I'm sure they have this figured out with their fine print and legalese...but it really flies in the face of any spirit of booking with a hotel chain and likely skirts some consumer laws. If they can find their way around it then the laws need to be changed. There needs to be more adequate disclosure, like a warning label that says your contract isn't with Marriott, it's with some hotel company in Greece. If I had known that, I would not have booked this reservation or trusted that it was cancellable and refundable. Playing gotcha with your customers doesn't seem like a great way to do business over time.

Same issue with Vedema Resort
 

Hello - I know it's been some time since this thread started, but I've been following as I've had the same issue with Vedema Resort, booked through Marriott.com under their "flexible" cancellation policy for a September 2020 stay. I booked the pre-paid rate after receiving the email from the CEO in March that these would be completely refundable, and when the Greek government was still restricting Americans from entering the country, I canceled my reservation in July. Marriott continues to re-reroute my refund requests to the hotel itself, who keeps citing Greek law that's allowing them to hold onto my money and issue a voucher instead. I've now opened several disputes with Marriott, the hotel, and with Chase (I booked this on a Marriott Visa card). Chase temporarily refunded me and eventually denied the dispute and re-charged me, despite me sending them copies of this cancellation policy.

I'm wondering if this is going to turn into a class action lawsuit for those of us that can't get our money back? I'm out $1,100 right now. The hotel has NOT offered me a refund if I don't use the voucher, I assume they are hoping I forget after 18 months?

I just feel like this is a poor way to treat customers that you expect to come back to your hotels post-COVID. I'm a Marriott Platinum member and booked this on a Marriott Visa, but I'm at the point where I think Hilton or Hyatt will match my status ... but I still need to get the money back!

Confusing Cancellation Policy
 

I made a reservation for May 2021 using Member Rate Prepaid Refundable. however when I look at the cancellation policy I'm confused as the 2 bolded sections seem to contradict each other. Any insight, thanks.

Additional Information

• Commissionable Rate
• A credit card is required for payment to guarantee the Member
• Prepay Refundable rate.
• Prepay rates will be charged the full cost of the reservation
• within 24 hours of making the reservation.
• If payment is unsuccessful within 48 hours of making the
• reservation, the hotel reserves the right to cancel the
• reservation.
• Date changes to the reservation are allowed through 11:59PM
• local hotel time, 7 days before arrival. Date changes may
• result in a change to the overall cost of the reservation.
• A change resulting in a lower cost will receive an incidental
• credit upon check-in. A refund may also be requested upon
• check-in.
• A change resulting in a higher cost will receive an additional
• prepayment charge for the difference from original prepayment
• amount.
• Cancellation will result in a refund if made before 11:59PM
• local hotel time, 7 days before arrival.
• Cancellation after 11:59PM 7 days before arrival will forfeit
• the entire prepayment.
• The credit card used at the time of making the reservation must
• be valid for the entire stay.

Holding Your Reservation

• We will need a credit card prepayment to reserve your room. To ensure that you receive this special rate, we will charge your credit card a prepayment of 1400.22 USD when you make your reservation.

Cancelling Your Reservation

• Changes to your reservation are not permitted. Please note that you may cancel your reservation for no charge before 11:59 PM local hotel time on January 6, 2021.
• After this time, please note that your prepayment for this special rate is non-refundable.

Modifying Your Reservation

• Please note that a change in the length or dates of your reservation may result in a rate change.
• Your current rate may be available if your modified reservation still includes:
  • A reservation made 1 day(s) before your expected arrival.

Hi swiftaw,

If you send a Private Message to us with your full name, contact email, and reservation confirmation number, we'd be happy to check for you.

Best regards,

Carrie L
Specialist Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]

Is this in the email or on the website? Marriott does not store the text with your reservation so on the website it is liable to change whenever it feels like. If this is in the email then I believe contract law in most jurisdictions would have the less strict terms apply.

My understanding is that Marriott will take your money at the time of booking but if you cancel before the deadline then they will refund your money. How long the refund will take is another question entirely...

But agree that the wording is very confusing when it shouldn’t be.

Thanks, I sent you a PM.

So what happened here?

Sorry for not reading the entire thread.
I started a driving trip. A medical event in the middle of the night that sent me to ET meant I could not continue as planned.
I called the general Marriott number and canceled maybe 3 reservations on that trip.
My cc statement (11/28/22) shows a charge from one hotel that was cancelled at the last minute. My assistant called the hotel and they would not honor the cancellation number sent to me in an email from Marriott. If I did not receive that email, I would have called the hotel direct at 1:30 am on a Sunday morning knowing regular accounting folk would not be on duty.
I called the cc company this morning, corporate AMEX, and the first stage is initiated. If it goes to a dispute, I can document everything in this post, but is there anything in particular I should look out for?

If it happens again, ALWAYS call the hotel directly. Marriott CS does not have the right to waive any cancellation fees. I'm surprised they didn't tell you that. They may have canceled your reservation, but that's all they can do. Front desk mgr can waive cancellation fees. You don't need accounting.

I cancelled a reservation once at 1 am the day after I was supposed to check in (flight cancelled). The mgr on duty canceled the reservation with no issues.

Oh, and I would call the hotel and explain what happened rather than initiating a charge back. There is a good chance they will refund the fee.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I initiated a charge back before seeing your reply. We are not at the dispute level so not sure what can be done at this point with regard to calls since my assistant got no relief from whoever she spoke to on the phone at the hotel.
I did not know that the general Marriott phone agents could not cancel a reservation as they have done this for me various times, This rarely happens with me, but my wife is not well and she is not predictable during trips.