Elite guarantee not honored
#91
Company Representative, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 1,089
vii. Guaranteed Room Type. Guaranteed priority for your requested type of room at the Participating Brands listed below when your qualifying Elite level and specific preference are noted on the reservation for your stay (pillow, room location, extra bed, crib requests, etc. are not included in Guarantee). A Platinum Elite Member or above who makes a reservation on the same day he/she plans to arrive at the property is not eligible to receive the Guaranteed Room Type benefit. Outside of the United States, Canada and Europe: Smoking/non-smoking preferences may also be given priority, based on availability; exact bed sizes may vary, and only Titanium and Ambassador Elite Members will have guaranteed priority for their requested type of bed and room. The Guaranteed Room Type benefit does not cover room upgrades. Guaranteed Room Type is not available at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, Marriott Vacation Club, Marriott Grand Residence Club, Design HotelsTM and Vistana properties. Guaranteed Room Type is offered at the following brands: The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Delta Hotels, Le Méridien, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Courtyard, Four Points, SpringHill Suites, Protea Hotels, Fairfield, AC Hotels, Aloft, Moxy, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites and Element.
So I got 2 emails today for an upcoming reservation in SLC. The first was a cancelation email the second was a confirmation. I had booked a room with two queens that was canceled and moved to a king only.
I called into the Marriott line and asked to have it switched back. I was told that room types are not guaranteed. I said as a titanium member, I believe that is a benefit. I quoted...
https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/mem...s/guarantee.mi
"When making a reservation, be sure to note your Member number and room/bed preferences. We’ll always honor your bed type request at our locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Everywhere else, smoking/non-smoking preferences are honored based on availability; exact bed sizes may vary, and only Titanium Elite members will have guaranteed priority for their requested type of bed and room. If a guarantee is not met, guest compensation applies."
The CSR said that because I booked with points, the benefits do not apply. I asked where this was in the policy ad she didn't know but was sure that room-type benefits are not guaranteed when booking with points.
That's new to me. Does anyone have any confirmation of this? V
I called into the Marriott line and asked to have it switched back. I was told that room types are not guaranteed. I said as a titanium member, I believe that is a benefit. I quoted...
https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/mem...s/guarantee.mi
"When making a reservation, be sure to note your Member number and room/bed preferences. We’ll always honor your bed type request at our locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Everywhere else, smoking/non-smoking preferences are honored based on availability; exact bed sizes may vary, and only Titanium Elite members will have guaranteed priority for their requested type of bed and room. If a guarantee is not met, guest compensation applies."
The CSR said that because I booked with points, the benefits do not apply. I asked where this was in the policy ad she didn't know but was sure that room-type benefits are not guaranteed when booking with points.
That's new to me. Does anyone have any confirmation of this? V
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
#92
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Seattle area
Programs: Peasant at large
Posts: 595
Hope you get it. I have had plenty of issues myself recently. Probably 1/2 the time welcome bonus does not credit at all. When I asked about it recently the agent said he 'tried' but the system would not let him add it. What b.s. ... apparently Marriott no longer cares about any of their so-called guarantees, it has been a race to the bottom. With Marriott prior to the merger there was was pressure because of the comp that was due, that seems to be no longer true. It is sad how customer service races from one low to another, this used to be much better.
Given that, guests have very little leverage. There's little individual guests can do to affect revenue unless the issue blows up in the media or attracts legal attention. Both are extremely rare and would take a special kind of stupid/malice to accomplish.The one other path is your corporate procurement/contracts team formally complaining; assuming you are with an organization that has significant financial contributions or a strong public brand.
Personally, I don't sweat the small oversights and don't seek to correct things with the front line person or FD manager beyond asking nicely about it once. If they are incompetent or just plain jerks, nothing you say will change that. I might talk to the property GM opportunistically but most often I just ping the elite desk. I have friends in different large Marriott/SPG properties that run PR, F&B and corporate sales and their guidance is apologetically aligned with this approach.
#93
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: MR PP, UA Silver, SW A-List, HH Diamond
Posts: 345
Now I'm wondering if I mis-rembering things, but whatever language was in there in March was clear enough to me to not push the guarantee when I was given 2 double instead of 1 King on a CY award stay.
#94
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA Plat MM
Posts: 3,582
Exactly my experience. Out of my last few applicable stays I'm right there at 50% and I have received the same answer from both hotel staff and Customer Service. I'll even expand on the latter by adding "If the hotel does not add it at check-in, we are unable to override it here. Sorry." There is no point trying to explain that it has been done before and my time is more valuable than sending endless emails that go unanswered. Before I'll spend another 30 minutes on the phone over 1000 points I'd rather have the 25K certificate back that they made disappear a few months ago and now cannot find.
#96
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Bangkok
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, BAEC Silver, TK Miles & Smiles Elite
Posts: 2,210
Or why not email with a copy of your folio. That takes no time. There are a few CS email addresses that have fixed incorrect points within 24 hours of emailing. It takes no time to tap out a polite email with the reservation number and the folio scan with what I expected to post. They always give a few more points. Works for dining spend too when you don't stay.
#97
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Bonvoy titanium
Posts: 537
Went into my past stays and found two hotels that had failed to issue my welcome bonus. Called the titanium line, agent understood immediately what needed to be done. Added 1000 points to missing stays and even found a third I missed
took two min tops to fix
took two min tops to fix
#98
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: Hertz PC, Hilton DMD, IHG Spire Amb, Bonvoy Titanium Elite & WoH Globalist
Posts: 8,076
#99
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
Depending on the brand, I believe you are owed more compensation ($$$). See here regarding welcome gift guarantee: https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/mem...s/guarantee.mi
" If an Elite Member believes that compensation is due with respect to any aspect of the Elite Benefits Guarantee, he/she must request payment of the compensation while still a guest at the Participating Property, prior to checking out. "
So basically if a property is shafting you, YOU have to persuade them to stop shafting you, BUT ALSO to give you lots of money on top. You almost couldn't design a system more hostile to consumers.
