9 years consecutively, then perhaps I'll take my business elsewhere.
as much crap Marriott is throwing at its members with the integration, I really hope you will find another chain to fulfill your wishes. I heard hyatt is good. “Is this how they treat a 75 night platinum” hah!!
noise around the edge it is even though this happened with SPG prior to integration.
Mar 19, 2019, 6:44 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,170
My Ambassador has been able to shorten stays for me w/o push-back many times in the past, but that was with SPG where there was actually something called "customer service"
Mar 20, 2019, 8:19 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
Mar 20, 2019, 9:27 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
That is what I suspected a SPG legacy brand while trying to change both dates. My next guess is it is not a Canada or USA location? With Marriot legacy brands in the past you could make that change and I think that hasn't changed under the new merged loyalty program. If the property refuses to make the change for you I think you are out of luck.
Mar 20, 2019, 9:47 am
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
In the StR Aspen problem thread, someone posted some Bonvoy rules about shortening award stays. My *interpretation* is that you might be able to drop off the last night and get points refunded (but this would be fifth night free,no?) if you advise the hotel at check in, assuming that you meet any minimum stay requirements for stays paid with money.
What times are you actually arriving and departing? Could you use the first night as a way to guarantee that a room will be available for a morning check in and similarly use the last night to get a very late checkout? Of course, you'd still pay the same number of points, but still have an award room during a very busy and expensive period.
What times are you actually arriving and departing? Could you use the first night as a way to guarantee that a room will be available for a morning check in and similarly use the last night to get a very late checkout? Of course, you'd still pay the same number of points, but still have an award room during a very busy and expensive period.
Mar 20, 2019, 10:12 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA- EXP UA - Silver SPG- PLT Marriott- PLT
Posts: 759
In the StR Aspen problem thread, someone posted some Bonvoy rules about shortening award stays. My *interpretation* is that you might be able to drop off the last night and get points refunded (but this would be fifth night free,no?) if you advise the hotel at check in, assuming that you meet any minimum stay requirements for stays paid with money.
What times are you actually arriving and departing? Could you use the first night as a way to guarantee that a room will be available for a morning check in and similarly use the last night to get a very late checkout? Of course, you'd still pay the same number of points, but still have an award room during a very busy and expensive period.
What times are you actually arriving and departing? Could you use the first night as a way to guarantee that a room will be available for a morning check in and similarly use the last night to get a very late checkout? Of course, you'd still pay the same number of points, but still have an award room during a very busy and expensive period.
Mar 20, 2019, 10:18 am
#15
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
Unless things have changed, with legacy Marriott one could change the check-out date without creating a new reservation, but changing the check-in date requires a new reservation (and cancelling the old one.)