Ilove2fly

My husband and I are planning to join a tour group to Egypt. Good number of nights are at the Le Meridien. I was wondering if it is possible to get stay credit or elite benefits (such as upgrades) in this situation. This is our first time travel with a tour group.

cfischer

no stay credit and points. You will likely (IMO) get some Elite benis ... show your credentials at check-in.

C17PSGR

+1

Master billed/group bookings don't normally get credit although occasionally the hotel makes a mistake.
I believe there are a couple of posts where master billed/group bookings don't get lounge access -- which may be consistent with the T&C which seems to say that -- but I've never had that issue.

And, I was on a master billed stay at a US legacy Marriott property a few days ago. I gave them my MR info at check-in. The FD stepped away for a couple of minutes and came back from the MOD. They told me they had upgraded me to one of their best suites and asked me to give them advance notice in the future if I was staying on a master billed stay so they could pre-upgrade me. But ... they had my name on the reservation as part of the group -- not sure that's the case on a tour as you describe.

pinniped

I've gotten nice upgrades even when I've been master-billed, but it was a case where the event was so large that we had basically taken over the hotel. A smaller tour group might be getting a block of rooms that they aren't upgrading out of.

For the best chance, phone Marriott and get your Bonvoy number added ahead of time. As others have stated, no points...but maybe someone will notice your status and upgrade you. (I have no idea how many suites a LM in Egypt has to begin with.)

C17PSGR

I'm not sure Marriott will have the info on a master billed account. OP may need to contact the hotel. And, its my sense that in some cases the tours book XX rooms and that the tour company collects XX keys to distribute so the hotel may not have your name in this situation.

CIT85

That's what I've noticed when I've watched tour groups checking in hotels.

tkey75

If your stay is going to go to a master, get your Marriott res. # and while not logged in, put in that number and edit the stay, adding your Bonvoy # and your email. It will then appear in your account. Still not a guarantee you'll get the points/credit, but I'm better than 50% using this method.

On the very rare occasion, this will trigger your CC you put down for incidentals being charged the full amount. I can usually get this corrected, but honestly hope they don't because them I'm definitely getting full credit.

C17PSGR

I think there is a distinction sometimes between how it is handled with tour groups vs. master billing although I haven't been on a tour group in many years -- that's just what I see from my observation, organizers in the lobby handing out keys.

Master billing will usually have your name as you go to the desk to check in. But ... I'm skeptical that the meeting folks I deal with have readily available reservation numbers and wouldn't bug them about it. Marriott, Hilton, Hyatts all have my name, I give them my number, they usually give me the appropriate benefits of status Sometimes I get points/nights credit; sometimes I don't. Nights credit seems to happen sometimes when I give them my number and make incidental purchases during the stay. I always get points for the incidentals but usually not for the room rate.

EuropeanPete

miloworld

Yeah, I was like.. Aerosmith cares about Marriott points now?

C17PSGR

Some months I feel that way ... it's Tuesday so this must be Poughkeepsie That's what I originally thought when I saw the thread too!

CaliguyNYC

So this is a big change from SPG where you received stay credit and elite benefits. I just stayed at a former SPG hotel for a work offsite. Was told will receive stay credit but no points and no elite benefits. Well just got off with Marriott. No stay credits either. I think this is a big mistake. I am actually the one that voted for the hotel. Always try to keep it SPG. Won't be doing that anymore. Now will vote on the best possible hotel - maybe Marriott maybe not. Stay credit costs Marriott nothing. You actually have to go out of your way to even add your number to the rest so I bet most don't even do that. Just annoying the most motivated people. SPG had it right. I have always hated that hotel chains offer the bookers of the events points. Should never be that way.

dtremit

SPG never gave credit for master billed reservations -- payment had to be in your name. E.g.:

Frustrated: No Stay credit as meeting planner because room is on master bill
Benefits with a stay that is ona master bill?

TerryK

There has been no change. SPG operated the same way. You might have gotten credit before due to system error or human error. However, you should not have received credit if you go by the rules.

howtofreetravel

Try asking the hotel if you can pay extra to upgrade to have a qualifying rate