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: A menace to everything in the sky. Yes. Even birds.
Programs: Eh+ Rapid Rolleyes
Posts: 14,519
Question for the group re: bed type not being honored. This happens to me ~10 nights/year and I've never bothered to follow-up on it as I'm generally pretty passive. However I've come to the realization that any sort of loyalty as a Titanium beyond my lifetime Marriott Platinum is basically worthless. The "new" Marriott program is a huge downgrade from the legacy SPG program and the systems and processes are terrible. Marriott management seems to operate in a different Universe (8:1 mythical people prefer new Marriott over legacy programs) as to what their new program has done to hotel operators and guests. With that preamble aside I've decided to now hold Marriott accountable to the complex rules of their complex program when there isn't a Hyatt convenient to where I'm staying.
First stay of 2020 and viola, hotel didn't honor confirmed bed type (not pre-paid reservation, CC guaranteed, room wasn't upgraded, and reservation was made on Marriott app) and hotel is in US. They didn't mention room change at check-in so no "consent" from my side. The next morning, at check-out, I asked for my $50 (was at a Four Points) and I proceeded to get yelled at. Literally yelled. I wasn't aggressive, I didn't raise my voice, I simply wouldn't accept no as an answer. I even pulled up the T+Cs on my phone. After about 2 min of the Front Desk Associated realizing I wasn't going to walk away she adjusted my folio down by $50 and told me to leave. Bonvoy!
Now with that being said:
First stay of 2020 and viola, hotel didn't honor confirmed bed type (not pre-paid reservation, CC guaranteed, room wasn't upgraded, and reservation was made on Marriott app) and hotel is in US. They didn't mention room change at check-in so no "consent" from my side. The next morning, at check-out, I asked for my $50 (was at a Four Points) and I proceeded to get yelled at. Literally yelled. I wasn't aggressive, I didn't raise my voice, I simply wouldn't accept no as an answer. I even pulled up the T+Cs on my phone. After about 2 min of the Front Desk Associated realizing I wasn't going to walk away she adjusted my folio down by $50 and told me to leave. Bonvoy!
Now with that being said:
- I don't necessarily need/want a verbal assault every time I claim this. How do I avoid?
- I'm on an expense report so while I like holding the hotel accountable to their mistake I'd rather the benefit paid to me vs a bill deduction, is that possible?
- How do I escalate in the instance where it needs to be escalated since the T+Cs clearly state I have to deal with this on property but its pretty obvious that front line associates at most properties don't have any idea
- Does anyone at Marriott care that their program is motivating very frequent guests to actively AVOID Marriott properties? Owners/property managers of certain hotels are likely to figure this out and it will slowly erode itself from the inside out but this is like watching a very slow motion train wreck
#102
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Wyndham Diamond, Caesar's Diamond
Posts: 536
#103
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Programs: MR LT Titanium, IHG Plat.,UA Premier Silver, & PA/OH Turnpike Million Miler
Posts: 2,320
The compensation is supposed to be paid out in cash. As you noted, some properties don't comply with that. As a side note, I tend to give the property the opportunity to correct room type at check in. If they don't/won't, then I will go the compensation route. I guess I have been lucky.
Over all of my years with Marriott I can only literally remember a couple of times where I needed to go the compensation route. The last time was about 18 months ago at the Hotel 201 (Philadelphia Sheraton that has to renovate to meet standards before getting its flag back) and they tried to offer me (and lots of other guests) 5000 points in lieu of the reserved bed type. I refused and eventually after 15 minutes of waiting and two trips to the "manager" in the back a king room magically appeared. That is the only time I have ever had to play hardball over guaranteed bed type that I recall.
The other time I remember is when the platinum arrival gift guarantee had just been rolled out. This is approx. 10 years ago. A SHS forgot to offer it to me and I pointed it out at checkout and just asked for the normal platinum welcome amenity points. The property insisted on giving me the $50 for the guarantee and the welcome points. I tried to turn down the $50 and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
Other than that I have had to email or request via the MR Web Site that titanium welcome gift points didn't post. While annoying to have to request it after the fact, they have been promptly posted after I make the request. YMMV...
--Jon
Over all of my years with Marriott I can only literally remember a couple of times where I needed to go the compensation route. The last time was about 18 months ago at the Hotel 201 (Philadelphia Sheraton that has to renovate to meet standards before getting its flag back) and they tried to offer me (and lots of other guests) 5000 points in lieu of the reserved bed type. I refused and eventually after 15 minutes of waiting and two trips to the "manager" in the back a king room magically appeared. That is the only time I have ever had to play hardball over guaranteed bed type that I recall.
The other time I remember is when the platinum arrival gift guarantee had just been rolled out. This is approx. 10 years ago. A SHS forgot to offer it to me and I pointed it out at checkout and just asked for the normal platinum welcome amenity points. The property insisted on giving me the $50 for the guarantee and the welcome points. I tried to turn down the $50 and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
Other than that I have had to email or request via the MR Web Site that titanium welcome gift points didn't post. While annoying to have to request it after the fact, they have been promptly posted after I make the request. YMMV...
--Jon
#104
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
Vote with your wallet. Dealing with Marriott isn't worth the stress when there are no shortage of better options out there - Hyatt if you want the best top tier status, Hilton if you want to shortcut your way to the top (via CC) and need a broader property base.
#105
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,461
To be fair, I think objection to the assigned bed type ought to be raised at check-in, rather than the following morning.